Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

1214 Motion Picture News Goldwyn is releasing " The Grim Comedian," a Frank Lloyd production in which Jack Holt has a principal role Young Picture Under Way Equity Star Completes First Half of Elaborate Production WORD comes through Equity Pictures Corporation from the Pacific coast studios of Harry Garson that the picture now in process of production will be Clara Kimball Young's best to date. The first two reels and a half have been completed, cut and assembled. Rather than risk the big court room scenes being spoiled by lighting effects so difficult to secure in public buildings, Harry Garson built the entire court room intact, an exact replica of one of the finest court rooms in America. On this set some of the biggest scenes of the story occur and the lavishness of the set will not be considered extravagant when the beauty of the set is seen on the screen. Big scenes have also occured in a newspaper office and the offices of the Los Angeles Examiner will furnish the background, with all the speed and excitement of the metropolitan dailies. Supporting Miss Young are such brilliant performers as Lowell Sherman, whose work as the heavy in D. W. Griffith's " Way Down East " tvas of the finest the screen had seen in many months. As the featured player opposite Miss Young, Mr. Sherman will have splendid opportunities to do some excellent acting. With William D. Carleton, Edward Kimball, and other chosen players including little Jean Carpenter whose work in Mary Pickford's "Through the Back Door" elicited such high praise from critics, press and public, the cast of this new picture is above the average. The story from the pen of Sada Cowan deals with the rise and fall of a brilliant young attorney, badly handicapped by a scapegoat wife. Urban Prepares Catalogue 200 Urban Popular Classics, Excluding Movie Chats, Are Listed CHARLES URBAN is now preparing a new catalogue listing 200 of the Urban Popular Classics, exclusive of the Charles Urban's Movie Chats. These catalogues will be ready for circulation among the exhibitors in about two weeks. They illustrate excellently the wide diversification of material in the Urban collection. In the list are included Kineto Reviews, The Animal Kingdom Series, the Urban Science Series, The La Fontaine Fables, The Four Seasons, The Great American Authors, The " Roving Thomas " Series, and many other groups. All of the 200 subjects listed are in onereel, averaging 950 feet. Every reel devotes itself to consideration of a single subject, thus differing from the Movie Chats which treat of anywhere from three to twenty subjects in the reel. These 200 Urban Popular Classics mark the first completed round of " The Living Book of Knowledge," which is to be the World's Encyclopedia. The Encyclopedia will contain at a minimum 1,000 reels. The catalogue will need a good deal of study to reveal all the striking material it contains. There are groups within groups that are gems in themselves. For instance in the list of travel subjects there are five complete devoted to the City of London ; a complete visualization of the social and commercial life of the great city. Other world-cities are similarly pictured. The United States Navy is the subject of five reels also; a complete story of the navy. All of the subjects already listed and ready for exhibition are complete in themselves and designed for separate release with one exception. This exception is "The Four Seasons," Tilford Widens Activities Will Undertake Handling of Every Detail Requisite in Making of Film SIMULTANEOUSLY with the news of the incorporation for $250,000 of the Tilford Cinema Corporation comes the announcement from the offices of the concern at No. 165 West 31st street, New York, that the organization, under its expanded programme, will undertake the handling of everything that goes into the making of a picture. " Having passed the experimental stage by proving to producers that we can provide the sets, furnishings and properties for the making of better pictures at a saving of fully 30 per cent my associates a",d myself have determined to widen the scope of our endeavors," was the statement made by \\'alter Ford Tilford, president of the new corporation. If the picture producer so desires we will not only furnish sets, locations, decorations and properties but W'ill also provide casts, direction and camera work." Mr. Tilford's associates in the new enterprise are experts in their respective lines. Mr. Tilford himself broke into the game early as an operator and later became an exhibitor. On the production end he has been associated in the past with Vitagraph and the Famous Players-Lasky organizations. He had charge of the decorations in transportation. such pictures as "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," "On with the Dance," and " The Amateur Wife." Thomas Wilson Switzler, treasurer and general manager of the new corporation, is another of the staff who was formerly connected with the Famous Players-Lasky studios as purchasing agent. An architect by profession Wiard B. Ihnen, the secretary, has had a world of experience in the designing of sets for motion pictures. Thurston H. Holmdale, an artist of note, heads the department of art and scenic effects. In charge of construction for the Tilford Organization is Thomas B. Sherman, who has had an extensive experience as a supervising carpenter in the majority of the Eastern Studios. Stephen Seymour, who supervises decorations and properties, was for many years in the service of Metro, Goldwyn and Famous Players, both at the Eastern and Coast studios. Others of the Tilford organization are Walter E. Keller, an architectural draftsman of long experience, who works as assistant to Mr. Ihnen in the creation of sets ; Edward J. Tasker, purchasing agent; and John T. Lascha, in charge of Warner Sees Bright Future Pioneer Independent Producer Says the Pendulum is Swinging HARRY M. WARNER, one of current news expressed by the the pioneers of the industry, voluminous advertising and pubas an independent producer and licity now gaining full sway not distributor, is keenly optimistic of only in the motion picture trade the forthcoming season, despite the journals, but in ever% publication constant wail of business depres and newspaper throughout the sion, and feels that the month of country. As far as our organizaSeptember — Independent Month — tion is concerned, we have now will bring to light the many meri under way twelve big productions, torious offerings that are availa five of which have already been ble for exhibitors in the in completed, and we are negotiating dependent field. to handle scores of other meritori" The constant flow of cries be ous offerings suitable for the inmoaning the ruinous condition and dependent market. ' Why Girls the ultimate extinction of our in Leave Home ' within a very short dustry, coming as they do from period has proven to be one of the people who swallow hearsay by biggest and best bets that has yet the mouthful, have proven a bane been thrown on the independent not only to motion pictures but market. also to other commercial enter " ' Give the public better pictures ' prises. These cries of course are has never been more realized than unfounded, and it is up to the in at the present time. Independent dependents to turn the trend of Month will reveal the harvest that present conditions the other wzy. is in store for exhibitors who are While it is true that most of the catering to the public by offering producers have curtailed expenses clean, wholesome, entertaining proby eliminating the waste in their ductions. Let's all put our shoulpersomiel and producing fewer and der to the wheel and keep swingbetter productions, the month of ing the pendulum toward the era of September, delegated as ' Inde success, happiness, and prosperity! " pendent Month ' bv the convention of the M. P. T." O. A. in Minneapolis, will prove beyond a doubt that the indenendent market is full of the best offerings that have ever Iris Pictures Has New Producing Unit Jack Goulde, Business Manager been placed before exhibitors and of the Iris Features Company, anthrough them to the public. Fur nounces that his company will add thcrmore, the business pendulum is an additional producing unit to swinging toward the optimistic make a series of five special proviewpoint, and the forthcoming^ ductions. This addition will in no season will prove to be the best way interfere with the making of season the industry has known in the six .Time Keith star series which several years. are at present being made under the " This opinion is based on the direction of Walter Steiner.