Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

S e.p t e mb e r j, i g 2 i 1219 LOIS WEBER Producer ot "THE PRICE OF A GOOD TIME" "WHERE ARE MV CHILDRtN" 'TO PLEASE ONE WOMAN" "FOR HUSBANDS ONLY" Presents One of the three sheets put out by the F. B. Warren Corp. on " The Blot " Hodkinson Acquires New Ralph Connor Film So greatly impressed were the officials of the \V. W. Hodkinson Corporation with the possibilities of ■' The Foreigner,'" retitled " God's Crucible," the distribution rights for which they recently acquired from Ernest Shipman, that they immediately entered into negotiations for " Cameron of the Royal Mounted," another Ralph Connor story also picturized under the direction of Henry McRae who wielded the megaphone for the first named production. " Cameron of the Royal Mounted" is listed for release by Hodkinson on December 25th, and P. N. Brinch, General Sales Manager of the Hodkinson Corporation, has declared that he confidently expects it to prove a " clean-up." Cosmopolitan Has Begun Filming of "Sisters' ' Production has begun by Cosmopolitan Productions on " Sisters," the Kathleen Norris novel which E. Lloyd Sheldon adapted for the screen. Albert Capellani, who directed " The Inside of the Cup " and " The Wild Goose " for Cosmopolitan Productions, is directing. Seena Owen plays the leading feminine role. Matt Moore has the leading male part. Gladys Leslie, Joe King, Robert Schable, Mildred Arden and Tom Guise also have prominent parts. "Riding with Death" to Star Buck Jones Jacques Jaccard, new Fox director, has begun work on a picture at HollvAvood, starring Buck Jones. The working title is " Riding With Death." Jaccard is the author of the story and scenario. Betty Francisco plays the feminine lead. " The Blot " Given Premiere First Release of F. B. Warren Co. Opens at Barbee's Loop Theatre To William Barbee and Barbee's Loop theatre, Chicago, goes the prestige for giving premiere presentation for the Lois Weber production, " The Blot," which is the first I)icture released by the F. B. Warren Corporation, the new international distributors. "The Blot" opened at Barbee's Loop theatre, Sunda\", August 21, with an aggressive advertising and exploitation lampaign carried out by Mr. Barbee in person and abetted by members of the Warren organization in Chicago. Two weeks lime has been held open by Mr. Barbee for the initial engagement of this picture, and it then will be released on Sunday, September 4, for simultaneous showing over the entire Lubliner & Trinz circuit, the Ascher Bros, circuit, the Andrew Karzas circuit on the south side and the Schoenstadt circuit. This is an unparalleled representation for any picture in the city of Chicago obtained by Sidney J. Goldman, mid-western vice l)resident of the Warren organization and his aides. These circuits have signed contracts for the entire output of production coming under Warren release for the new season. " The Blot " next week has its Missouri pre-release in Frank L. Newman's Newman theatre, Kansas City, and will be nationally released September 4 in one hundred of the largest theatres in the country. It was booked on sight by the entire northwestern chain of theatres operated by Jensen & Von Herberg in Seattle, ' Portland, Butte, Great Falls, Tacoma, Bellingham, Bremerton and Yakima and plays their largest theatres on national release date. It has also been booked for an extended run at Clune's Broadway theatre, Los Angeles. Issues Broadside to Exhibs Robertson-Cole Makes New Effort for Independence Month Campaign Ax elaborate broadside to back up its campaign for indejjendent Pictures Month has been issued by R-C Pictures Corporation and has gone into the mail for every exhibitor of motion pictures in the United States. A statement from the R-C headquarters has the following to say about the broadside just issued: "This broadside carries a list of timely bookings for quick returns to exhibitors in September-Independence Month ; reproductions of the free accessories and advertising aids that are issued with bookings for "Book-A-Week" and Independence Month ; reproductions of a number of comments on specific R-C Pictures by big and successful exhibitors; and synopsis and stories of a large number of R-C productions and releases. "The broadside is illustrated with half-tones of the various stars and directors, and carries the message that R-C Pictures Corporation is independent because it is not an exhibitor; it owns no motion picture theater ; it controls no motion picture theater; it has no stock in any exhibiting concern ; and it competes with no exhibitor in any part of the w"orId. There is also a list of the branch exchanges with the names of the executives in charge, and their addresses." "Blind Hearts" Completed Initial Production of Hobart Bosworth Co. to Be Released bv A. P. WORD was received at the New York office of Associated Producers, Inc., this week of the completion of the initial production of the Hobart Bosworth Productions, Inc. "BHnd Hearts" is the title of the feature with which this new company will make its debut in the producing field, and Mr. Bosworth who is starred in it has pronounced it the most satisfactory picture, from all angles, in which he has ever appeared. In the leading feminine role appears Madge Bollamy. Other well known players in the cast are Wade Boetler, Ravmond McKce. \\ illiam Conklin. Irene Blackwell, Lulu Warrenton, Henry Hebert and Colett Forbes. The production includes scenes in the ice-fields of northwestern .Alaska, a storm scene on the San Francisco Bay, the spectacular destruction of a steam yacht by fire, and the San Quentin penitentiaryin California. Rowland V. Lee, who has long experience as a director under the supervision of Thomas H. Ince, directed "Blind Hearts." It is from an original story by Emilie Johnson and the scenario is by Joseph Franklin Poland. J. O. Taylor, another graduate, presided at the camera. Murphy-Walker Release Set for September " What Love Will Do " is the title selected for the September MurphyWalker release by Fox Film Corporation, which was made under the w"orking title " The Drifter.'' The story provides the young co-stars, Edna Murphy and Johnnie Walker, with excellent opportunities to sustain the reputation they have made as " ideal lovers of the screen," says William Fox. William K. Howard directed. Katherine Lewis, featured in ChristieEducational Comedies Semon on Front Page of Coast Newspapers Larry Semon, Vitagraph comedian, broke on to the first page of Pacific coast newspapers last week by turning out with his entire producing company and fighting a tremendous fire which is still reported to be sweeping parts of California forest land. In an eight column head on its first page the Los Angeles Evening Herald of Friday, August 12th, calls attention to the exploit of Larry Semon and the other motion picture men, and goes on to say as follows : " Headed by Larry Semon, Vitagraph comedy star, and his director, Norman Taurog, a company of 75 Los Angeles motion picture men and women abandoned their work and joined a contingent of 500 men to combat the worst fire in the history of the Sequoia National forest today after the first force of fire fighters had been driven back two miles by the fierce heat of the burning timber." Additional Houses|Sign Goldwyn Franchise Goldwyn announces the addition of fifty-nine theatres, during the week ending August 13, to the number which had already contracted for the Goldwyn franchise by which the theatre obtains the first showing of all of the fifth year Goldwyn productions. Embraced -in the list is another group of theatres controlled by Southern Enterprises, this time in Texas and in Little Rock, Ark. This is an addition to the forty-six theatres of Southern Enterprises signed up for Goldwyn franchises by the .Atlanta branch exchange chronicled last week. Asher Back from Coast in Optimistic Mood E. M. Asher, special representative for Mack Sennett, who has been in Los Angeles for the past two months, has returned to New York. Mr. Asher reports that conditions on the Coast arc beginning to show improvement. Mack Sennett is way ahead of his production schedule, and is now engaged in putting the finishing touches to " Molly O," which Associated Producers will release in October.