Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

414 Motion Picture News Constance Talmadge in a scene from “ Good Night, Paul! ” a Selznick revival Four Selznick Productions Three Star Issues and One Revival; First Released Jan. io Goldwyn’s “Theodora” at Capitol Theatre Goldwyn’s Italian spectacle, “ Theodora,” which met with such overwhelming critical commendation in New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit and Pittsburgh, the only towns where it has as yet been seen and where it showed at the $2 top scale, will be the attraction at the Capitol Theatre, New York, starting New Year’s day, Sunday, January 1. S. L. Rothafel, manager of presentation at the Capitol, is arranging a musical and scenic setting which will have novel features, though modeled upon the successful presentation of the spectacle at the Astor Theatre. Naval Picture Will Be Screened for Officials “ The Battle of Jutland,” the three-reel reproduction of the world’s great naval conflict, which has been brought to this country for distribution by Educational Film Exchanges, Inc., is to be presented at the Marine Barracks in Washington on January 9, following its showing at the Naval Academy on January 7, which has already been announced by Educational. Students at the Academv and naval officers on duty there will be able to see this remarkable short reel special at the Annapolis presentation, but for the convenience of officers stationed in Washington, Educational has made arrangements to present the picture again with the assistance of the Marines. Marion Davies Hostess to 500 Soldiers Marion Davies, star of Cosmopolitan Productions, gave one of the biggest soldier Christmas parties in New York City on Sunday, December 25. She consulted the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars to get a list of former service men who were unemployed, far from their families, or convalescing in military hospitals near New York. There were 500 responses and the main dining room at Shanley’s restaurant, 43rd street and Broadway, was bright with holly and evergreens as the motors drove up and discharged the guests. Hodkinson to Handle “The Four Seasons” Harry J. Shepard, of the'Kineto Company of America, has completed negotiations with the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation for the distribution of a four-reel special production, entitled “ The Four Seasons,” an JJrban Popular Classic recorded by Raymond L. Ditmars, curator of the Bronx Zoo, with the cooperation of Charles Urban, President of the Kineto Company. “ The Four Seasons ” is described as a feature novelty of rare beauty and one that is exceptionally fascinating in its visualization of nature’s handiwork. FROM January 10 to February 10 Select will issue four attractions, embracing one for each of the Selznick stars — Elaine Hammerstein, Eugene OBrien and Conway Tearle — and a Constance Talmadge revival “ Good-Night Paul ” is the “ come back,” a production by the late Walter Edwards that was based on a play by Roland Oliver and Charles Dickson and first issued when Lewis T. Selznick was making the Talmadge girls screen stars three seasons ago. Conway Tearles “ Shadows of the Sea” is set for January 10. This is an Alan Crosland production based on a story by Frank Dazey, associate editor of the Selznick scenario department. The cast in support is headed by Doris Kenyon and includes Arthur Houseman, Crawford Kent and J. Barney Sherry. January 20 brings Elaine Hammerstein to the screen with her newest production, “ Why Announce Your Marriage?”. This is also an Alan Crosland presentation made from a scenario in which Crosland collaborated with Lewis Allen Brown, inspired by Fanny Hurst’s ideas on matrimony. Niles Welch makes another appearance as Miss Hammerstein’s leading man and the supporting company engages Florence Billings, Arthur Houseman and Frank Currier in essential roles. Eugene O’Brien’s presentation of “ The Prophet’s Paradise ’ is likewise an Alan Crosland production. It is the third issue in the O’Brien series and is declared to constitute a type of presentation quite different from any in which he has previously starred. The incidents engage an American in Turkey where he meets strange adventures while rescuing an American heiress from an exceedingly perilous position. Sigrid Holmquist, known in her native land as the “ Swedish Mary Pickford,” is O’Brien’s leading woman in “The Prophet’s Paradise,” this being her second appearance in American pic‘ures. She is just now being exploited in associa tion with “ Just Around the Corner,’’ a new Cosmopolitan production wherein she acted shortly after she arrived here from Sweden. In her own land Miss Holmquist was a screen star, going direct from school to the studio. Arthur Houseman and Bigelow Cooper are also prominent in O’Brien’s support. “Behold theMan”jWins Notable Tribute 7 “ Behold the Man,” Pathe’s beautiful hand colored storj of the Life of Christ, has received a notable tribute from James Dean, film critic of the Newspaper Enterprise Association. To his audience of more than a million theatre goers, Mr. Dean said : “The ‘best seller’ of all times is the Bible. That is because, judged from a literary standpoint alone, it possesses more dramatic situations than have ever been enclosed between the covers of any other volume. “ A number of film versions of the Bible have been made. Most of them have failed because they have not transferred the Bible to the screen in its dramatic phases only. One such film was 1 The Life of Our Saviour,’ renamed ‘ Behold the Man.’ It was many reels tong. It embraces too much of the historical and religious detail of Jesus’ life. Francis Mangan Opens Presentation Bureau Francis A. Mangan, formerly associated with the Allen theatre, Montreal, as production-manager, announces that he will operate a presentation bureau with headquarters in New York. Pre-release and premiere showings and prologues will be arranged by the new bureau, according to the announcement. Mr. Mangan’s presentation department will be part of the activities of the New York Concert League. “Pathe Playlets” Work of Great Authors Some of America’s greatest playwrights and leading novelists are authors of the “ Pathe Playlets ” which Pathe will issue in three-reel form, beginning with Frank Keenan’s, “ The Midnight Stage,” on January 29th. A compilation of the authors of these plays reads like a “ Who’s Who ” of American dramatists, and is a sterling tribute to the policy of Pathe when making these pictures, of selecting the best America had to offer in a literary way. Included among the authors of the first fifteen features Pathe has nominated for re-issue in condensed form, are Winchell Smith, Paul Armstrong, Carolyn Wells, George Scarborough, Gilson Willets, John Moroso and Ellery Clark. First Nat’l Stars Give Dolls to Aid Poor At a monster benefit given in the New York Hippodrome Sunday, Dec. 18th, by a galaxy of grand opera and musical comedy stars, one of the most interesting events was the raffling of twelve dolls donated by First National stars. The proceeds of this item is said to have amounted to $4,000 and went towards providing a happy Christmas to poor children of New York’s East Side. The stars who donated the dolls were Norma and Constance Talmadge, Jackie Coogan, Madge Bellamy, Marguerite de la Motte. Anita Stewart, Katherine MacDonald, Richard Barthelmess, Mabel Normand, Hope Hampton, Anita Loos and John Emerson. An additional interest was lent to these dolls by the fact that they were dressed to represent the donors in various roles. Cartoon at End of News Reel Meets Approval The inclusion of a Tad or a Tom Powers cartoon at the end of each issue of the International News Reel has aroused great enthusiasm among exhibitors and has been the means of adding many theatres to the list of International News patrons, announces R. V. Anderson, News Sales manager of International. Nat Holt, manager of Loew’s State Theatre, Los Angeles, sent word to Universal, which distributes the International News Reel, that the cartoon has added fifty per cent, to the entertainment value of the reel, according to word from the Universal home office. Frank Mantzke on Hodkinson Sales Staff Frank Mantzke, formerly manager of the Robertson-Cole exchange in Minneapolis, and at one time manager of the publicity department of the General Film Company in Minneapolis, has been added to the sales force of the Hodkinson exchange in Minneapolis, according to an announcement from the Hodkinson Home Office this week.