Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

420 Motion Picture News Standardize Release Prints Different Rothacker Plants Turn Out Prints of Identical Quality HE ROSARY,” the SeligI Rr A beautiful moment from “And Women Must Weep,” one of the ‘Wilderness Tales,” the Educational-Bruce scenic series Bruce Makes New Series Educational Film to Release N ew Pictures, “ Wilderness Tales ” ROBERT C. BRUCE, producer of scenic pictures, whose one hunderdth picture was recently released by Educational Film Exchanges, Inc., and whose European series, now almost completed on Educational’s release schedules, has added much to his_ popularity, has just returned to New York from the Northwest with a group of pictures that mark a new departure in scenic moving pictures. The new subjects brought back by Mr. Bruce will be called “Wilderness Tales.” Each will present an intersting little story about men in the great outdoors, all the acting being done with beautiful scenic backgrounds. This will combine the attractiveness of the pure scenic with the appeal of novel stories laid in the mountains, valleys and waterways of Washington, Oregon and California and occasionally along the Northern Pacific Coast. Mr. Bruce went into the Great Rocks Country in Washington, where only sheep herders are ever known to go. Even the Government rangers were unable to advise the party how to cross the mountains on the other side. But the Bruce party fought their way over the snowclad, treacherous hills that marked the far side of the valley, and after a hard tussle made their way out, with splendid “ shots ” of territory that had never before been photographed. The first release of this new series will be on Educational’s release schedule for February. It is called “And Women Must Weep,” and will follow in order of release “ Unknown Switzerland,” which is to be made available to exhibitors in January and which closes the current European series. Others to follow in this series of “Wilderness Tales” include “The Split Outfit,” “ The One-Man Reunion,” “ Prickly Conscience,” “ Nights of Many Shadows,” “ The Natural Born Liar” and “Missing Men.” Talmadge Re-Issues a Selznick Reports Revivals Have Duplicated Original Successes THE pictures that Lewis J. Selznick produced at the time he was making Norma and Constance Talmadge stars of the screen have previously been announced as part of the Selznick output for the year and thus far several of them have been released. When the schedule is complete there will be six of each star in a selection of their releases that demonstrated their box office value when first released. Three of the Constance Talmadge announced revivals have either been released or are in Select exchanges for distribution and two photoplays with Norma have reached the screen, “ Poppv ” and “ De Luxe Annie ” being Norma’s issues, while Constance has appeared in “ Scandal,” “ A Pair of Silk Stockings ” and “ Good Night Paul.” Earlier in the year “ Ghosts of Yesterday ” and “The Moth” were issued as Talmadge revivals, and it was the box office reception these “ trial balloons ” received that influenced the decision to revive Rork production for First National, affords the RothackerAller Laboratories of Los Angeles and the Chicago Rothacker plant the first opportunity to show what they can do in the way of standardized release printing. Twenty-five prints for the Western territory were made in Los Angeles under the supervision of Joe Aller. Then the negative wras rushed to Chicago where the remaining prints were laboratoried. Prints of identical screen brilliancy and tone values are possible from two different laboratories only when both plants are standardized so as to operate in perfect and practical synchronization with respect to time cards, printing machines, plant temperature, developing formulas, etc. Preliminary plans for this standardization were worked out between Chicago laboratory technicians and Mr. Aller during the latter’s trip East last fall. Then representatives from the Chicago organization visited the coast plant. In order to effect a standardization' of laboratory processes that would be standardization in all that the word implies it was necessary among other things, for both plants to begin using a special distilled water, as developing chemicals mixed in different water would have different reaction on the film — Hit a slight difference perhaps but nevertheless a varying ultimate screen result. “The big thing about this standardization is that it will enable us the better to serve First National, United Artists, Robertson-Cole and oher clients,” said Watterson R. Rothacker. “ The standardization of our laboratories is an insurance policy taken out for the benefit of producers, distributors, exhibitors and audience— insurance that after the Coast organization has made Western Prints which please the producer, the Chicago organization will in turn supply' Middle-Western and Easter Exchanges with prints of identical worth. “ We are looking forward to that day in the not distant future when we will have laboratories in London and New York, and will be in position to give a virtually world-wide standardized laboratorv service.” Bobby Vernon in New “Rube” Picture “ Hokus Pokus ” is the latest Christie Comedy' completed for Educational. It features Bobby Vernon in a new kind of “rube” picture, in which not a scene takes place on a farm. twelve more. Norma will, during 1922, be seen in “ By Right of Purchase,” “ The Safety Curtain,” “Her Only Way” and “ The Secret of the Storm Country ” and the Constance releases will include “ The Lesson," “Mrs. Leffingwell’s Boots” and “A Ladyr’s Name.” When these are all in circulation the full schedule of Talmadge revivals will be complete. These attractions were originally screened little more than two years ago and the progress of the Talmadge girls as screen favorites makes all of their works attractive to the enthusiastic following they have created since Selznick first started them along the road of stardom. So desirable have the revivals thus far issued been considered by enterprising showmen that in many of the first run theatres it is declared that the Talmadge reissues have been treated exactly as though they' were offerings shown for the first time. 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