Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

422 Motion Picture News Plan Increased Production R-C Gives Word of Extensive Production Activities After Jan. ist Cleveland House Adopts Long-Run Policy The Stillman Theatre, one of the largest and finest of Cleveland’s downtown houses, has adopted the policy of long-run showings of big pictures. Because of its ideal location, the Stillman is able to put on three and four week showings at admission prices of 35 and 50 cents for matinees and 50 to 75 cents at night. The theatre seats 2,000. Special efforts were made by the management to create interest in it because of its sheer power. Acting in cooperation with Walter E. Lusk, manager of the Associated First National Cleveland exchange, Manager Jack Kuhn gave a special showing of the picture a few days before its scheduled opening, to an invitetd audience of clubwomen. Loew’s Euclid Theatre, which is dark at the present time, was used for the showing. New Yitagraph Building in Omaha Vitagraph’s big chain of branch offices, which has been steadily lengthened in the past two years, is to have another link enlarged — this time in Omaha. For the past couple of years, Vitagraph has been opening branches in cities which previously were not used as exchange centers, has been constructing new Vitagraph Buildings and enlarging its old ones. Work on Omaha’s new Vitagraph Building has already been started, Vitagraph having completed negotiations early last week with C. W. Calkins, president of the Calkins company of Omaha. The new exchange will be fire-proof, and equipped with three standard size film vaults. It has been leased by Vitagraph for ten years. House Peters to Star in “The Storm’’ House Peters will star in the Universal-Jewel dramatization of “ The Storm,” Langdon McCormick’s sensational stage play. Reginald Barker will direct the production, starting as soon as Peters finishes his starring role in “ Human Hearts,” which King Baggot now is filming as a Universal-Jewel super feature. PESSIMISTIC rumors of an impending closing of the R-C Studios in Hollywood following the curtailment of production at several other Southern California film plants are belied in a cheerful statement issued to-day by local R-C officials in regard to the future plans of their company. Preparations are now being made for increased productional activity immediately after the first of the year, according to these officials, and there is no hint of pessimism as to the concerned. It has been decided not to start any new productions during the Christmas holidays, it was stated, because of the thoroughly human penchant of actors for seasonal enjoyments away from work at that time of the year. But the R-C organization will be expected to make up for lost time in the first few weeks of 1922. Sessue Hayakawa has two productions which are now being prepared for release. “ Five Days to Live,” which was made under the name, “ In The Street of the Flying Dragon,” and in which the star is supported by his wife, Tsuru Aoki, has received the final touches of the film editors and a finished print is being awaited. Final scenes in " The Vermilion Pencil,” in which Hayakawa is supported by Bessie Love, will be completed within a few days. The cutting department has started to edit the film under Hayakawa’s personal supervision. This will take several weeks, but the star is expected to start upon another picture about January 9. The name of his next story has not yet been announced. Pauline Frederick is also supervising the cutting of her latest production, “ Two Kinds of Women,” adapted from Jackson Gregory’s novel, “ Judith of Blue Lake Ranch.’’ Miss Frederick’s next R-C production is expected to be a film presentation of William J. Locke’s novel, “ The Glory of Clementina.” E. Richard Schayer is now preparing the continuity for this story, and it is expected that it will go into production about January 9. Doris May is nearing the close of her third R-C starring vehicle, “ Boy Crazy.” She will be started upon her next picture, “ Gay and Devilish,” about the same time the Hayakawa and Frederick companies begin w ork again. It is also announced from the coast that several new companies may be organized for special productions early in 1922, as the R-C scenario department has purchased several books and plays that are considered excellent screen material. Christy Cabanne, who has been in New York for several months directing productions for R-C Pictures Corporation may return to California to make his next film at the R-C Studios here, it was stated. Lives of Great Authors Ready for Screen Arrangements have been completed by the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation and Harry J. Shepard, of the Kineto Company of America, for the distribution by the Hodkinson Corporation of a series of onereel Great Authors Productions made by Charles Urban. The series consists of twelve productions featuring the lives of such celebrated American authors as James Whitcomb Riley, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Walt Whitman, James Penimore Cooper, James Russell Lowell, Edgar Allen Poe, Washington Irving, John ’ Greenleaf Whittier, Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Cullen Bryant, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Mark Twain. According to present arrangements the productions will be released at the rate of one a month and prints on the first few releases are now being rushed to completion in order to meet the demand for early dates from first run accounts. Anita Stewart Finishes “Woman He Married’’ The production of Anita Stewart’s latest picture, “ The Woman He Married” has been completed at the Louis B. Mayer studio under the direction of Fred Niblo. The film now being cut and titled by the director is expectetd to be ready for shipment to New York within the next few weeks. Mr. Mayer will present it through First National. “ The Woman He Married ” was adapted by Bess Meredyth from the stage play by Herbert Bashford, formerly a San Francisco newspaperman. Supporting Anita Stewart in the cast are Darrl Foss, Shannon Day, Donald MacDonald, William Conklin, Charlotte Pierce, Charles Belcher, and Frank Tokunaga. Special Song Written for “My Boy’’ Jack Norworth, well-known lyric writer, and A1 Piantadoso, composer of “ The Curse of an Aching Heart ” and other popular songs, have collaborated at the request of Joseph Plunkett of the Strand, New York City, in the writing of a special song number for Jackie Coogan’s new picture, “ My boy.” The song was used in the Strand prologue this week for the showing of “ My boy.” The song will also be used in the Los Angeles presentation of the picture. The title of the song is “I’m Just a Lonely Little Kid.” Theo. Roberts Chosen for Ideal Cast The Tacoma Ledger’s Ideal Cast contest, recently closed, gave Theodore Roberts the lead over all other individuals in any class and returned him as winner in his own class, character man, with a vote of 26,909. This was a tremendous plurality over the next highest who had a vote of 3,517. Rudolph Valentino, Paramount featured player, won the leading man competition with a vote of 13,359. Bebe Daniels, as a vampire got 25,719 votes and won the contest in her class — rather a misnomer at present as she is no longer playing vamps. ERBOGRAPH COMPANY LUDWIG G B ERB president MOTION PICTURE DEVELOPIN G AND $m) PRINTIN G laboratories and studio