Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

424 Motion Picture News Pyramid Finishing Picture “ My Old Kentucky Home ” Company Back from South With Exteriors Herman Robbins Joins Natl. Screen Service Herman robbins, who resigned as general sales manager of Fox Film Corporation to go into business for himself, announces that arrangements are now completed whereby he has affiliated himself with National Screen Service and has taken charge as general manager of their sales in the United States. “ I have carefully analyzed National Screen Service in the past few months, its steady constant growth, and the unqualified praise it meets with wherever shown, and I am keenly aware that it is only a question of time when the National Screen Service method, enabling the exhibitor to show in attractive film form instead of by slides his coming attractions with interesting box office drawing extracts from those attractions, will be a requisite necessity in every theatre just as feature films, good music, comedies and news reels are now an integral part of his weekly and daily program.” “ I am highly gratified to be associated with Messrs. Poliak, Weinberg and Gruen. I plan to create sales organizations for National Screen Service in the principal exchange centers throughout the country for direct personal contact with all exhibitors as to the value of this service to his patrons and to his box office.” Elmo Lincoln to Make Personal Appearances After several weeks of negotiations, Louis Weiss, Secretary of Adventures of Tarzan Serial Sales Corporation, announced this week that Elmo Lincoln, star of the serial “ Adventures of Tarzan,” will make a personal appearance tour of several weeks duration in conjunction with the showing of this production in several of the territories. Lincoln, at present in Los Angeles, will arrive in New York on January twelfth. RAY C. SMALLWOOD and his technical staff and all-star players arrived in New York City recently after spending seven weeks in the South, making the exteriors for Pyramid Pictures, Inc., first super drama “My Old Kentucky Home.” Mr. Smallwood timed his outdoor settings so that Monte Bine, Sigrid Kolmquest, Lucy Fox, Julia Swayne Gordon, Frank Currier, Matthew Betz and Billy Quirk could be in New York City for the Christmas holidays. The original story for “ My Old Kentucky Home,” written by Anthony Paul Kelly, finds its scenes and locales in the South. Five weeks were spent in Savannah and Thomasville, Georgia, while the last two weeks were employed in and about the race track at New Orleans. One of the features of ‘‘My Old Kentucky Home” is the staging of a big horse race. Southern hospitality was never better exemplified than by the manner in which society turned out at the time when the scenes and settings were made A MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy New Year to The Motion Picture News and to all Motion Picture Exhibitors. To the News our sincere thanks and gratitude for its efforts during the past year to aid the Motion Picture Industry in every way possible toward the heights it will achieve — and for its thoughtful, intelligent co-operation and effort in behalf of the Independents. Here’s hoping that the Independents will continue during the coming year to prove worthy of that co-operation. So far as it is possible to forecast with any degree of intelligence these days, it is, I think, safe to say that the coming year presents for the Independents the biggest chance they have had for some time — and can and will prove for them a year of great for this part of Pyramid's first release. More than 1500 prominent Southerners can be seen in “My Old Kentucky Home.” With Mr. Smallwood in New York, nothing will be left undone to have “ My Old Kentucky Home ” ready for pre-showing before January 15th. Elaborate plans have been made by Pyramid to start this picture on its run in a manner in keeping with the class and calibre of the production and the greatness of the cast. Mr. Smallwood will personally supervise the editing, titling, and assembling of this picture. And as soon as it is complete Mr. Smallwood will commence casting for Pyramid’s second super production, “The Queen of the Moulin Rouge,” that stellar Broadway attraction written by Paul M. Potter. Monte Blue, who has earned additional fame by his masterly acting with the Gish girls in Griffith’s latest spectacle, has been signed by Pyramid Pictures as the first of the all-star cast to be featured in “The Queen of the Moulin Rouge.” success — if they handle the situation wisely. From all sides comes word — behind which apparently, there is a large degree of truth, that the large “ program ” production companies are planning to curtail their output and cut down on their releasing schedules. This means, then, a great chance for the Independents. Exhibitors who are tied up to a definite programme will find that they no longer have so large or so varied a field from which to draw and will, in consequence turn to the Independent productions to fill their open dates — while the exhibitors who are not tied up to a programme will concentrate more than ever on securing good Independent productions for their patrons. Here, then, is the big chance for the Independents — if they will only meet it and realize that the Independent Market is no longer a “ dumping ground ” — that it has a very definite place — that it is meeting and competing with on its own ground, the big programme production company — and that there is the big chance to establish with the exhibitor the belief that Independent productions are worthy. Wall street men, with money to invest, are turning more and more of recent years to the motion picture production field. It is, naturally to Independent production that they turn. The greatest need of the Industry to-day is a better cooperation between the exhibitor and the Independent producer and distributor— a better “break” from each to the other. Only so, with this co-operation from the exhibitor, will the Independent be encouraged to make the big worth-while production that will prove a big box-office attraction. Ray Smallwood, who directed “My Old Kentucky Home” for Pyramid Pictures Announces Cast and Episodes of Serial With the release of his new serial, The Mysterious Pearl,” now set in the many territories which have been contracted for by independent exchanges. E S. Manheimer of Photoplay Serials Corporation has announced the cast of characters and the titles of the entire fifteen episodes, all of which are completed and ready for immediate booking. Ben Wilson plays the part of Scott Mallory, the detective in the J. Grubb Alexander story and Neva Gerber is seen in the role of the “ Pearl " from which the drama gets its title. Victor Durand is played by William Carroll, Topper Lacey by Ashton Dearbolt, but the characters of Captain X and “ The Brass Spectre ” cannot be divulged until the last episode of the serial is released. The titles of the fifteen episodes are given in their order of release as follows: The Pearl Web, The Brass Spectre, The Hand in the Fog. Four Black Pennies, Through the Door. The Bride of Hate, The Getaway, Broken Fetters, Leering Faces, The Graven Image, The Phantom Husband, The Door Between, The Living Death, The Lash, and The Pearl. Neva Gerber is called upon in this her latest serial to play a dual personality role. Many Deals Pending on “Ashamed of Parents” Negotiations for the selling of some of the biggest territories in the country are now being consummated by’ Harry M. Warner, of Warner Brothers, for his latest feature attraction, " Ashamed of Parents,” it is announced. These deals are said to have followed the widespread announcement of the universal appeal of the production, and the fact that a broad and sweeping publicity and advertising campaign has been carried on throughout the entire state of New York. Twenty-four sheets of the picture have been placed in every conceivable location throughout the state, and these are said to have prompted the writing of an unusual number of letters from motion picture enthusiasts relative to the showing of the attraction. WIRE FOR PHOTOPLAY SEKIALS COKP., IMMEDIATE E. S. Manheimer, Gen. Mur., r»rf ivi'UV TERRITORY 130 W. 46th St., New York DELIVERY A New Year of Oppor t u n i ty By Joe Brandt