Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

625 January 21, 1922 Monroe Salisbury, Draga and Walter Law in a scene from “ The Great Alone,” to be released by Producers Security Loew and Fox Circuits BookJ“Road to Arcady” That the market is as ready as ever to absorb high-class independent productions is the deduction made by E. S. Manheimer of J. W. Film Corporation from the reports he is receiving from the different exchanges handling the first of the society drama series, “ The Road to Arcady,” recently released in New York. Mr. Manheimer is authority for the statement that in New York territory alone, “ The Road to Arcady” will rival in bookings any picture of its class released during the past year. Among the bookings now recorded, the Loew and the Fox circuits loom large in the foreground while a week’s run at the Sheridan theatre is found recorded among the longer runs. “Burn ’em up Barnes” a Road Show in South True T. Thompson of True Film Company, 191 1 ^2 Commerce street, Dallas, Texas, who put over “ Yankee Doodle in Berlin ” and “ The County Fair,” will start the season 1922 by sending four road companies on tour in the Southern States of Johnny Hines latest six reel comedy-drama “ Burn ’em up Barnes.” The no one company will have its premier opening at the New Criterion theatre, Oklahoma City’s finest photo-play theatre, beginning Jan. 15th to be followed by Hoyt Kirkpatrick’s Now Joie theatre, Ft. Smith, Arkansas, and The Broadway theatre, Muskogee. “Four Seasons” Ready for National Release anr >HE FOUR SEAi SONS” is now be"*■ ing made ready for national release. All the adv e r t i s i n g accessories, the press books and complete exhibitors aids are being prepared by various departments of the Kineto Company of America and the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation, the latter being the distributing company. Ever since “ The Four Seasons ” played its pre-release engagement at the Rialto theatre, requests have poured into Kineto asking when the picture would be released nationally. Warner Bros. New Serial “ Shadows of the on Lavish Scale; WHAT is declared to be one of the most stupendous serial productions that has ever been filmed, containing a story replete with thrilling adventure, romance and intrigue in the African jungles, is the Warner Brothers’ latest fifteen episode animal chapter play, “Shadows of the Jungle,” co-starring Grace Darmond and Philo McCullough. The serial is being produced at the Warner West Coast Studios by Sam and Jack Warner. According to recent dispatches received at the Warner offices, the first three episodes are en route east. The first episode is called “The Stolen Medal,” the second “The Sacrifice,” and the third “The Lion Pit.” Virtually the entire West Coast Studios are said to have been converted into a veritable wild African jungle. And the magnitude of the sets, in addition to the million-dollar menagerie of the A1 G. Barnes circus and the thousands of players engaged for the chapter play will, in the estimation of Sam Warner, set a new stand Jungle” Will Be Episodes Shipped ard in serial picturizations. The A1 G. Barnes collection of animals is credited with containing more lions, tigers, leopards, elephants, camels, zebras and monkeys than any two circuses combined. Under the terms of the contract all the Barnes trainers and assistants are also transferred to the studios during the making of the picture. The entire story of “Shadows of the Jungle” is said to be original and entirely out of the beaten track. Episode number one, “The Stolen Medal,” tells the story of a mysterious mission into the jungles of Africa; episode two, “The Sacrifice,” maintains the thrilling adventures that beset the principals ; and episode three, “The Lion Pit,” heightens and intensifies the suspense created by the first and second chapters. In addition to Miss Darmond and Mr. McCullough, the supporting cast includes Jack Richardson, Derelys Perdue, Robert Agnew, Mable Stark and Captain J. R. Riccarde. Frances Guihan wrote the continuity for the production. Animal Thrills in Serial Col. Selig Outdoes Himself in Producing “ The Jungle Goddess ” COL. WM. N. SELIG, benefiting from the experience gained when he produced “The Lost City” and “ Miracles of the Jungle,” his two previous serials, has evolved a series of almost unbelievable wildanimal stunts, it is said, which are used in “The Jungle Goddess,” his new master serial which is being state righted by Export & Import Film Co., Inc. The trained lion, tiger and leopard acts which have been recalled from various circuses to which they had been loaned, are now all back in the Selig zoo and are taking part in the episodes of the big serial now in the making. Five episodes are already in New York and production has reached the tenth episode at the coast. One of the most astonishing feats in the opening chapter of “ The Jungle Goddess,” states an official of the Export & Import Film Company, takes place on an immense jungle god set which took two months to construct. The giant stone god is the housing place for a big flock of lions which the high priest in the film liberates at will. The daughter of an English lord is kidnapped and thrown into the basket of a balloon. Freed, the big gas bag drifts for days until it is shot down over the jungle by Thunderman, a chiefton, who fires a flaming arrow at it. The rescued girl is raised as “ The Jungle Goddess.” By trickery the high priest has her placed in the lap of the god and then looses the lions. Selig, it is said, has used twenty of the biggest lions in his zoo for this scene. The lions leap at the girl and are thrown back time after time. Finally one reaches the lap of the god but the massive arm moves and the fingers grasp the jungle beast, holding it while it claws at the girl. The other lions are scattered and another unusual animal stunt scene takes place. An elephant swings his trunk about the trapped lion and throws him to the ground, stamping out his life under his heavy foot. These two stunts are only a few of the great number of animal thrill scenes with which the serial abounds, according to the Export & Import Film Company. Dannenberg of “The Film Daily” (formerly Wid’s) was an interested member of a party of prominent film men who had a preview of the opening chapters of the serial this week. Speaking of “The Jungle Goddess,” he said: “ Selig has made an animal serial which, judging from the start, has enough thrills produced from animal sequences to make even the hardest boiled fan admit it’s ‘there.’ Selig has taken his zoo and hurled it right at the camera. This one looks like a money getter.” First Western Classic Release Ready “ Bullets and Justice” is the title of the first two-reel western subject to be released to the independent buyer by the Western Classic Sales Company. This new series of thrillers will be released, one every two weeks. Bill Fatton, Pete Morrison and Fritzie Ridgeway are featured and other well known short reel stars. January 15 is the date set for the first release. Grace Darmond, co-starring with Philo McCullough in the Warner Bros, fifteenepisode serial, “ Shadows of the Jungle ” “The Two Orphans” Gets Road Show Offer Russell Clark, vice president and general manager of the Russell Clark Syndicate, Inc., reports that while he is not surprised at the hearty reception accorded the release announcement of the Frank Valle presentation of the EdisonFilm-Turino attraction, “ The Two Orphans,” he had not anticipated the unique offer which came to him during the week. A mid Western correspondent who reviewed the picture on a recent visit to New York, and whose letterhead proclaimed bim a state rights buyer, offered to take over “ The Two Orphans ” in certain territory as a road show and on a percentage basis. Being about to close for the territory mentioned for exhibition in the usual manner, Mr. Clark was forced to decline. He calls attention to the fact, however, that as a premier screen presentation of one of the world’s greatest smiles and tears dramas, “ The Two Orphans ” ought, with proper exploitation, to go over as a road show as well as if issued as a regular release. Buyers Interested in Russell Clark Picture With choice territory sold before the release announcement of “ The Offenders,” starring Margery Wilson, increased selling activity followed, is the report from the Russell Clark Syndicate, Inc., which is distributing this Margery Wilson production presented by Fenwicke L. Holmes. Publication of the titles of three others now in production has aroused interest in the entire series. These titles are short and calculatd to excite curiosity and were personally selected by Miss Wilson. They are “ Miss Paul Revere,” “ Insinuation ” and “ Woman’s Woman,” and are to be released in the order named. The first mentioned, “ The Offenders,” bears the same title as the magazine story by Katherine Eggleston from which the continuity was made. First National Exchanges, Inc., have secured rights to all four of the Margery Wilson productions in New York State and Greater New York, as have Turner & Dahnken in the California territory.