Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

740 Motion Picture New. Gunning Acquires N ovelty Reel WID GUNNING, INC., announces that it has acquired for distribution what it believes to be the short-feature novelty hit of the year. This, it is announced, is “ The Good Things of Life,” a weekly single-real release, illustrating in various ways the best jokes and other comic material selected from “ Life,” the famous humorous weekly. Charles Dana Gibson, Coles Phillips and a score of other artists and humorists equally famous are collaborating in the creation of this novelty, which is edited by Ashley Miller, its originator. The establishment of a department specializing in shorter features of the better type is hinted at by Wid Gunning officials in connection with the announcement that “ Life ” has selected the Gunning organization to distribute “ The Good Things of Life." A more definite announcement is not ready at the present moment, but it is known that Wid Gunning has been in conference with numerous specialists and producers of the type of short subject featured by first-run houses. As the Gunning sales organization is equipped for one hundred per cent efficient distributing and advertising service, the evolution of a department emphasizing shorter features will be a natural one. February 15 is set as the release Weekly Release Will Illustrate Selections from “ Life ” Good Things of Life.” There will be one single reel a week thereafter. According to the Gunning statement, “ Life,” the magazine, is going to cooperate extensively in providing publicity for “ The Good Things of Life” and its hundreds of thousands of readers throughout the country will have their attention constantly called to this weekly release. Arrangements are also reported under way with the newspapers in every city for the same purpose. “ The Good Things of Life” is a big little feature in every sense of the word,’’ says a statement from the Wid Gunning organization. “ Did you ever hear of a big feature with titles written by George Ade, Wallace Irwin, Walt Mason, Caroline Wells, Oliver Herford, Meredith Nicholson, Tom Masson or Don Marquis — and illustrated by Charles Dana Gibson, Coles Phillips, F. X. Leyendecker, Maxfield Parrish, H. T. Webster and all the greatest and highest paid illustrators in the world? “ Yet these are the men and women who are the bright stars of humor writing for ‘ The Good Things of Life.’ Thousands of date for the first issue of “ The dollars are paid these writers and illustrators weekly for their work in ‘ Life.’ “Very often a short novelty release starts out like a house afire, and later suffers in quality. ‘ Life ’ has a twenty year world-wide reputation to maintain, and the artists and writers who contribute to it and to this pictorial ‘ Life ’ must hold their standards. Here, for once, is a single red novelty that can be counted on to grow better as it goes along. “ ‘ The Good Things oof Life ' is launched as a screen institution, backed by a long term contract guaranteeing its constant high quality and created by the best brains in the field devoted to amusing and entertaining the public. No other short release on the market can compare with ‘ The Good Things of Life’ in quality, sure-fire humor and publicity values.” The comic material used in each issue of “ The Good Things of Life ” is illustrated in a variety of ways, instead of by mere sub-titles, as in other single-reel releases of the type. There are sections in which real actors appear in the usual moving picture fashion to snappily illustrate a joke; a section of animated cartoons ; a section of plastic work or clay modeling; silhouettes, pretty girls and other means. Metro Out to Beat Own Record IN the face of widespread pessimism in the motion picture industry, Metro Pictures Corporation is entering upon the most successful year of its existence, according to William E. Atkinson, vice-president and general manager of the company. Reports upon actual business done by exhibitors with the exceptional big productions distributed by Metro, as well as with the Metro Classic series of photoplays are what Mr. Atkinson bases his statement upon. “ The Rex Ingram productions of ‘ The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ’ and ‘ The Conquering Power ’ have scored two of the greatest triumphs, from both artistic and commercial points of view, in the history of pictures,” declares Mr. Atkinson. “ It is hardly necessary to review their popularity. As a matter of fact it’s not yet time to review it, for both ‘The Four Horsemen’ and ‘ The Conquering Power ’ are being received as heartily now as they were when first released. I mention these productions as representative of the heights to which Metro’s photoplays rose within the recent past. It has not been they alone which have made for our pictures their reputation for excellence. Productions starring Bert Lytell, Viola Dana, Alice Lake, and the highly popular S-L series, starring Gareth Hughes, have, with such brilliant pictures as Nazimova’s ‘ Camille,” printed Metro in the biggest letters on the film map. “ As for this year I think the let Entering Upon Biggest Year of Its Career, Says Atkinson ters are going to be made even greater. We are now ready to begin distribution of what I believe constitutes the most impressive list of pictures ever made. Those scheduled for release between now and June are virtually all in the hands of the exchanges now. They all will be without exception, within three weeks ;' the prints and all advertising accessories. “ Consider the pictures with which we begin the year : they are indicative of the whole. We are releasing a series of brilliant Mae Murray pictures, beginning with ‘ Peacock Alley,’ which was chosen to open the new Cameo Theatre in New York, and whose bookings to date are more numerous than any other production we have ever handled, with the exception of ‘The Four Horsemen.’ ‘Turn to the Right,’ Mr. Ingram’s screen production of the John Golden play which set long-run records in New York and Chicago, is ready, and will be distributed the latter part of February. And almost coincidentally will come ‘ Missing Husbands,’ the American title of the most signal picture production ever done in France. As ‘ L’Atlantide ’ it has been the sensation of Paris for months. Mr. Richard A. Rowland obtained it for Metro during its recent Continental trip in the interests of the company. “ I am mentioning here only the \ scene from the Pola Negri feature The Last Payment,” a Paramoun picture Lucy Fox Cast in Nev Hutchison Serial first few of our offerings, which include what we believe is the best Bert Lytell picture ever made : ‘ The Right That Failed,’ and one of Viola Dana’s brightest appearances, that in ‘ Glass Houses.’ There is, as may be noted, variety in the Metro subjects, but none in their quality. The quality is monotonously the best. It is something we have striven for ever since the inception of the concern. •It has taken years of time, and more effort than can be calculated. But we have attained supremacy — and we believe confidently that we’re going to better even our own best in the season now beginning.” Lucy Fox’s personal charms am feats of physical agility and dar ing which lend so much to th sweeping success of “ Hurricam Hutch,” are to figure again in th< Pathe serial starring Charles Hut chison which George B. Seitz wil put into production immediate! following completion of “ Go Get-’Em Hutch.” Pathe announces Miss Fox’s re engagement on her return fron New Orleans and other Southeri cities where she made a series o personal appearances at “ Hurri cane Hutch ” performances. Re ferring to these appearances Southern newspapers make it quiti plain that the popularity of Mis Fox, long conspicuous throughou the South, is further enhanced b; the vivid manner in which she play the heroine’s role in the curren Hutchison serial. Mabel and Hugo Ballir to Appear in Person Alan Grosland Is!Well Represented on List Although the productions were filmed several months apart, Alan Crosland’s work as a director of Selznick pictures has prominence in the first four pictures released in 1922 by the Select Distributing Corporation, three of the quartette having been directed by Crosland in Fort Lee and New York during the -past several months. Three Selznick stars figure in these offerings— Elaine Hammerstein, Eugene O'Brien and Conway Tearle. The Elaine Hammerstein vehicle is “Why Announce Your Marriage?” “The Prophet’s Paradise” is the title of the Eugene O’Brien picture directed by Crosland. Mr. Crosland’s third effort is represented by “Shadows of the Sea," in which Conway Tearle is starred. Another important New Yofi theatre joined the ranks of recog nized first-run houses this wee when the management of th Sheridan theatre in Greenwich Vil lage, New York City, booked th Hugo Ballin-Hodkinson feature “Jane Eyre,” for a week’s engage ment beginning Sunday, Januar 21st. On the night following th opening “Jane Eyre,” at the Shei idan, both Mabel Baffin, the stai and Hugo Baffin, the producer wi make personal appearances befor the screen. “ Jane Eyre ” is a story by Char lotte Bronte. It was adapted fo the screen by Mr. Baffin. The cas includes in addition to Mabel Bal lin, Norman Trevor, Craufor Kent, Emily FitzRoy, John Web Dillon, Louis Grizel, Stephei Carr, Vernie Atherton and Eliza beth Aeriens. 1* Toto, Famous Clown with Shorty Hamiltoi Toto, the world famous clown, i co-featured with Shorty Hamiltor the cowboy star, in the sixth re lease of the series, which is bein; distributed by McGovern & Egle ' to the Independent Exchanges.