Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

870 Motion Picture News Kineto Now ^Producing “ Great Statesmen ” JAMES A. FITZPATRICK, who produced the series of “Great Authors” for the Kineto Company, is already at work on a new Kineto series to be based on “ Great Statesmen.” Work has gone forward on a number of subjects; among them, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson of the Revolutionary period; James Monroe, Daniel Webster and Abraham Lincoln. Other contemplated subjects are James C. Blaine, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. It is probable that in this latter group several substitutions will be made. There will be twelve subjects in the series, each being treated in a single reel. Mr. Urban expects Mr. Fitzpatrick to finish the entire series by late spring or mid-summer Metropolitan National Exchanges, Inc., Opens Metropolitan N a t i o n a 1 Exchanges, Inc., a new distributing office, is now open and doing business at suite 1005, 729 Seventh avenue, New York City. This exchange is affiliated with National Exchanges, Inc. Walter L. Johnson, president of National Exchanges, Inc., is president of Metropolitan National Exchanges, Inc., while R. C. Cropper, well known exchange man, is in active charge. Metropolitan National Exchanges. Inc., will distribute all National Exchanges, Inc., coming productions in the Greater New York territory. At the present time it is handling Kineto Reviews and the series of twenty modernized versions of Charles Ray successes. Jerry Wilson, formerly with Myriad Picture Corporation, and Nathan Marcus, formerly with Realart, two well-known film men, are members of the sales force. Novel Lobby Displays for “Jungle Goddess” The Export & Import Film Company, Inc., world distributors for “ The Jungle Goddess,” Col. Selig’s spectacular new fifteen episode wild-animal serial, has announced that in the preparation of supplies for the exhibitor, special efforts are being made to provide unique material for the exploitation of the serial. “The Jungle Goddess,” according to an official of this company, will have far superior accessories for its entire fifteen episodes, to those generally prepared on the biggest “ super-special ” features. A prominent animal artist has been engaged to concentrate work on the preparation of novel lobby displays, both in the 11 x 14 and 22 x 28 sizes. Two special oil paintings are now being painted for the latter use. On the smaller cards individual border drawings will augment the photographed reproductions from the picture. Public Wants Melodrama Alexander, Returning from Trip, Finds Special Demand for Action WILLIAM ALEXANDER, of the Alexander Film Corporation, recently returned from a country wide film business trip, says the cry for melodrama is widespread. The play of action and tense situation with physical conflict a corollory has always been a salable commodity in films, but the new year has started with an increased demand everywhere for this class of screen play, according to the distributor, who rejoices in the condition, for the trip that developed the .information was taken to exploit the fifteen Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes Adventures that the Alexander firm is about to release. The finest theatres of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Cincinnati, Boston, St. Louis, New Orleans are favoring the plays of blood and sand, mystery and perilous adventure rather than the purely social conflicts that have been raging generally. Vaudeville is creeping into a great many of the small screen theatres of the middle west and south with a view to offering something different than screen theatre zone competitors. This move, says Mr. Alexander, is resulting in a greater demand for the short reel miscellaneous subjects. Of 12,000 reply post cards sent cut by the Alexander firm to moving picture managers throughout the country questioning film men’s disposition toward the Sherlock Holmes productions of the Alex-’ ander firm 5,796 correspondents expressed interest in the subjects, saving the interest had been generated by the reception given the Sherlock Holmes pictures by the trade paper critics. The Alexander trip, consummated in less than four weeks resulted in the sale of more than 70% of the Sherlock Holmes unsold territory. Russell Feature Sold on West Coast “ Shadows of Conscience,” the seven-reel special produced by Russell Productions, Inc., for the independent field, has been bought for the territory of Nevada, California, Arizona and the Hawaiian Islands by the Progress Features, of San Francisco and Los Angeles. E. H. Emmick, manager, wired W. D. Russell, manager of Russell Productions, Inc., at the Chicago office that “ Shadows ” is one of the few pictures of the ’80’s going “ big ” in the Islands, due to the faithful representation of life at that time. This true story of American life of fifty years ago is receiving a hearty welcome from Americans of today, according to both Mr. Emmick and George A. Levy, of Liberty Theatres Corporation, who has the rights to western Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico and southern Idaho, as well as A. E. Lefcourt, president of the Pioneer Corporation, who is booking the “ Shadows ” picture in New York state, northern New Jersey, northern Illinois and Indiana. Sacred Films Speed Work Sixth Old Testament Episode to Be Ready Ahead of Release Date Successfully striving to keep well in advance of the release schedule, the Sacred Films Incorporated, of Burbank, California, producers of the Old Testament Narratives, are now editing and titling the fifth Old Testament Narrative, “ Abraham ” which will be ready one month prior to precribed release. The officers of the organization intend to keep ahead of scheduled release, and will have the first year’s product completed in ample time so as to continue unhampered on the balance of the proposed sixty episodes. The story of Abraham is possibly the most magnificent of any of the stories released to date, as it pictures temples and palaces, queer household gods, streets, shops and bazaars of indescribable ancientness— a lost world of romance, Babylonia. This reel marks the beginning of massive production which will be continued throughout the sixty episodes. Colonel John T. Axton, Chief Chaplain of the U. S. Army, has endorsed the work of the Sacred Films because they are the first Bible screen stories to be theologically and archaelologically correct. Barrett McCormick has booked the series for the Allen theatre in Cleveland, and is as enthused over the box office possibilities as is Mr. Rothafel. Pyramid Production Plans Kenneth Webb Will Direct Betty Blythe in Third Super Feature THREE important announce-g ments were made this weekS by Walter E. Greene, president ofl Pyramid Pictures, Inc., of New,; York City. The first and most important is the signing of Miss Betty Blythe as star of Pyramid’s third super feature and the fact that Kenneth Webb will direct this spectacle. “ The Mayor’s Wife,” from the pen of Anna Katherine Greene, will be the starring vehicle for Miss Blythe. Production will commence in about three weeks at the Whitman Bennett Studios in Yonkers which has been taken over by Pyramid for the making of its third “ bigger and better product.” The second big item of interest to be heralded to the trade is the announcement that Ray C. Smallwood will commence casting at once for the second super feature to be made by Pyramid. “ The Queen of the Moulin Rouge,” from I the pen of Paul M. Potter, has been chosen for the second story offering. Monte Blue, the Griffith star, has already been signed to play the big male lead in this all star production. Mr. Smallwood is negotiating with female stars. Announcement of the full cast will be made within the next ten days. The third announcement to the motion picture world is the news that “ My Old Kentucky Home,” the first of a series of Pyramid super nroductions, is almost ready for the trade world. It is being assembled, titled and cut and elaborate plans are being made for its New York showing. Sigrid Holmquist, Monte Blue, Lucy Fox, Arthur Edmund Carew, Frank Currier, Julia Swavne Gordon, Matthew Betz and Billy Quirk comprises the all star east in “ My Old Kentucky Home." Russell Productions, Inc., have achieved such success with their first American classic that a series of six “outdoor” pictures, featuring twelve stars, will be the next output of Russell Studios. B. D. Russell, production manager, is in California, superintending the details of getting the series under way. Third Amalgamated Release Announced With the first of the co-star series of Amalgamated ready for immediate release and the prints and advertising matter of production No. 2, “ Any Night,” with Robert Edeson, Tully Marshall, William Courtleigh and other stage stars in the cast being forwarded to the franchise holders, Franklyn E. Backer announces the third special picture as “ The Greater Duty,” an elaborately picturized version of the story of that name by Walter Rivers. This latest picture to be handled by East Coast Productions, Inc., through independent exchanges is finished and will be given its initial public showing at an early date. It is another co-star vehicle and promises to be of unusual interest to many because of the fact that G. M. Anderson is prominent among the featured players. Others in large type on the posters of “ The Greater Duty” are Frank Campeau, Carol Halloway and Melbourne MacDowell. Kay Bee Corp. Buys Neai Hart Productions Walter A. Baier, manager of the Kay Bee Distributing Corporation, Toy Building, Milwaukee, announces the purchase of the new series of eight Neal Hart productions from the William Steiner Productions Company, New York, and the first release, “ Tangled Trails,” is scheduled for a first run in Milwaukee week of February 5. All the important key centers of Wisconsin already have contracted for this series, according to the Kay Bee offices and predict a big success for this new series in their territory.