Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

Paramount Announces Jan. 29 Releases ON January 29, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation is releasing the George Fitzmaurice production for Paramount, “ Three Live Ghosts,” and Mary Miles Minter in the Realart picture, “ Tillie.” For this screen production of the stage play, “Three Live Ghosts,” by Frederick W. Isham, which scored one of the biggest hits of the theatrical season of 1920 21 in New York, George Fitzmaurice took his entire organization to England, there to get the real backgrounds for the story which was more or less handicapped in the stage version of its painted sets. The leading roles are in the hands of Anna Q. Nilsson, Norman Kerry, Cyril Chadwick, Edmund Goulding, John M i 1 1 e r n, Clare Greet and Dorothy Fane. “ Tillie,” the Realart picture in which Mary Miles Minter is starred, is an adaptation of the novel, “Tillie, the Mennonite Maid,” by Helen R. Martin and the play by the author and Frank Howe, Jr. Alice Eyton wrote the scenario and Frank Urson directed, the production being supervised by Elmer Harris. Allen Forrest plays opposite Miss Minter and the supporting cast also includes Noah Beery, Lucien Littlefield, Lillian Leighton, Ashley Cooper, Robert Anderson and Virginia Adair. Preparing for Cecil De Mille’s New Subject Preparations for the production work on “ Manslaughter,” Cecil B. DeMille’s forthcoming Paramount picture, are going steadily forward at the Lasky studio and in New York despite the absence of the producer on a vacation tour abroad. He is expected to arrive in New York shortly after February 1st. Jeanie Macpherson, who will write the continuity for the Alice Duer Miller story, has been in New York for several weeks studying the locale of the story and developing the scenario. Leatrice Joy has been selected as the female lead. Herbert Brenon Talks at Authors’ Meeting It has been the custom of the Authors’ League of America to have a prominent director at each of their monthly luncheons to give them words of advice on writing for the screen. The January luncheon at the Cafe Boulevard, New York City, had Herbert Brenon, well-known Fox director, as the guest of honor. Mr. Brenon, who has just completed a picture with William Famum as the star, talked on writing up to the screen, not down to it — which was a gentle reminder that authors must take motion pictures seriously if they are to succeed. “ Highest Law” for Holiday Selznick Suggests Ince Picture for Lincoln Birthday Offering AS an especially appropriate booking for the week starting February 12 the Selznick organization calls attention to the Ralph Ince presentation of “ The Highest Law,” a photoplay in which Mr. Ince plays the role of Abraham Lincoln. As Lincoln’s Birthday falls on Sunday the holiday will be celebraetd Monday and this fact gives showmen two days (where Sunday shows are in order) to make a special drive on the Lincoln subject. “ The Highest Law ” was produced in time for Lincoln’s Birthday a year ago and was very generally played at that time — but there still remains hundreds of theatres where the Ralph Ince presentation will come as a new feature for the reason that it has not been played. Mr. Ince not alone stars in “ The Highest Law,” but he directed the presentation from his own assemblage of data bearing on the subject of Abraham Lincoln. The story of “ The Highest Law,” relates an actual incident in the Rebellion as touching directly upon the life of the great “ War President.” Ince has made a specialty of Lincoln interpretations, having also produced “ The Land of Opportunity ” when the Selznick organizations was co-operating with the Americanization movement that the late Franklin K. Lane inaugurated when he was Secretary' of the Interior in the previous administration at Washington. “The Highest Law” is a subject of direct patriotic appeal and is ideally suited to the celebration of Lincoln’s Birthday with Ralph Ince’s interpretation of the wellbeloved character and effective piece of acting. ToFilm ‘‘Robinson Crusoe” Harry Myers to Appear in Title Role of Universal’s New Serial ALTHOUGH the scenario and production departments at Universal City have been working for more than four months on the serial, “ The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe,” the cast has just been definitely selected. Julius Stern, who has been so busy with the details of the opening of “Foolish Wives” that he too had to take to his bed for a few days, has just announced the cast for the latest serial of the new type. The definite selections were somewhat delayed by illness. He now announces, however, that Harry Myers, who has played with Universal fully half of his photoplay career, has been signed to play the lead, Robinson Crusoe. This selection is particularly happv, as he will endow the role with a wealth of humanness and humor. No one who saw his work in “ A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” will doubt for a moment that he will make a wonderful Crusoe. There is only one man on the screen to play Friday' and Mr. Stern was fortunate enough to be able to sign Nobel Johnson up for Friday'. Others of prominence in the cast are Gertrude Olmstead, the Elks prize-winning beauty ; Joseph Swickard, who play'ed a big role in “ The Four Horsemen;” and Gertrude Claire, who has just finished in an important part for “ Human Hearts.” As has already been announced, Robert F. Hill will direct. We Told You So! Friday the 13th. — A comedy full of laughs. It seems that the Hallroom Boys comedies are 100 per cent, as we never had a bad one. Pleases audience.-— Louis B. Goulden, Princess Theatre, Frankfort, Ind. — General patronage. Hall Room Boys Comedies Are 100 Per Cent Attractions Book ’em at FEDERATED I FILM EXCHANGES ^AMERICA, INC. W “ Boomerang Bill ” ai N. Y. Rialto Feb. 5 **T3oomerang bill." featuring Lionel > Barrymore, will be presented by Hugo Riesenfeld at the Rialto theatre, New York, the week beginning February 5. This Cosmopolitan Production, released by Paramount, is said to be Mr. Barrymore’s finest screen work. The original story, written by Jack Boyle, appeared in the Cosmopolitan Magazine. The picture was directed by Tom Terriss. The scenario was prepared by Doty Hobart. Bookseller Swamped t Demand for “Sheik’ The book tie-up for Paramoun “ The Sheik ” has been conspic ously successful in the Pittsbur i territory — so successful, in fa that Donald D. MacFarlane, sa manager of the Pittsburgh Ne1 j Company, wholesale newsdeale i and booksellers, has written as f< I lows to William N. Robson, Pai mount exploitation representative j Pittsburgh : “ The sale of the book has be j clean getting out of bounds of anti i ipation. I have sold over 1,000 I these books in five days’ time, whi , I believe is a record never befo I established in Pittsburgh on the 1 1 orders of any book within a peril I of at least 30 days. At the prese I time I am short over 1,000 copii 1 If ‘ The Sheik ’ doesn’t stop ru ning in pictures, I will either il crazy' from the demand or else I a there now. I don’t know whic I All I hear is ‘ Sheik,’ ‘ Sheii I ‘ Sheik,’ on every message I g j over the telephone. If it isn’t o ! calling, it is another.” “Battle of Jutland” a War College Jan. 27 Rear Admiral William S. Sin president of the Naval War G lege, has the afternoon of Janua 27 for the showing of Educationa three-reel special “ The Battle Jutland ” before the class of t War College at Newport, Rhode 1 land. This showing of the picture w arranged on special request frc 1 Admiral Sims, according to Educ tional, after he had received repoi | from Annapolis regarding the fil which was recently screened the | for the students and officers at t j Naval Academy. ‘‘Fair Lady” Title < Rex Beach Picture Announcement is made that “F Lady ” is the title definitely chos j for the second Rex Beach film pi duction for United Artists Corpoi j tion. The picture is an adaptati I of Rex Beach’s “ The Net.” TI title was chosen for a name tl would lend itself to extensive t 1 ploitation and at the same time < the story. The cast includes Be Bly'the, Thurston Hall, Glac Hulette, Robert Elliott. Florer Auer, Arnold Lucy, Macev Hark Walter James, Effingham Pinto a Henry Leone.