Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

1143 Statement on“RobinsonCrusoe” February i 8 , 1922 Goldwyn Feature for St. Patrick’s Day Because of its Irish humor, Goldwyn has decided that the week within which falls St. Patrick’s Day was just the right time for playing Rupert Hughes’ latest photoplay “ Come On Over.” This is the picture tentatively known as “ Sent for Out ” and “ Darlin’.” The final title is “ Come On Over.” Alfred Green directed the picture and he was given a great cast to work with, Colleen Moore and Ralph Graves having the featured roles of the Irish lad who comes to this country, leaving his sweetheart behind, and the girl who follows him over before he is able to send for her. Others in the cast are j. Farrel MacDonald, Kate Price, James Marcus, Kathleen O’Connor, Florence Drew, Harold Holland, Mary Warren, Elinor Hancock, Monti Collins, C. E. Mason and C. B. Leasure. Sid Grauman Lauds Baby Peggy’s “Chums” In a letter to the Los Angeles exchange, manager for Universal, Sid Grauman expressed his approval of Baby Peggy’s picture “ Chums ” for Century Film Corporation as follows : “ Our exhibition of the comedy ‘ Chums ’ in which Baby Peggy and Brownie are featured at the Grauman million dollar theatre during the week of January 16th proves more than ever the value of showing wholesome motion pictures. “ That ‘ Chums ’ won the appreciation of the audiences which viewed it cannot be questioned. This appreciation is reflected unanimously in the opinion of the newspaper critics who reviewed the film. “ The screens of the Grauman Theatre will always be open for motion pictures which provide such desirable clean entertainment.” Teaser Paper Issued on “The Ruling Passion” All the paper made for and issued with “ The Ruling Passion,” second of the George Arliss film productions for United Artists Corporation which »had its initial showing in Broadway at the Strand Theatre last Sunday (Jan. 22) is of a teaser nature. The twenty-four sheet merely announces the name of the star and the title of the feature and then shows a large picture of Arliss, one hand buried in a heap of gold, the other clutching a handful of struggling humanity, while before him stands a. beautiful young woman, thus symbolizing Love, Wealth and Power as the most general types of “ruling passions.” In the one, three and six sheets are scenes from stills of the production all signifying youth, love, romance and adventure. The color scheme of all the paper is worked out from a background of dark blue, and is highly decorative in effect. IN order that there shall be a thorough understanding of a situation which has been the subject of rumor and speculation for the last few weeks in the trade, Carl Laemmle, president of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, has issued a frank statement in regard to the forthcoming Universal serial, “The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe” as it affects his former serial star, Eddie Polo. Mr. Laemmle's statement is as follows : “I don’t believe in keeping information under my hat which will be of value to moving picture exhibitors. The statement which I am now making may hurt me and it may not, but I am making it in the belief that a full knowledge of the situation will help every exhibitor in the United States who runs serials. “This statement is about my former star, Eddie Polo, and the serial which I am about to release under the title, “The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe.” Recently MORE than twenty thousand exhibitors in twelve nations combined their resources and efforts in the celebration of the eighteenth anniversary of the entrance of William Fox into the motion picture industry and the ninth birthday of Fox Film Corporation, during the week of January 29 to February 4, inclusive, declares a statement just received from the Fox headquarters. At the New York offices of the company hundreds of letters, wires, cablegrams and radio messages have been received from every section of the globe reporting the excellence of business experienced by the great numbers of showmen presenting Fox features in their theatres. The unanimously favorable reports indicate the wide extent of the prosperity which the anniversary week brought to the cinema houses in the United States, England, France, Canada, China, Siam, South America, Scandinavia, the Dutch East Indies, the principalities of the Federated Malay States, Australia, and the Straights Settlement. According to reports from various distributing exchanges throughout the world, Fox Anniversary Week celebration emptied the valuts of prints. The solid sevenday run of Fox features was as widespread in foreign countries as it was in America (including Canada). In China and Siam, where more than 100 theatres regularly show Fox productions, the exhibitors ran 100 per cent during the birthday week: Similar reports arrive from Java and the Straits Settlement and the Dutch East Indies. Unusual advertising and exploitation campaigns preceded the week of Fox presentations in all the theatres. In many instances exhibitors with small neighborhood houses who have indulged in very limited advertising appropriations in the Laemmle Wishes to Set Trade Right on Situation Eddie Polo and the Universal came to the parting of the ways. Mr. Polo asked for his release and we gave it to him. At the time of this parting, Universal had made all of its plans to make a serial entitled “The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe.” All of these plans were carefully gone over with Mr. Polo because we intended to star him in the serial. The continuities and synopses of some of the episodes were made and -Mr. Polo was enthusiastic about the possibilities of the serial for him. So enthusiastic, in fact, that when he had obtained his realease he immediately started to produce a Robinson Crusoe serial with his own organization. “We are now informed that he has changed the title of his picture, but that the story which he intends to sell on the state rights’ More Than 20,000 Theatre-Owners Participate past, gave unusual importance to their display space in newspapers and other advertising media during the week. Hundreds of houses doubled their ordinary advertising schedules and publicized their week’s program with alaborate street bally-hoo effects, the wide distribution of large circus heralds, decoration of the most prominent store windows in their communities, special matinees and children’s parties. Mayors in several cities in the United States opened the week of Fox pictures with an address to the theatre audience. Boy Scouts patrols in many cities gave parades in collaboration with the theatre proprietors and attracted the attention of entire populations. Newspapers throughout the world devoted front-page space to the story of Mr. Fox’s rapid rise to the pre-eminence he now enjoys. Magazines contained lengthy articles on the subject. Business in the United States averaged about 250 per cent above normal, according to early statistics compiled by the Fox contract department. That the figure will rise above even this great showing is indicated by a number of regional reports that have trailed in at the last moment and were not included in the original count. It is market has not been changed. We are going ahead with our “Adventures of Robinson Crusoe” and have engaged Mr. Harry Myers to play the part of Robinson Crusoe, and Noble Johnson to play the part of Friday. I feel that we have made an excellent selection and that Mr. Myers’ widely known capabilities will be a tremendous asset to the character of Robinson Crusoe and to the value of the serial itself. “I feel, however, that it is only just and proper that I notify the serial exhibitors of the United States that there probably will be two Crusoe serials on the market. I make this statement without any prejudise. Those who like Eddie Polo will be gElad to know it, and those who have come to appreciate the modern requirements of serial stories such as Universal is now producing after months of research, the careful reconstruction of period properties, and the kind of exploitation for which Universal is noted, will also be glad to have this knowledge which I am imparting.” predicted by the Fox officials that final compilations will show that wherever showmen exhibited a full week of Fox Anniversary features their gross business was greater than that of any previous week in the history of their houses. This statement is made on the authority of figures and is not the result of optimism merely, declares the report from the Fox offices. Mayor Van Nort of Paterson, N. J., attended the opening performance of Fox Anniversary Week at the American Theatre. A capacity house greeted the city’s chief executive, who delivered a short address from the stage praising William Fox for his efforts which have enabled the motion picture industry to achieve the position which it now occupies. The total attendance at the American Theatre, according to written report, was the largest for any week on record. At Newark, N. J., Mayor Archibald was escorted to the Terminal Theatre, where Fox Week was elaborately celebrated, by a regiment of the Boys Patrol, a famous boys’ organization. He pressed an electric signal which officially opened the anniversary in several hundred theatres in the East. The mayor read a telegram from Tom Mix, the Fox star, who is an honorary president of the national organization of the Boys Patrol. The wire expressed the star’s regret for his absence from the Newark youths’ celebration in connection with Fox Week. THERESA DARN GOOD REASON WHY YOU SHOULD INSIST ON PERCY & FERINE HALLR00M COMEDIES Fox Anniversary Week Success