Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

f 1251 ADVANCE VIEWS OF COMING ATTRACTIONS Live News From Producers IV H A T THE MAKERS SAY ABOUT PICTURES Eric Von Stroheim and Miss Dupont in a scene from “ Foolish Wives,” Universal’s million dollar production Paramount Has Booklet for Theatre Patrons Among the special accessories for Paramount’s Tenth Anniversary Month is a 24-page booklet, “The Story of 200,000 Miles of Entertainment,” which is planned for free distribution to theatre patrons. The press run of the booklet is five million copies, and they may be had by exhibitors free of charge in any quantity desired as long as they last. They will be available at all Paramount Exchanges within the next few days. The booklet, which is profusely illustrated, sketches the history of Famous Players-Lasky Corporation and the productions it has released. Then follow pages devoted to the variout Paramount stars and special directors. Pages 12 and 13 are given over to a 200-word statement by the theatre management, telling patrons why Paramount Pictures are shown at that theatre. The back cover is left blank for the theatre’s own imprinting. Strong Cast Seen in “One Clear Call’’ An unusually strong cast is announced for Louis B. Mayer’s “One Clear Call,” which John M. Stahl is producing as a First National attraction. Henry B. Walthall, Claire Windsor, Milton Sills and Irene Ritch head the list. Joseph Dowling, who will be remembered as “The Miracle Man,” “ Doris Pawn,” Shannon Day, Donald MacDonald, Annette DeFoe, Edith Yorke, Fred Kelsey, William Marion, Stanley Goethals, Nick Cogley and Albert MacQuarrie also have important roles. Ingram Special Ready Soon Final Cutting and Prisoner of Zenda FINAL cutting and titling of “ The Prisoner of Zenda ” is being done at the Metro studios in Hollywood by Rex Ingram. Announcement of the completion of the enactment of Mr. Ingram’s production for the screen of Anthony Hope’s story came this week from the Metro home offices in New York. The work of cutting and titling has been in progress during the course of production, but this process was preliminary, merely the elimination from the immense amount of footage shot for “ The Prisoner of Zenda ” of the least important action. The ultimate job of reducing the picture to its finished form will consume perhaps a month, according to Mr. Ingram’s conservative estimate. In a telegram this week from Hollywood he mentioned four weeks as the probable length of time necessary for the completion of this last stage in the making of the picture, with the reservation that it might be done sooner, but that it would not be unless the end of shorter period found the photoplay in a fully satisfactory shape. Tiding of “ The ’ are in Progress ^Feel it is my best picture,” was the only reference in Mr. Ingram’s telegram to the Metro home offices in regard to his opinion upon the picture as it now appears. Mary O’Hara, who collaborated with June Mathis in the adaptation of “Turn to the Right,” has written the scenario of “ The Frisoncr of Zenda”; and John F. Seitz, photographer of all the big Ingram successes, has again supervised the camera ■ work. Starrett Ford was production manager. A strong cast has been assembled for this photoplay. The dual roles of Rudolf Rassendyll and King Rudolf are enacted by Lewis Stone ; and the fair beauty of the Princess Flavia could not have been more splendidly represented than by Alice Terry’s. Robert Edeson as Colonel Sapt; Stuart Holmes as Black Michael ; Ramon Samaniegos, a new Ingram find, as Rupert of Hentzau; Malcom McGregor as Count Von Tarlenheim; Barbara la Marr as Antoinette de Mauben ; and Edward Connelly as Marshall Von Strakencz, are the principals among the others. Melodrama on the Screen Whitman Bennett Calls Melodrama Well-Done, Greatest Entertainment “ The melodrama comes right out into the open and says frankly, ‘ Here I am ready to take your minds off your worries and amuse you.’ It says plainly, ‘ If you want to be entertained come on in,’ and you know that when you accept the invitation you at least are not going to be bored. “ That’s the reason I believe in the melodrama, and am bending every effort to make it so highclass in character that its appeal will be strengthened and broadened in scope. “ There is another thing about melodrama, and that is its informative value. By paying close attention to the subject one can glean much information about a wealth of matters without the information being forced on one. For instance in ‘ Fair Lady ’ much can be learned about the customs of Sicilians, about foreign and domestic architecture, about the quaint city of New Orleans; about fashions and customs, both foreign and domestic, and a sprinkling of political history. But all these things are secondary to the story and its purpose.” WHITMAN BENNETT, producer of “Lady Fair,” second of the Rex Beach pictures for United Artists Corporation, presents this new screen romance as an example of high-class melodrama with a broad general appeal. “It is my belief,” says Mr. Bennett, that melodrama if made clean enough and good enough to appeal to the educated, and elemental enough to appeal to the ordinary person, furnishes the most acceptable of all forms of picture amusement, Melodrama is stimulating in its action, and if it is logical in construction, has decided values as well, and, if in addition, it is kept clean, it has every element of amusement. “ After all, what we want in the theatre is entertainment and melodrama seeks only to be entertaining without any pretext at unfolding great truths or theories, or expounding hypothetical sex or domestic problems. The melodrama does not draw people into the theatre under a pretext of amusement, and then ask them to burden their minds with riddles of the why and the wherefore of some question of morals or politics. HENgH* ^SSEN A reproduction of the paper issued by United Artists on Nazimova’s “A Doll's House’' Lloyd Re-Issues Called “Emphatic Success” ^ Reports from the greater New York district received at Pathe Exchange show that the Harold Lloyd one reel reissues are meeting with the most emphatic success, according to a statement from the Pathe headquarters. It is estimated, from attendance averages, that one million persons in the metropolitan district are weekly entertained by these comedies, declares the statement from the Pathe office. Manager Joseph Plunkett, of the Strand theatre, two weeks ago showed “ Look Out Below.” Last week the Strand embodied in its weekly program “ She Loves Me Not.” Other Broadway houses, situated in the heart of the populous theatre district and further uptown, which have booked the Lloyd reissues are : The Strand theatre, the Broadway, the Schuyler, the Adelphi, the Standard, the Symphony, the Photoplay theatre, the Claremont and the Washington Heights theatre. Pathe Film Record of Foch’s Visit Shown The Pathe News film record of the enthusiastic receptions which welcomed Marshal Foch during his tour of the principal cities of the United States, and was presented to him on his departure for his own country has had a first showing in Paris under distinguished auspices. The leading Paris newspapers made advance announcements of the event, and reported it at length. The showing was conducted by Post No. 1 of the American Legion, U. S. Ambassador Myron T. Herrick presided, introducing Marshal Foch.