Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

1254 Motion Picture News Vitagraph to Release “Gypsy Passion’’ Albert E. Smith, president of Vitagraph, has announced the acquisition by that company of “ Gypsy Passion ” for the United •States and Canada. Mr. Smith announces that this French production, an adaptation of Jean Richepin's gypsy story, “ Miarka, the Child of the Bear,” will be released during March. The genral release will be preceded by a Broadway showing which will take place this month. The picture has already ben shown in France and England, where it was acclaimed as one of the greatest film productions of the year. Jean Richepin himself made the adaptation from his novel, published originally under the French title, “ Miarka— la Fille a l’Ourse.” The picture was produced by the Societe des Films Mercanton, under the personal direction of Louis Mercanton, known as the Griffith of France. The cast is extraordinary for its brilliancy. Madame Rejane,, the foremost French tragedienne, with the exception of Sarah Bernhardt, has the leading role of Romany Kate, and this is the only picture Madame Rejane made for the screen. Norman Dawn to Make Features for R-C Arrangements have been made, according to R-C Pictures, by that organization and Norman Dawn, who formerly directed Sessue Hayakawa, under which Mr. Dawn will make for distribution through R-C Pictures, a series of five productions a year. The first production by Mr. Dawn under this arrangement, will be an adaptation of the Jack London story, “The Son of the Wolf.” This will be adapted by Edwin Warren Guyol, who adapted Homer Lea’s story, “The Vermilion Pencil” for Sessue Hayakawa. The cast, which has been selected with the exception of the leading man, includes Edith Roberts, Ashley Cooper, Thomas Jefferson, Fred Kohler, Arthur Jasmine, Fred Stanton and Eagle Eye. Reviewers Laud Fox Film “ Smiles are Trump ” Melodrama Is Well Received by Trade Press «<C MILES ARE TRUMP,” the ^ latest Fox production starring Maurice Flynn, the former famous Yale athlete, has been accorded much praise by trade paper reviewers. “Smiles Are Trumps” is a melodrama of railroad life which surpasses anything of the sort that was ever before attempted by the Fox production forces. The picture, which was released early in February was adapted for the screen from Frank L. Packard’s story, “Tempered Steel.” Motion Picture News says : “ In ‘Smiles Are Trump’ you look only for action and more, and then some more. Frank L. Packard knows how to write a railroad story insofar as filling one with stirring incident. This one hits the bull’s eye for action which outdoes the serial for compact punch scenes. There isn’t a single wait That doesn’t seem to be Maurice Flynn’s way. Built for work, possessing a magnetic personality, willing to smile when, danger looms up as black as death — he gives this vivid melodrama a great deal of its appeal. He makes his tasks look easy. Probably because he is big and strong enough to get and deliver the goods. And believe me, he has to deliver them here.” Moving Picture World: “To Maurice Flynn, the star, much of the credit is due for making the action convincing. He is natural and earnest, and moves with less regard for the camera than any of the big-hero types do . The most sensational event is the race of the two engines and Flynn’s leap from one to the other — a scene which should prove thrilling anywhere.” Film Daily says : “ The story is a fine vehicle for Flynn, and he certainly makes the most of it. There is action galore in * Smiles Are Trump,’ almost enough for a short serial if they wanted to make one. Flynn and his enemies have any number of battles and the beatings he survives surely make it appear that he has nine lives. . . . It isn’t likely that you will have another one exactly like this come your way, so you ought to be nicely set to show ‘Smiles Are Trump.’” Assd. Exhibs. Set Release “ Don’t Doubt Your Wife,” a Leah Baird Production, Due March 12 ARCH 12TH has been announced as the release date of “ Don’t Doubt Your Wife,” the first of a series of Leah Baird productions, based on domestic life, which will be released by Associated Exhibitors during 1922. Leah Baird is assisted by a large cast which includes Edward Peil, Emory Johnson, Katherine Lewis and Mathilda Brundage who play, respectively, the husband, the “ other man,” the “ other woman ” and the bride’s mother. “Don't Doubt Your Wife” was directed by James W. Horne, and is said to be one of the outstanding works of his successful career. The production was supervised by Arthur S. Beck. Associated Exhibitors insist that while “Don’t Doubt Your Wife” is a story of marriage and the divorce evil, it is far from being what might be considered a picture with a message other than that it is an interesting chapter on the problems of married life. It is declared to be a sincere human drama of intimate human interest, and is tense with the power of its emotion. It is conceived with the idea of exposing the futility of jealousy, the folly of stubbornness, the sin of doubt and the evil of divorce. The high lights of the story are said to concern the experiences of a faithful wife, whose husband is unreasonably jealous of her and who represents the type of man given to the belief that guilt exists until innocence is proved. Will Film “The Shaugraun” Famous Irish Play by Dion Boucicault to Be Produced by Vitagraph VITAGRAPH announces for screen production “ The Shaugraun,” the famous stage play by Dion Boucicault, which was first presented in the old Drury Lane theatre in London in 1875, and has since played the world over in every English-speaking country from Australia to Bombay. “ The Shaugraun ” is a story of Irish life of a few decades ago, genial and appealing in character and devoid of offense to any provincial or national groups. The first scenes have already been taken at Vitagraph’s Hollywood studios under the supervision of David Smith. Pauline Starke and Pat O’Malley head the all-star cast of “ The Shaugraun.” Miss Starke’s work in “ The Courage of Marge O’Doone,” “ Flower of the North ” and many other of the very biggest film successes, justify her choice as the female lead. Pat O’Malley, a star with a wide following, will play the leading male role in “ The Shaugraun.” O’Malley was for three years in Chauncey Olcott’s stage company. A special part has been written into the picture for little Richard Daniels, whose charming work as “ Micah ” in Vitagraph’s “ The Little Minister ” attracted considerable attention. Rupert Hughes Returns to Culver City Rupert Hughes, Goldwyn’s author-director, has returned to the corporation’s Culver City studios, after spending several weeks in New York attending to personal matters and conferring with Goldwyn executives on new pictures which he has in mind, on business conditions in the industry and policies which will conform to present conditions. While in New York Mr. Hughes made several speeches against motion picture censorship at various gatherings and talked on the making of motion pictures before students of the photoplay at Columbia University. Selznick News Scoops New York Dailies Selznick News claimed another “ beat ” when, following the newspaper reports that the body of Evelyn Nesbit (formerly Mrs. Harry K. Thaw) had been found in the Potomac River, Selznick News cameramen discovered Miss Nesbit alive and safe in New York City. In this instance the screen news beat the reporters for the daily papers. Miss Nesbit was captured by cameramen and rushed to the Selznick studios in West Forty-eighth Street where exclusive pictures were taken showing Miss Nesbit reading of her own “ death ” in the New York dailies. Selznick News 1013-C carry the Nesbit pictures. John Gilbert on New Subject for Fox “ In the Land of Beginning Again,” is the filming title of a picture on which John Gilbert, the Fox star has begun work at the Fox West Coast studios in Hollywood. Jerome Storm is directing the photoplay, the story and scenario of which were written by Jules Furthman. In the cast are a number of prominent actors. They include Barbara Bedford, Barbara Le Mar, Herschel Mayall, Robert Kortman, and William A. Orlamond. Exteriors in “Conceit’’ Excite Admiration In the many first-run theatres in which “ Conceit,” second of the Supreme Selznick Six series1 of specials, is being shown the exceptionally beautiful exteriors in the picture are exciting comment. Many of the shots in “ Conceit ” were made in the vicinity of Banff in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, a district which attracts thousands of tourists each summer. Coast Adv. Club Honors Pauline Frederick The Advertising Club of Los Angeles, one of the biggest and most influential organizations of its kind on the Pacific Coast, paid Pauline Frederick an unusual compliment by making her the honor guest at their aunual banquet and ladies’ night, recently.