Motion Picture News (May-Jun 1922)

June 17, 1922 3251 KEEP IT OPEN Sept 3^-9* Type of advance one-sheets on Paramount Week being distributed free to exhibitors Brooklyn Church Used for Interiors Distinctive Productions, Inc., recently was permitted to use St. Ann’s Protestant Episcopal Churcli, Brooklyn, New York, for several interior scenes in its forthcoming George Arliss picture entitled “ The Silent Voice.” Dr. Cuthbert, assistant rector of the church, one of the oldest in Brooklyn, is a strong Arliss admirer and also a believer in the future of the motion picture. It is the first time that any of the historic edifices of the celebrated “ City of Churches ” was ever utilized for motion picture purposes. The scenes photographed show Mr. Arliss and Miss Ann Forest, who is his leading lady in this play. While the new Arliss production was being photographed in the Brooklyn edifice, an audience in another church was heading a lecture on the current Arliss Distinctive picture, “ The Ruling Passion.” This was the Church of the Redeemer, Newark, New Jersey, whose pastor, Dr. Henry R. Rose, gave a talk on the film illustrated with colored slides. Paramount to Produce Edw. Sheldon Story The first original story for the screen by Edward Sheldon, famous author of “ Salvation Nell,” “ The Song of Songs,” “Romance,” “The Nigger” and other stage successes, is shortly to be put in production b” Paramount. “ On the High Seas ” is the title and it has been assigned to Irvin Willat to produce. Dorotbv Dalton and Jack Holt will be featured. Mitchell Lewis will have an important role. Marshall Neilan Back from European Trip Marshall Neilan is back in New York after spending several weeks in Europe. He will proceed within a few days to Goldwyn’s Culver City studios to begin work on his first picture under his arrangement to make all of his productions for a term of years in association with Goldwyn. R-C’s Biggest Since 14 Kismet” CCLAIMED as its biggest production since “ Kismet,” R-C Pictures Corporation this week made its first public announcement of “In the Name of the Law,” an Emory Johnson production which will be released as a fall special, following a first-run in a Broadway theatre. “ In the Name of the Law ” was originally titled “ The Midnight Call ” and was purchased by P. A. Powers immediately after he acouired a controlling interest in R-C Pictures several months ago. Such is the confidence of R-C Fictures in “ In the Name of the Law ” that it has decided to afford this picture a Broadway run, and for the first time in its history the George M. Cohan theatre will show a motion picture. The R-C Production will start its pre-season engagement in that theatre in the early part of July and will be issued to exhibitors in the early fall. “ In the Name of the Law ” is an all-star production with a cast including Johnnie Walker, Ralph Lewis, Ella Hall and Claire McDowell as well as Master Bennie Alexander, Josephine Adair, Johnny Thompson and Jean Adair. The story revolves around the simple home life of the middle class American family and is developed with tremendous pathos and heart interest. It is the human, sincere qualities of this story which convinced R-C Pictures that the picture will prove to be one of the biggest successes of the forthcoming season. It has been commented upon by all who have seen it as being exactly •he type of picture now in demand. Its all-embracing human appeal, stated these critics, will be doubly welcome after an excess of spectacles which are largely lacking in just these qualities. “ In the Name of the Law ” is from a story by Emilie Johnson. It is one of the few pictures which has shown the American policeman in his true light. It is not propaganda of any sort, but instead of treating the policeman as a brow beater or as a grotesque clown, it shows his human qualities. The “In the Name of the Law ” to Be Given Broadway Run plot centers largely about the efforts of this policeman, twenty-five years on the force, to save enough to own his own home. When the big moment comes when at last he may call his little cottage his own, he is forced to choose between his lifelong ambition and saving an elder son from disgrace. The climax is a court room scene, one of the most elaborate ever pictured in the screen, when one boy, a recent graduate from law school, defends his brother against the charge of murder. R-C is now in possession of more than one hundred letters of <<TF it’s worth running, it’s worth l advertising.” This is the slogan recently adopted by Paramount’s Advertising Accessories Department, by way of emphasizing the importance with which that department is now regarded in the sales organization of that company. For some time, S. R. Kent has been paying a great deal of attention to the matter of improving the Faramount accessories and the system for their distribution. The department has been placed under the jurisdiction of the Division of Exploitation, of which Claud Saunders is the director, and Mr. Saunders gives his personal attention to the creation of the ideas to be incorporated in the accessories. J. Albert Thorn has charge of the making of all the sketches and finished art work, together with the supervision of their manufacture, while Mel Shauer has the responsibility of the selling and distribution. Approximately 110,000 sheets of commendation from police chiefs throughout the country, all of whom have said they will give their personal support to this picture, as one of the very few which has ever shown the American policeman in his true light. Under tentative plans tie-ups of various sorts will be arranged with the police forces which will assure the exhibitor of the most practical assistance possible. The picture has already been shown to the Police Honor Legion of New York at a special meeting and was greeted enthusiastically as an accurate story of police life. By the time the picture is released, R-C will have prepared the most comprehensive and elaborate exploitation material it has ever issued on any picture in its history, declares a statement from the R-C home office. poster paper are handled every week by the department, while the output of heralds, lobby cards, advertising mats, electrotypes, etc., is fairly staggering in the aggregate. On Paramount’s fortyone productions listed for release during the first six months of next season, the efforts of the department are being centered upon the preparation of accessories which will measure up to the standard of the pictures themselves. In the making of posters, lobby cards, heralds and ether specialties, the one dominating idea will be “ money at the boxoffice.” From now on, special attention will be paid to the advertising of these accessories through the advertising pages of the trade papers, the company thereby demonstrating its own belief in the slogan which it is passing on to exhibitors — “ If it’s woith running, it’s worth advertising.” More Care to Accessories Paramount to Give Greater Attention to This Department in Future Scene from “ The Devil’s Foot,” The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. An Educational picture NewlyFormed Company to Produce in East THE Lustre Photoplays, Inc., is a newly formed producing company. J. W. Foster is president, and Robert Carson director-general. The plans call for three producing units, the first of which will start work this week at Plattsburg, N. Y., where a studio has just been completed for the new company. Judith Jordan will be starred in the short-subjects to be made by Lustre Photoplays. Ollie Leach has been engaged as chief cameraman. The prospective schedule of production embraces 20 two-reel semi-western pictures; 12 five-reelers, based on famous novels and stage successes, and 52 one-reel comedies in which Charlie Fang, a Chinese comedian, will be the chief luminary.