Moving Picture World (Dec 1917)

December 1, 1917 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1353 Metro's December List Will Release Five Important Productions During the Month — Leading Players Featured. METRO will bring a successful year to a close with five exceptionally strong releases. Slated for appearance during the month of December, 1917, are productions starring Ethel Barrymore, Francis X. Bushman, Beverly Bayne, Emily Stevens, and Harold Lockwood, the last named beginning and ending the month, being represented by two great pictures. First on the list of December releases is "The Square Deceiver," starring Harold Lockwood. "The Square Deceiver" is a picturization of Francis Perry Elliott's delightful story, "Love Me for Myself Alone." In "The Square Deceiver." the star has the role of young Van Dyke, a millionaire. Pauline Curley plays opposite Mr. Lockwood. Others in the cast are Dora Mills Adams, Richard L'Estrange, and E. P. Sullivan. Fred J. Balshofer adapted and directed the feature. The December 10 release is "Alias Mrs. Jessop," with Emily Stevens as star. This, too. is a book play, a screen version of a clever story by Blair Hall. William S. Davis directed it. Albert Shelby Le Vino adapted it for the screen, and it has been produced under the personal supervision of Maxwell Karger. Miss Stevens has one of the greatest opportunities of her career in the dual role of Janet and Lillian Ford. In her support are Howard Hall. Donald Hall. William H. Tooker, Sue Balfour, Lillian Page, and Eldean Steuart. On December 17 will be shown for the first time "God's Outlaw," with Francis X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne as costars. "God's Outlaw" was written and directed by William Christy Cabanne. In "God's Outlaw.'' Mr. Bushman plays a rustic hero who becomes sheriff. His methods of keeping peace are effective, but the heroine (Miss Bayne) grieves over the fact that he does not believe in a divine power. The way in which he finds peace within his own soul, as well as sustaining it in his community is dramatically told in this five-act wonderplay. Some of the best screen lights Mr. Bushman has yet put up are seen in "God's Outlaw." In the supporting cast are Helen Dunbar, Sue Balfour, Belle Bruce, Robert Anderson, and the popular Chinese actor, Charles Fang. "An American Widow." with Ethel Barrymore as star, will be the release of December 24. Frank Reicher is directing "An American Widow" in this screen version of Kellett Chambers' play, and it will be produced under the personal supervision of Maxwell Karger. Albert Shelby Le Vino prepared the play for the screen for Miss Barrymore's use. Irving Cummings, one of the screen's favorite players, has been engaged to play opposite Miss Barrymore in this production. Other members of the cast are H. Dudley Hawley. Ernest Stallard, distinguished on the speaking staige; George A. Wright, a Metro favorite; Alfred Kappler, and Pearl Brown. The final release of the year is "The Avenging Trail," which Harold Lockwood as star. This is a picturization of Henry Oyen's novel, "Gaston Olaf," a story of the North woods. The usual number of Drew comedies will be released during the month of December. AN AMERICAN TRAINING CAMP IN FRANCE. An appropriate opening scene for Xo. 151 of the GaumontMutual Weekly, which is released on Sunday, November 18, shows a Gaumont cameraman starting on a special tour of the U. S. Army Camps. This is only one of the many Gaumont staff photographers who are making an accurate picture record of the life and work of our soldiers at home and abroad. The Secret Service has rounded up hundreds of dangerous aliens in the United States, but there is now a general demand that all enemy aliens be sequestered at inland places far distant from the seacoast, factories, or any places where it might be possible for them to destroy anything. A fire, which consumed a huge war plant in New York City, destroying $2,000,000 worth of small munitions, is graphically portrayed in this issue of the Mutual Weekly. Other scenes in this number serve to keep the spectators posted as to what is happening in France and the United States. An American training camp in France is shown, with our boys preparing for the strenuous work ahead of them. They learn the "trench crouch," the use of anti-aircraft guns, the throwing of grenades, the construction of and actual living in trenches. In the United States, a Gaumont cameraman spent several days with our air scouts, who are being trained to use observation balloons. Many of these balloons are as huge as Zeppelin airships. In California, thousands of goats and ostriches are being raised for food, and it is claimed that their meat will soon become as popular as beef. There is also pictured the gathering of California's enormous date crop, which adds another item to the food supply. Forty of our leading Senators and Representatives leare San Francisco for Hawaii, where they will study conditions relating to naval and military affairs. In the nation's capital the Government is experimenting with America's first women letter-carriers, and there is little doubt but that women will be able successfully to perform this work, thus sparing additional men for the more arduous labor directly related to the war. "FIGHTING MAD" (Butterfly). William .Stowell, who has previously appeared in Bluebirds as leading man tor Dorothy Phillips, is the star of the Butterfly release for December 3. In J. Grubb Alexander and Fred Myton's story, "Fighting Mail," the leaders in Bupport of .Mr. Farnum will be Helen Gibson and Betty Shade. Edward J. LeSaint directed the production. There is much of sensation in "Fighting Mad.'' but the main theme of the story refers to a minister who had lost faith in Scene from "Fighting Mad" (Butterfly). his God, but has it restored in time to save his daughter from the man who had been chiefly instrumental in the minister's downfall. William Stowell, by build and dramatic temperament, is exactly suited to depict the vigorous type that leads the interest through exciting episodes to a satisfactory conclusion. The exhibitor will have an opportunity to identify Stowell with his work as a leading man in Bluebirds, as he has been associated with Dorothy Phillips all along. This will be his only appearance in Butterfly productions, as he is again working with his former leading lady. TRADE SHOWING FOR UNIVERSAL SERIAL. The Universal announces a special exhibition of the first sixepisodes of "The Mystery Ship" at the Broadway theater, Thursday morning, .November 22, at 10 o'clock. Invitations have been mailed to exhibitors in New York and the surrounding territory announcing the event to individual show men. and general heralding of the affair is asked to the end that any manager who inadvertently may have been overlooked in sending out the invitations will be apprised of the date and time of the special exhibition. President Carl Laemmle, of the Universal, basing his judgment on great experience in producing and mark-ting serials. is convinced that "The Mystery Ship" contains more elements of sensational appeal than any work of the sort Universal has ever released. Ben Wilson and Neva Gerber, who have Kingsley Benedict as their chief assistant in adventures, are declared to possess special qualifications for serial exploitation. and Mr. Laemmle has taken personal charge of "The Mystery Ship's" campaign. The showing at the Broadway theater Thursday morning will be the first of similar exhibitions to take place in the larger cities, which exhibitors may see and be convinced for themselves that "The Mystery Ship" has all that Mr. I.aemmle is banking on to put the entire series of eighteen epls across. Motor busses will pick up the exhibitors of Gr< New York. following convenient routes. Carrying iuvit. .1 passei'geis to the Broadway, and taking them back to their theaters in time for matinee. CROMLOW LABORATORIES MAKING SPECIAL TITLES. Under the able general management of Allan A. Lou low Film Laboratories, with headquarters at J:'" West Forty-second street, have in the past and are still doing laboratory work for some of the foremost concerns in this section of the country; among them are the Inter-< icc.in Film Corp.. Paramount. Manx-Man t'o.. Enlightenment Photoplays Corp., Cinema Distributing Corp., Cosmophotofilm Corp. and McClure Pictures Corp. Aside from the printing end of the laboratory business, Cromlow have been specializing in a distinctive type of illustrated titles, which was demonstrated in the Qoldwyn release, "The Manx-Man." which has caused a i ibal of comment in the trade and daily pa] ntly. With caretaking pains, accuracy at all times, and a slo "We never disappoint," Cromlow Film Laboratories promise to become one of the foremost in their line in a very short time.