Moving Picture World (Dec 1917)

1354 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 1, 191? Selznick Signs Up Loew Houses Contract Call* for Seventy Days' Showing in Entire Chain in New York and New Rochelle. LEWIS .1. SELZNICK, president of the Select Pictures Corporatlon, took a hand in the selling same recently and signed up Marcus Loew for his New York circuit in the largest single contract for star pictures ever written for . iew i beaters. Tliis contract calls for runs In all Marcus Loew houses throughout Greater New York and New Rochelle. The productions covered i>y it Include all of the pictures produced by Clara Kimball Young and her own company, by the Norma Talmadge Film Company, and pictures starring respectively Alice Brady and Constance Talmadge; these constitute the various Select Star Scries of pictures. They will be shown in the various houses of the Marcus Loew circuit in this district for runs of seventy consecutive days. All of the stars whose pictures are affected by this contract have already completed one or more of their offerings in the Select Star Series of pictures. Clara Kimball Young's first picture is "Magda," which was made and presented by her own company and directed by Emile Chautard; Miss Young's next picture, "Shirley Kaye," is directed by Joseph Kaufman. Norma Talmadge's first Select picture is "The Moth," directed by Edward Jose; her second picture, "The Secret of the Storm Country," was directed by Charles Miller; Constance Talmadge's first star picture, "Scandal," is a current release, and was directed by Charles Giblyn. The new picture which Miss Talmadge lias just finished for Select, "The Honeymoon," was also directed by Mr. Giblyn. Alice Brady has completed but one of her Select pictures. It is "Her Silent Sacrifice," and was directed by Edward Jose. Miss Brady is now at work on her second Select picture, "The Lifter Cross," which is also being directed by Edward Jose. This is an adaptation by Paul West of Charlotte Bronte's immortal story, "Jane Eyre." Fox Program HUSTLING PATHE SALESMEN. With the bigger, better program to work on, Pathe salesmen are redoubling their efforts for the big drive on Pathe I'lays. H. P. Calloway earns the distinction of leading the entire sales force for the month of October, according to figures compiled at the home office, and his average is the highest ever scored, indicating the increase in Pathe's business. F. A. Gray is second, and H. I. Goodman third, and the list includes the following new men who have become Pathe salesmen because they see big results ahead: C. C. Buchanan, A. H. Tooffler, J. E. Schwartzbine, K. A. Suelka, E. W. Johnson, H. Dickenson. M. Hulling, J. Moyer, J. Sockoloff, B. C. Johnson, R. E. Walker, J. Hill, J. O. Manson, H. V. Catlin, and F. J. Cavanaugh. "THE LOST EXPRESS" NEARING CLOSE. As the solution of the mysterious disappearance of "The Lost Express" draws nearer interest increases in the unusually absorbing chapter play now being released by Mutual and featuring Helen Holmes. Chapter XI, "A Fight for a Million," released November 26, possesses distinctive features of photography as well as thrills, Scene from "The Lost Express" (Mutual). in that it we in the beautiful Yosemite Valley. Miss Holmes enacts a dual role in this episode — bookkeeper as well ttie leader of the littli struggling against the villain ous syndicate. Much of the action in thi I reel takes place in the depths of the mine, and Director McGowan has produced some beautiful and weird lighting effects, The gun fight between the conspirators and Helen's forces Is highly dramatic and there are humorous touches to the story as well, especially wlnn Helen finds It rather embarrassing to have to go to bed n impersonation. Caprice, Carmen, Pearson and Brockwell Starred in Fox Special Features for December. ALL but one of the releases of William Fox Special Features during December will feature women stars, the same actresses appearing as in the 52-a-year pictures for November, except that this month another new star, Jewel Carmen, will replace the new Russian star, Madam Sonia Markova. The first pictures, December 2, will be a draft-to-the-trenches war story, "The Pride of New York," with George Walsh battling for love and liberty. June Caprice, who was last seen in "Miss U. S. A.," will return December 9 in "Unknown 274," the title being the tag number of a foundling in an orphan asylum. The action hinges on the life and identification of the girl, her restoration to her father finally being effected through the latter's recognition of the tone of a violin which he played in his younger days. Miss Carmen's debut as a star will be made December 16 in "A Soul for Sale," a AVestern mining camp story, in which the heroine sells herself for $6,000 to raise money for her brother, and is "bought" by a minister who is interested at first only for humanitarian and moral reasons, but who eventually develops a much more personal interest in his purchase. The drama is said to be rich in emotion opportunities. The two other December releases have been completed, but not titled. One, December 23, will be a Virginia Pearson picture, involving an attempt to fasten the theft of a painting on an innocent woman, and the other, to be available December 30, will feature Gladys Brockwell. This latter story is of a woman who gives her life to save an American spy in Germany. "THE HIDDEN HAND," PATHE'S NEW SERIAL. "Another 'Iron Claw' is the verdict of the scores of exhibitors who have seen the first episodes of "The Hidden Hand," Pathe's new serial, in which Doris Kenyon is starred, and Sheldon Lewis, Arline Pretty and Mahlon Hamilton are featured. "It has all the elements that put the Pathe serials over in a big, successful way," continued one exhibitor, who has run most of the Pathe serials in his houses. "It has mystery; it has production; it has a wonderful cast; it has the snappiest kind of direction, and the advertising and publicity, I understand, will be conducted on as large a scale as on former Pathe serials." The verdict of this exhibitor is borne out by all who have seen the early episodes of the serial, and the advance bookings reported by Pathe's exchange managers in all sections of the country are equal to those on any serial released by this firm. The story of "The Hidden Hand" was written by Arthur B. Reeve and Charles A. Logue, who have put mystery, thrills and stunts into it from start to finish. It has been termed the Pathe four-star serial because of the great reputation of the four prominent screen favorites that head the cast in this continued photoplay. Contracts have been made with scores of big newspapers throughout the country to carry the complete novelization of "The Hidden Hand," together with interesting stories about the principals in the serial, and readable details on the filming of this production. Big display ads will be carried in about seventy-five newspapers for many weeks, so that the interest of the public in this serial will not be allowed to wane. DOROTHY PHILLIPS IN BROADWAY DRAMA. A drama that goes deeply into the life that lies beyond the footlights of New York's theatrical world is "Broadway Love," upon which Director Ida May Park lately started production. It is a picturized version of a magazine story by W. Carey Wonderly, whose tales of the gay White Way are well known to readers of modern magazine fiction. Miss Park herself arranged the story for the screen. Dorothy Phillips plays the leading role, surrounded by a cast the equal of which seldom has been seen on the photoplay screen. William Stowell is the leading man and Lon Chaney is playing the principal character role. Others in the cast are Juanita Hansen, Gladys Tennyson, Lule Warrenton, Eva Southern, Harry Von Meter and William Burress. It is expected that Miss Phillips' role — that of a country girl who could not resist the lure of the lights of Broadway — will prove to be the strongest thing she has done in all her screen career. Miss Park and her entire company of forty people have gone to Long Beach, Cal., where they will be engaged for ten days in the staging of many of the important scenes of the production. GAIL HENRY TRANSFERS TO L-KO COMEDIES. Gail Henry, who has established herself in favor as comedienne of Joker Comedies under the Universal brand, has transferred her activities to L-Ko, and will work opposite Hughie Mack and Bobby Dunn. Thus talent from three well known brands will assemble in this particular L-Ko organization; Hughie Mack having lately come from Vitagraph, Bobby Dunn from Keystone, and Miss Henry from Joker. President Julius Stern, of L-Ko, made the trip to Los Angeles to rearrange the comedy organization in consultation with J. G. Blystone, director general of L-Kos. There will be further changes later.