Moving Picture World (May 1919)

1378 THE MOVING TTCTURE WORLD ■ May 31, 1919 ~T'.m! n 1 1 1 ji iiii'j 1} ummimr.TT^'ME^KE: Producers' and Distributors' News 'TllMOrilMQIffl Recruit Stage Players for Capellani's "The Gutter" IN assembling the cast to support Dolores Cassinelli in "The Gutter," Director Albert Capellani has engaged a number of Stage favorites. The most prominent of the players recruited are Vincent Serrano, one of the stars of "Our Pleasant Sins," a current Broadway stage success; Marie Chambers, who has for the past year been touring the country as Lou Tellegen's leading woman in "Blind Youth," and Helen Lowell, who has been appearing with conspicuous success in "Cappy Ricks," w^hich recently concluded a successful Broadway run. Among the other players are May Hopkins, a popular musical-comedy satellite; DeSacia Saville, who has been a featured member of Oliver Morosco's Los Angeles stock company, and Albert Roccardi, whose most notable stage achievement was his impersonation of the Jap in "Officer 666." Miss Cassinelli's supporting company, which also includes Franklyn Farnum, is one of exceptional strength and balance. Vincent Serrano portrays the leading masculine role opposite Miss Cassinelli. Marie Chambers has been entrusted with a role second in importance only to that played by Miss Cassinelli. Helen Lowell portrays a role of considerable emotional depth, and makes her first appearance in motion pictures in this production. Knid Bennett in Hole of Reporter. Enid Bennett, whose new Paramount picture, "The Haunted Bedroom," is scheduled for release May 25, has the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, as the chief locale of her next picture, w^hich she is about to start at the Thomas H. Ince Studio. The story is by C. Gardner Sullivan, and it has to do, it is said, with real, red-blooded, human people. Fred Niblo will direct, and Niles Welch and Lloyd Hughes will have the two leading masculine roles. Miss Bennett essays the role of a newspaper reporter. The story opens in a New York newspaper office, and one of the most elaborate sets ever built at the Ince Studio was constructed for this. Lloyd Hughes has the leading supporting role, and others in the cast are Dorcas Matthews, Jack Nelson, William Conklin, Joe Anthony, Harry Archer and Otto Hoffman. Attractive Press Book on "Nevr Moon." An artistic and serviceable press book has just been put out by the Select publicity department on its company's most recent Norma Talmadge picture, "The New Moon." The helps to the exhibitor includes;, besides a list of the advertising material obtainable at the various exchanges such as cuts, posters, mats, lobby display photographs, lantern slides and electrotypes, many specimen advertisements, pages of Interesting items for local newspapers, advertising helps and suggestions for big "stunts" and a special story on "The Versatility of Norma Talmadge" Illustrated with photographs of the star in Chinese, Indian, English, American and Russian character parts. Summer Neckwear. Displayed by Gladys Brockwell in her Fox, "The Divorce Trap." Devises Attractive Lobby Display for American Film A RECENT American release starring Margarita Fisher, "Put Up Your Hands " was put over by the Strand Theatre, of Denver, by the use of an attractive lobby stunt. The star is featured as an ultra-athletic socie+y girl who introduces a boxing match as an innovation at one of her aunt's fashionable tea parties, and at which she appears in regulation boxing togs, giving a sparring exhibition with "Bull" Montana, her instructor. They arranged the lobby to look as much like a bonafide prizefighting ring as possible. There was a roped-off square, and about twenty pairs of boxing gloves hung on the walls. The only stills displayed were those showing the heroine in captivating "B. V. D.'s" forcing her ring partner to take the count. It was a novel display that provoked curiosity and interest. The Strand reports having done big business on this subject. Nazimova Film Breaking Records. The day of the month run is at hand in motion pictures, according to exhibitors and exchangemen who have been watching the attendance records established by theatres throughout the country showing Nazimova's "The Red Lantern." Their prediction is based on the fact that in many cities where it has been showing for two weeks crowds have been greater in the last week. This has been the experience with the Merrill Theatre in Milwaukee, the Rialto in Des Moines, the Plaza In San Diego, the Ziegfeld and Boston in Chicago and the Liberty in Kansas City. "Happiness a La Mode" Is Next Constance Talmadge HAPPINESS A LA MODE" is announced as the title of Constance Talmadge'a next Select picture, in which she will be presented by Lewis J. Selznick. Miss Talmadge has already completed her part of the production, and the finishing touches are being added before the original print is shipped to New York. According to present arrangements, "Happiness a la Mode" will be released as a June attraction. The story concerns the marriage trials and tribulations of Barbara Townsend, played by Constance Talmadge, and her husband, Richard Townsend, played by Harrison Ford. The couple are young and attractive and happily married, but a few tiny clouds which have gathered on the matrimonial sky evolve into dangerouslooking thunderheads. The story is by Edwina Levin, and in its original form it appeared in the January issue of a popular monthly magazine. Alice Eyton wrote the screen version of it, and the direction -wsls in the hands of Walter Edwards. In addition to Miss Talmadge and Mr. Ford the cast includes Betty Schade, Myrtle Richelle, Paul Weigle, Thomas D. Persse and A. Fremont. Dorothy Gish's Latest a Railroad Comedy. Railroad fiction, stories about railroad people and railroad adventure have been among America's most popular types of light reading for years. Some of the best serials that have ever been produced have been written on railroad subjects, but Dorothy Gish's new Paramount production, "I'll Get Him Yet," which is released May 25, is the first big feature picture founded on this universal theme to be released in a long time. But the picture is far from the typical railroad thriller. On the contrary, it is a farce comedy written by Harry Carr and directed by Elmer Clifton, and Dorothy Gish has the comedy role of the president of a road who, operating under an alias, finds herself facing all sorts of embarrassing situations. Richard Barthelmess plays the reporter, George Fawcett is Susy's father and Ralph Graves is the reporter's employer, while Edward Peil and Porter Strong are also seen in important roles. Strong Cast for "Thin Ice." Vitagraph's last release for May will be "Thin Ice," a play by Corporal Shannon Fife, which stars Corinne Griffith. "Thin Ice" is the story of the floatation of spurious mining stock and its far-reaching effect on the lives of one of the families whose head invested their all in these gilded but worthless securities. The cast includes Charles Kent, L. Rogers Lytton, Eulalie Jensen, Jack McLean and others. The production is the second one to be directed by Tom Mills. Miss Griffith's new director, and shows a gratifying sense of the psychological requirements of the plot. It reaches the screen on the twenty-sixth of this month.