The Moving Picture Weekly (1920-1921)

■THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY -29 Entire Circus Assembled At Universal City For Atmosphere In ^'King of The Circus'^ EDDIE Polo ana COeiNNE POCiTER, jTi 'KING <2/"TH£CIQ.CUr' Scene cut. No. 3 JT is doubtful if any other cinema star is quite as popular with as many people as Eddie Polo, who provides thrills by way of serials, and whose latest melodrama is being issued in chapter form by Universal under the title of "King of the Circus." For where the majority of successful motion picture stars are popular in America only, Eddie Polo has his admirers in every country that boasts a screen and a projection machine. If there were no other star at Universal City besides Eddie Polo, then Uncle Sam would have sufficient excuse for having established a post office in this film city. Eddie's mail comes in sacks. He keeps two stenographers busy answering his letters, and the technical directors of various nationalities decipher the missives he receives from far corners of the globe. If Eddie were to read half the letters he receives he would be obliged to cut out work, food, rest and recreation. In South America, in Cuba, in Porto Rico, in Japan and in Italy, Eddie Polo has won dozens of popularity contests. There are a hundred Eddie Polo clubs in various parts of America, and an untold number of babies bom the past few years have been named after the serial star. There is something clean and hearty about an athlete, and Eddie Polo typifies all the qualities that are usually associated with a perfect physique. The person who does not lead a clean life cannot long retain the qualifications for an expert athlete, and Eddie has been practicing his art ever since he was an infant. Polo's latest serial is a chronicle of his earlv life as a circus performer. It is filled with thrills. The Theatre is showing it weekly. £^DDIE POLO knows too much about circus life to have any detail enter into the making of his latest Universal serial, "King of the Circus," that is not absolutely correct. This chaptered romance wao written by Eddie himself and is based on incidents either in his own life or which have come under his observation while touring the world as featured performer with a dozen different tented organizations. On the vast acreage at Universal City a complete circus was erected. All the canvas from the main show tent to the kitchen was stretched in real circus formation. The interiors of the tents were fitted up to accommodate a real audience, and all the paraphernalia of the acrobats, leapers, gymnasts and riders were placed and hung and actually used in the filming of many scenes. Real freaks were used in the sideshow, real parades were staged, and the resources of the Universal City zoo were used to stock the circus menagerie. It is doubtful if any circus in the world, outside of the Barnum and Bailey and Ringling Brothers' shows, has as fine a collection of highly trained animals as Universal City, the lion house containing over thirty magnificent beasts. In order to secure certain scenes which could not be obtained on a set, no matter how true to life, Eddie Polo, accompanied by Director J. P. McGowan and members of the company, journeyed to far-away cities where certain shows were exhibiting, and Eddie easily secured permission to film the scenes on the spot. In Denver, with the Robinson Shows, Eddie Polo substituted for the star performers in several acts at a matinee, and pictures were made with the vast audience looking on and applauding. "King of the Circus" is scheduled for the — — Theatre next . ■■■■Scenelft'om' Kl NG of ' the CIRCUS " Umvei-^al Sehaf wvth Eddi'e^ BOLO Scene cut, No. 4