The Moving Picture Weekly (1919-1922)

Vol. 15, No. 15 The Moving Picture Weekly 25 Carl Laemmle Announces Fall Jewels CARL LAEMMLE has just announced very nearly the full quota of next year's Universal-Jewels. These include nine definite releases, with at least three more to be decided upon later. This announcement is made earlier in the year than ever before, because Universal is in the strongest position that it ever found itself in regard to its Jewel pictures. All but two of the nine are in production and most of them are entirely completed. In fact, three of them will be in the exchanges before the end of June. This will give exhibitors plenty of opportunity to see the remarkable quality of Jewel's fall product and arrange booking dates accordingly. THE three pictures which are being made in the factory at the present time are "The Storm," with an allstar cast headed by House Peters; "The Flame of Life," starring Priscilla Dean, and "Human Hearts," with House Peters at the head of a very strong all-star cast. In addition to having prints in the exchanges much earlier than usual, the value of the pictures from a showman's standpoint is far and away greater than ever before in the history of Jewels. The line-up includes "The Storm," the Broadway play which ran for so long at the 48th Street Theatre; "Human Hearts," the famous old melodrama by Hal Reid; Priscilla Dean in "Under Two Flags," by Ouida; "The Kentucky Derby," adapted from "The Suburban Handicap," by Charles T. Dazey, with Reginald Denny, Lillian Rich, Gertrude Astor and Kingsley Benedict; "The Flame of Life," by Frances Hodgson Burnett, with Priscilla Dean in the stellar role; "The Flirt," by Booth Tarkington, with Eileen Percy and Helen Jerome Eddy; Priscilla Dean in "Trimmed In Scarlet," the Broadway stage play by William Hurlbut, in which Maxine Elliott starred; "Oats for the Woman," a Cosmopolitan Magazine story by Fannie Hurst, and two Jewels by von Stroheim, one of which is already in production. THE three Jewels which will be in the exchanges before this month is out are "The Storm," "Human Hearts" and "The Flame of Life." During June "The Kentucky Derby" and "Under Two Flags" will be added to this list, making five pictures in the exchanges far ahead of their actual release dates. "The Storm," which had a remarkable run in New York City at the. 48th Street Theatre, has been pronounced by those who have seen the play as having every element which made that such a great success and in addition the infinite potentialities which moving pictures alone can bring to a production such as remarkable mountain and snow scenes, and a storm which was absolutely impossible to reproduce on the stage. This production in New York was noted for three things — the perfectly balanced drama of the eternal triangle variety, the exquisite acting of Helen MacKellar, and a mechanical fire on the stage devised by. Langdon McCormick. The play itself was the joint work of Mr. McCormick and George Broadhurst. Reginald Barker has shown rare judgment in the selection of his cast, all his locations and all the empha sis which he placed on the various parts of the stage drama. In House Peters, Virginia Vail; and Matt Moore, Mr. Barker found exactly the balance and capabilities which he required, and with Josef Swickard in the cast as the girl's father, the cast is a remarkable one from the standpoint of ability. "The Storm" is expected to be a sensation for any kind of" house. In the development of the "Human Hearts" story, King Baggot had a peculiar advantage in that he had not onlyplayed in the oi'iginal Hal Reid melodrama in stock, but hd also played in the two-reel version which the old Imp Company made when the picture game was new. Having scored four remarkable successes in his brief directorial career, everyone who has seen "Human Hearts" has assured Mr. Baggot that this production caps the climax of his previous efforts. Strong drama, deep pathos, and telling comedy relief make this feature one of compelling power. House Peters has the leading role of Tom Logan and is supported by this brilliant cast: Edith Hallor, the former Follies beauty; Mary Philbin, the Elks prize-winning beauty; George Hackathorne, Russell Simpson, Ramsey Wallace and Gertrude Claire. EVERY Priscilla Dean picture is an interesting offering for exhibitors because her vehicles have been so uniformly successful. "Under Two Flags" promises to be the masterpiece of Tod Browning's career. This internationallly famous romance by the celebrated Ouida offers in Cigarette a character which has taxed the abilities of many famous actresses of the past generation. Were it not so far beyond the capabilities of most actresses, it probably would have been seen on the screen as frequently as "Romeo and Juliet" or "Carmen." With two Dean successes like "The Virgin of Stamboul" and "Outside the Law," Browning realized he had to make a supreme effort, and both he and Miss Dean are willing to rest their laurels on "Under Two Flags." The production will be very costly on account of the tremendous number of sets, all of which have to be built, and the expensive cast, which includes James Kirkwood, Stuart Holmes, Ethel Grey Terry and John Davidson. Production is just about finishing at Universal City on this Jewel. UNIVERSAL has owned the famous Charles T. Dazey melodrama, "The Suburban Handicap," for some time. Mr. Dazey has made several attempts to buy it back from the Universal, as he has had numerous offers from companies which supposed that he still owned the screen rights. However, this year Universal saw unique opportunity to make a big Jewel picture by utilizing the famous Kentucky Derby race at Louisville. A Universa' company, under the direction of King Baggot, has been in Kentucky for the last three weeks filming scenes in and around the track at Louisville at Churchill Downs and the training quarters at Lexington. Baggot reports that the shots taken in Kentucky were favored by wonderful weather and the most enthusiastic and picturable crowd that could be imagined. Forty thousand extras could not have played their parts any better. In the cast for this Jewel picture are Reginald Denny, Lillian Rich, Emmett King, Gfertrude Astor, Kingsley Benedict, Lionel Belmore and Walter McGrail. "The Flame of Life" is the title which was chosen for Frances Hodgson Burnett's famous romance of the Lancastershire coal mines, "That Lass o' Lorries." Two generations have read the story and (Continued on Page 33) Fall Schedule of Big Releases Nearly Closed and Most Will Be in Exhibitors' Hands Next Month Make It the Biggest Summer You Ever Had!