Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1914)

28 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Edison Touches Popular Chord Success of the "Mary" Series Induces Manager Plimpton to Continue the Idea on Large Scale. SOMEWHAT more than a year ago the Edison Company was induced to undertake the production of a serial picture story in collaboration with The Ladies' World, under the title of "W'hat Happened to Mary."' .\ccording to the plan one picture of the series appeared each month in conjunction with and visualizing a story of the same title which was published in the magazine. The success of the plan was remarkable. Exhibitors all over the country eagerly sought the "Mary" pictures and advertised them widely, creating great interest not only in the pictures themselves, but in the magazine story as well with the result that the publishers of The Ladies' World enthusiastically acknowledge the value of the plan as a circulation builder and the Edison Company attributes to it a considerable increase in the demand for its product. Following up this success the Edison Company has decided to put out several serial pictures, some of which have been issued already and others are scheduled to appear at an early date, bringing the number up to six in all. The first of the serials George Lessey. to appear is entitled "The Chronicles of Cleek," a series of detective stories written by Thomas W. Hanshew, which wrl! be issued in collaboration with Short Stories. a well-known magazine. In this series Benjamin Ben F. Wilson. F. Wilson Will appear as "Hamilton Cleek." a detective. The ■'Cleek" series will be directed by George Lessey. Mr. Wilson has been with the Edison players for several years appearmg in the pictures taken in Bermuda and on a transcontinental trip across the Canadian Rockies. He was also with the company that spent the winter of 1912-12 in California. He has appeared in many of the "What Happened to Mary" series. Prior to joining the Edison players, Mr. Wilson Wm. Wadsworth. gained a considerable reputation as a legitimate actor with the Spooner Stock Company and with the forces of Wagenhalls & Kemper. "The Chronicles of Cleek" began with the release of November 25, 1913, under the title of "The Vanishing Cracksman" and will appear on the last Tuesday ofeach month thereafter. The second of the serials is entitled "The Sentimental Experiences of Wood B. Wedd.'' which _began with the subject. "Her hace Was Her Fortune," released December 29, 1913. .^s will be gleaned from the title. Andy Clark. Wood B. W'edd has an overweaning desire for matrimony, which leads him to propose marriage upon the slightest provocation. This penchant, as might be guessed, leads him into most distressing complications. It is rare comedy. Mark -Swan, a popular writer of short -tories, has been engaged to write the scenarios for this series. William Wadsworth. already a popular Edison player, takes the part of "Wood B. Wedd." He has had a wide dramatic experience and has appeared in many successful stage plays. As a photoplayer his in which he has already Charles Francis. photoplaj fans C. Jay Williams. forte seems to be comedy parts won an enviable reputation. The director of this series is C. Jay Williams, who has to his credit a long string of those delightful comedies for which the Edison Company has become justly famous. "Andy's Adventures" is the title of the third of the serials, which began with the release of December 31, 1913, entitled "Andy Gets a Job." Andy Clark, who is to play the leading role, is a clever boy and has already done some very creditable work as. a picture player. As "Andy of the pictures," he is the little hero who has come to the aid of his widowed mother in the support of a growing family. Little tragedies of this character are familiar to everyone and the series is certain to strike a responsive chord in the hearts of Subsequent releases of this series will be on the second Wednesday of each month. ^ Andy Shirk has no previous theatrical training to help or hinder him in his new art. He is just a freckled-face boy with all the likes and dislikes of boyhood for the amenities and formalities of life. He is absolutely indifferent to the camera and goes about his work as though it was the one aim of his existence. He is sure to have a strong appeal. For the ''Andy" series Charles Francis has been selected as director and his painstaking care for the niceties of picture production will be apparent in every release. Alice Williams writes the scenarios. Fourth among the serials is "Octavius — .Amateur Detective." This is a burlesque upon the detective story and begins with the ".\ffair of the .Actress's Jewels," to be released January 12, and upon the third Monday of each month thereafter. This scries will be published in conjunction with a story in the Pictorial Review and the stories will be written by Frederick .Arnold Kummer. Barr\' O'Moore takes the i)art of Octavius. Mr. O'Moore is well known to all familiar with Edison pictures, having appeared in a number of the best that company has produced. .As "Octavius" he is a young man who has suddenly come into wealth and decides to make a study of the detection of crime. In the entangling of crime plots Charles Seay, Barry O'Moore.