Moving Picture World (Aug 1920)

1209 August 28, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Howells Reports Immediate Results on Selling Campaign on ' Son of Tarzan” “Put That in Your Pipe!” :Says Lew Cody to “Boots” in “Occasionally Tours” being made by Robertson-Cole. •■iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiUiiiiiiiiiiiilumMiiiiliiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiii'uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii’ Metro All Set to Produce Symbolic Slapstick Comedy PRODUCTION plans on “The Price Mystery,” the second of a series of twelve motion pictures to be made by Metro in the Americanization campaign of the Motion Pictures Producers’ Association, have been completed and camera work on •the subject will be commenced at once in Metro’s New York studios. The picture follows “Strangers, Beware 1”, the first of these patriotic subjects, which will be released shortly by Metro. “The Price Mystery” will be directed by Smythe Addison under the supervision of Arthur .Zellner, assistant to Maxwell Larger, Metro’s director general. The cast includes George Spink, Frank Cooley, Mary Beaton, Arthur Earle, Frank Leavitt, heavyweight wrestler, and Yusof, "the well-known eccentric wrestler. Hodkinson Picture Made in Winter for Summer Releases MANY interesting reports have been received at the home offices of the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation in regard to “The Silent Barrier,” the Arthur F. Beck-Charles C. Burr production which has been recently released. The locale is in the Swiss Alps. The scenes were “shot” at Saranac Lake, N. Y., and embody some beautiful scenic effects. These locations have been peculiarly pleasing to audiences throughout the United States during the existing torrid spell and expressions of pleasure have been conveyed to exhibitors who have shown this picture. THE selling campaigns on “The Son of Tarzan,” the big animal jungle serial adapted from the book of the same name by Edgar Rice Burroughs which is being produced by the National Film Corportion for distribution by David P. Howells on the independent market, was instituted last week and started off with a bang. The following territories have been definitely closed, the contracts signed, and the first deposit paid: western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, sold to Albert A. Weilland, of the Standard Film Exchange of Pittsburgh; Missouri and Kansas, to Richards & Flynn, of Kansas City; Indiana, to Robert Liebler & Co., of the First National Exhibitors’ Circuit of Indianapolis. Options have been taken on eastern Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Alabama by the First National exchanges for those territories. The options are just as a matter of protection until the owners can arrive in New York and negotiate the contracts. There is also in course of negotiation a deal for the entire Northwest. United Kingdom Rights Sold. Inquiries and bids have been received from every territory in the United States for this picture, but no attempt has been made to sell as yet until the exchanges of the First National have been given an opportunity to state whether or not they desire to handle the picture. The entire rights for the picture have been sold for the United Kingdom to W. & THERE has been formed an organization of a new kind to be known as “American Trade Promotion Associates, Inc.,” designed to show American industries to American and foreign people. It is composed of leading merchants in the United States, approximately 5,000 in number, who have become convinced that the industrial motion picture offers opportunities for presenting a direct and forceful appeal to the world’s buyers and a medium for securing America’s share of the ioreign trade. They nave engaged the Harry Levey Service Corporation to superintend all details of production and distribution. Mr. Levey, who is to take charge of all details, announces that a circulating industrial film library will be established. Industrial films showing the manufacturing processes of various industries will travel over the circuit and be shown for a certain F. Film Service, Ltd., of London, the picture being bought in this country after a preview of the early episodes by David Mundel. Mr. Mundel returned to England on August 12 to immediately arrange for one of the biggest trade showings ever put over in London. He is enthusiastic over “The Son of Tarzan” and believes it will be one of the biggest box office attractions that has ever been shown in the British Isles. The sales campaign on “The Son of Tarzan” for the United States and Canada is under the personal direction of George H. Hamilton. Production Took Eight Months. Eight months will have elapsed from the time that National began on “The Son of Tarzan” until the concluding episode is finished. According to Capt. Harry M. Rubey, National’s president, Director Harry Revier will not be rushed for time, as the latter is allowed one month to film two episodes. A long series of after-dark jungle scenes are now being taken. According to a communication received by David P. Howells from Director Revier, the “daily runs” of these scenes already photographed serve to show that this serial will go down in screen history as having many hundred feet of the best night “shots” ever recorded on motion picture films. The lighting of the jungle settings is accomplished after a new set lighting plan, invented and perfected by Jack Heintz, the National’s chief electrician. period of time in each of the “stations” on the circuit. Co-operation of foreign chambers of commerce is being assured, and in their tour around the world, covering all the continents and embracing nearly all the large cities, the films will be viewed by hundreds of thousands of business men who are interested in purchasing Americanmade articles, and who are thus given an opportunity to see that American products are worthy of purchase. All announcements will be shown on the screen in four languages, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Another circuit along the same lines is being perfected in America, says Mr. Levey. He declares that a circuit of sixty-two large cities already has been established, where industrial films will be shown in large plants and factories, and it is expected that this will be extended in a short time. This will be to stimulate local trade. Harry Levey to Handle Film Campaign for Merchants Seeking Foreign Trade ALICE JOYCE THE VITAGRA P H SPECIAL PRODUCTION Directed by GEORGE L SARGENT