Moving Picture World (Jul 1920)

July 24, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 451 Eight Pat he Serials for Coming Year; Will Continue “Two-at-a-time” Policy WITH a record of thirty successful serials to its credit, Pathe’s pfens for the coming year with regard to the episode form of photoplay must necessarily be elaborate in design and of “huge proportions, if the serial programs is to achieve that greatness to which the ■“House of Serials” has pledged itself. In order to accomplish this ambitious aim, Pathe will release a total of eight serial pictures over the designated period. The two-at-a-time policy, inaugurated in the fall of 1919, will be maintained, and, weekly, one episode each of two big serial offerings will be released. The names of seven players, all of proven ability and popularity as serial stars, are to play an important part in the campaign laid out by Pathe to bring it greater serial achievement than ever before in its history, which covers a period of nearly seven years. These stars are familiar to exhibitors and public alike as artists whose records show them valuable box office attractions. They are Ruth Roland, June Caprice, Juanita Hansen, Marguerite Courtot, George B. Seitz, Charles Hutchison and Warner Oland. Year Begins August 15. The year of forthcoming big serials will commence with the release on August 15 of “‘Pirate Gold,” a ten-episode picture starring George B. Seitz with Marguerite Courtot. It will mark the second serial produced, directed and starred in by Mr. Seitz. Both as an artistic production and a drawing card, “Pirate Gold,” is considered by Pathe officials a picture well deserving the distinction of inaugurating a year which will bring forth two serials starring Ruth Roland; one starring Juanita Hansen, with Warner Oland, and one with ‘these stars in a cast that will also contain Marguerite Courtot and the promising Pathe discovery, Lucille Lennox; two in which George B. Seitz will star with Marguerite Courtot; one with Seitz and June Caprice, and two starring Charles Hutchison. Ruth Roland's First. “Ruth of the Rockies” will be the first in this group starring Ruth Roland. The second with this favorite is to be produced at the Robert Brunton studios under the supervision of Robert Brunton. The first Pathe serial produced there was “Daredevil Jack,” in which Jack Dempsey starred. The picture was so well staged that Paul Brunet, vice-president and general manager of Pathe, made arrangements to have the Charles Hutchison starring vehicles filmed there. The two pictures with Juanita Hansen are to be products of the George B. Seitz studio, both directed by Bertram Millhauser. “The Phantom Foe,” starring Juanita Hansen, which will present Warner Oland in a heavy role, was completed in the latter part of June, and work has already commenced on the second picture, an original story by James Shelly Hamilton, which has tentatively been titled “Roaring Oaks.” In this play important roles are to be played by Marguerite Courtot and Lucille Lennox. Hutchison the Daredevil. Charles Hutchison began work at the Brunton studios under his new contract with Pathe on April 19. His vehicle is an original scenario by Jack Cunningham, the author of several screen successes. W. S. Van Dyke, who directed “Daredevil Jack,” is directing the picture and rapid progress is reported by Mr. Brunton. The variety in style and type of plays which Pathe has so successfully endeavored to incorporate in the serial program, is greatly aided by the acquisition of Hutchison. He is a leading exponent of the daredevil stunt, as illustrated by “The Great Gamble,” and his pictures are bound to add greatly to the completeness of the Pathe serial product. The George B. Seitz pictures are comparative novelties. In “Bound and Gagged” Mr. Seitz courageously introduced a new type of serial hero — a young American, typically energetic and intrepid, whose utterly care-free attitude of mind and' agility of body brought him face to face with situations he had no part in bringing about, but which nevertheless, supplied all the action and all the thrilling heroism requisite of the serial play. He emphasized the situation and the characterization. Seitz Is Kept Busy. After “Pirate Gold” Mr. Seitz will appear in “Velvet Fingers,” a fifteen-episode play which he completed only a short time before his departure for Spain to film a Pathe feature. “Velvet Fingers” is a “crook” play filmed on a far more elaborate plan than Mr. Seitz has previously attempted. In “Ruth of the Rockies” Ruth Roland returns to the West for the setting for her play. At the time it was announced that Miss Roland’s next serial would be a western story, Pathe was congratulated by THE position of the Pathe Exchange, Inc., in the distribution of short subjects, has been accentuated during the past year by the achievements of the Pathe News, by the success of the Harold Lloyd comedies, by the growing popularity of the Pathe Review, by the public approval of Topics of the Day, and by the big demand for the one-reel Rolin comedies. In recent weeks the new “Young Buffalo” series of two reel Westerners, has been added to the list and is recognized already as one of the most meritorious subjects of its kind. After three years of one-reel comedies, Harold Lloyd branched out in a series of six two-reel special productions in the last year. With each succeeding production he gained in popularity. Lloyd started his comedy success with Hal E. Roach, who has been producing comedies for Pathe for the past six years, and, while under Roach’s direction, he has appeared in over 300 one-reel comedies. Mr. Roach is also responsible for the Rolin comedies featuring “Snub” Pollard and the little darkie, Pickaninny Sammy. His plans for the future embrace a wide scope in the field of comedy and assure the Pathe clientele of a strong series of one-reel productions in addition to the Harold Lloyd comedies. Backed by the prestige of being the first news reel, the Pathe News was an institution in thousands of theatres at the beginning of last year and owing to the many exclusive features since that time, it has made large gains. Hardly a week has passed without one of the big news features of the world being exclusively pictured in the Pathe News. Pathe has just announced that Hy Mayer’s Travelaughs will be incorporated many veteran serial exhibitors for the wisdom of presenting her in such a vehicle, for their past experience proved her followers preferred to see her in pictures of the great outdoors. “Ruth of the Rockies” is an adaptation of “Broadway Bab,” which appeared in All Story Magazine and was written by Johnston McCulley. Improvement Evident. Early in 1920 in a statement regarding the new serial policy, Mr. Brunet predicted greater improvement in serials, from the 1 tandpoint of acting, stories and production, than in any one previous year. With the announcement of the schedule for the next year, it now becomes evident that Mr. Brunet has had the courage to direct the course of Pathe on the conclusions inspiring that prediction. During the past year Pathe serials have shown an appreciable movement in quality and a large increase in the extent of their distribution. They have steadily gained in the direction of longer runs and presentations in theatres with reputations for presenting only the biggest attractions. Artistically the serial has kept well abreast of the feature play. It is only necessary to recall some of the pictures of two years ago and compare them with recent Pathe offerings to appreciate the extent to which the serial has advanced. More elaborate settings are constantly noted and greater care for technical details are evidenced in the later works of the leading serial directors. in the Pathe Review. This adds another feature to the already imposing list of subjects shown in this screen magazine. In the course of the past year Pathecolor slow motion photography, nature pictures, science and art, have been assembled in a reel of brilliant entertainment. “Topics of the Day” became famous to theatre-goers with almost the first release under Pathe distribution. The pungent paragraphs which form the body of this reel are -selected from the newspapers and magazines of the world by the editors of the Literary Digest. Add to Short Subjects. In keeping with its policy of closely watching he demands of exhibiors and responding to that demand, Pathe recently effected the distribution of a series of tworeel Westerners. Every exhibitor will recognize that in the last year the public has been looking for out-door pictures with a western touch and these two reel pictures in which "Young Buffalo” is starred is meeting that demand Mrs. Sidney Drew comedies have also met with great success whenever shown. They are comedies unique in their smoothness and in their adherence to the truisms of life and are distinguished for fine humor. John Cumberland, the star of the series, is one of the best known of America’s stage actors. Ruth Langston in Pathe Serial Ruth Langston, who made her first serial appearance in a leading role in “Daredevil Jack,’ is playing a prominent part in the cast supporting Charles Hutchison in “The Double Adventure,” the star’s Pathe vehicle now in production at the Brunton studios. Pathe Points to Gains in Short Subject Field and Discloses Plans r Next Year