Moving Picture World (Sep-Oct 1922)

September 9, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 125 Two Interesting Scenes Taken Especially for Moving Picture World at C. C. Burr’s Glendale, L. I., Studio, During Production of “Sure-Fire Flint.” At left: A scene from picture with Johnny Hines in action; right: Hines and his fellow-wor kers — D. E. Weshner, Mrs. Kenyon, Doris Kenyon, Director Dell Henderson and Dick Thorpe, production manager. Federated Is Ready for Its Fall Drive Federated Film Exchanges of America, Inc., announced this week another two-reel comedy release that is to be known as the “Federated Radio Comedies,” which are being produced by Ben Wilson at his coast studios, the first subject being entitled, “Family Affairs,” which has just been completed. Wilson is now busy preparing for his second subject — the work entitled, “Money or My Life.” The Federated Monte Banks Comedies stars Monte Banks, who is megaphoning his second picture, the title of which will be announced shortly. The Federated Jo-Rok Comedies are being directed and the cast is headed by Joe Rock. The first release will be called, “Ali Baba,” and the second, “Aladdin.” Burr Signs Charley Auerbach Sees Big Murray and Others Scarcity of Serials C. C. Burr again stepped into the limelight this week and added another feather to his cap when he succeeded in including Charley Murray and Mary Anderson to affix their signatures to a long term contract. These players will appear in an all-star company that Mr. Burr is organizing to produce a series of “Torchy” Comedies starring Ray McKee. Moving Picture World exclusively announced the acquisition of McKee by Burr several months ago, but pending production on the second Johnny Flines feature, “Sure-Fire Flint,” that producer-distributor temporarily held up further negotiations for the comedy series. Last week he again took up the new “Torchy” matter and after much dickering succeeded in bringing Murray and Anderson to terms. Charley Murray is a Mack Sennett protege, who has recently been touring the vaudeville houses, while Miss Anderson has been starring in a number of independent features, the last of which was Ivan Abramson’s “The Wildness of Youth.” News that Warner Brothers would have a total of 18 productions available for state rights distribution stimulated much interest during the ! past week. Constance Joslin, formerly with the D. W. Griffith forces, this week signed with Bruce Mitchell of T. R. Coffin Productions to appear in a series of pictures that that director will make. Production on the second of the Affiliated Distributors, Inc., “Big Six” program, starring Johnny Hines, is expected to be started late next month. “Sure Fire Flint” was completed last week. Dell Henderson, director. Clarence Brieker, the Coast producer, formerly with the Louis Mayer forces, is in town and made it known that he will make a series of two1 reel comedies starring Frankie Lee, the “American boy.” •: Rose Coghlan, the veteran actress, doing some splendid work as a “hag” in the feature, “Secrets of Paris,” that C. C. Burr and Whitman Bennett are jointly turning out at the Whitman Bennett studio in Yonkers, N. Y. Dr. Daniel Carson Goodman, who wrote and produced “What’s Wrong with the Women?” which Equity is State righting, is busily engaged writing the story lor the next production he will place in the hands of Equity officials for distribution. A solicitor for a “yellow sheet” last week visited the various studios in New York with the rankest holdup proposition ever submitted to anybody. Fortunately, so far as this department is aware, no one tumbled. Judging from reports from Gloversville, N. Y., where Blazed Trail Productions, Inc., is turning out “Lost in a Great City” for Arrow Film Corporation distribution, that feature will be ready the latter part of October. Miss Dorothy Phillips, who has charge of the Star series that C. B. C. Film Sales Corporation is producing for R-C Film Corporation distribu-' tion, is lining up some excellent material in the way of prominent stars. There are now seven big independent producing companies workinv in studios in and around New York City. A persistent rumor was circulated in various circles that .Toe Plunkett, managing director of Strand Theatre, New York, was to make a series of independent features. There is nothing to this report, and it was denied in its entirety by Mr. Plunkett this week. Manager R. S. Moore, of the Gem Theatre, Snyder, Okla., is one of those showmen who finds a reason for everything. Short while ago he booked Arrow Film Corporation’s special. “Ten Nights in a Barroom,” but lost money on the engagement. But he adds: “A wonderful production, much better than book or play. I lost money on it on account of having the first tent show of the season for competition.” “Lone Hand Wilson,” starring Lester Cuneo, proved the snake’s hip inso-far as Manager Artie Pearson of the Auditorium of Melrose, Mass., is concerned, for the picture didn’t live up to expectations artistically and flopped at the box office. He bought this one from an exchangeman, but says that hereafter he’ll look at everything before booking. ‘I Am the Law,” C. C. Burr’s special Edwin Carewe production dealing with a Northwest subject, is breaking records right and leftt, judging from reports from exhibitors. Louis Auerbach, vice president of the Export & Import Film Company, Inc., in commenting on business prospects, predicts that there will be a scarcity of good serials this fall. “The lengthy depression,” says Mr. Auerbach, “scared producers for a long time with the result that until a short time ago it looked as if there would be hardly any new independent product this fall. Signs of business revival brought the motion picture men into activity again, with the result that the independent mar ket is at the present time better equipped for record business than ever before. National distributing companies have less product to offer, whereas the independents have more features of the big-picture class now in production than at any time previously. “The one type of picture which has been overlooked,” opines Auerbach, “is the serial. There are but few serials on the market at the present time. It is the smaller houses which make up most of the serial business. It was the smaller houses which felt the depression worst of all. Serial business therefore slumped greater than other business. But conditions "-e now changed. “ 'The Jungle Goddess’ is the only new serial offered to independents. THAN SCORNED CHAS . E . BLAN EVIS GREAT BROADWAY SUCCESS' F7 ET URI NG ALICE LAKE, ROSEMARY THEBY ■J.FRANK' GLENDON, PHILO McCOLLOUGH BA8y ADAIR RELEASED BY C.BC. FILM SALES CORP. 1600 B'WAy N.yClTX: