Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

November 24, 1923 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 411 -south sea Love" Announcement of Studio and h Pleased Producing Plans Made by Levee “South Sea Love” with Shirley Mason as the star is the picture that William Fox released November 11. As the title indicates the scenes are laid among the islands of the Pacific and the picturesque life of the region has been woven into an interesting story by Frederick and Fanny Hatton. Shirley Mason plays the part of Dolores Mendina. Her leading man is J. Frank Clendon. The director was David Solomon. “Universities of the World,” an Educational, was also released November 11. A new series of Maurice Tourneur productions for First National will shortly be under way at ihe United Studios. Four carloads of furniture from the home of Mrs. George J. Gould will soon arrive at the United Plant and appear in future productions made in Hollywood. Producing and general studio activities for the next three months at the United Studios will continue at a normal pace. 1'hese are some of the news high-lights given out by M. C. Levee, president of the United Studios and producer of Maurice Tourneur pictures, on returning to his desk recently after a three weeks’ business trip to New York. The new producing contract signed by Mr. Levee in New York will become effective upon completion of “Torment,” now in production under Mr. Tourneur’s direction. "We are not contemplating any suspension of operations at the United Studios,” said Mr. Levee. “While we do not expect to experience the activities of six months ago, we do plan a continuance of normal production along sane lines. “Studio improvements are going ahead at a rapid pace and all original plans for the increase of facilities and efficiency of United are being carried on. There is no slump evident on the part of the producers at this studio and a survey of production schedule indicates our plant will be one of the few to continue normal activities during the prescribed period of suspension of operations at many other plants.” W to the possible shortage of pictures resulting from the closing of studios, Mr. Levee said: “From my observations in New York I am confident that no shoriage will be experienced. The distributors have enough productions on hand to keep them going for sume time to come. “There are few producers who will realize a profit on their pictures produced this year. Production costs must come down if the industry is to survive.” Ten Special Productions for Preferred’s Latest Program Plans for ten special productions, to be filmed as Preferred Pictures in the immediate future, are said to be making the Schulberg studios in Los Angeles the busiest spot on the West Coast. Three pictures are being filmed almost simultaneously. “Poisoned Paradise,” from the Robert W. Service novel of that name has been begun by Director Gasnier, with an all-star cast headed by Clara Bow. With the completion of continuities, now being prepared, work will begin on “The Breath of Scandal,” from the novel by Edwin Balmer, and “White Man,” a screen version of George Agnew Chamberlain’s novel. Since the three stories are of widely different characters three armies of carpenters and technical men have been organized for the preliminary tasks that must be completed before cameras begin to grind. “Poisoned Paradise” will be filmed amid the luxuries of Monte Carlo and the slum districts of Paris. In both cases photographic reproductions of the actual districts to be shown have been used in order to make as realistic as possible glimpses of Monte Carlo and the French metropolis. “White Man” is a drama of the jungle. One of the most interesting of the feats that must be accomplished during its filming is the moving of one of California’s famous big trees from its natural habitat to the Schulberg studios. Other settings include a genuine jungle, which has been located not far below the Mexican border, and a glimpse of the Metropolitan Opera House and its stage, in New York. “The Breath of Scandal,” based on Mr. Balmer’s stirring story of modern society, required several elaborate American city backgrounds. The remaining pictures, seven in number, will be filmed as rapidly as the physical requirements can be met, in order to make possible the release on schedule time of the fifteen Preferred Pictures announced as the season’s output by this organization. “Pioneer Trails” a Gold Mine J. A. Cooper, manager of the La Crosse Amusement Company, La Crosse, Wis., telegraphed Vitagraph the day after the opening of “Pioneer Trails” at its theatre: “'Pioneer Trails’ opened Monday to a standout from one to eleven, brea ing all house records.” W. V. Prentice, Manager of the Lyric Theatre, Toledo, Ohio, said: “Your ‘Pioneer Trails’ is a winner. ‘Pioneer Trails’ should be a gold mine.” New Hep worth Editor Donald Buchanan has been engaged by Hepworth as editor-inchief of their product. ons. He is now at work editing and titling “Lily of the Alley” and will start soon on “Strangling Threads.” Mack Sennett Studio Speeds Up to Meet Requirements of Pathe Bob McGowan, director, is captured for the firtst time by the speed camera in a deep study on screen technique with “Farina,” the ace-of-spades beauty, one of the chief players in “Our Gang” Comedies, produced by Hal Roach. While the trade and public press are carrying news of the curtailment of production by some of the industry’s biggest companies and rumors are rife that studio work is to be further retarded in certain quarters, advices from the Mack Sennett Studios on the West Coast disclose increased production activities on the Sennett lot to meet Pathe’s program of two-reel comedy releases for the current season. Pathe’s recently announced program of more abundant and better comedy product during the new season will suffer no setback by the slowing up of production work, declares a statement from the Pathe home office this week. The thoroughly sound business policy governing all production activities at the Hal Roach and Mack Sennett lots, whose output is being distributed by Pathe, the well-balanced policy of turning out types of production in popular demand with a minimum of expenditures and a total elimination of waste, which has been consistently followed heretofore, will continue to be enforced in the case of every producing unit releasing its product through the Pathe channels, declares the statement from the home office. Richard Jones, supervising director and production manager of the Sennett Studios, has been busy during the past few weeks supervising the installment of new facilities and the acquisition of additional players for the several units producing under the Mack Sennett banner. At the present moment every department in the big plant is taxed to capacity and functioning one hundred per cent. Samuel Goldwyn Buys “Cylherea” for Screen Samuel Goldwyn last week purchased the screen rights to Joseph Hergesheimer’s novel “Cytherea.” The book was published two seasons ago and because of the adroit handling of an unusual theme attracted more attention than any previous work of this author. Other Hergesheimer novels which have already been picturized ate “Tol’able David” and “The Bright Shawl.” two Barthelmess pictures. Like “The Eternal City,” this new independently-produced picture of Mr. Goldwyn’s is scheduled for release through Associated First National Pictures. Georee Fitzmaurice, who took his company to Rome to make “The Eternal .City,” will direct “Cytherea” and is now in Havana in search of suitable locations.