Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

416 MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 24, 1923 Warners Hard at It; Augment Star Roster; Motto Is Speed During his visit from the West Coast to the Warner Offices in New York. Harry M. Warner disclosed many things interesting to exhibitors and promised a series of fine productions for next season. While in New York Mr. Warner looked over literary material and seeing successful stage productions with the idea of securing the screen rights for future Warner productions. “I ant sure that exhibitors are realizing that the Warner organization is accomplishing fine things for such an embryonic company," Mr. Warner stated. “For this season. we have already completed all of our productions for this year, including such as the Ernst Lubitsch production. ‘The Marriage Circle’: the Sidney Franklin Production. ‘Tiger Rose,’ starring Lenore Ulric ; and ‘Beau Brum mel,’ starring John Barrymore under the direction of Harry Beaumont. “We intend to carry on our plans with a series of elaborate productions in spite of alleged upheavals in the industry which seem to throw a scare into the less courageous. Our contract with Ernst Lubitsch calls for a series of pictures a year that will carry considerable weight with the exhibitor. At the present time Lubitsch is carrying on the necessary research work for the filrnization of that stage success ‘Deburau.’ Sidney Franklin is another of our producers who can be reckoned on as a contributor of fine screen works under the Warner standards. “I can promise that ‘Broadway After Dark’ and other Harry Rapf Productions, will come up to the finest standard of the photoplay. William Seiter is directing “How to Educate a Wife,” from the story by Elinor Glyn. Harry Beaumont will handle the megaphone for ‘Babbitt,’ the screen adaptation of Sinclair Lewis’ novel. The third picture we are now producing is ‘Lovers Lane,’ which Dorothy Farnum adapted from the well-known play by Clyde Fitch. “Our long roster of stars will remain under contract and we expect to announce the acquisition of a number of new important screen personalities in the near future. We have always had the exhibitor in mind in making productions and we are continuing to make the best possible productions to bring a healthy condition to the industry and to the boxoffice.” “Rosita” Makes Hit in Pittsburgh “Notwithstanding the worst two days of weather Pittsburgh has had this fall our business on Mary Pickford in ‘Rosita’ at our State and Blackstone theatres justifies our holding the picture over in the Blackstone for a second week,” read a message to Hiram Abrams, president of United Artists Corporation, from James B. Clark. “Rosita” was booked to play day and date at Clark’s State and Blackstone theatres, the first time anything of the kind has ever been done by these two houses. Books C. B. C. Film Tony Luchesse, of the DeLuxe Film Co., franchise holder of C. B. C. product for Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey announces that the Karlton Theatre, Philadelphia has set “Forgive and Forget” in for an early date. Four Big Productions Are for Metro Release During December Exhibitor Praises Hodkinson Film Following is a quotation from a letter received by the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation from George J. Wehner of the Wehner Amusement Company of Brooklyn, New York. “No matter what picture I bring to my theatres, it does not draw as well as the ‘Hodkinson.’ I have had more praise for your pictures than for any others I have run for a long time. I must say that your pictures have been giving the best satisfaction. I cannot call to mind a single complaint against any Hodkinson picture.” Metro announces the following big productions which are to be released during the month of December: “Fashion Row,” “In Search of a Thrill,” “A Wife’s Romance,” and “The Man Life Passed By.” “Fashion Row,” Mae Murray’s newest Metro picture will be released December 3. It was recently completed and is now being edited for an early Eastern premiere. Miss Murray is supported by the following cast: Earle Foxe, Freeman Wood, Mathilde Brundage. Elmo Lincoln, Sidney Franklin, Madame Rosonova, and Craig Biddle. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard and is a Robert Z. Leonard presentation through Metro sponsored by Tiffany Productions. “In Search of a Thrill” will be released the following week on December 10. It is Viola Dana’s third Metro starring picture on the 1923-1924 Metro schedule. Miss Dana’s first two pictures, “Rouged Lips” and “The Social Code” were released earlier in the season, the first in September and the second in October. “A Wife’s Romance” will be released the third week, on December 17. It is a Harry Garson presentation starring Clark Kimball Young, and was adapted by Frank BereS-ford from the novel “La Rubia” by H. W. Roberts. It was directed by Thomas Heffron. “The Man Life Passed By” will be released December 24. It was recently completed at the Metro Hollywood studios under the direction of Victor Schertzinger and is from an original story for the screen written by Mr. Schertzinger and Winifred Dunn. Producing for Warners Rapf Outlines Plans During his visit to the Warner offices in New York, Harry Rapf, who is producing under the Warner banner, outlined his ideas for all future pictures which will face the camera under his general supervision. Mr. Rapf’s next Warner Classic will be “Broadway After Dark,” an adaptation of the play written by Owen Davis. The screen version will be thoroughly modernized, will feature an allstar cast of players and will be directed by Monta Bell, who assisted Charles Chaplin in his first serious screen achievement. “I am trying to get away from the bizarre type of story because I think that exhibitors and their audiences are fed up on them. They are sick of seeing the impossible flashed before their eyes. What they want is a depiction of real life as they see it before them, somewhat on the O. Henry style,” Mr. Rapf said. “I am also laying particular stress in producing pictures that will lend themselves to the greatest number of exploitation angles. That is. after all, what appeals to an exhibitor. He wants the kind of a picture that will appeal to his audience and he wants a picture that he can exploit in such a manner as to bring home the main points of the picture. While in New York Mr. Rapf will make arrangements to photograph some of the famous dance palaces and after-theatre clubs for use in “Broadway After Dark.” House Takes Entire Metro Product The Star Theatre at Austin, Minnesota, is added to the growing list of theatres arrangements for which have been made to play the entire Metro 1923-1924 schedule of big productions. Raymon Brothers, managers of the big house, open the Metro season this week with the first presentation, "The French Doll, and are to follow this with the entire series as soon as the various productions are released. Different Periodicals Praise Hodkinson Film That Hodkinson’s “Puritan Passions” the Film Guild picturization of Percy Mackaye’s “The Scarecrow,” in which Glenn Hunter is starred, is a picture that is universal in its appeal is proven by the laudatory reviews in two periodicals of widely different nature, yet both well-known in their respective fields. One is the national Jewish weekly “The American Hebrew,” and the other, one of the foremost women’s magazines, “The Ladies Home Journal.” “The American Hebrew” said : “The film has an especial appeal to Jews who can sympathize with the portrayal of intolerance in early New England days, when belief in diabolism and black magic held even such notables as Cotton Mather. All in all, we know of no better screen portrayal of the days of New England witchcraft.” The “Home Journal,” in the department “When the Pictures are Good” stated : "Its underlying theme is that love renders all things human. . . . Glen Hunter, as Lord Ravensbane The Scarecrow, shows a depth and a poise in his acting which is new. with none of his old graces lacking.” London’s Dog Film Well Booked Pathe’s picturization of Jack London's dog story, “The Call of the Wild.” which was produced by Hal Roach and released by Pathe on Sept. 23rd, continues to be booked heavily by leading first-run theatres and prominent circuits in different parts of the country. Among the important bookings closed during the past week was one with the Poli Circuit. This contract assures a showing of the Pathe feature in all the important kev-cities of Connecticut, with special exploitation and presentation effects. *