Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

The Pep of The Program NEWS AND REVIEWS OF SHORT SUBJECTS AND SERIALS Universal Signs Noted European Stunt Actor to Star in Serials Rogers Impersonates Stars of Screen Lucian Albertini, sensational European stunt man and screen dare-devil, has been signed by Universal to make serials. He is reputed to be one of the most reckless screen actors and noted for taking desperate chances in order to produce thrills. Besides being a dare-devil, Albertini also is a strong man and in many of his pictures he has been billed as Samsonia. It is under this name that he is best known in England, where his pictures have been eminently successful. Albertini’s seven years in picture work have been with German and Italian film companies, including a company of his own. He directs his own pictures. Besides his work in films, Albertini is a Professor of Physical Culture in the Public Health Service of Lyons, France, and formerly was Division Gymnastic will be built up around new mateinstructor for the Italian Navy, rial and stunts which are said to He was a noted acrobat and transcend any thrills heretofore trapeze stuntster before entering seen on the screen, films. He is now on his way to Uni His first serial for Universal versal City. Lupino Lane to Star in New Fox Two-Reel Comedy Series Lupino Lane, probably England’s best known stage and screen comedian has signed a long term contract with Fox Film Corporation and will come to the United States about the first of the year to star in a series of tworeel comedies to be made at the Fox Hollywood studios. Lane is well-known in this country, having appeared in the stage production “Afgar” as well as a series of two reel comedies and a feature for Fox and while these productions were successes his continuance with the Fox organization was prevented by other contracts made previously. This time, Mr. Lane will be unencumbered by other contracts and will devote his entire time to transferring to the screen his inimitable pantomime which made him an international success. Turpin and Laurel Two -Reel ers on Pathe List for November 25 November 25 brings about the release on the Pathe program of an unusually attractive list of short subjects including a Stan Laurel two-reel burlesque, a Mack Sennett comedy starring Ben Turpin and another of the popular Hal Roach “Dippy-Do-Dads” with their all-animal casts. The Stan Laurel burlesque is “The Soilers” a travesty on Rex Beach’s famous novel “The Spoilers.” It is of the same type as this star’s two preceding offerings, “Roughest Africa” which burlesques the animal hunt pictures and “Frozen Hearts” burlesquing “Enemies of Women.” In “The Soilers,” Laurel caricatures the role of Roy Glenister as Canister and the famous GlenisterMcNamara fight is travestied in an uproarious way by Cannister and Smacknamara. The Ben Turpin two-reeler is “The Dare-Devil” in which the star appears as a movie double, Harry Gribbon as the director, Jack Richardson as leading man and Kewpie Morgan as his chief support. Madeline Hurlock is leading lady and Irene Lentz the heroine. Turpin runs the gamut of thrills and hardships supposed to fall to the lot of a movie double. The Ruth Roland serial “Ruth of the Range” reaches its seven episode with the usual amount of thrills and fast action. “Go West” is the title of the single reel “Dippy-Do-Dad” in which the animal cast enact a travesty on life in the great open spaces. Pathe Review 47 contains a variety of interesting subjects ranging from “The Four Lakes of Madison” which is a pictorial interpretation of Longfellow’s poem to “Monkey Mountain” pictured in the Milwaukee Zoo. Other subjects include a travelogue “A Day in Guatemala” and a color section “The Cradle-land of the Neolithic Man.” An Aesop’s Fable “Happy-GoLuckies” a Topics of the Day and two issues of Pathe News complete the weeks schedule. Will Rogers’ newest tworeel comedy for Pathe “Uncensored Movies” gives him the opportunity for what is said to be the first time to present a line of entertainment on the screen for which he is famous on the stage. In his own inimitable way he caricatures “Bill” Hart, Tom Mix, and Rudolph Valentino and makes satirical though inoffensive allusions to DeMi 1 1 e , Griffith and Fairbanks in their respective fields. Rogers’ role is that of a reform investigator sent to observe conditions in Hollywood. Lloyd Single Reel Reissues Liked Pathe reports a heavy demand from theatres including some of the finest in the country for the series of single reel Harold Lloyd reissues. The success of these reissues which total seventy-four in all is attributed to the presence of such players as Bebe Daniels and “Snub” Pollard in the cast and is pointed to by Pathe officials as indicating that comedies with fast action and laughs are in strong demand regardless of the footage or time of production. Pathe Finds Big Demand for Serials of a Higher Type As a result of touring the Boston, New Haven and Albany territories, Edgar O. Brooks Pathe’s serial sales manager reports that he found a strong demand for chapter-productions more logically constructed, embodying higher standards of direction and acting and based on popular novels and stories. “I found one opinion uniformly registered” says Mr. Brooks, “that the day of the blood-and-thunder dime-novel type of serial is gone forever, and was informed that in their place there must be evolved a type of chapter-picture that will approximate in story action and characterization the newspaper and magazine serials. Mr. Brooks calls attention to the fact that the demand for serials based on widely read stories will be met by Pathe’s forthcoming serials. Awaiting release is “The Way of a Man” based on Emerson Hough’s famous novel of the early west. It was produced by George Seitz and features Harold Miller and Allene Ray. In production is a serial version of Cooper’s celebrated “I eatherstocking Tales,” an example of the high grade of serial picture which Pathe plans to produce. It was also directed by George Seitz and features Harold Miller and Edna Murphy. This serial will be followed by one based on “The Fortieth Door” by Mary Hastings Bradley. It is further announced that steps are now being taken to secure rights to other famous novels which will be portrayed by casts headed by well-known stars. Church Books Bruce One-Reelers Educational reports that the great beauty of the series of Wilderness Tales by Robert C. Bruce has not only caused them to be popular in the theatres but with churches as well. For instance, the Rev. G. Y. Benton of the First M. E. Church of Oneida, N. Y. was so impressed with “From the Windows of My House” that he wrote a letter to the exchanges praising it highly and also booked “By Lantern Light” and “Moonblind.” Century Completes Two Comedies Two new completed Century Comedies are ready to take their places with others turned over to Universal for distribution. They are “Boys Will Be Boys” and “Own a Home.” Managers Enthuse Over Doyle Film Pathe’s expose of fraudulent mediums “Is Conan Doyle Right” is reported to have proved a boxoffice attraction of the first magnitude at the Keith circuit houses in the East. “From the box-office angle it has great possibilities, which _was proven by the increase in business each day,” says manager Burns of the Hamilton. Enthusiastic comment was also made by the managers of the Eighty-first Street Theatre, New York, Flatbush and Prospect in Brooklyn, and Keith’s Boston Theatre.