Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

December 1, 1923 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 501 “Three Ages” Breaks “Why Worry” Accorded Records in Washington an Unusual Tribute During “Three Ages” engagement at the Palace Theatre, Washington, D. C., it played to the biggest business the house has done in eighteen months. It is a fact, backed up by box office statements, that only one other picture has done better at the Palace than “Three Ages,” the production being Rex Ingram’s Metro feature, “The Four Horsemen.” It is a matter of record that Buster Keaton’s first full length Metro comedy feature has established him as the leading draw ing card among the present-day film comedians, says Metro. Exhibitor reports coming in to the Metro home offices are most enthusiastic in their praise of Buster and the fact that he is now making full length comedies. Advance reviews on “Our Hospitality,” Buster’s newest feature length Metro comedy, are to the effect that it is even better than “Three Ages.” Critics credit it with presenting more laughs and thrills to the foot of film than any comedy released in many months, Metro reports. An unusual tribute to the box office prowess of Harold Lloyd’s latest feature comedy for Pathe, “Why Worry?” was accorded this week by the Famous PlayersLasky Corporation, which has booked the Pathe comedy for an indefinite engagement at its new demonstration theatre in Boston, the Fenway. The production opens at this big first-run house on November 25 with special presentation features arranged by one of the country’s most prominent showmen, S. Barrett McCormick, who has just been named manager of the Fenway. The booking of “Why Worry?” at the new Paramount house, Pathe officials declare, possesses unusual significance in view of that organization’s recently announced policy to engage for its demonstration theatres only the very biggest and most successful features of the screen. Strong Warner Cast for John Barrymore School Head Endorses Ray Pilgrim Picture A fine cast of players appears with John Barrymore in the Warner Brothers screen version of the famous Clyde Fitch play, “Beau Brummel.” Harry Beaumont, who is directing the picture, obtained the finest screen personalities available. The players are : Mary Astor, Irene Rich, Willard Louis, Alec B. Francis, Carmel Myers, Richard Tucker, William Humphreys, Templar Saxe, Clarissa Selwynn, Andre de Beranger, John J. Richardson, Michael Dark, Kate Lester, Carol Halloway, James A. Marcus, Betty Brice, Roland Rushton, Rose Dione, Claire de Lorez, L. H. Challdecotte and F. F. Guenste. In addit:on a large number of extras appear as courtiers, soldiers, etc. The settings are said to be the most pretentious ever undertaken for a Warner Classic. An elaborate castle set probably is the most impressive scenic element in the picture, and the interiors are also lavish and in keeping with the time when the action took place. The many exteriors furnish picturesque backgrounds for the unfoldment of the fascinating story. R. J. Stimmett, of the Capitol Theatre, Dallas, Texas, in a contract he closed with Associated Exhibitors this week booked the super-feature, Charles Ray in "The Courtship of Miles Standish,” for the two weeks starting December 22 and ending January 4. An official statement issued by Susan M. Dorsey, superintendent of public schools of Los Angeles, encourages pupils to see the picture, and says: “The Board of Education has granted this permission because in their judgment ‘The Courtship of Miles Standish’ has educational merit, especially in view of the fact that the poem on which it is based is one studied in all our schools. The photoplay embraces that part of American history from a time during the voyage of the Mayflower to a period two years after landing in the new world, portraying graphically the adventures of the Pilgrims.” Harry Rapf Plans Hodkinson Films Named Among Best Pictures Broadway Picture In an article analyzing the year’s best pictures, in the current issue of “The Ladies’ Home Journal,” John Farrar, editor of “The Bookman” and noted literary and dramatic critic, mentions four recent Hodkinson releases as being of special interest and general merit. The four pictures recommended bjr Mr. Farrar are: Elmer Clifton’s whaling picture, “Down to the Sea in Ships”; Gene Stratton Porter’s picturization of her novel, “Michael O’Halleran”; the speed film, “The Drivin’ Fool,” and “Puritan Passions,” the screen version of Percy Mackaye’s stage play, “The Scarecrow.” In making his analysis Mr. Farrar reviewed the pictures of practically all the large distributing companies, and chose four Hodkinson releases, as compared to three, two or one of the other companies. Minneapolis Critics Praise “Scaramouche” Harry Rapf left New York for the West Coast last week where he will supervise his next production under the Warner Brothers banner and will also make plans for his productions that will follow. Mr. Rapf has already made the final arrangements for filming "Broadway After Dark,” the play by Owen Davis, who has contributed more plays to the American stage than any other living playwright, and whose dramatic success, “Icebound,” won the Pulitzer prize last season. “Broadway After Dark” is to face the cameras under the direction of Monta Bell, who assisted Chaplin in the direction of his productions the last two years. Harry Rapf intends not to make a scenic of the great metropolis, nor to spend a fortune on elab orate sets, but to dramatize it in a simple story of human emotions. It is understood that an all-star cast of players will be seen, with Adolphe Menjou playing the leading masculine role. Marion Coakley to Make Film Debut Marion Coakley will make her motion picture debut in Richard Barthelmess” next starring production, under the direction of John S. Robertson, “The Enchanted Cottage.” Although Miss Coakley has appeared in numerous successful Broadway productions, her last having been “Barnum Was Right,” she has never yet appeared before the motion picture camera. Metro presented Rex Ingram’s “Scaramouche” at the Garrick Theatre in Minneapolis three weeks ago and the press rendered its tribute as it has done wherever else this massive production has been shown. Its opening was truly brilliant, as it was attended by the most prominent people of the city and was given added flavor by Governor J. A. O. Preus, who gave the following statement to the press: “I saw ‘Scaramouche’ at the governors’ conference in West Baden, Ind. It is the finest film production I ever witnessed.” The Minnesota Daily Star said: “ ‘Scaramouche’ is a great picture.” “ ‘Scaramouche’,” wrote the critic of the St. Paul Daily News, “is undoubtedly one of the great pictures. It may be ranked with ‘The Four Horsemen’.” “Ingram has pictured the French Revolution as we have never seen it pictured before on the screen,” wrote the critic of the Minnesota Journal. “ ‘Scaramouche’ has all elements of a great photoplay,” wrote the critic of the Minneapolis Tribune. Submarine Rescue Shown in Fox News Weekly A timely achievement by Fox News is its presentation in the current release of the rescue of two seamen who were imprisoned thirty-one hours in the United States submarine 0-5, which was sunk in Cristobal harbor, Panama, following a collision with a steamship of the United Fruit Line. Photographed by R. G. Lewis, the film graphically depicts the descent of navy divers to the sunken craft, the raising of the wreck and the actual rescue of the limp and exhausted prisoners. The pictures were “shot” from so short a distance that every detail of the rescue is clearly discernible.