Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1924)

November 8, 1924 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 167 — Great Advance Campaign on “Romance of Actress” Begin “Salome of Tenements” Filming of Anzia Yezierska’s colorful novel of the Ghetto, “Salome of The Tenements," which created a stir in literary circles a few months ago, has been started at the Paramount Astoria studio. It will be a Sidney 01cott Production. Miss Jetta Goudal has the title role, Godfrey Tearle, an English actor, makes his American screen debut in this picture. Stories of the Builders (Continued from page 117) In his quiet but usually effective way he started in to find and apply a remedy. At the start he had the support of loyal and earnest friends who thought as he did and who had interests identical with his own. In a few weeks the producer-distributors made an important discovery in Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. They found that someone had organized a new system of booking which acted as a complete check upon the then prevalent overvaluation of pictures and as a protection to the theatre owner, providing the latter with a sufficient supply of pictures at living prices. At first there was a great outcry, but as the scheme was studied in all its details it was found to be altogether feasible and constructive. Eventually all of the producers and distributors gave it their full support. I know that big exhibitors from other sections of the country came to Philadelphia offering sizable sums for introducing the system in their own localities. All these offers were declined, but the fact that they were made showed the need of such a system. I also know that various people offered high rewards to break the system up, but while there was some striving to earn the reward, no one ever claimed it. When I recently, after a long absence from this country, called on Mr. Schwalbe and saw the great offices, most elegantly equipped and occupying such a considerable part of the huge building numbered 383 Madison Avenue, I reminded him of 44 North 10th and ventured the remark that the marvelous change typified the progress, both of the man and of the industry. He declined to enthuse. “The only difference I can see,” he finally said with his habitually quiet smile, “is this : In the Electric Theatre Supply Co. I was my own boss. Here I have about two thousand exhibitors bossing me.” Harry Schwalbe is at the zenith of his power. He has realized to no small extent his ideals of exhibitor cooperation. Peaceful and constructive, there never was a more formidable fighter; if the occasion for a battle arose, the coolest general amid the i din and smoke of conflict. Those wonderful offices in 383 Madison Avenue are a visible monument to the leadership and loyal team work. New York is | full of monuments to honest, intelligent co! operation like the imposing edifices built by ' savings banks and insurance companies. The huge hive in the monumental structure in Madison Avenue is the result of exhibitor cooperation wisely directed. There is nothing dazzling or meteoric about Harry Schwalbe. He is no mere i shooting star in the motion picture sky. ; Rather would I liken him to the “constant northern star” — “of whose true fixed and resting quality there is no fellow in the firmament.” A GREAT advance exploitation and publicity campaign is being waged over the whole United States on “The Romance of an Actress,” Langdon McCormack’s great play, scheduled as. one of the pictures in the Chadwick Nine unit for the independent market this season. It is being conducted by the Cloverleaf League, consisting of a group of leading newspapers and magazines, the St. Paul Daily News, the Omaha Daily News, the Cloverleaf Weekly and the Cloverleaf American, as a national contest, the winners of which will receive either contracts to appear in the picture or money awards. A group of officials of the Cloverleaf organization, headed by L. M. Knopp, have been placed in charge of the contest. They are waging an intensive campaign by means of advertisements in leading newspapers and magazines, special literature which is sent broadcast in millions of copies, radio publicity and various other stunts calculated to bring the contest to the attention of the greatest number of people and to bring about the greatest results. Among some of the newspapers in which advertisements of this contest have appeared are the St. Louis Globe, the St. Paul Daily" News, the Omaha Daily News and Capper’s Weekly. In the lists of magazines are Motion Picture Play, Argosy" All-Story, Woman's Weekly, American Weekly, People’s Popular Magazine, Sovereign Visitor, Household Magazine, Blue FIRST NATIONAL PICTURES will inaugurate production in the East with two of its important pictures for the first half of 1925, “The Interpreter’s House,” from Struthers Burt’s novel, which is still enjoying a wide sale, and Beale Davis’ new novel, “One Way Street,” which is another fiction success of the fall. Earl J. Hudson, who came on from Hollywood to take charge of First National’s eastern productions, is working day and night with H. H. Bruenner, his new assistant in production, and other members of the production staff who accompanied him from the West, getting ready to start photography. The directors who will make the first picture in New York, Lambert Hillyer and Francis Dillon, are already on the ground and deep in preliminary preparations with Mr. Hudson. Hillyer will direct “The Interpreter’s House” and Dillon “One Way Street.” The leading roles in “The Interpreter’s House” will be acted by" Milton Sills and Doris Kenyon, who will leave Hollywood for New York within a week or so, as soon as their respective roles in “As Man Desires” and “A Thief in Paradise” are done. Ben Lyon, now playing the son with Colleen Moore in Edna Ferber’s “So Big,” and Anna Q. Nilsson, who recently completed the Book Magazine and Cloverleaf American. In all of the advertising copy Chadwick Pictures Corporation is prominently mentioned, with the seal of the company, and mention is made of all the pictures produced by the Chadwick organization this season for the independent market. Winner of the first prize will be given a guaranteed part in “The Romance of an Actress,” with all expenses of the trip to the West Coast and return paid for herself and a chaperon. This includes hotel expenses also. The four other winners will be given a free trip to the West Coast and return with chaperon, including all hotel expenses, with a chance for a tryout before the camera, and in case they are screenable, will be given parts in the production. The winners are picked according to the results shown by balloting, based on subscriptions for Cloverleaf League papers. In case of a tie, equal awards will be made those tying. The contest closes December 1. Word received at the Chadwick offices from Mr. Knopp, in charge of the contest, indicates that approximately 13,000 people from all parts of the country are already actively participating in the contest, with the number increasing daily. Twenty-five thousand participants is the goal set by the Cloverleaf organization, each participant being an active booster of the Chadwick pictures, and in particular “The Romance of an Actress.” lead in Sam E. Rork’s “Inez from Hollywood,” will have the leads in “One Way Street.” They will arrive in New York with Milton Sills and Miss Kenyon. Metro Buys “Garcia” “A Message to Garcia,” written by Elbert Hubbard from a true story of unparalleled heroism in the Spanish-American war in Cuba, has been bought by Metro-GoldwynMayer. Production plans have not been announced but it is intended to make the film one of the most spectacular productions the screen has seen. Completing “The Tom Boy” Word was received at the offices of the Chadwick Pictures Corporation this week from Leon Rice, president of the Mission Film Corporation in Hollywood, that David Kirkland is rapidly completing “The Tom Boy,” scheduled as the fifth picture in the Chadwick Nine unit for the independent market this season. In the cast are Dorothy Devore, Herbert Rawlinson, Helen Lynch, Lee Moran, Harry Gribbon, Lottie Williams and James Barrows. 1st National Names Films to Be “Shot” in New York