Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1924)

256 MOVING PICTURE WORLD Scene from “The Dark Swan,” a Warner Brothers Production 1st National Gets Prints of Three New Pace Makers DURING the past week First National headquarters has received the prints of three more productions in its group of Pace Makers. The three pictures in question, “Husbands and Lovers,” “Inez from Hollywood” and“Sandra,” have been screened for company executives and the publicity and advertising departments, among whom an unusual degree of enthusiasm has been aroused. “Husbands and Lovers” is a John Stahl production for Louis B. Mayer, with a distinguished cast, including Lewis S. Stone, Florence Vidor and Lew Cody. Sam Rork s “Inez from Hollywood,” with Anna Q. Nilsson, Lewis S. Stone and Mary Astor, directed by A1 Green, while a story of Hollywood is also a dramatic domestic drama. “Sandra” is a Sawyer-Lubin production, directed by Arthur H. Sawyer, starring Barbara La Marr, supported by Bert Lytell, and contains a number of spectacular situations which give the star opportunity for dramatic moments. Pearl Doles Bell’s novel, upon which the picture was based, has enjoyed a big circulation and its readers will want to Obstacle Overcome “One Glorious Night,” the fourth Columbia special featuring Elaine Hammerstein and supported by A1 Roscoe, Phyllis Haver, Freeman Wood, Lillian Elliot, Mathilde Brundage and Margaret Selwyn, is rapidly nearing completion. Scott Dunlap, the director, has had great difficulty in having to properly stage a very difficult scene in which a train of cars on a roller coaster at an amusement park plunges from its tracks into the sea many feet below. This has been accomplished and all work proceeds smoothly.an see the picture. With Barbara La Marr’s great personal following, this picture should have a big box office pull. These are fine additions to the Pace Makers, which already include such outstanding productions as Frank Lloyd’s “The Silent Watcher,” Norma Talmadge’s “The Only Woman,” the Goldwyn-Fitzmaurice “Tarnish,” Samuel Goldwyn’s “In Hollywood with Potash and Perlmutter,” Thomas H. Ince’s “Christine of the Hungry Heart,” Garrick Pictures’ “Born Rich,” Edwin Carewe’s “Madonna of the Streets” and First National’s own productions, “The Perfect Flapper,” “Single Wives” and “For Sale.” Print of “White Man” Here The first print of the new Preferred Picture, “White Man” was received in New York this week. The picture will be delivered to all B. P. Schulberg exchanges within the next fortnight prior to its general release on November 15th. “White Man,” is Gasnier’s latest production, and is adapted from George Agnew Chamberlain’s popular novel. In the cast are Alice Joyce, Kenneth Harlan and Walter Long. Peninsula Buys “The Detour” In line with its policy of producing pictures adapted from successful stage plays and novels, William J. Connery of Peninsula Studios Inc. announces the purchase of the film rights to “The Detour” by Owen Davis author of a long list of outstanding stage successes. “The Detour” is a comedy drama of domestic life in which there are a number of decidedly novel situations that climax in exteremely unusual finale. November 15, 1924 Stern Signs Wanda Wiley President of Century Places Comedienne Under Five-Year Contract — To Make Series of Two-Reelers Wanda Wiley, that comedienne extraordinary, who has been making the world laugh with her unusual acting in Century Comedies, has been signed by Century for five years, according to word just received from Julius Stern, president of the organization, and now in Hollywood supervising production. In commenting on the Contract, Mr. Stern said : “So convinced am I that I have made one of the greatest, if not the greatest discovery, of my career in Wanda Wiley, that I decided to sign her up for a long term contract and so insure her appearance in Century Comedies, which I try to keep in a place above all other two-reel comedy productions. “As her leading man in the first of the new series, I have engaged Joe Moore, a member of the famous family of motion picture actors. To direct this series I have engaged Jess Robbins, one of the best known comedy directors in the business.” The first of the new series of Century Comedies starring Wanda Wiley has been temporarily titled “Up in the Air.” Jumps to Third Place Omaha Shows Big Gain in Eschmann Month Drive; Coast Branches Going Strong The sixth week of the Eschmann Month sales contest closed with Portland still in first place, with Cleveland again second. The biggest single change in the standing of the branches for the week was the jump of Omaha from the eleventh to the third place, passing Charlotte. The West Coast branches have been going strong in the contest. The western district, of which Joseph Skirboll is manager, has stood in first place among the districts from the beginning of the drive, while Portland has steadfastly maintained first place among the branches. The national average of the contest at the close of the sixth week was 99.20 per cent, of the national quota. HARRY LANGDON In Sennett’s Pathe comedy, “All Night Long.”