Moving Picture World (Sep-Oct 1925)

September 5, 1925 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 71 United Company Buys Factory Site for Shaw Color Pictures RUDOLPH SCHILDKRAUT The famous stage actor plays one of the striking roles of his career as the patriarchal rabbi in the Universal-Jewel production, “His People.” This is the noted actor’s first work in a picture in America. WORK has begun at Universal City on one of the biggest spectacles ever contemplated for the screen. It is “The Midnight Sun,” and is an epic of Russia in the days of the Czar, and it is expected to be more lavish and spectacular than “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “The Phantom of the Opera.” It is being directed by Dimitri Buchowetzki. The production will be made with an allstar cast. Three principals have been selected, Laura La Plante, Pat O’Malley and George Siegmann. The romantic phases of the story concern the rivalry of the Grand Duke Sergius and Kusmin, the money king of Russia, over the heart of the premiere ballerina of the Imperial Ballet. Miss La Plante has the role of the ballerina. O’Malley that of the Grand Duke and Siegmann that of the banker. It is expected that Raymond Keane will be assigned to the part of Lieutenant Alexis, the real sweetheart of the dancer. There will be at least a dozen more principals, while hundreds will take part in the crowd scenes, the brilliant court affairs and other such Off to Australia Thomas A. Curran, Representing Rayart Pictures, Sails With Mrs. Curran Thomas A. Curran, special representative of W. Ray Johnston, of Rayart Pictures, sailed last week with Mrs. Curran from San Francisco for a six weeks’ visit with his mother and friends in Australia. While in Australia Mr. Curran will visit a number of exchanges who are handling Rayart product. According to Mr. Johnston, the Rayart output for the first year proved very successful in the Australian territory, and the 1925-26 program of Rayart has already been purchased for that country. PURCHASE of a plot of ground in New New York City last week by the United Color Pictures, Inc., for the erection of a three-story laboratory and factory building brought to light the fact that a new color process is soon to be offered to the industry on a definite commercial scale. The new color process is the invention and development of Mr. Joseph Shaw, well known in the industry as a photographic expert, and until recent years, when he started to work on his color plans, associated with the Eastman Company for a period of twelve years. Mr. Shaw is authority for the statement that the new* factory will be in operation by the middle of November, and that orders for work are already being taken. The process sponsored by the newly-organied United Color Pictures, Inc., was originally financed by George J. Gould, the nationally famous railroad man and capitalist. Since his death the interest of the estate has been taken scenes. The story has been adapted and scenarized by A. P. Younger, and will be the first great Russian picture to be made exclusively in this country. Work is now under way on the construction of a replica of the Imperial Russian Ballet of Petrograd, where many of the colorful scenes will be made. over by the Barnes Finance Corporation, a strong Mid-West organization, which is now associated with Mr. Shaw in the United firm. Representatives of the Barnes organization interviewed during the week were enthusiastic over the preliminary demand for the process in which they have become interested, and very optimistic regarding the probable market. More business has already been offered by concerns who have seen samples of the work than it will be possible to turn out at the start. Virtues claimed for the new process include an exceptional range and softness of color; unusually close registering, and the fact that the process aids the blending with the black and white. The inventor, previous to his association with Eastman, was prominent in photographic circles in England and Germany, ano entered motion picture work with a background of firm scientific knowledge. Concerning his new process, Mr. Shaw was reticent to speak, preferring to allow the many samples of his work that have already been seen by picture experts to do the talking. “It is not for the inventor,” he declares, “to proclaim the strong points of his own creation, for the parent is naturally enthusiastic. But practical picture producers who have viewed the United Color Company’s work are unanimous in telling me that at last it looks as though the picture industry is getting the color process for which it has been looking. Commercially practicable prices and fineness of quality have been the demands. We will meet the market in price, thus putting natural color within reach of all, and as far as quality is concerned I feel confident that any picture men who view the new process on the screen will agree that we have finally got away from the jarring notes and limitations of color film work of the past.” IT * I WORK AND NO PLAY”— MEANS SOMETHING HERE fcrnst Lubitsch, the master director, attired in white, starts Jack and Harry Wamei on a sprint at the celebrated Lubitsch swimming pool at the director’s home ir Beverly Hills, Cal. Buchowetzki Starts Work on Big Universal Feature Picture