Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

January 22, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 279 Bobby Vernon in “Duck Out”, Next Release “Duck Out,” the new Educational-Bobby Vernon Comedy which has been completed for February release, is the fifth for this comedian during the present season. Bobby Vernon soon will start on his sixth picture, and before the end of the production year, which comes in the spring, Vernon will have turned in eight — the largest number of comedies made by any star in a season at the Christie Studio. Banks’ Leading Lady Virginia Lee Corbin, youthful and blonde, with the additional asset of acting ability, is leading lady for Monty Banks in his January feature comedy released by Pathe January 30th. Frances Lee, of Educational Comedies is a 1927 Wampas winner. Dolls Used For Exploiting Pathe’s “Our Gang” Comedies THAT the “Our Gang” dolls are an excellent exploitation aid for theatres showing the Pathe comedy series starring the Hal Roach rascals, is evidenced by the results attained by the Mayfair Theatre, Brooklyn, the latest De Luxe house of the A. H. Schwartz circuit. Max Cooper, managing director, offered one dozen dolls at each performance during Christmas week when he played the Pathe comedy, “The Fourth Alarm,” with the inimitable juvenile comedians. Cooper advertised this offering many weeks in advance by running a trailer of the comedy, and the presen tation of the dolls was announced by one of the headline acts every evening. Twenty-five dolls were displayed in the lobby and attracted the patrons before and after each performance. Cooper played up the comedy in the electric lights, and announced the gifts of “Our Gang” dolls on large signs hung on both sides of the marquee. Many satisfying comments from the patrons of the Mayfair Theatre have decided the management to offer the “Our Gang” comedy dolls on other occasions when one of these Pathe two reelers is on the bill. Stern Bros. Sign “Snookums” To New Long Term Contract WORD comes from Julius Stern, president of the Stern Film Corporation, makers of Stern Brothers Comedies, that the clever baby who plays Snookums in “The Newlyweds and Their Baby” Comedies has been signed on a long term contract. This assures exhibitors of these comedies an uninterrupted supply of these two-reelers for several seasons to come. “The Newlyweds and Their Baby” comedies are adapted from the famous newspaper comic strip by George McManus, and have proven exceptionally popular with the public. After signing up McManus for the rights, the Stern brothers spent many months looking for a youngster suitable for the role of Snookums, the mischievous, lovable baby of the McManus cartoons. Finally, after hundreds of babies of all ages had been passed upon, the Sterns made an appeal via radio. Among the scores which answered this appeal they found Sunny McKeen, 18 months old, with no screen experience but with a well defined personality and a cuteness that won the Sterns at once. At the present time, no less than 6,000 theatres are playing the “Newlyweds and Their Baby” comedies. Exhibitors are unanimous in reporting them money-makers and box-office pullers of the first water. New Davis Comedies George Davis, featured in Mermaid and Cameo Comedies, is the principal fun-maker in “Hot Cookies,” one of the two Educational-Cameo Comedies for January. “Play Safe” Release Pathe will release Monty Banks’ second feature starring comedy vehicle under the rooster trade mark entitled “Play Safe” on January 30th. Serial Cast Goes To South To Make Film 'T' HE “CRIMSON FLASH,” Pathe serial unit headed by Cullen Landis and supervised by E. Oswald Brooks, and a company numbering twenty-five players and technical men, left New York City via Pennsylvania Railroad this week for Charleston, S. C., where three or four weeks will be spent on location. The party included Paul Fairfax Fuller, who wrote the scenario for this George Gray story ; Director Arch Heath ; Assistant Directors Tom Goodwin and Willard Van der Veer; and the entire supporting cast, consisting of Thomas Holding, J. Barney Sherry, Walter Lewis, Ivan Linow, Mary Gardner, Tony Hughes, Gus DeWeil and Ed Roseinan. Eugenia Gilbert is coming from California to play the role of Janet Keene opposite Landis. She will go direct to the southern location. Amma Styers, one of the charmers in Educational Mermaid comedies.