The Moving picture world (January 1920-February 1920)

January 17, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 451 New Serial Breaking Booking Records. "The Invisible Hand." the new Antonio Moreno serial, is running true to form in breaking all previous records for bookings in Vitagraph chapter plays. More than 5.000 theatres throughout the United States and Canada are now giving weekly installments of the new serial or have contracted to do so. It has been booked in every big centre in this country and Canada. Strand Houses in Greater New York To Show Zane Grey's **Desert Gold Samuel Goldwyn Announces New Rex Beach Production A PICTURE which won the heart of the exhibitors was Rex Beach's 'The Girl from Outside." Consequently there has been a great demand for the next picture by this author. Samuel Goldwyn announces that the next release for Rex Beach will be "Going Some." This is a comedy of the Southwest from the stage success of the same name and reproduced under the direction of Harry Beaumont. Four beautiful young women play equally good parts in "Going Some" and three comedians have a regular picnic all through the picture. Cullon Landis plays T. Wallingford Speed. His trainer is Willard Louis. Walter Hiers also figures in what promises to be one of the funniest photoplays of th.e year. Hallmark Buys Grossman Feature. Hallmark Pictures Corporation has purchased from Grossman Pictures, Inc., the American and Canadian rights for "Wits vs Wits," the first of a series of detective story features starring Marguerite Marsh. The picture was recently completed at the Grossman studios at Ithaca, N. Y., and is said to be an absorbing story of the most interesting brand of detective fiction. MOE MARK, president of the MarkStrand enterprises, and Jack Eaton, managing director of the New York Strand, have booked for two weeks Benjamin B. Hampton's Zane Grey production, "Desert Gold," opening it in New York on January 11 and in Brooklyn at the Strand on January 18. This production was held out of the metropolitan territory for sixty days because Mr. Mark wanted it for its Broadway first-run and was congested with New York Strand bookings. Only four of the largest cities of America remain open to book "Desert Gold," and contracts are being closed for these, making a clean sweep of firstrun bookings in every one of the larger cities except one, where temporary trust domination bars good product from being presented to the public through contracts of an organization with certain companies, it is announced. ■ First Runs Everywhere. On their values and power, Mr. Hampton's initial productions, Stewart Edward White's "The Westerners" and Zane Grey's "Desert Gold," have received first runs in the biggest first-run houses of the nation, even in certain cities where there was one-man domination of the city's first-run exhibition places. First National franchise holders, with much fine product of their own, and exhibitors committeed to a sustained volume of the product of other companies, have on the merit of the Hampton productions booked them through the W. W. Hod'<inson Corporation with heavy patronage for stories made by a careful producer who ranks his story and its making as being of first concern, regardless of the fine stars he selects to play in them. Among the important first runs just completed or about to begin on "Desert Gold" are the Empress, Akron; Majestic, Tulsa, Okla. ; Rialto, Atlanta; Alhambra, Los Angeles; Strand, Chelsea, Mass.; Strand, Fort Dodge, Iowa. Book Display Aids Sale of Film. E. J. Drucker, branch manager of Hallmark Exchange, Denver, informs W. F. Rodgers, general sales manager of Hallmark Pictures Corporation, that in anticipation of the receipt of the prints of Hallmark's Famous Directors' Picture, "High Speed," screen version of the automobile racing story by Clinton H. Stagg, he has interested a Denver dry goods store in placing in its window a display of "High Speed." In exchange for this courtesy, Mr. Drucker writes that he arranged with the theatre owners to announce on their screens by slide that copies of the book could be obtained at said department store. "High Speed" is scheduled for release January 12. Does Special Work for Selznick. It has been announced that Louis Winters, writer of short stories and novelettes which have proven universally popular, is now engaged in special work in the Selznick scenario department. Miss Winters wrote "The Spite Uride." Ihere Are Six Splendid Cards in '1 his goldwyn Hand — And It's Not a Mis-deal. Above, left to right, are: Pauline Frederick in "The PalLsf-r Cuse"; Tom Moore In "Uud.s"; .lohnny Jones in the Tarkington comedy, "Edgar." Below we have: Will RogcrH in "Water. Water, Everywhere!" Naomi Childers In Basil King's "The Street Called Stralgbt"; and Madge Kennedy In "The Blooming Angel."