The Moving picture world (February 1920-March 1920)

February 14, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1095 Universal Has Breezy Exploitation on Romantic Story of Air Spaces King Baggot in Metro Picture. King Baggot has signed with Metro to play Judah Llewellyn opposite May Allison in "The Cheater," an adaptation by Lois Zellner of Henry Arthur Jones' stage drama "Judah." King Baggot has the part in which E. S. Willard starred when "Judah" was first played in London in 1890 at the Shaftesbury Theatre and in New YorK the same year. "The Cheater" is now under production at the Metro studios in Hollywood. Samuel Goldwyn Buys Clyde Fitch's "Truth" FOLLOWING the purchase of "The Christian" and various other classics, the Goldwyn Pictures Corporation announces its acquisition of the screen rights of "The Truth," by the late Clyde Fitch, a play generally accepted as the greatest contribution to the drama yet made by an American. "The Truth," due to the nature of its plot and characterizations, is peculiarly adaptable to the screen and it is known that Goldwyn intends to utilize in every way the many dramatic and comic possibilities of the play. Clyde Fitch, one of the few Americans to achieve an international reputation as a playwright, wrote "The Truth" when he was at the height of his powers as a dramatist. The first production of the play was given October, 1906, in Cleveland, Charles Frohman presenting it with a notable cast headed by Clara Bloodgood and including William J. Kelly, J. E. Dodson, George Spink, Hodgson Taylor, Mrs. Sam Sothern, Elene Eraser, Zelda Sears and Frederick Harrison. The play soon moved to the Criterion and subsequently the Lyceum Theatre, New York, William B. Mack taking Dodson's part, laler being succeeded by john Emerson. "The Truth" was produced in London in 1907 at the Comedy Theatre, with a cast headed by Marie Tempest. The London production began a European vogue for the play and it was a reigning success in Germany, Italy, Russia, Hungary and Scandinavia. Perhaps no play by any other American author has so stirred the imagination and applause of foreign audiences. The intrinsic worth of "The Truth as a drama of permanent qualities induced Winthrop Ames to successfully revive it in April, 1914, at the Little Theatre, New York, with an all-star cast which included Grace George, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Conway Tearle and Zelda Sears of the original cast of the play. "The Truth" has also been successful in book-form, and in the standard collected edition of the plays by Clyde Fitch is referred to as his masterpiece. Prints of New Wilson Serial Coming. Ben Wilson, now producing, on the coast, a second serial, "The Screaming Shadow," for distribution by Frank G. Hall, of the Hallmark Pictures Corporation, writes the New York office that the first ten episodes of this serial have been completed and that prints of the first five have been sent. The first ten episodes alreaciy completed are titled "A Cry in the Dark," "The Virgin of Death," "The Fang of the Beast," "The Black Seven," "The Vapor of Death," "The Crawling Horror," "Into the Depths," "The White Terror," "The Prey of Mong" and "Liquid Fire." UNIVERSAL has planned the biggest exploitation drive ever attempted on any of its pictures for "The Great Air Robbery." This Jewel picture, which is a romance of the aerial mail and probably the first production to be staged in the clouds, is a revelation as to the extremes a daring pilot may go. It is a filmed prediction of the coming of the aerial highwayman and the trans-continental aerial mail. The film has a well knit love story. Following the special showing of the picture to the members of the American Flying Club of New York, the picture was shown to the aero clubs in the various cities where it was released. Letters of commendation were received from the country's most prominent aces. Curtiss' Aid Enlisted. Every aviator is talking about the picture and helping to boost it. One of the most important tie-ups was with the Curtiss Aeroplane Company. This company has agreed to loan to Universal, through their agents, airplanes, motors and models, the cost of which runs into thousands of dollars. Their ag-ents have been instructed to help in the exploitation of the picture, as the Curtiss Company believes the production is good propaganda for the boosting of aviation in this country. It is planned to have airplane flights simultaneous with the opening of the picture in a city where there are flying activities. When the aviation exhibiton opened in Chicago Miss Laura Bromwell, the first woman plot to win her license since the war, flew over and bombed the city with leaflets announcing the coming of the picture to that city. An elaborate exploitation campaign is already mapped out for that city. Newspaper editors who have never enjoyed a flight will be invited to fly and bomb the city for the "Great Air Robbery" picture. New Minneapolis Theatre to Be the First of Chain Minneapolis, February 5. IMMEDIATE construction of an $850,000 theatre with a seating capacity 3,500, at Hennepin avenue and Ninth street, is announced today by George E. Raymond, manager of the Minneapolis Orpheum Theatre interests. The Orpheum company today made a lease with the Business Center Realty Company for 100 years on forty feet of ground, one block deep, at an average valuation of $570,000. The lease calls for $20,000 a year the first five years, $25,000 the next ten years and $35,000 the remaining period. The rent begins August 1. The theatre will be modeled after the State Lake Theatre, Chicago, which plays to 7,700 people weekly, \ir. Raymond announced, and will have a seating capacity of 3,300. It will have a nursery and play room and will present motion pictures and vaudeville. There will be four shows daily and popular prices will prevail. The old Orpheum will continue operation under the present system. Its location is two blocks farther out than any downtown theatre. The new building is a part of a string of new buildings being financed by the sale of 109,923 shares of common stock of Orpheum Circuit, Inc., at $32.50 a share. Other cities in the string to have new theatres are Kansas City, San Francisco, Memphis and Los Angeles. Eminent Authors Keep Goldwyn Studios Busy A TELEGRAM from the Goldwyn studios at Culver City gives a long list of the activities of Eminent Authors Pictures, for which five productions have been completed, one for each author. Gouverneur Morris has returned from San Francisco with Wallace Worseley, director, where they selected locations of Morris' first picture "The Penalty." The cast gives the leading feminine role of Barbara to Ethel Grey Terry, who will be supported by Lon Chaney, Kenneth Harlan and Charles Clary. The actor for the extraordinary role of Blizzard, the legless wizard, has not been named. Wallace Worseley is a new director acquired by Goldwyn who directed Basil King's production of "The Street Called Straight," which has been favorably commented on in advance of its release. "Earthbound" by Basil King is now being made under the direction of T. Hayes Hunter. Goldwyn's new director, Sidney Olcott, will direct the Eminent .Authors picture, "Scratch My Back," from the pen of Rupert Hughes, and T. Roy Barnes of vaudeville fame will play the leading male part. Opposite him will play Helcne Chadwick, who leaped into prominence for her work in "The Cup of Fury." Mary Roberts Rinehart has completed the editing of "Dangerous Days," directed by Reginald Barker, and announces that her second picture will be based on her story "Empire Builders." For the boy's part in "Empire Builders" Culleii Landis will be used. M Iton Sills roiHilai IfadlriK' man wlio plays opposite Viola Dana in Metro's "Eliza Comes to Stay."