The Moving picture world (February 1920-March 1920)

^0% THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD March 27, 1920 Nashville's Vendome Nearly Ready. Work on the Vendome Theatre, Nashville, has been almost completed, and the theatre will open under Marcus Loew management in the course of the next two weeks. It will run on the usual Loew policy of vaudeville and feature productions. Cost of remodeling was about $100,000, including a $20,000 pipe organ which is one of the finest in any theatre in Tennessee. Heretofore the Vendome has catered only to the legitimate attractions and when it operates motion pictures it will do so for the first time in its history. C, L. Chester Describes New Studios Before His Departure for West Coast Ten Companies at Work in Vitagraph's Western Plant SINCE the inauguration of its new special production campaign, Vitagraph has now ten companies at work at its Hollywood studios. There are three feature companies, three serials and four comedy groups at work. Tom Terriss, with a notable all-star cast, is starting work on "The Girl from the Sky," a super-feature adapted from the novel, "Trumpet Island," by Gouverneur Morris. David Smith is nearing the completion of "The Courage of Marge O'Doone," adapted from the novel by James Oliver Curwood. William Duncan has reached the seventh episode of his super-serial, "The Silent Avenger"; Joe Ryan and Jean Paige are well under way in their new serial, "Hidden Dangers," and Antonio Moreno has just completed his latest serial, "The Invisible Hand." Larry Semon has just finished a comedy, and Jimmy Aubrey and Montgomery and Rock are working fast on their new ones. Montgomery and Rock have just been dissolved as co-stars, and are now heading their own companies. Extended Runs Become Rule on Universal-Jewel Picture REPORTS received by Universal indicate that the Universal-Jewel production-de-luxe, "The Great Air Robbery," starring Ormer Locklear, is going over even greater than had been anticipated. The picture is being booked for extended runs in the larger cities throughout the country. It is being heralded by elaborate exploitation in practically every place it is booked. Among the theatres in which it recently has been booked for a week's run are the Standard. Cleveland; Superba, Los Angeles; for a second week, the Princess, Milwaiikee; Columbia, Pittsburgh; H. and D. Theatre, Oakland, Cal.; Grand Opera House, St. Catherine, Canada; Strand, Toledo; Colonial, Aberdeen, S. D. ; Garden, Newark, N. J.; Moon, Omaha; Crandall's. Washington, D. C. ; Colonial, Wheeling, W. Va. ; Hastings Street Theatre, Vancouver, B. C, and in the theatres of the Iowa Amusement Company in Des Moines and of the Circle Theatre Company of Indianapolis. Goodfriend on Mayer's Camera. The latest addition to Louis B. Mayer's force of cameramen is Plinv Goodfriend, who is doing the photoplay for Mildred Harris Chaplin's next First National attraction. Test projections of both interiors and exteriors have shown that Goodfriend is an artist at the camera and that Mrs. Chaplin's coming picture will be a photographic masterpiece. Work on this nev;est Mrs. Chaplin production has progressed to such an extent that Louis B. Mayer expects shortly to be able to set the release date. THE head of the Outing Chester productions, C. L. Chester, left New York March 16 for Los Angeles, which city in the future will be the home of ChesterOuting Scenics, Chester Screenics and Chester Comedies. Until the completion of the studio which Mr. Chester is building he will have his offices in the Martin Building. When seen in New York on the morning of the 16th, Mr. Chester was full of enthusiasm in telling of his plans for the future. Talking of his studio, he said it would be two stories and on a plot 180 by 320 feet adjoining the Fox studio. The lower floor of the building will be the workshop. The floor above will be laid out more as a private dwelling than as a factory. The rooms will be decorated with the thousand and one souvenirs brought home by Chester cameramen from the four corners of the earth. There will be an extensive library. In fact, the atmosphere of this floor will be that of the library. Silence will be the rule. To Continue Menagerie. Mr. Chester is surrounding himself with men of the highest caliber. Speaking of C. L. Chester Who has left for Loa Angeles, the future home of Chester-Outing Scenics. ■llllllllHllllltlllllllMllllHIItKlllllllHIilllllltimilllllllllllllll lltllltllllllllllllllllUlllllllHltlKtlllllllMlllllllllinill the work of his companies in the field, Mr. Chester says that a cameraman starting out has his book of instructions and follows them. Nothing is left to chance. Every detail is settled in advance. If on arrival at the scene of action the cameraman is under the impression that he can do a certain thing better than the script calls for he is permitted to follow his own bent, but at the same time he also must follow his directions. At the studio will be continued the small menagerie which contributes to the fun in the comedies. The animals are trained in advance for the setting of the stage. This, in fact, is the rule in all the Outing Chester works. In abandoning New York to go to the Coast Mr. Chester feels that he is going home. In Los Angeles for many years have lived Mrs. Chester's father and mother. The Chesters own their own home. Mr. Chester believes that on the West Coast he is going to do bigger things than he has been able to do in the East. His friends here will regret his departure. At the same time they will wish him a full measure of success in his new field and in the working out of his larger plans. Not the least among these in the order of importance is the coming distribution of Chester productions through the branches of the Educational Films Corporation of America, the full details of which will be found on the following page. "Why Change Your Wife?" Evokes Exhibitor Applause SALESMEN at the New York City and Buffalo exchanges of the Fainou» Players-Lasky Corporation are still hearing echoes from New York State exhibitors who saw the forthcoming Cecil B. DeMille super-special, "Why Change Your Wife?" at a special showing in the Colonial Theatre, Utica, during the recent Utica convention. More than two score exhibitors attended the showing of the picture at the Colonial. In connection with the screening there was an unusually fine program on the theatre's big pipe organ. At the conclusion of the picture, the exhibitors burst into a storn> of hand-clapping, and, it is said by Famous Players representatives, they declared that "Why Change Your Wife?" will surpass the records of other big Cecil B. DeMille productions, such as "Male and Female," "Don't Change Your Husband" and "For Better, for Worse." Famous Players representatives who attended the convention were H. H. Buxbaum, manager of the New York exchange; .\llan S. Moritz. manager of the Buffalo exchance; Joseph H. Seidelman, manager of the newly organized Albany exchange; W. G. Roosevelt and Henry Randall, NewYork exchange salesmen, and J. A. Roger* and M. W. Bempner. Buffalo salesmen. Distinctive Types Appear in Barker's "Branding Iron*' SELDOM is a more notable cast gath* ered together for a screen production than those included in the Goldwyn picture, "The Branding Iron," a Reginald Barker production, based on the popular novel by Katherine Nevvlin Burt. It is a picture in which the roles are so distinctive, the types so pronounced, and the situations so tense and dramatic as to require ability of the highest character, say* a Goldwyn announcement. Barbara Castleton plays the role of Joan Carver, about whom the story centers. She has played delightfully in society roles, her beauty and charm of manner fitting her thoroughly for such parts. Her role in "The Branding Iron" is radically different. It is the role of an ignorant mountain gir? with impulses and longings and aspirations which she herself does not understand. It is essentially a character portrayal. Playing opposite Miss Castleton is James Kirkwood, in the characterization of Pierre Landis, untutored, direct, forceful young rancher, Russell Simpson, is cast in the role of John Carver, the dissolute, utterly degraded father of Joan. Richard Tucker plays the role of Prosper Gail. Albert Roscoe is a well-known screen leading man. Sydney Ainsworth has an enviable reputation on stage and screen. September 2.3. 1911, Epes Winthrop Sargent established in Moving Picture World the first department applying to Advertising for Exhibitors. Without missing an issue he hat continued it ever since — eight years of e/ficunt helps to the showman.