The Moving picture world (February 1920-March 1920)

March 27, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 2135 Take 90 Interiors in a Day. Edward Griffith, director of the Vitagraph Company headed by Corinne Griffith accomplished the feat of taking ninety interior scenes in one day recently for Miss Griffith's latest picture, "The Garter Girl." The scenes were filmed in the Irving Place Theatre, at Irving Place and Fifteenth street, New York. Fox Corporation Devises Plan to Guide Overhead Bank Lights by Radio System Earle Williams Starts Work on "Three Keys" on the Coast FOLLOWING his completion at the Hollywood studio, of exterior scenes for "Captain Swift," the interiors of which he made at the Brooklyn studio, Earle Williams, the Vitagraph star, has begun active production on his first feature on the coast since his return. Mr. Williams' previous release was "The Fortune Hunter," the production of which caused his several months' stay in the east. His new vehicle is "The Three Keys," a feature of high power, adapted from the novel by Frederic Van Rennselaer Dey. The scenario was written by H. Thompson Rich and Lucien Hubbard. Chester Bennett will direct the production. A strong cast has been selected to support the star. Vola Vale appears as his leading woman. The rest of the cast includes H. A. Barrows, Frank Crayne, Rhea Haines, Lee Hill, John Elliott and Paul Wiegle. The story is based upon an exciting Wall street theme. THE slogan of William Fox, president of Fox Film Corporation, is efficiency. It is efficiency that has established his organization among the comparatively few motion picture producing companies occupying the front rank in the industry today. With the removal of the executive offices and all departments of the firm from the Forty-sixth street location to the new Fox building on West Fifty-fifth street, Mr. Fox has been enabled to maintain a closer contact between the managerial and technical branches of his organization. One of the first steps taken by him since the change was to lay out plans for the rapid manipulation of the hundreds of overhead bank lights used in the mammoth studios, it is announced. The existing system entails the slow process of moving the lights from one track to another by straight rails, curves and switches through the use of long push poles or ropes. For some time Mr. Fox has been considering the possibility of eliminating the waste of time in rearranging lights for interior settings. The regular method is not only awkward and slow, but occasionally results in breakage of the CooperHewitt tubes. Having read several articles in newspapers and magazines on the advance made in directing aeroplanes, torpedoes and ships by means of wireless outfits, it occurred to Mr. Fox that here might be the solution to his problem. He summoned his chief electrician and outlined the plan. Together they evolved a system for rigging up a wireless outfit on each overhead lamp frame and directing the lamp to the desired spot by means of a wireless sender installed on a desk on the studio floor. With this new system completed, one need only operate a key in order to move a lamp to any position in the studio and much valuable time will be saved. It is expected that this system will be in readiness prior to the date of the formal opening of the big studios, at which time there will be a grand celebration; in fact, there are hints of a dance at which the stars and principals then engaged in making of pictures will mingle with invited guests. the the Announce Episode Titles of "The Silent Avenger" Serial V Alaskan Exhibitors Seek First Rights to ''Tiger s Cub/' Starring Pearl White THE exhibitors of Alaska at last feel they have a story of the territory in which they live that will be a true picture of Alaska. R. A. Thorne, veteran showman of the territory, heads the list of Alaskan exhibitors who have demanded the privilege of showing the Fox production, "Tiger's Cub" in the far north. Charles Giblyn, the director and his capable assistants have left no stone unturned to make this picture truly Alaskan in atmosphere. William Fox has spared no expense to obtain accurate details in costumes and settings. The result is that the Alaskan exhibitors who from the first announcement of the story voiced their interest in it, and who have usually tried to avoid the so-called Alaska features, are now so enthusiastic about "Tiger's Cub" that they are already in the market for it. The manager of the Empire Theatre in Juneau has requested that a print be rushed to him so he can show it while the legislature is in session in order that the senators and representatives may spread broadcast in a territory one-fifth of the size of the United States the good news that the real Alaska has reached the screen at last. Captain A. E. Lathrop, who controls a string of theatres in Valdez, Cordova, Seward and Anchorage, is after the Pearl White feature, as is George Kobe, of Norne. William Fox employed exclusively men who have mined in Alaska and who have lived among the natives, the gamblers and the business man, and in the snow drifts of the trail. These men, carried with the company while on location at Port Henry, N. Y., and returning with it to the new Fox studios in New York, have tied themselves to Director Giblyn and the star. Miss White, every working minute of the day, observing the detail of dress, manner, custom and settings, thus assuring accuracy for the production in all particulars. ments at the factory and incidentally picking up a few valuable points on Simplex exploitation. Bert Weddige, president of the Michigan Motion Picture Supply Company, Detroit, and Max Rubin, his assistant, are the two in question. Mr. Weddige while at the Simplex offices spoke very optimistically of the future Simplex business in his territory and announced his intention of going into larger quarters immediately and also arrange for the issuance of a monthly house organ with which to reach every exhibitor in his territorj-. ITAGRAPH announces the complete list of episode titles for its new William Duncan super-serial, "The Silent .'\venger." The statement punctuates the opening of the company's booking campaign for the big chaptered melodrama. The titles are given as follows : 1 — "The Escape"; 2 — Fighting Back"; 3 — "Within the Noose"; 4 — Tearing Through"; 5 — "Blotted Out"; 6— "The Hidden Blow"; 7— "Dynamite Doom"; 8 — "The Crusher"; 9 — "Into the Jaws"; 10 — "Blades of Horror"; 11 — "Shot Into Space"; 12 — "Facing Eternity"; 13 — "A Human Pendulum"; 14 — "The Lake of Fire" ; 15 — "The Final Trump." Vitagraph further announces that it has issued to the trade a complete campaign book of forty-eight pages and cover in colors, presenting an infinite variety of exploitation aids on this production. The hook is replete with illustrations of the (brills that occur in every episode. It also lireseiits an immense volume of news material and fact statement that may be emliloyed in advertising and publicity. Simplex Distributor* in New York. Two of the distributing forces of the Simplex Company spent a busy week in New York looking over the many new develop We Wonder WI.er..: M, lr,, Ct All the Nice Old Ladies. All the elderly lolk.s .hi|.|'e.l iii :iimI pi .sen t ed Inrecim ,l(ihn E. Ince with a silver clgarete case, with instructions that he must not use It while directing "Old Lady 31 "