The Moving picture world (July 1920)

July 24. 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 495 First Group of Fifteen Goldwyn Films for New Season Offers Great Variety Jean Calhoun. Appearing in feature productions under the Goldwyn banner. Complete Last Indoor Scenes for Farrar's "Riddle: Woman" ITH the shooting of what are practically the last interiors at the Thanhouser studio, New Rochelle, Geraldine Farrar and her company working in "The Riddle: Woman," her first Associated Exhibitors production for distribution by Pathe, moved to Marblehead, Mass. There the final exteriors will be taken, and it is now only a matter of days before the actual filming of the picture, under the supervision of Edward Jose, will be completed. Under the patient and painstaking direction of Mr. Jose, this drama grows in beauty and power; the settings are unusually artistic and the action of the story as swift and intense as a rational presentation of the play will permit. The company has already reached the peak, or climax of the story, where "The Riddle: Woman," goaded to desperation, rids herself of the man who is trying to turn her dream life into a nightmare. Miss Farrar's support is most admirably chosen. The villain is William Carleton, who plays his part with all the finesse of the well-trained English actor. The leading man is Montagu Love, another tall, athletic, strong-featured Englishman, well qualified to enact the part of the hero as the author of this virile drama created him. George Uffner Is Promoted George Uffner, formerly manager of the short stuff department for Universal, has been appointed manager of the industrial department. This is in line with the Universal policy of advancing its meritorious employes. Uffner's promotion is a result of the recent resignation of Harry Levey, and the subsequent comprehensive change in the personnel of the industrial branch of Universal activities. There will be no lessening of the activities under the reorganized management. Singer Casting for Metro Benny Singer has been appointed casting director at Metro's west coast studios in Hollywood. Mr. Singer has been in the motion picture industry for a number of years and was formerly associated with the Triangle, Keystone and Kathryn MacDonald studios as casting director. VARIETY in the kind of story presented was one of the main considerations in selecting the fifteen pictures included r ;he first group to be released for the new season by Goldwyn Pictures Corporation. Another consideration was to give the exhibitor an idea of the high standard which has been set by Goldwyn for the coming year. Heading the list are two productions which the Goldwyn staff believe will in intensity and emotional power surpass anything previously released by the organization. "Madame X," one of the worldfamous French plays of the present century, shows Pauline Frederick at the zenith of her powers as an emotional actress, it is said. Its director is Frank Lloyd. "The Penalty," by Gouverneur Morris, directed by Wallace Worsley, is a drama of San Francisco's underworld and its legless, soulless tyrannical ruler, Blizzard. Lon Chaney gives a remarkable characterization of Blizzard, it is said. Mary Roberts Rinehart Comedy. At the opposite poles of entertainment from these two dramas stand Mary Roberts Rinehart's comedy of "prep" school days, "It's a Great Life," adapted from her story, "Empire Builders," directed by E. Mason Hopper, and the romantic comedy of a runaway Mennonite maid and a typical, slangy New York telephone operator in which Madge Kennedy is starred, "The Girl With the Jazz Heart." Lawrence C. Windom directed. A diverting comedy drama by Ben Ames Williams called "The Man Who Had Everything." starring Jack Pickford, directed by Alfred E. Green, is followed by a picturization of a fast and funny farce, "Officer 666," by Augustin McHugh and Winchell Smith, with Tom Moore in the principal role. Harry Beaumont directed. Drama of the rapid action kind is furnished in "The Branding Iron" from Katherine Newlin Burt's successful novel. It was produced by Reginald Barker with an all-star cast and contains dramatic scenes. No greater contrast could be imagined than between this photodrama and the comedy, "What Happened to Rosa," in which Mabel Normand, the slim princess of screen comediennes, sparkles. Victor Schertzinger wielded the megaphone. Basil King's "Earthbound." A more powerful contrast is found in Basil King's original scenario, "Earthbound," which is confidently expected by Samuel Goldwyn, his official staff, and by T. Hayes Hunter, who directed it, to prove a big screen hit. The romantic character comedy, "Milestones," by Arnold Bennett and Edward Knoblock, the successful stage production dealing with three generations of an English family, was directed by Paul Scardon. Red-blooded melodrama is represented by Rex Beach's story of the North, "The North Wind's Malice," directed by Paul Bern and Carl Harbaugh. The swing to human humor is made in a new Will Rogers picture, "Honest Hutch," from a Saturday Evening Post story by Garrett Smith, directed by Clarence G. Badger. George Ade Success. ♦ Of a still different nature is the J. Parker Read, Jr., production, "His Own Law," starring Hobart Bosworth, a drama of a powerful and human sort. Irrepressible youth and humor cling about George Ade's greatest stage success, "Just Out of College," the second Jack Pickford starring vehicle in the first series of fifteen Goldwyn pictures. Alfred E. Green directed. Madge Kennedy's second vehicle in the first series of releases is an adaptation of Maxmilian Foster's Saturday Evening Post story, "The Trap," rechristened "The Highest Bidder," what might be termed an "emotional comedy of mystery and intrigue." Levey Opens Branch Offices Branch offices for the Harry Levey Service Corporation, the company that has been organized by Harry Levey for the production of industrial-educational films, are being established in Cleveland and Chicago. While in the Middle West Air. Levey will also direct the filming of certain scenes of the educational feature picture showing "The Evolution of Travel," which is being made by this company. Fog! Fog! "Give me some more fog!" That was what the stage manager shouted to Larry, his " boob " stage hand. Larry gave him the fog, but notwith thesametechnique that old Jupe Pluve distributes it. Two barrels of good, thick "home-brew" fog — barrels and all landed on the stage manager. That's one of the hundreds of stunts that will make you roar when you see — LARRY SEMON in The Stage Hand A Larry Semon Comedy VITAGKAPH