The Moving picture world (November 1920)

358 MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 20, 1920 Bryant Washburn Returns from London; "Bobbies" Helped Him Get Atmosphere were "shot" in a Pennsylvania mill working full blast. "The Road of Ambition," will be released after January 1, 1921. It follows "The Chicken in the Case." MR. AND MRS. BRYANT WASHBURN of Hollywood, who have been in London for five months, returned to New York on Wednesday, November 3, and stopped at the Hotel Astor for a week prior to returning to California. While in London Mr. Washburn made his first independent picture for the Screenplay Pictures Corporation, "The Road to London," which he hopes will be released by the first of the new year. This photoplay includes many of the most famous scenes in and near London, Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, Maiden Head, River Thames, Rotten Row, Strand and Piccadilly. Mrl Washburn in an interview here said that he was given every assistance by the English police; at times they would hold up tcaffic again and again when they knew he wanted to take a street scene. His company was made up entirely of English people, he himself being the only American in the picture. Miss Joan Morgan, who plays opposite Mr. Washburn, is a very handsome English girl 16 years of age, whose family is prominent in business and social affairs in London. Miss Morgan was offered every inducement to come to America to continue with the Washburn pictures, but her father insisted upon her completing her education in England before taking up the screen permanently. Mr. Washburn says that out of 100 pictures presented in English theatres, 99 are American productions. Lee Ochs, president of the Screenplay Productions; Gene Mullin, who directed "The Road to London," and others of the producing staff, returned to America with him. Mr. and Mrs. Washburn left for Chicago on Saturday, November 6, where they will visit relatives for a day or two and then hasten to their Hollywood home and their two children awaiting them. 'The Road of Ambition, " Selznick Film Will Follow "The Chicken in the Case EXHIBITORS who book "The Road of Ambition," Selznick Picture starring Conway Tearle, will have the opportunity to show their patrons genuine Grecian dancing, according to an announcement which also carries the information that Mary Wells, Florence Kraemer, Jean Dornay and Marcia Joy, exponents of the Grecian dance in vaudeville, have been engaged for several important scenes of the production. One of the scenes in which the Grecian dancers appear is a ball room, the set of which occupied the whole of one of the big Fort Lee stages. An idea of the magnitude of the ball may be gained from the fact that more than 100 extras were used as the "mob" while the cameras were grinding away. The rehearsals of this scene alone took up the period of several days. One of the Grecian dancers remarked that she had danced as many miles during rehearsals as she had during her entire career upon the vaudeville stage. William P. S. Earle is director. Story by Elaine Sterne The production was prepared for the screen by Lewis Allen Browne from a story by Elaine Sterne. It presents Conway Tearle as foreman of a steel manufacturing concern. Through the invention of a process that makes for a better grade of steel he becomes a wealthy man, and coincidentally climbs the social ladder. However, his wealth stands between him and the girl of his heart. How all this is worked out to a happy solution forms the keynote of what is delared to be one of the strongest stories Tearle has had. Florence Dixon, whose face appears on Coca-Cola posters, is leading woman. This is her first appearance in a Selznick production. Florence Billings is another member of the cast who has a prominent part. Other members of the cast include Gladden James, Tom Brooks, Tom McGuire and Adolf Milar. Many of the exterior "shots" of the picture were secured at Smithtown, L. I., a fashionable suburban town. In striking contrast are the steel mill scenes. These Baker Favors Paying Royalties to Authors George D. Baker is one of the few directors who does not believe there is a shortage of good screen stories. Speaking of this phase of the motion picture industry, Mr. Baker declares: "Since my entry into the picture field twelve years ago I have had it impressed upon me by my fellow directors and managers that the hardest thing to supply was good scenario material. Personally I have never found that such a condition existed. It is my experience that there are as many good stories unproduced as those few masterpieces that have found their way to the silver screen. "I believe that the main reason for this so-called shortage is caused by a deplorable lack of men who know a good screen story when they read it. The weakest link in the industry is the inexpert ability of the alleged scenario editors who are empowered to select plots for motion picture use. The 'legitimate' stage producers have no trouble in getting good plays and if the picture producers are hard up for the better grade of story material why don't they announce that they will pay the authors a definite royalty on each story accepted. "Such an arrangement would be a decided step forward inasmuch as when an author knows that his remuneration depends solely upon the worth of his story, he will not attempt to write anything but the best and will not content himself with submitting mediocre material such as is done at the present time. As an indication of the fact that excellent stories are available, before starting the present George D. Baker Production it took exactly a week's time to find "Temple Dusk" by Calvin Johnston which in my opinion is one of the greatest stories that I have ever produced in motion picture form. The fact that Mr. Johnston was an unknown author did not stand in the way of selling his story. We were not interested in buying a name, but were interested in acquiring a splendid story. 'In the ihadow ight by Bertram Park THE LEADS IN "THE ROAD TO LONDON" Bryant Washburn, in the first picture made by his oivn company, and his leading lady, Joan Morgan. The production <was made in London of the Dome^