The Moving picture world (December 1920)

December 18, 1920 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 899 'Society Snobs, " Selznick Film, Directed by Hobart Henley, Stars Conway Tearle THE Hobart Henley production starring Conway Tearle has been permanently titled, "Society Snobs." It was completed recently at the Selznick Fort Lee studios. Spectacular scenes that serve as an impressive background to this production reveal, for the first time, it is said, the famous "Rose Room" of the Plaza Hotel, New York, in which scores of extras participated. Other high lights of the production represent a ball room set which occupied more than a quarter of the stage at the Selznick Fort Lee studios, a big set showing the exterior of St. Patrick's Cathedral, views of a logging camp in Maine, and exteriors of beautiful country homes. Mr. Tearle, who is also the author of the story, plays the role of a young waiter who is imbued with the desire to marry the daughter of a wealthy New York family. Prominent members of the cast supporting Mr. Tearle include Martha Mansfield in the leading feminine role, Ida Darling, Jack McLeon and Huntley Gordon. Lewis Allen Browne adapted the story for the screen. Completion of "Temple Dusk" Will End the Most Successful Year of G D. Baker GEORGE D. BAKER, upon the completion of his present special production, "Temple Dusk," rounds out the most successful year of his directorial career. The first Baker production of the last year was "The Man Who Lost Himself," which marked William Faversham's entry into the motion picture world. This feature was followed by "Buried Treasure," starring Marion Davies, then came two special Cosmopolitan productions, "Heliotrope," which has just been released, and "Proxies." In all of these productions, Mr. Baker selected the story, wrote the continuity, directed the picture, and cut and titled the completed film and attended to many other details. The last Baker product of the season is the Calvin Johnson story, "Temple Dusk," which will be released by Metro under the auspices of the Sawyer-Lubin organization. Mr. Baker will complete the actual direction of the picture by December 15 and will have it cut and ready for distribution by the last of this month. He is now at work upon plans for the production for elaborate pictures during the coming year from the pens of three prominent authors whose names will be announced shortly after the release of "Temple Dusk." Early Count in "Pearson Month" Contest Shows All Former Pat he Records Broken WHEN the curtain was lowered on Pathe's "Pearson Month" contest, at midnight, November 30, it is said that all Pathe records for new business and collections had been bettered. The winners in the four divisions of the $10,000 prize contest, will not be known for at least another week. While the contest closed at midnight, November 30, all contracts mailed up to that hour wili be included in the final result. This means that it will take a week for the Pacific Coast contracts to reach the home office, and another week before they are all tallied. While it was confidently expected, when the contest was inaugurated, that all records would be broken, the results actually obtained surpassed even the most optimistic hopes. The returns counted up to Friday, December 3, clearly indicated that the best previous records would be far outdistanced when the final count was announced. John Russell Has Gone to Hollywood to Join the Metro Literary Organization JOHN RUSSELL, traveler and writer of short stories, has left New York for Southern California, where he will join the literary forces at Metro's West Coast itudios in Hollywood under Bayard Veiller, director of productions. DOWN WITH THE SOUR SUNDAY Mr. Russell's signature to a Metro contract, as regarded by officials of the corporation, is bound to result in the production of stories of an altogether new type for the screen. The French convict colony of New Caledonia, the treacherous jungles of Borneo, the wilds of the Samoas, the opium dens of the Chinese ports and the wide sweeps of tropic seas supply his backgrounds. The leading national magazines have printed a great many of his romances. John Russell is the son of Charles Edward Russell, economist and publicist. He was born in Davenport, Iowa, thirty-five years ago. He broke into the newspaper game as a cub reporter on the New York Herald and was later its special correspondent to Panama and Peru. For two years he held a unique position as staff interviewer, feature, verse and fiction writer for the Herald's Sunday Magazine. During the war he was an agent of the Government's Committee on Public Information for London and Dublin. Philip Rosen to Direct Another Film for Metro In recognition of the work he has done for Metro in the direction of three special productions made at the company's West Coast studios in Hollywood, Philip E. Rosen has been selected by Bayard Veiller, director of productions at the California plant, to handle the megaphone in the making of "What Is the Matter with Marriage?" an all-star super-production upon which the actual filming starts shortly. Mr. Rosen formerly was with Universal and for a number of years had been recognized as one of the foremost cameramen in the industry. He photographed "The Miracle Man" for George Loane Tucker and several of Theda Bara's spectacular productions. "What Is the Matter with Marriage?" was adapted from Jack London's widely read novel, "The Little Lady of the Big House." The scenario was constructed by Edward Lowe, Jr. Milton Sills, Ora Carew and Nigel Barrie have been selected as three of the principal actors in the all-star cast. Osso Says Complaint of French Authors Is Right Oscar Osso, representative of the Society of Dramatic Authors of France, asked about the recent statement pertaining to the French authors' dissatisfaction and the campaign toward an amendment of the American copyright law, stated that the attitude of the French authors is justified by what may be termed as an act of unfair reciprocity now existing. Author Protected The American author is fully protected abroad, specially in France, without any formalities whatsoever; the instant his works appear in print they are absolutely protected. On the other hand, the French author or any other foreign author who does not exercise the greatest care, be it through an unavoidable cause or mere oversight, loses the right of protection in the United States if he does not comply strictly with the copyright law, and naturally finds himself exposed to plagiarism, he said. A David G. Fischer Production