The Moving picture world (March 1921)

184 _ MOVING PICTURE WORLD March 12, 1921 The Kid" Violating Booking Traditions Everywhere Shown "The Kid," Charlie Chaplin's six reels of joy, distributed through Associated First National Pic- tures, Inc., is not only breaking records everywhere but it is vio- lating practicall every booking tradition ever established in the trade, going in day and date into competing houses and holding up as strong in all of them as it could have if booked exclusively into one. Eighteen first run houses in Boston and suburbs ran the com- edy for the solid week beginning February 14, and every house re- ports biggest receipts and the largest attendance in its history. Five theatres in Providence, R. I., put it on the following week and it repeated its record of being the biggest box office attraction and the greatest patron puller ever booked by the theatres. Milwaukee reports the peculiar situation of the overflow from "The Kid" causing record breaking business at another theatre, where the current attraction was pulling close to capacity houses on its own appeal. In Boston the theatres running "The Kid" for the full week were Gordon's Olympic, Washington Street Olympic and Scollay Square, Olympic, of the Gordon circuit; the Orpheum and Colum- bia, of the Orpheum circuit; the Shawmut, Modern, Beacon and Park, of the Shawmut circuit, and the Boston, Star, Bowdoin, Fen- way, Exeter, St. James, Dorches- ter, Magnet, Strand and Hamil- ton. It was the first time in the history of the Orpheum that it has kept a feature picture for a full week. The five Providence theatres showing it simultaneously during the week of February 21 are the Kmery, Fay's, Strand, Modern and Rialto. The first two are com- bination vaudeville and picture houses, while the other three are devoted exclusively to the silent drairla. All reported record breaking business. In Milwaukee, the Rialto, the new Saxe house seating 850, was opened with "The Kid" as the at- traction on February 12. The busi- ness done was overflow from the first performance and it is still running. 'Ave Maria" and "Jane Eyre" Are to Follow "East Lynne Instead of a single production to follow "East Lynne" Hugo Ballin announces two. The first is a story written directly for the screen, entitled "Ave Maria." Following this will come a pic- turization of Charlotte Bronte's novel, "Jane Eyre," both of which, like "East Lynne," will be distributed by Hodkinson. Ma- bel Ballin will, of course, play the principal feminine role in the new picture. "Ave Maria" is the work of a nun now deceased, Sister Eileen Brady of the Sisters of St. Dom- inick. Instead of a "religious" story as might be expected, the author narrates a powerful drama of the secular world, it is said. On the death of Sister Eileen the MS. of "Ave Maria" reverted to the church and in in- terviewing a priest on the sub- ject of ecclesiastical detail for a contemplated production, the story was given to Hugo Ballin. 'Gilded hies" Is Scheduled to Be Released on March 20 From an exciting expedition in quest of the North Pole to the sudden realization of the fact that his financee has married an- other man is the awakening that shatters the worldly hopes of Kcene McComb (Eugene O'Brien) in the latest Selznick picture, "Gilded Lies," announced for re- lease on March 20. This latest O'Rrien production follows in the wake of the current Selznick pro- duction, "Worlds Apart." Martha Mansfield, the new ad- dition to the Selznick constella- tion of screen celebrities, plays the feminine lead as the fiancee who, despite the fact that she is firm in the belief her sweetheart is still alive, is coerced by an am- bitious aunt into marrying a promoter reputed to possess great wealth. versal Gty on "The Terror Trail," a new serial in which Eileen Sedg- wick will play a hazardous star- ring role under the direction of Edward Kull. In no serial production in which she has heretofore been featured lias the Universal serial star been required to do the dangerous feats which have been outlined for her in this production, it is said. The story was written by John W. Gray and Edward Kull, with the supervisory collaboration of William Lord Wright, chief of the serial and short reel feature de- partment. George Larkin has been selected to play opposite the star and will head an all-star sup- porting cast. series of "Get-Rich-Quick Wal- lingford" stories have been ex- tremely popular in America. "The Son of Wallingford" is the latest of the series, written especially for the screen by Mr. Chester, who will personally di- rect the screen version. Mrs. Chester collaborated with her husband in writing the story. A whole city must be turned over to the picture production for several days and one of the spectacular scenes will show a whole inland lake afire from blaz- ing crude oil. There are also said to be many thrilling inci- dents, notable among them be- ing the hero and heroine trapped in a boat on the blazing lake of oil. Frank Heath has gone to Cali- fornia as assistant director for Mr. Chester. Bert Ensminger, of the Western Vitagraph stu- dios, has been assigned to his staff also. Six Star Franchise Films Have Been Released Since January 1 With the release of "The Out- side Woman," and "Out of the Chorus," Realart announces that seventeen of its thirty-six Star Franchise pictures have been made available to exhibitors hold- ing the franchise. Six of the seventeen pictures have been re- leased since January 1, 1921. "Out of the Chorus," with Alice Brady as the star is a story of Broadway and Fifth avenue, deal- ing with the adventures of Flor- ence Maddis, a popular chorus girl who marries into a very aris- tocratic New York family. Her new relations disapprove of the union and plot to discredit her in the eyes of her husband. For a time they succeed, but their ef- forts bring more complications than they dreamed of and the out- come, though happy, is unex- pected. The picture is adapted by Cool- idge Streeter from a story by Harry Chandlce and William B. Laub. Herbert Blache directed. Wanda Hawley, whose success- ful picture, "The Snob," is now playing throughout the country, is seen in "The Outside Woman." This is an adaptation of Phillip Bartholomae's stage success, "All Night Long." The scenarist is Douglas Bronston. A comedy of a bride, an ugly (but valuable) idol, a busy fire es- cape and two unconventional ser- vants, the picture presents what is characterized by those who have seen it as a riot of fun. The plan is to solicit members at $2 a year, the sum to entitle the exhibitor to receive free the first of a series of trailers attack- ing Blue Laws, and to reeeive ad- ditional trailers thereafter at a small cost each—probably 50 cents or $1. While the trailers would be issued weekly, it would not be compulsory for the exhibitor to take each one. The first trailer will probably be a cartoon. Binney Picture Is Finished John S. Robertson, whose spe- cial production of "Sentimental Tommy" will be released shortly, has completed work on "The Magic Cup," starring Constance Binney. He is now cutting the picture and mapping out plans for his next production, starring Elsie Ferguson in "Footlights," an adaptation by Josephine Lovett of Rita Weiman's Saturday Evening Post story. Isis Dolls Up The Isis Theatre, Bristol, Va., one of the finest theatres in the South, has dressed up its entire lobby with a new outfit of New- man frames, cabinets and fixtures specially arranged by the White Equipment Company, of Bristol. The Isis will also have a new daylight mirroroid screen in- stalled. Offer Trailers to Combat Blue Laws C. A. Karpen, E. E. Basch, Ar- thur Weil and Leon Schlessinger, all of whom have been connected with motion pictures in various capacities, have organized the Na- tional Anti-Blue Law Association, with temporary offices at 220 West Forty-second street, New York City. Their avowed purpose idverse legislation and influencing is to aid exhibitors in combating public opinion. 'Truant Husband'on Lynch Circuit "The Truant Husband" will be played over the entire Lynch cir- cuit of theatres beginning with a full week's showing at the Rialto, Atlanta, Ga. The production is the Rockett Film Corporation's first production for Hodkinson release. It is a screen adapta- tion of an Albert Payson Terhune story and was directed by Thomas W. Heffron. Eileen Sedgwick Is in 'The Terror', a Serial Production has started at Uni- G. R. Chester Is Directing Story George Randolph Chester's, "The Son of Wallingford," is be- ing filmed at Western Vitagraph. For a dozen years Mr. Chester's Ringing the Changes Wags of the industry are referring to it as The Four Horsemen of the Eucalyptus. The Four Horsemen with the Puckered Lips. The Four Horsemen of the Poker Chips. The Four Horsemen of the Paper Clips. And then always is added the information— "It's a certain success."