The Moving picture world (May 1921)

416 MOVING PICTURE WORLD May 28, 1921 Fox Coast Studios Running on High The West Coast division of Fox Film Corporation reports that it is now functioning at maximum capacity, and so pretentious are the production plans that there is no apparent chance of any ease-up during the summer. Emmett J. Flynn, director of Mark Twain's "Connecticut Yan- kee," is hard at work on a new special production, which is to be released this Fall and which, ac- cording to Fox advices, shows evidence thus far of being quite as fine a piece of staging as is the "Yankee." The title for the new . production has not been selected as yet. Clyde Cook, who recently inter- rupted his making of special com edies for Fox long enough for a brief excursion into the five-act spectacle "Skirts," has just com- pleted another of the special series, "The Guide"; and to keep up with the demand for his comedies he began the next day the making of a new "frolic" under Jack Bly- stone's capable direction. Edna Murphy and Johnnie Wal- ker, who made their bow to screen fame in the renowed "Over the Hill," and followed this up with "Fantomas," have been promoted to stardom, and are hard at work under Director Edward Sedgwick, in a co-starring venture carying the working title '"Live Wires." Other Fox stars now in the throes of picture making at Holly- wood are Tom Mix, Eileen Percy, William Russell, Shirley Mason and Buck Jones. Miller's Theatre Contracts for Three Hodkinson Releases Miller's Theatre, of Ix>s Angeles, which through the keen showman- ship and rare judgment of Fred Miller has come to be known as one of the leading houses in the United States—a theatre where only the biggest specials are exhibited— has contracted for the first show- ing in the United States of three Hodkinson releases — "A Certain Rich Man," "The Light in the Clearing," and "Rip Van Winkle"— each of which will be put on for an indefinite run. "A Certain Rich Man" is a Benj. B. Hampton production adapted to the screen from William Allen White's novel. "The Light in the Clearing" was directed by T. Hayes Hunter. It was written by Irving Bacheller. "Rip Van Winkle," a Ward Lascelle Production, is now under course of construction. It is Mr. Lascelle's first independent production for Hodkinson release. The leading role on the screen will be played by Thomas Jefferson, son of the late Joe Jefferson, who cre- ated the character on the "legiti- mate" stage. Exceptionally Fine Interior Sets Were Built for "Salvage" What has been pronounced by technical experts as one of the finest home interior sets ever built for a motion picture, furnished one of the striking backgrounds in the Robertson-Cole production "Sal- vage," starring Pauline Frederick. Instead of following the usual procedure in building a home set and constructing a few two sided rooms which could be easily put up and taken down, the building ex- perts at the Robertson-Cole studios in Hollywood, California, made a new departure and built a complete first floor of a millionaire's man- sion with every detail complete ex- cept the. ceiling. This set which reflects in its de- sign and furnishings the person- ality of its owner, a man of great wealth, consists of an elaborate en- trance hall and grand stairway, li- brary, living room, music room, re- ception hall, dining room, conserva- tory, ball room and a number of small rooms, all of them connecting and giving the cameraman excep- tinal opportunities for wonderful vista shots through the rooms. Educational to Distribute New Series Called Adams Comedies Federated Showing at Copley Plaza Probably the most successful and auspicious trade showing of a mo- tion picture in New England was the presentation by the Federated Film Exchange at Boston on the evening of Tuesday, May 10, of the Warner Brothers' newest wild animal serial "Miracles of the Jungle.'' The showing was given in the Grand Ballroom at the Cop- ley Plaza Hotel. A huge stage and screen was erected. The pro- jection room and the spotlights were placed in the balcony, away entirely from the guests. A large welcoming banner and appropriate .inimal paintings decorated the walls of the ballroom and helped to create the Jungle atmosphere. After the screening. General Manager Roth made a brief speech of welcome and assured the guests that this showing was but one of the many innovations that Fed- erated had planned for the ex- uibitors of New England. During the serving of dinner which followed, several cabaret novelties were introduced, then came dancing which continued till a late hour. Among the film notables who journeyed over from New York to Boston to attend were Abe Warner, Ricord Gradwell, Walter E. Greene and George H. Wiley. All of the Boston dailies had rep- resentatives there, and the guest list read like a Who's Who of the Industry in New England. Opens Library at Fort Lee Studio A circulating library for em- ployees has been established by My- ron Selznick at the main Fort Lee studie. This library will be con- ducted in connection with the sce- nario department, under the super- vision of E. J. Doolittle, business manager. It will contain several hundred volumes at the start, as well as most of the current maga- zines, all of which will be available to borrowers free of charge. Sixty periodicals arrive each month, the scenario department hav- ing subscribed for them. As soon as they have been "combed" for picture material they will go into the library. Educational announces the acqui- sition of a new brand of comedies featuring Jimmie Adams, one of the two stars who, it is said, did more than anybody else to make a whirlwind success out of the Mer- maid Comedies distributed by Edu- cational during its first year as an international distributing organiza- tion for specialty short subjects. Jimmie Adams will be supported in the Adams Comedies, as the new series will be called, by a fine array of talent. He will have with him several of the clever actors who helped make his share of the Mer- maid Comedies the attractions that they are conceded to have been. The new line of comedies will be made by the Astra Film Go., Inc. There will be eight releases a year, starting with the second series of Educational's issues for the release year 1921-1922. The present year ends June 30. Titles of the first three releases probably will be announced before the first of June. Educational will also continue to release the Mermaid pictures. Lloyd "Ham" Hamilton, who shared honors with Adams in the success of last year's Mermaids, will con- tinue his work with this series. Ingram Filming a Balzac Story Rex Ingram's newest production for Metro, an elaborate filming of a Balzac story which has been titled "The Conquering Power," is being staged with a notable cast of players, it is stated. Almost without exception the principal roles for this picture will be taken by players who enacted parts of like prominence in ( Mr. Ingram's greatest masterpiece, "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." John Seitz, who was in charge of the cameramen who photographed "The Four Horsemen, will super- vise camera work. Pathe to Release Beck 9 s Film "The Heart Line," presented by Arthur F. Beck as an adaption of Gelett Burgess' celebrated novel of the same name, will be released by Pathe Exchange, Inc., on June 5. With an all star cast that includes many prominent screen players, "The Heart Line" finds much of its atmosphere in the world of spiritism and seance and in many respects is a motion picture novelty. In the big cast are Leah Baird, Jerome Patrick, Ruth Sinclair, Mrs. Charles C. Craig, Master Ben Alexander, Frederick Vroom, Claire McDowell, Martin Best, Philip Sleeman, Martha Dean, Frank Williams, Graham Pettie. Gertrude Astor, Ivar McFadden. Mary Harron, Eva Gordon, Clo King, E G. Miller, Johnny Harron and Alice Knowland. Frederick A. Thomson, whose "Heart Line," on Burgess Novel name has been associated in a directorial capacity with many of the biggest screen successes dating back to "The Island of Regenera- tion," created "The Heart Line." Mr. Thomson also made "The Christian" and produced a number of pictures with Marguerite Clark, John Barrymore and other celeb- rated stars. In addition to Leah Baird, around whom the action revolves, the- cast is particularly capable. Jerome Patrick, leading man, is well known for his work in "Of- ficer 666" and "The Furnace." He is known by patrons of the stage for his work opposite Frances Starr in David Belasco's produc- tion, ''Marie Odile." Five months of intensive work were given to the production of the latest Pathe feature release. Vignola Films a Donn Bryne Story Donn Byrne, the well known short story writer, from whose story the screen version of "The Woman God Changed," a Cosmo- politan Production, was made, is said to have expressed himself as delighted with the screen produc- tion. Robert G. Vignola directed the picture from a scenario by Doty Hobart. Seena Owen and E. K. Lincoln play the leading roles. "The Woman God Changed" will have a pre-release showing at the Rivoli Theatre, New York, beginning Sun- day, May 22, and then will be re- leased by Paramount throughout the country. HALLROOM BOYS COMEDIES FEATURING SID SMITH BRING Good Times TO ALL DISTRIBUTED BY