The Moving picture world (June 1921)

June 4, 1921 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 529 W. S. Campbell Plans to Make Greater Educational Comedies A series of greater animal com- edies is promised for the next year through a fortunate deal just closed hy Educational Film Exchanges, Inc. W. S. Campbell, whose ability in directing animals before the motion picture camera was responsible for the success of Chester Comedies featuring "Snooky, the Humanzee," released during last year, has un- dertaken to produce thirteen come- dies during the coming season, in which a large number of trained animals of all sorts will be featured. Mr. Campbell, who is recognized as one of the greatest directors of animal photo-play actors in the world, has just returned to the coast after a week of conferences with E. W. Hammons. president of Edu- cational Film Exchanges, Inc., in which the policy to be followed in the new series was outlined. He will begin work at once on the first of the animal comedies. "Snooky, the Humanzee," will be by no means the only monkey in the new line of pictures. There will be a whole family of monkeys vv(>\en into the stories by Mr. Camp- bell. In this coiHiection exhibitors will be interested in the fact that Edu- cational has registered the name "Snooky, the Humanzee." This trade mark places Educational in such a position that no other pro- ducer or distributor of motion pic- tures can advertise or offer for dis- tribution any pictures using the title, "Snooky, tlie Humanzee." Mr. Campbell is especially well fitted for the work he is beginning. The success of animal comedies de- pends entirely upon the construc- tion of the scenario and the direct- ing of the animals. In this difficult double task, Mr. Campbell is adept. Beginning his work in the motion picture field several years ago as a writer of scenarios, he gradually increased his interest in the filming of the mute actors and in directing their work. In almost every case, Mr. Camp- bell has constructed the scenario as well as directed the making of the picture, and due to his efforts the Chester Animal Comedies of the Fox Film Corporation has listed the following releases for the month of June: William Russell is to be seen in "Children of Night," a mys- tery story from the pen of Max Brand, directed by Jack Dillon. Buck Jones will figure in the June releases in a picture made under the working title "The Mediator," written by Roy Norton and direct- ed by Bernard Durning. The locale is in the West. Lavish Praise of '^Reputation Testifies to Character of Film When Abraham Lincoln uttered his famous axiom about "fooling some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time" it is presumed that he meant the rule to apply to "pleasing" the people as well as to "fooling" them. But had motion pictures been known in the days of Lincoln he imdoubtedly would have made an exception in their case, for it is rare indeed that a motion picture plea.ses all of the people any of the lime, and least of all, all of the critics. So when a producer makes a picture that calls forth unanimous praise, he feels that he has some- thing to shout about, and Carl Laemmie has produced such a pic- ture in "Reputation." In the fif- teen days since its release, "Repu- tation," with Priscilla Dean in tlic stellar role, has been seen on the screen in most of the important cities from the Atlantic to the Pa- cific coasts, and without a single exception, the newspaper critics have accorded it high praise. The combined circulations of these newspapers, in which the praises have been printed, cover the ITnited States like a blanket 3,000 miles long, and Carl Laemmie and the Universal officials, Stuart Paton tne director, and Priscilla Dean the star are all proud of this rare achievement. As proof of the fact that "Repu- tation" has made a big reputation for itself in less than fifteen days, the Universal sales department has received a mass of clippings con- taining the criticisms [)u1>lished in newspapers from coast to coast. last year have been among the most popular short subjects shown throughout the country. Although monkeys will hold a prominent part in the new pictures, the actors will include animals ranging all the way from trained mice to the bigger wild animals, such as the lion and the leopard. Turtles also arc among the tenta- tive "cast." 'The First Bom" at Ambassador "The First l:!orn," with Sessue Hayakawa in the star role of "Chan Wang," from the play by Francis Powers, directed by Colin Camp- bell, played first run in Los An- geles in the Ambassador Theatre, which is located in the Ambassador Hotel. This theatre is under lease to Gore Bros, and Sol Lesser, First National Franchise holders. They have run nothing but First National productions in the theatre until the invasion of "The I-lrst Born." Fox Film Corporation Tells of Productions for June Release "Big Town Ideas," a photoplay built upon an unconventional theme, serves to introduce Eileen Percy among the June entries. Tvoo Comedies The two Fox Sunshine Comedies for June are "The Hayseed," direct- ed by Al. St. John, and "Three Good Pals," for which Director Watt is responsible. "AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER" In "White and Unmarried," a Paramount picture, Tommy Meighan evidently ends up by believing those fatal, final words of the story-teller Baker Begins ''The Hunch'' with Gareth Hughes in Leading Role Metro's fourth producing unit has gone into action at the company's Hollywood studio with the arrival from New York of George Baker and his corps of assistants. Mr. Baker carried with him a 'script for "The Hunch," from the story by Percival Wilde, which ap- peared in Popular Magazine, along with sketches for a series of original settings in which the production will be pictured. Before leaving New York it was agreed that (iareth Hughes, who played in "Sentimental Tommy," should i)lay the leading role in the picture. Selection of other mem- bers of the cast was begun imme- diately after the arrival of the di- rector. The addition of Mr. Baker's name to the list of directors already making special productions for Met- ro makes a total of four units now at work at the Hollywood studios A fifth director probabl\- will be announced by Metro shortly. Buys Morosco Story "The Gossaiuer Web," by John Morosco, has been purchased by Universal for screen adaptation and is already in process of production. The Grecttest T^bin^ in IA£ei devoiion ~%)ait Par it!