The Moving picture world (November 1921)

664 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 10, 1921 Zane Greys "Last Trail/' a Fox Production, Now Booked in Leading Theatres SHANNON DAY In Goldiuyn's "His Back Against the Wall" "Archeologist" on Film Details It takes all kinds of motion picture fans to make a world. Witness the following, vouched for by the publicity department of Wid Gunning, Inc. : The New York premier of Charles Dickens's "Our Mutual Friend" brought to the Lyric Theatre this week a number of persons who had until that time held out against the lure of the motion picture and who were attracted to a screen showing for the first time by the opportunity to see a Dickens masterpiece. Most of them were loud in their praise of the truthfulness for detail which makes the picture breathe the atmosphere of Dickens. But one of them was hard to please. He stopped Manager McDonald in the lobby on his way out. "Always heard how the movies fail when they attempt to delineate the life of other times in history," he growled. "I find it's true. You've got 'Silas Wegg' wearing a black beaver hat instead of a white one. Everybody knows they wore only white beavers in those days. Shocking ! Outrageous !" As he passed on leaving Manager McDonald gasping for breath. "If that's the worst they can find to criticise, I guess we're pretty good," he finally recovered sufficiently to add. Fox says the history of the westward inarch of the pioneer is followed closely in the film adaptation of "The Last Trail," written by Zane Grey and produced as a superspecial feature by Fox Film Corporation. The photoplay version of the novel was released November 27, and has already been booked for showings in leading theatres throughout the country. Zane Grey's "The Last Trail," is the fifth of that author's widely read stories to be produced for the silver screen by Fox, and presents Maurice Flynn. the newly named star and former Yale football player, in the leading male role. The other four Zane Grey stories — "The Rain bow Trail," "Riders of the Purple Sage," "The Last of the Duanes" and "The Lone Star Ranger," have featured William Farnum. Fox says that numbered among the truly big scenes in "The Last Trail" is the flooding of a mountain valley, sweeping away villages and human life. To create thisstartling incident, which constitutes the big climax of the special, necessitated the erection of a town in a California valley and the construction of a concrete dam high up in the hills. More than 500,000 gallons of water were pumped from a river below to the reservoir, to produce the flood, and eleven days were consumed in the pumping. Much Praise from Exhibitors Is Elicited by "White Eagle" For the second time within less than three months a new Pathe serial has stirred exhibitors to voluntary expressions of their most emphatic approval. The first of these two occasions was branch exchange exhibitor showings of "Hurricane Hutch," the great success of which, immediately on its release, is known throughout the film world. A repetition of that situation is now presented in the case of Ruth Roland's latest serial, "W'hite Eagle," which Pathe has announced for release on January 1. Almost immediately on the receipt of prints of "White Eagle" at the principal distributing centres, the Pathe home office began to receive telegrams of congratulation. Branch managers were enthusias tic and their sales forces united in predicting quotas early reached and exceeded. These encouraging expressions were soon to be followed by voluntary communications of the same tenor from exhibitors themselves. The manager of the Auditorium Theatre, South Bend, Ind., wired : "Screened 'White Eagle' this afternoon and enjoyed it very much. It is without doubt an absolutely censor-proof production, with clean entertainment, seeming to be its motive throughout. The mysterious atmosphere is also a very interesting and enjoyable feature. This is an excellent serial, and Pathe may justly feel that they are to be complimented on a production which is so exceptionally good. JACQUELINE LOGAN Former "Follies" beauty, now under contract with Goldwyn The "kids" arrived at nine thirty and until quarter of twelve they reveled in the tale of "Little Lord Fauntleroy," the United Artists' release with Mary Pickford in the title role. So enthusiastic were they that they applauded even the censor license number. Mr. Hyman's specially staged prologue was also produced on this occasion, as was several vocal numbers. Second Metro Week Ends with 7,300 Theatres Subscribing Louis Mayer Buys "One Clear Call" After five weeks of negotiation, Louis H. Mayer has secured the film rights to Francis Nimme Greene's noted story, "One Clear Call." It will be transferred to the screen by John M. Stahl as his next all-star production for First National. Mr. Mayer's efforts to purchase the book interrupted plans that were being made for the dramatization of "One Clear Call" as a stage play, and it took a great deal of persuasion, both of financial and oratorical, on his part to put the deal over. Although the exact price paid for the story is not known, it is said that it soars well into five figures. Seventy-three hundred motion picture theatres in the United States and Canada took advantage of the second annual Metro Week to increase their profits, figures compiled by Metro Pictures Corporation reveal. This is a substantial increase over the number of houses which last year exhibited, for a period of seven days, only Metro productions and releases. This year's Metro Week extended from November 20 to 27. The success of the second Metro Week is construed to be proof of the reliable attraction of Metro pictures. William E. Atkinson, general manager of Metro, in commenting upon the total of the houses booking Metro productions during the week, and the reports of their unusual business during that time, said : "The exhibitor has come to know that when he picks up a Metro contract he picks up in business. Given opportunity to lay the foundations of the season's success, it is not unexpected that he seize the opportunity of getting financial momentum by turning on the power of Metro plays for a solid week." Exhibitors Get Broadside on "Enchantment" A four-page broadside has been sent to exhibitors by Cosmopolitan productions on "Enchantment." It shows the widespread advertising campaign that marked the prerelease presentation of this latest of Marion Davies' pictures. The broadside calls attention to the success the picture made on its presentation at the Rivoli Theatre, New York, re-produces the beautiful engravings made for the advertisements and contains excerpts from the many favorable press reviews. E. L. Hyman Gives Special Show for 3,000 Crippled Children The good will of the public, city officials and public institutions were gained by Edward L. Hyman, managing director of the Brooklyn Mark Strand, when he gave a special Thanksgiving show to three thousand cripple and orphan children before his regular performance began. Newspapers played up this idea and the Brooklyn Mark Strand gained much publicity, though the show was not given for that purpose. Three thousand children and attendants were accommodated. They came from nineteen public institutions in Brooklyn and New York and were supplied by Bird S. Coler, Commissioner of Public Welfare. CLAIRE In Goldivvn's SOR Larcenv'