The Moving picture world (January 1922)

January 14, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 169 News from the Producers Si) C S^SEWELL Paramount's West Coast Studios Are a Hive of Production With twelve companies working simultaneously, the Paramount West Coast studios are now enjoying one of the busiest periods in the com- pany's history. Continuous heavy rains have interfered considerably with exterior work, but this condi- tion has to a great extent been off- set by the increased facilities for in- terior production through the com- pletion of the big glass stage at the Lasky plant. William DeMille is now well into the story of "Bought and Paid For," which Clara Beranger adapted for the screen from the play by George Broadhurst. Agnes Ayres and J3ck Holt play the leading roles, with Famous Players-Lasky release. Bebe Daniels is enjoying her first real vacation in over eighteen months. The difficulty of making chemicals 'act" has been a feature of work The Heart Specialist," the Mary Swanson has the stellar role, is found May McAvoy's company com- Miles Minter feature which Frank rapidly developing. This is the pleting "Through a Glass Window" Urson is directing. Constance Bin- Elinor Glyn story which Jack Cun- on location. This Realart picture ney can soon pack up her nightie and ningam adapted and Sam Wood is for Famous Players-Lasky is by don regular day-time garments, directing. Olga Printzlau and is directed by Under the direction of Edward Le Wallace Reid, directed by Philip Maurice Campbell. Having com- Saint, Miss Binney is making the Rosen, is back from the Mojave pleted "A Game Chicken" for final scenes for "The Sleep Walker." where scenes were made for "Across the Continent," which Byron Mor- gan wrote expressly for Mr. Reid. The story is about a transcontinental automobile contest. Mary Mac- Laren plays opposite the star and Betty Francisco plays an ingenue heavy role. "Hail the Woman," the Thomas rather an independent determination Back From Arizona, Thomas H. Ince special production which on Mr. Ince's own part to do all Meighan's company making "The is to be released by Associated First within his power to help build busi- Proxy Daddy," under direction of National Pictures, Inc., will go di- ness for the motion picture theatres Alfred Green, are now at work on rect to the exhibitors of the country of the United States. Ince's '*Hail the Woman" to Go Direct to the Picture Houses Walter Hiers in the part that Frank Craven created on the stage. Wil- interior scenes at the Lasky studio, instead of playing in "legitimate" As a consequence the first book- liam D. Taylor is almost through Leatrice Joy is leading woman in this theatres in the key cities. ing of "Hail the Woman" was at with his Betty Compson vehicle picture which Olga Printzlau adapt- This decision gives the exhibitors Balaban & Katz's magnificent Chi- titled "The Green Temptation." It ed from the story by Edwrad Peple. of the country a big box office at- cago theatre, where the picture play- Ranch scenes and interiors showing traction at the peak of a season when ed the week before Christmas. The a western drink emporium are oc- many of the big pictures are being Chicago is Balaban & Katz's first cupying the attention of Dorothy held for runs in regular playhouses, venture into big theatre presentation Dalton and company making Virgie which are being ofTered to producers in downtovm Chicago, and as good E. Roe's "Tharon of Lost Valley" of big pictures because of condi- showmen they wanted the biggest Mahlon Hamilton. Theodore Kosloff under the direction of Paul Powell, tions in the theatrical business. possible attraction for the week be- and Mary Thurman. Jack Mower plays opposite Miss There has been considerable com- fore Christmas. With the very first suggestion of Dalton. ment during the last few weeks over Exhibitors in some territories took a return of clear weather, James The sound of firearms has been a the exhibitors' needs of big pictures advantage of the Christmas appeal Cruze took a portion of his company conspicuous feature on the Wanda at this special season of the year of "Hail the Woman" to present the making "Is Matrimony a Failure?" Hawley set, where "The Truthful to stimulate public patronage of the production during Christmas week, to Bakersfield for the last shots. T. Liar" is being produced. Thomas motion picture box office, and Mr. Among the houses which played the Roy Barnes plays the leading role Heffron, director, has been making Ince's decision was based upon his Ince special, commencing Christmas was adapted from a magazine story by Constance Lindsay Skinner. The authors of the adaptation are Monte M. Katterjohn and Julia Crawford Ivers. The supporting cast includes and the bi^ cast also includes Lois Wilson, Lila Lee, Walter Hiers, ZaSu Pitts. Lillian Leighton, Tully Marshnll, Sylvia Ashton, Otis Har- lan, Charles Ogle and Ethel Wales. "Beyond the Rocks," in which Gloria some dramatic scenes for this pro- belief that the regular motion picture Day, were the Palace at Wichita, duction, which is an adaptation by theatre is entit'-ed to every film at- Kan., the Grand at Topeka, Kan., Percy Heath of a story by Will traction that is produced. and the A. H. Blank theatres of Payne. It is a Realart Picture for This is in no way a cricitism of Des Moines, Burlington, Decorah, Famous Players-Lasky release. the producer who plays his big pic- Davenport and Fort Dodge, Iowa. The coming of clear weather tures first in legitimate theatres, but The first general presentation of "Hail the Woman" in big theatres ■ will occur the week of January 14 bitter portrait aroused many con- "^^f^ Pj^y^ates have been set for troversies; but the picture was so Rubin & Fmk estein s two big twin powerful that it is still one of the ^'^^ luf^c^'.^H-u^i?'!"':.^*-..-??"' most sought after melodramas in Goldwyn Fourth Year Product Still in Demand; Two Pictures Are Playing Return Dates That Goldwyn chose wisely in met with unusual success in every making selections for its fourth part of the country. The humorous year product is evidenced by the aspect of adolescents trying to act fact that last season's pictures are like grown folks is universal; and still in yreat demand in every sec- every audience has responded to it. tion of the country. These pictures, Mrs. Burt's "The Branding Iron," it will be recalled, were made with the first photoplay that this novelist the idea of presenting wide variety and screen writer had produced, has of types of stories. Comedies, trag- held its public by the stern realities Tom Moore gave an admirable im edies, farces, society stories, and a of its plot and through its uncom- personation^ of a ditch digger who few costume pictures were part of promising presentation of its crude rose to heights he never dreamed the output of the Culver City studios, characters. of in his digging days. Among the famous authors whose Rex Beach's "The North Wind's One of the most gratifying inci- last year pictures are being called Malice," with the talented Vera for continually at the Goldwyn Ex- Gordon in the role of a Jewish changes may be mentioned Mary mother, is another North woods pic- Roberts Rinehart, Katharine Newlin ture that has won its audiences and Burt, Gouverneur Morris, Rupert is still finding new markets. the Goldwyn list. Another melo- drama that has met wide approval is the Reginald Barker production of "Godless Men." It is a strong story of a fearless man and his worthless son, presented without sentimentality. An Excellent Farce In the field of rollicking farce, Rupert Hughes showed his deftness in "Hold Your Horses," in which dents in connection with the Gold- wyn fourth year product is the in- and the State Theatre at Minne- apolis, the Grand of Greenville, Miss., and the Palace of Mandan, N. D. New Year's week bookings include the Auditorium of Dayton and the Majestic of Columbus, O.. Garrick, Duluth and Grand, Northfield, Minn. The New York date for "Hail the Woman" has not been set, but it probably will have a rnn in January at one of the big Broadway theatres. New Titles The following changes in titles have been announced by Paramount for forthcoming pictures: "The creasing vitality of "Earthbound," Noose," starring Betty Compson, the Basil King photodrama which has been altered to "The Green sought for its theme a dramatic Temptation;" "The Husband's Hughes, Edward Knoblock, Basil Perhaps the most discussed picture probing of the land beyond. Trademark," starring Gloria Swan- King, Rex Beach, O. Henry and of the year was "The Penalty" by Another Goldwyn photoplay that son, will be called "Her Husband's Gertrude Atherton. Gouverneur Morris, which presented will always be remembered and is Trademark:" "The Champion," a Mrs. Rinehart's story of prep Lon Chaney in the role of a legless still as much in demand as the latest Wallace Reid picture, will be called: school life, "It's a Great Life," has monster of the underworld. This Goldwyn picture is "Madame X." "The World's Champion."