The Moving picture world (May 1922)

58 MOVING PICTURE WORLD May 6, 1922 New York Press Is Unit in "Your Best Friend" Praise "Your Best Friend," a Harry Rapf production starring Vera Gordon, directed by Will Nigh and distributed by the Warner Brothers, has been acclaimed another great screen attraction by the New York newspaper critics, following its presentation at the Central Theatre. The picture was shown . for two weeks during the Lenten season, and it is said that the popularity of the star, the attractive title and the exploitation campaign put over was productive of gratifying results. Pat he Has Human Interest Picture on Snow-bound Life of the Eskimos It is promised that motion picture indispensable guide and faithful far north "locations" and exhibited patrons everywhere shortly will see companion of Explorer Flaherty a finished print in six reels, the iudga special feature of human life, love while making his hazardous traverses Stage Favorites in "Burning Sands" Two favorites of the musical comedy stage, Louise Dresser and Jacqueline Logan, have been added to the cast of George Mel ford's new Paramount special production, "Burning Sands," based upon the novel by Arthur Weigall. Censor as Adviser and struggle that is not only of absorbing popular interest but unique in the history of motion picture art. This promise is made by Pathe in announcing that it has acquired world distribution rights of "Nanook of the North," to be the only picture feature ever photographed wholly in arctic conditions and dealing from beginning to end with the fascinating life-drama of native characters — men, women and children — whose existence has remained entirely independent of and oblivious to the forces of civilization. "Nanook of the North" was produced for Revillon Freres by Robert J. Flaherty, leader of five Sir William Mackenzie expeditions into North Hudson Bay regions. The scientific record of Mr. Flaherty's explorations, including the discovery and charting of the Belcher Islands of Hudson Bay, is contained in issues of the Geographical Review for June and August, 1918. During the ten years covered by these explorations he lived in intimate association with the small tribe of Eskimos who inhabit the upper east coast of Hudson Bay and the extreme northern point of Labrador "The First Woman," starring Mildred Harris and scheduled for release by R-C Pictures April 30, is probably the first motion picture to be made under the direct supervision of a censor. Royal A. Baker, Detroit Police Censor of Pictures, known as the Ungava Peninsula, though not acting in any official ca The real life hero of the picture, pacity, was present at the shooting of "Nanook of the North," is the leadpractically every shot. ing man of the tribe who was the *7/ Winter Comes" to Be Produced Both Abroad and Here; Fox to Visit Author of the Ungava Peninsula, and, later, across the ice-locked Hudson Straits and into the frozen wilderness of Baffin Island. Of this Nanook (The Bear) of his tribe, and of rigors of climate which no other race could survive, Mr. Flaherty says, "Yet here, utterly dependent upon animal life, which is their sole source of food, live the most cheerful people in all the world — the fearless, lovable, happy-golucky Eskimo." Nanook, the members of his family and his little band of followers, including mothers and children, are the living characters in the picture. The heroine is the young mother, Nyla, "the smiling one." Even she, with her naked little Eskimo baby carried snug and comfortable in the fur "parka" hanging from her shoulders, shares in the incredible adventures of the hunting party, dog-sledging over miles of ice and snow in a temperature of fifty degrees below zero, yet resting at night in Eskimo domestic comfort in a snow 'igloo" built in an hour. Without the walrus and seal, their best sources of heat-giving food and clothing, existence would cease to be possible with these people. Their skill in capturing these ocean animals, weighing at full growth from 1.000 to 2,000 pounds, with their slender, walrus-ivory pointed harpoons, is remarkable. The picture shows every detail of these exciting ment of executives and members of the Pathe Film Committee wa< unanimous and spontaneous: "A special feature — the most marvelous and fascinating ever yet produced." Adventure Picture Is Widely Booked Goldwyn's new Gouvemeur Morris adventure film, "Yellow Men and Gold," to be released in that corporation's fourth group of pictures for the present season, is attracting much advance attention from exhibitors. It is one of the first pictures that exhibitors ask to see when they visit any Goldwyn branch exchange. It has already been booked for many first run houses. Director Irvin V. Willat was given one of the ablest casts seen in any Goldwyn picture — Helene Chadwick, Richard Dix, Rosemary Theby, Richard Tucker, Henry Barrows, William Carroll and Goro Kino. Is in Second Week of Run Cosmopolitan's Production, "The Good Provider," featuring Dore Davidson, Vera Gordon, William (Buster) Collier, Jr., Vivienne Osborne and Miriam Battista, is now at the Rialto Theatre in its second week of its pre-release run, and is adventures — with the women and the said to be doing exceptional business, children sharing them, their ap During the first week at the Rivoli When Fox Film Corporation completes the special production, "If Winter Comes," it will be flashed on the screen backed by the most extensive and popular advertising campaign that ever preceded any single Fox production. Not only has the book itself received as much favorable comment and created so much discussion as any novel recently written, but it has broken records as a best seller. Arrangements have not been completed by the producer for the filming of the great work, but plans are so far advanced as to warrant the prediction that when the cameras begin to turn the director will have in hand arrangements for an unusually careful, elaborate and spectacular picture. Realizing the great popularity which the novel has enjoyed and is enjoying, Mr. Fox is in no hurry to rush its screening but is taking his time, and no eflfort or expense, it is announced, will be spared to make of it an ideal photodrama. To this end, while some of the scenes will be made in the Fox studios in New York and Los Angeles, many of the bigger outdoor episodes will be photographed in England at the very localities which the author describes in his novel. This will be done with the idea of obtaining graphic and faithful portrayal of the scenes which have been made familiar in print to hundreds of thousands of readers, and to preserve the true and quaint flavor of the places and personages created in the book. Mr. Fox, in order to accomplish this, will leave for England soon and, with A. S. M. Hutchinson, the author, will go over the scenario and confer on all details of the forthcoming production. Guests Praised "Silas Mamer" "Silas Marner," the picturization of George Eliot's great novel, which Associated Exhibitors has set for release April 30, received the enthusiastic endorsement of a large company of representative New Yorkers at a supper dance at Hotel Plaza, Associated Exhibitors reports. The event was an invitation affair given by the American Committee for Devastated France, of which Miss Anne Morgan is the head, and the showing was made at the special request of the hostess and her associates. Hallrooms Score Percy and Ferdie Hallroom Boys Comedies have been selected for featuring in the Strand Theatre, Erie, Pa., for two consecutive weeks. petities whetted for their favorite food, raw seal meat. In the arctic mid-winter the whole Eskimo family is seen dog-sledging over vast fields of ice under which may be seals. These animals have to renew the air in their lungs every twenty minutes, and with their flippers they keep "blow holes" open. The seal "blow holes" are very small and usually concealed from ordinary eyes by snow. But the mighty hunter, Nanook, has keen and well trained eyes. Suddenly he halts the dog team and goes prospecting alone — for the slightest noise will alarm any seal that may be swimming under the ice, hurrying for his "blow hole." You see Nanook fall on his fur-covered knees. Suddenly he stands and plunges his harpoon straight down into the hole. The cunningly fashioned harpoon head never fails to hold. The party on the distant sledge sees Nanook's struggles at his end of the line, and hurries to his aid. The ice-hold is widened sufficiently and presently Nanook and his women and children, and the famished dogs, are enjoying perhaps their first square meal in a week. The human interest drama of the picture, with its clear and beautiful photography and its intimate revelations of the strangest social and domestic conditions in the world of human beings, is declared to have spell-bound everyone who has seen it screened. Pathe says that when Mr. Flaherty arrived from the picture's Theatre it also did big business. Cosmopolitan reports. Talmadge Film Title Changed Norma Talmadge's next production for Associa.ted First National, filmed under the working title of "The Duchess of Langeais," will be released as 'The Eternal Flame," it became known this week. "Tropical Love" Going Big Springtime, the tropics, color and atmosphere — all suggestive of the present season of the year, combine to stimulate activity in the bookings of "Tropical Love," according to Playgoers Pictures. This picture, featuring Ruth Clifford, is reported to have enjoyed wide popularity from the beginning, but many exhibitors have withheld their showings until the present, considering the spring a peculiarly appropriate time.