The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

538 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 9, 1922 Walker Enters Ranks of Producers Johnnie Walker, who was recently elevated to stardom by th^ Film Booking Offices of America, now makes his debut as a producer. Walker has just secured the screen rights to H. C. Witwer's story, "The Fourth Musketeer," which appeared in the September issue of the Cosmopolitan Magazine, this fascinating story will bu used for his initial producing venture. In line with the usual Witwer stories, "The Fourth Musketeer" will be a story of sporting life. One of the big episodes on the play, according to Witwer, is based on an actual incident in the career of Bob Fitzsimmons. The new producer-star has just completed his R-C production. "Captain Fly-By-Night," which is scheduled for December release on the F. B. O. program. Film Booking Offices of America, Inc., will distribute the newWalker production. Warning! f Students Flock to "Knighthood" Believing, says Cosmopolitan, that "When Knighthood Was in Flower" is the best historical motion picture ever made and that it offers exceptional opportunities for obtaining a graphic idea of Tudor times, four hundred and ninety-two students of the Evandcr Childs High School, 184th street and Creston avenue, saw the Cosmopolitan photoplay starring Marion Davies, at the Criterion Theatre, New York. Because it was impossible to procure seats for all of them at one performance, the students viewed the film at four separate matinees. Recommends it for Entire Family "When Knighthood Was in Flower," the Cosmopolitan picture starring Marion Davics, has been recommended as a film for the entire family by the joint committee on better films from the Illinois Council of Parent-Teachers' Associations, "the Illinois League of Women Voters and the Chicago City Woman's League. Two Big Policies Goldwyn Pictures Corporation has taken out two $1,000,000 insurance policies — one on its newly engaged director, Eric von Stroheim, and one on June Mathis, recently engaged as editorial director. Goldwyn was impelled to take out these two million dollar insurance policies because of the big productions in view, involving millions of dollars, in which Mr. von Stroheim and Miss Mathis may individually be concerned. Do not let anyone sell you a subscription to MOVING PICTURE WORLD or any other paper, offering either a special bulletin service of projection helps or Richardson's new Fourth Edition Handbook of Projection as a premium. Such a proposition has never been authorized by the publishers of MOVING PICTURE WORLD and anyone making such faJse repre entation is liable to arrest. Lavish Scenes Made Abroad for Picture To Begin Soon on "The Easiest Way" Final preparations for the production of Eugene Walter's "The Easiest Way" by the Selznick Pictures Corporation with Theda Bara in the stellar role are actively under way at the Selznick home offices at 729 Seventh avenue. Negotiations which have been pending with one of the best known directors in the industry are expected to be closed within a day or two. David Selznick, who will personally supervise the production as the first picture to be made by the newly created Selznick Eastern Producing Unit, has also tentatively cast the picture. Cosmopolitan saj's that all the artistry, perfection of detail and lavishness of production which featured the creation of its epochmaking photoplay, "When Knighthood Was in Flower," are nowbeing employed in the making of "The Enemies of Women," a Cosmopolitan picturization of Vicente Blasco Ibanez's latest and as many consider, his greatest romance, Cosmopolitan sent an entire company to Europe on location for the making of the picture. The company spent six weeks in Monte Carlo, Nice and Paris, where the author located his story. The trip abroad brought the company into direct contact with Ibanez, and his assistance in the direction of manj' of the scenes taken abroad is considered invaluable. In one of the palace scenes, beautiful women of various types predominate. In order that they would be every bit as beautiful as visualized by the author, Cosmopolitan engaged more than a score of Broadway's most famous stage beauties, including an octette of Ziegfeld "Follies" girls. In picturizing this famous story as a super special. Cosmopolitan is said to have assembled a brilliant cast, directed by Alan Crosland. Featured are Lionel Barrymore and Alma Rubens, of "Humoresque" fame. Public Finds More Than Melodrama in "Pawned Reports from the territory indicate that exhibitors are finding J. Parker Read, Jr.'s "Pawned." distributed by Select, much to their liking. Filled with exciting and unusual action, "Pawned" was offered by the Select company as an out-and-out melodrama but reviews in the daily press indicate that it is being accepted as finer than that. The story, written by Frank L. Packard, first appeared in Munsey's Magazine. The printed version embodied considerable amount of serious thought in the author's mind when he wrote it. Through his New XorV agent, Bob Davis, of Munsey's, Mr. Packard has provided the following statement which explains to some extent why "Pawned" is exciting so much comment : "No one is independent of his fellow men, morally or socially. No one is sufficient unto himself. No one can live or act alone. We are all in pawn from the mopient of our birth; we, in our millions, are the warp and woof of that strange fabric we call the community of life. And, as individual threads, as we break or hold, so docs the life of that fabric endure. What you or I do must inevitably have its effect upon others — for good or evil — just as what others do must have an effect upon us. That, in its essenc o Pawned.' "Each one of us must play some part whether we will or no — and we are responsible for the part we play. It was ordained from the beginning that we could not be neutral in our relationships with those around us. Within every man exists a power which, despite himself, he must array either on the drab or on the sunlit side of life; but in him, and him alone, is vested the decision as to which of the two sides he shall choose. And so in 'Pawned' I have tried to picture, in miniature, the effect of some of these influences, as represented by human fraility and human strength of character, at work one upon the other — and out of that picture I have dared to hope the 'better part' would not be without its significance and its message." More Picture Accesories Now in Second Edition The success of modern book publications is measured by the number of editions the publisher finds it necessary to get out to supply the public demand. It doesn't happen often but the Selznick company are at present handling a photoplay which is show-ing its unusual success in much the same way. With "Love Is \n Awful Thing," starring Owen Moore, not many months old the call has gone out for extra editions of many of the advertising accessories which were prepared for the purpose of helping the picture at exhibitors' boxoffices. A second edition of the "Love Is an .\wful Thing" is proving a surprise throughout the trade. It followed "Reported Missing," the previous Owen Moore starring vehicle, and despite the fact that "Reported Missing" has melodramatic and spectacular features which might have been expected to give it preeminence among all the Owen Moore releases, "Love Is an Awful Thing" is surpassing the splendid business which the earlier picture registered. Crowds Go to See Pickford Film Motion picture theatre-goers of Brooklyn, particularly Mary Pickford "fans," amnied the Mark Strand Theatre, Brooklyn, all last week to see "Tess of the Storm Country," says United Artists, and that in spite of the fact that the picture had a week's previous showing on Broadway and was being held over for a second week ;it the Mark Strand, New York. Noted Dancer to Be in New Picture Hannelore, considered by many the greatest dancer in Europe and who scored an unqualified success when she made her .American debut recently in a recital at the X'anderbilt Theatre, has been engaged by Cosmopolitan Productions to appear in "The Enemies of Women," a picturization of Vicente Blasco Ibanez's latest story, now being made under the direction of Alan Crosland. Ask for Prints on C. B. C. Film I'roof of the interest with which ;he completion of "Only a Shopgirl" has been awaited is given this week by the C. B. C. Film Sales Corporation with w'ord that almost without a single exception every territorial holder of the Six Box Office Winners has already wired in his order for a number of prints to be rushed to him as soon as they can be pushed through at the laboratory.