The Moving picture world (March 1923-April 1923)

306 MOVING PICTURE WORLD March 17. 1923 Woods, Harris and Buchanan Form New Producing Company Moving^ Picture WORLD PUBLISHED WBEIKLT BY OHALUKRS PUBLISHING COMPANY 618 Fifth Avenue, New York City Telephone: Murray Hill 1610 Branch Offices: 28 East Jackson Boulevard, Chicago; W. E. Keefe, 1962 Cheremoya Avenue, Los Angeles, Cal. John F. Chalmers, president; Alfred J. Chalmers, vice-president; James P. Chalmers, Sr., vice-president; Eliza J. Chalmers, secretary and treasurer, and Ervln L. Hall, buBlncBs manager. ROBERT B. WELSH — K»ITOR Bdltoiial Staff! John A. Archer, mana^BK editor; Epes Wlnthrop Sargrent, exploitatlos; F. H. Richardson, projection; E. T. Keyser, equipment: Charles S. Sewell, reviews; Roffer Ferrl, Independent productions; Sumner Smith, exhibitor news; T. S. da Ponte, producers news, and A. Van Buren PowsU, Stralgrht from the Shoulder Reports. MaBaser of Advertlslngrt W. P. Mllllg«n. Haaac^r of Clrcnlatloni Dennis J. Shea. Subscription price: United States and Its possessions, Mexico and Cuba, $3.60 a year; Caaada. $3.50; foreign countries (postpaid), $10.00 a year. Copyright. 192$, Chalmers Publlshlngr Co. Copyright throughout Great Britain and Colonies under the provisions of the Copyright Act of 1*11. (All rights reserved.) Other PabUcattoBS Cine Uundlal (Spanish). Technical Books. ^^^^^ Member Audit Bureau Circulations. Member National Publishers Association. Still More On Page 290 of this issue we present letters from just a few more of the thousands of exhibitors who read NO OTHER PAPER but Moving Picture World. Last week we gave a page. Next week we'll give more. Think these exhibitors over when you are laying out adV e r t i s i n g appropriations. Think, not only of bulk circulation, but — How many thousands of exhibitors am I MISSING ENTIRELY the week I am not in that paper? The World has the figures to show you. ANOTHER film producing company is active in Los Angeles, due to the fact that releasing contracts have just been signed at the Pickford-Fairbanks studios by Frank E. Woods, president of Associated Authors, and Hiram Abrams, president of United Artists Corporation and Allied Producers and Distributors Corporation. Associated Authors, made up of Frank E. Woods, Elmer Harris and Thompson Buchanan, is one of the newest concerns to be established in the picture industry, and promises to be one of the most active, judging by plans now under consideration. "Formed for the purpose of promoting a closer association of authors with regard to the production of pictures," said Mr. Woods, "the Associated Authors will devote themselves to the developing of special features of the very highest type. Our first offering will be 'The Talisman,' and Wallace Beery, who played the role of Richard the Lionhearted in 'Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood,' will be featured in this same role in the Sir Walter Scott classic." The pictures turned out by the Associated .\uthors will be released through Allied Producers and Distributors Corporation, a subsidiary of United Artists Corporation, owned and controlled by Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and D. W. Griffith. In the affiliation of this new organization CS. KWEI, a Chinese newspaperman, announced at the weekly * luncheon of the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers, that a new corporation backed by Chinese and American capital has been formed to show motion pictures throughout China. The new organization is called the Peacock Corporation, which has, Mr. Kwei declared, already purchased eighty pictures for showing in the Far East. Mr. Kwei pointed out that at the present time there were only about 100 picture theatres in all China and said that the Peacock Corporation, of which he is now a member, intended to build many more and hoped to have a big chain of houses. "Of course, the trouble has been that motion pictures have been shown in China with American and English titles." he told his auditors. "We intend to translate your titles into Chinese, which will not only make them entertaining for our countrymen in general, but will have an educational force far greater than the newspapers. The Chinaman seldom reads the newspapers, but he will see pictures, he will get instruction in his language and he will learn how others live through the high class pictures now being issued. However, we must have action pictures to keep our audiences entertained. "We intend to train a native corps of about 1,000 in the handling of projection machines and it is probable that before we have with that owned by the four big stars and producers there is a great deal of sentiment. It is the story of dreams come true. For many years it has been the hope of Miss Pickford, Chaplin, Fairbanks and Griffith that some day an organization headed by Frank E. Woods would become associated with that owned by the four stars. It has not yet been decided definitely at what studio the Associated .Authors will operate. This is to be arranged shortly by Clarke Thomas, associated for years with Thomas H. Ince, and who has been appointed general manager of the new organization. The production plan of the Associated Authors is unique in that they will produce instead of attempting simultaneous operations. The present plan is for Mr. Woods to do "The Talisman" as the first offering, and when photography is complete Elmer Harris will put a picture into work. As soon as all scenes for this have been taken, Thompson Buchanan will then start a production. In addition to being producers, each of the three authors named is an officer in the new organization. Elmer Harris and Thompson Buchanan are both vice-presidents, while Frank Woods holds the portfolio of president, with Clarke Thomas acting as general manager. "Now that our releasing agency has been established," said Mr. Woods, "I will start at once to gather a cast for 'The Talisman.' It is our hope to have this production ready as one of the picture offerings for the coming spring. Work will start as soon as the cast is chosen, by which time we will be definitely established in a studio. erected our theatres we will send out shows in wagons and in this manner pave the way for our theatres." In this connection an interview with Mrs. Caroline Eager, writer, club woman and motion picture crusader of Los Angeles, sent out by Associated First National is interesting. Mrs. Eager has just returned from a tour of the world, and during her trip gave special attention to pictures. Speaking of pictures in China, Mrs. Eager said: "There is no laughter at all in the Chinese theatres. The (Zhinese take their pictures very seriously. The American sense of humor is entirely lost. They like high class plays such as those starring the Talmadge sisters, Mary Pickford. Kathcrine MacDonald. A picture such as Norma Talmadge's 'Smilin' Through' has a big appeal to them. They seem more spiritual than the Japanese, who want to either gasp or laugh — laugh uproarously, in fact. "The silent drama is anvthing but silent in Japan," continued Mrs. Eager. "The titles are shown in American words, but a native stands on the stage and translates them and the audiences roars in glee." In explaining further the work to be done by the new Peacock Corporation, Mr. Kwei declared that the company hoped soon to undertake the making of big Chinese motion pictures for distribution in China. "We want China to know America better and we want America to really know the Chinese. The Chinese like Americans and we have everv reason to believe Americans like us. We hope to broaden that good feeling while we are making our venture successful." Form Corporation to Develop Picture Industry in China