The Moving picture world (March 1923-April 1923)

352. MOVING PICTURE WORLD March 17. 1923 Brass" Dazzles Boston as Theatre Jams Them In at One Dollar Prices (From StaflF Correspondent of Moving Picture World) BOSTON, Mass. — (Special) — Following a ten-day exploitation campaign conducted througti Boston and vicinity newspapers plus clever store tie-ups and billboard teaser displays, Warner Brothers' greatest 1922-23 production, "Brass," based on Charles G. Norris's widely-discussed and candidly written story of mauriage and divorce, opened at the Park Theatre Monday night. All film folk in New England are looking forward studiously to the run of this splendid production at New England's principal first-run house. The first-run audience was a turnaway and the advance sale is one that is as big as that which preceded the run of "Douglas Fairbanks' Robin Hood," which closed a long engagement at the Park two weeks ago. The picture is being given a de luxe presentation with two performances daily — at 2:15 p. m. and 8:15 p. m. The matinee prices are 50 and 75 cents, while the evening show commands 50 and 75 cents and one dollar for the orchestra seats. and tlic critics viewed the special, the newspapers started giving It space. The management redoubled its efforts and proceeded to "sell" the public. The effort is making rapid headway and the run is bound lo be a huge money-maker, particularly in view of the quality of the production and the Shakespearian revival epidemic in the big town. The entire city was patiently awaiting the world premiere showing of "Brass" in Boston, and the fact that it was a world premiere was splendidly advertised to the theatre-going public. The demand for seats for the opening night was so big that another house the size of the Park could have been filled with the overflow. However, it was a splendid premiere, very artistically staged and a typical first night affair. The picture drew from every class, for they came in limousines from the exclusive Back Bay section, from the tenement sections and from the adjacent rural towns. It was a premiere audience that was representative of the various masses that contribute to the general makeup of movie folks. The popularity of the book, which ranks, according to its publishers, as one of the best sellers, contributed notably to the cause of the wholesale turnout. "Brass," as produced by Harry Rapf and directed by Sydney Franklin, was hailed by the critics of the Boston Post, Boston Anti-Drug Films Deluge Exchanges In Gotham District A merry war among exchangemeu handling anti-drug pictures Is predicted within the next two or three weeks in New York. While there has been considerable said pro and con about these productions, exhibitors are seemingly grabbing these pictures, for exchanges handling them appear well satisfied with business in general. There are four such pictures now in New York. One is owned by Irving Cummings and is entitled "The Drug Traffic." This picture was completed on the Coast two Sam Zierler of Commonwealth Pictures Corporation is expecting to better (he gross business he recorded on Johnny Hines' "Sure-Fire Flint" once he gets the other C. C. Barr .special. "Luck." also starring Hines, under way. Sam is holding off until the proper time and it is a safe bet that "Luck," which is said to be one of the best pictures of the season, and admittedly Johnny Hines' best feature, will get into a Broadway house. This is going to be quite a month for the Warner Brothers on Broadway for they take over the Strand Theatre beginning next Monday, when tho Harry Rapf production, production, "Brass." goes into that house. This picture should mop up on Broadway mainly because of the popularity of the book and secondly because It is one of the best produced pictures of the business. "Brass" will be followed with "The Little Church Around The Corner," which the Warners have adapted from the stage. Evening-Morning Globe, The Traveller, Boston Herald, Boston Tele gram, Boston Advertiser and Boston American as one of the greatest J^i;%|f° we^k^"The''o7hrr8 IncUid^ picture entertainments ever offered the theatre-going public. Of "The Greatest Menace" and another this there can be no doubt, for "Brass" is a marvelous production — the best Warner Brothers have ever released. It is the best thing Sydney Franklin has ever done, and it must be remembered that as director for Norma and Constance Talmadge he directed such artistic and box office successes as "Smilin' Thru" and "East Is West," admittedly two of the greatest pictures of 1922. In "Brass" Mr. Franklyn has given the movie world a production that is the last word in the art of picture manufacture. He has treated each character with the touch of the master— the every movement of the players holding the audience undividedly. The settings are lavishly luxurious and consistent, with the photography out of the ordinary. "Brass" opened here Monday night with plenty of advance publicity. The advance brigade promised much — it promised one of the best pictures ever offered. But the picture made good every promise, for the Tuesday performances were just as packed as the opening one with the rest of the week sold out in advance. one that Nathan Hirsh is h.indling through his Aywon exchange and also distributing on the State rights plan. Renown Exchange in New Y^ork Is handling "The Drug Traffic." which, according to information In Film Row, may lie tied up with the anti-drug campaign William Randolph Hearst is conducting through his newspapers. AI Feinman, exploitation man for M'amer Brothers was taken ill while exploiting "Brass" at its premiere showing at the Park Theatre, Boston, this week. He is confined to bed with influenza and will be away from 1600 Broadway for some time. Influenza has literally put many attaches of New Y^ork independent exchanges out of business during the past three weeks. "Othello." the Ben BlumenthalDavid P. Powells Shakespearian production, started on its second week at the Criterion Theatre in New York, and bids fair to go through to a business that will equal that of last week. The prediction is made because of the publicity campaign . . that has been inaugurated. The picJust how long It will ture opened virtually cold insofar as Animal pictures, now that Snow's "Hunting Wild Game With Gun and Camera" has gone over, are coming out in big numbers. Three of them were offered State rights exchangemen this week. "Are You A Failure?" Is being announced as the next Al Lichtman release in New York. Sam Zierler Is handling the Lichtman product in New York. remain at the Park Theatre remains to be seen, but if the enthusias advance notice was concerned, for the t II J • r u J u I J n 1 • J newspapers gave it little or no space, tically commending reviews of the hard-boiled Boston reviewers and on^e (he picture got under way the remarkable response of a public that is clamoring the box office for advance reservations constitute any criterion, it is safe to say that "Brass" will hold the boards for at least three weeks — if not more — and at $1, for the production is worth every penny of that dollar. "Brass" will do more toward establishing the Warner Brothers as producers of high class pictures than any other picture they have released to date. It was a daring venture that they undertook when they decided to adopt such a delicate theme to the screen. But in doing so they proved themselves keen showmen, for "Brass" is inoflfensive and censorproof. It dwells on the theme of "Brass" in interestingly clever fashion, for there is nothing that even hints at suggestivencss and every character is a finished type that is an artistic treat in itself. If the Warner adaptations of the David Belasco specials and the other 1923-24 pictures are as good as "Brass," it is not an outburst of enthusiasm over this feature that prompts the statement to be made that exhibitors who will book 1923-24 Classics will be acquiring gold mines. Certainly "Brass" is that. It's proving that here — at one dollar top, and getting it. And will continue to get it. Al Feinman, of New York, was here co-operating with the staflF of Franklyn Film exchange putting over the advance publicity on "Brass." There was nothing sensational about the campaign. It was straight common-sense — and this fact helped the draw from the society crowd, which is taking an unusual interest in "Brass," judging from the limousines that called for patrons after the opening, Tuesday afternoon and night shows. Charley Goetz, manager of W-B Exchanges, Inc., made a flying trip to Boston last week. H. Leiber Buys "The Curse" INDIANAPOLIS— (Special)— H. Leiber Company, local State rights exchange firm, is not overlooking a bet and apparently intends redoubling its effort in the local independent distribution field, for this week that concern closed with L. Lawrence Weber and Bobby North for the local rights to "The Curse." Scotf s South Pole Expedition Filmed The first complete print of the official motion picture record of the late Capt. Scott's ill-fated South Pole Expedition has been received in this country by Robert W. Priest, president of The Film Market, Inc., 1482 Broadway, New York City. Immense historical interest attaches to these films as . Capt. Scott was the first explorer to make photography an important feature of a great Polar expedition. The photographic department, which was under the personal direction of Mr. Herbert G. Ponting, achieved remarkable success and the motion pictures showing the daily grind of the heroes in the Great White South and illustrating the animal and bird life of the region have been acclaimed by press and public, in this country and abroad, to be the finest ever obtained in polar regions, or possibly anywhere else for that matter. Edited and arranged with interesting data and pertinent scientific facts for the benefit of science, education and posterity, by a member of the expedition, Mr. Herbert G. Ponting, F.R.G.S., F.R.P.S., F.Z.S., world-wide traveler and explorer-cinematographer, the actual pictorial record of this tremendous tale of human adventure and courage has finally been finished, after ten years of studious and conscientious labor and a splendid reproduction sent to this country. The print is in the possession of Robert W. Priest, who introduced "The Undying Story of Capt. Scott" and "Animal Life in the Antarctic" to the world (at the Lyric Theatre, New York) shortly after the discovery of the fate of Capt. Scott and his comrades.