The Moving picture world (September 1923-October 1923)

188 MOVING PICTURE WORLD September 8, 1923 "Daytime Wives" Goes Big Elaborate Press Sheet Andrew J. Cobe, managing director of the Central Theatre, New York, this week announced that "Daytime Wives," the F. B. O. production which opened at his theatre this week, broke all house records in the way of a gross for an opening day. The picture opened on Sunday matinee and from the time that the doors opened until they were closed that midnight not a seat was left unoccupied. The gross for the day was in the neighborhood of $2,200. The picture, which was directed by Emile Chautard, was exhibited after a nation-wide publicity campaign through the medium of a "Daytime Wives League," an organization of stenographers and office employees around the country who fell for the title and the principle it stood for. The story is from the pens of Lenore Coffee and John F. Goodrich and carries a cast consisting of Derelys Perdue, Wyndham Standing, Grace Darmond, William Conklin, Edward Hearn, Katharine Lewis, Kenneth Gibson, Christina Montt, Jack Carlyle, Craig Biddle, Jr. for Metro-Mayer Film Press sheets for the Niblo production, "Strangers of the Night," a Metro-Louis B. Mayer attraction, have just come off the press and cover thoroughly every angle of publicity, exploitation and advertising on the screen version of Walter Hackett's stage play. "Captain Applejack." The front cover, suitable for a lobby or window card, is done in two colors and shows a striking pose of Enid Bennett as a pirate. Several pages are devoted to exploitation, many original and novel Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan Hits Play to Capacity Business All Over : !;:nts being described such as the guessing contest, the treasure hunt idea and the tagging stranger stunt. Then there are tie-ups, novelty pirate hats, cartoons, card tricks and a hundred and one other suggestions. Each idea is fully and carefully outlined so that it can be put over with the least possible outlay of time and money. Xewspaper stories have been given expert attention. Completes List After searching for three months for suitable types for the cast of Thomas Meighan's new Paramount starring vehicle, "Woman-Fpoof," the list of players has been completed. Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan pictures have hit Broadway with a bang this summer. Five of them in succession have scored smashing hits along the Great White Way. Two of them are now running in prerelease showings in "legitimate" theatres at advanced admission charges. Cosmopolitan's "Enemies of Women," from Vicente Blasco Ibanez's novel, with Lionel Barrymore and Alma Rubens, set the ball a-rolling. opening first at the Central Theatre and then being transferred to the Rialto, the Rivoli and the Cameo theatres. It corralled fifteen weeks of Broadway time and is now going strong throughout the country w'here it is having pre-release showings in the big cities. Next in order of showing came Goldwyn's "Three Wise Fools," King Vidor's production of Austin Strong's play, which was originally produced on Broadway by John Golden. The screen version has been called five times as good as the stage version by the men who produced it on the stage, and the great audiences which jammed the great Capitol Theatre for two weeks to see it, bear out John Goldens' statement. It was received by the critics with as much enthusiasm as by the picturegoers. Other cities are now endorsing New York's enthusiasm. Cosmopolitan's new stellar vehicle for Marion Davies, "Little Old New York," from Rida Johnson Young's play of that name, has established itself at the new Cosmopolitan Theatre — formerly the Park — for a long stay. It was hailed by the New York reviewers as one of the best pictures yet produced and one which gave Marion Davies rank with the topnotchers among film stars. The "lay ran all year on Broadway and the film version has started in to beat that record. Sidney Olcott directed the picture. Distinctive's George Arliss picture, "The Green Goddess," taken from the stage melodrama by William Archer in which Winthrop Ames starred Mr. Arliss on the stage, has settled down for a long stay at the Sam H. Harris Theatre. The critics were again unanimous in their praise of this photoplay, declaring that it was one of the best yet produced. The reception accorded to Goldwyn's Jesse D. Hampton production of Rex Beach's Alaskan novel, "The Spoilers," was just as en thusiasticaMy unanimous as it had been for the four other GoldwynCosmopolitan releases. It, like "Three Wise Fools," was retained at the Capitol Theatre for a second week, and that in the heart of summer. With five such big Broadway hits in its first group of releases, "Jealous Fools " Half Finished Maurice Tourneur's newest production, "Jealous Fools," is half finished and will be ready for First National release in another month. It marks Mr. Tourneur's first original script for the screen in years, and offers the type of melodrama that has identified a majority of his foremost successes of the past. Arrangements are being completed for the staging of a series of important scenes along the waterfront of San Francisco and the entire company will leave for the North shortly. Every effort will be made by the producer to keep this picturization down to the popular footage of six reels in accordance with the policy of M. C. Levee, producer of Tourneur pictures. In the cast are Jane Novak, Earle Williams, Bull Montana, Ben Alexander, Marion Feducha and George Siegman. Assisting Mr. Tourneur in the direction are Scott R. Beall and Jack Tourneur, son of the director, who makes his debut with this picturization. Arthur L. Todd is photographer. Washington Reviewers Praise "Rouged Lips 99 First press reports upoi "Rouged Lips," Viola Dana's initial Metro vehicle of the season, stamp it an unqualified success. It opened last week at Loew's Palace, Washington. D. C. and the newspaper reviewers of that city welcomed it heartily. The Washington Times in a lengthy review states that "Rouged Lips," in which Miss Dana's supporting cast is headed by Tom Moore, "rises head and shoulders above the welter of program pictures we've been saddled with lately." The Washington News said "it is the best picture Viola Dana has made for a long time. It is a story of the stage and its little people, written by the capable Rita Weiman. It is filled with the atmosphere of back stage — authentic and compelling. It i*, what is more to the point, darn good entertainment." Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan holds six more in reserve, all of which are destined to make something of a splash on the Broadway screen on their own account. These are "Red Lights," a mystery picture ; Elinor Glyn's "Six Days." Distinctive's "The Steadfast Heart," Tod Brownings first Goldwyn picture, "The Day of Faith"; Gilbert E. Gable's "Slave of Desire," from Balzac's "Magic Skin." and Emmctt Flynns f\r>i Goldwyn picture,. "In the Palace of the King," by F. Marion Crawford. Support Charles Jones Ruth Clifford and Maurice Flynn, two well-known screen celebrities, once stars in their own right, play the leading roles in support of Charles Jones, the Fox star, who is featured in "Hell's Hole," the special for September release. Battista Picture for Fall Release Little Miriam Battista, who had just completed her work in Distinctive's "The Steadfast Heart," is making a week of personal appearance at Loew's, Toronto, Canada, in connection with one of her photoplays. The cast of "The Steadfast Heart" includes Marguerite Courtot, Mary Alden, Joseph Striker, William B. Mack and Joseph Depew. This production will be released in the early Fall through Goldwyn Cosmopolitan. 'Merry Go Round" Still Making the Rounds on Broadway "Merry Go Round," the Universal Super Jewel, is just recording its fifth booking in the Times Square section of Broadway. With its entrance into the Broadway Theatre the week of August 26, every one of the big town houses in New York City will have had a standing room run with "Merry Go Round." It began at the Rivoli in July. Business was 10 exceptional _ that they kept it over for a second week. It then moved to the Rialto. Then it had a three-week's run at the Central. After that it ran for two we«ks at the Cameo.