The Moving picture world (January 1924-February 1924)

30 M O VINC, PICTURE WORLD January 5, 1924 Scene from "Spring Fever," a Fox Sunshine Comedy. "Fear Maker" Finished Purchased by Grand-Asher Distributing Corp. Harry Chandlee, well known in the motion picture industry as a title writer, has recently completed a story, "The Fear Maker," which, before publication, has been bought by the Grand-Asher District Corp., through F. Heath Cobb, exploitation director. This story will probably be the first production which will star Florence O'Denishawn, of the Music Box Review who has for a number of years been the featured dancer with such Broadway attractions as the Follies, Hitchy Koo, etc. Anderson Signs Hadley Hopp Hadley will direct the exploitation of "After the Ball" and other Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation Productions. This is in accordance with an announcement coming from the offices of Anderson Pictures Corporation. New Screen Technique Introduced by Laurette Taylor in Metro Picture Laurette Taylor has spent but several weeks at the Metro studios in Hollywood where she is appearing before the camera in the Metro picture version of her great stage success, "Happiness," but she has already introduced a new mode of procedure in the making of motion pictures. At the start of the filming of "Happiness" Miss Taylor suggested that instead of following the usual procedure of rehearsing each scene and photographing it, a whole sequence of scenes be rehearsed and then the individual scenes photographed in order without rehearsing. The plan was put into effect by King Vidor who is directing Miss Taylor in "Happiness" and it proved immediately successful. Miss Taylor, according to Mr. Vidor, has already absorbed as much knowledge of motion picture technique as most persons would acquire only after many years. It was Mr. Vidor who directed Miss Taylor in her earlier Metro version of "Peg O' My Heart," which scored such a tremendous success. Start Service Novel Preferred Begins Work on "Poisoned Paradise" Camera work began this week on "Poisoned Paradise," Robert W. Service's novel, which B. P. Schulberg announces will be the most important Preferred Picture produced to date in respect to both magnitude and treatment. The story, which deals with Monte Carlo and Paris is one of the best selling novels of the year. Waldemar Young has made the adaptation and the direction has been given over to Gasnier. Mr. Schulberg has picked a cast of players whose drawing power is consistent with the popularity of the story. Kenneth Harlan who has scored a triumph everywhere in the title role of "The Virginian," will have the star part and will be supported by Clara Bow, of "Down to the Sea in Ships" fame. Her two latest pictures are "Maytime" and "Black Oxen." HENRY GINSBURG General Sales Manager for Preferred Pictures Corp., who has just returned from visiting the exchanges. Miss Adoree Better Renee Adoree, who was injured in an automobile crash several weeks ago in Los Angeles while on her way to the studios to appear in Reginald Barker's new MetroLouis B. Mayer picture, "Women Who Wait," is recovering rapidly, according to news from the coast. Happily Miss Adoree will not bear any facial scars as a result of her accident, during which she sustained five broken ribs and bruises about the neck and shoulders when she was hurled from her machine. It will be some little time before she can resume her work in Mr. Barker's picture, but her recovery will be complete and she will go back to her work the minute she is able. Brown Goes to Coast Colvin W. Brown, Eastern representative of Thomas H. Ince, left December 25 for the Coast to confer with Mr. Ince on various matters. He will be absent from his desk for about three weeks. MAE MURRAY As she appears in "Fashion Row," Metro Picture. Greene in New Position Yale University Press, producing "The Chronicles of America," has announced the appointment of J. Irving Greene in an important executive capacity. He is working in close co-operation with Pathe Exchange, Inc., distributors of the Chronicles, as producer's representative and is also handling special publicity for the Yale Press enterprise. Mr. Greene was for two years a member of the Pathe exploitation staff and subsequently Director of Advertising and Publicity for Associated Exhibitors. White Back from Tour R. A. White, general sales manager of Fox Film Corporation, returned to the home offices in New York during the past week after a seven weeks' tour of all the Fox exchanges. The Canadian offices were also included in his itinerary. C. P. Sheehan, manager of the Eastern Division for Fox, who was in charge of Mr. White's office during his absence, has returned to his post at Buffalo. MARIE PREVOST Who has recently arrived in the East from Warner Brothers' West Coast Studios, where she completed a big Warner production under Ernst Lubitsch.