The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

230 MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 21, 1925 New Priscilla Dean Picture After months spent in the most careful reading of story material, William Sistrom has finally selected "The Bride," a play by Stewart Oliver and George Middleton, as the most appropriate vehicle for Priscilla Dean's first production for Metropolitan George Middleton, co-author of "The Bride" distinguished himself in the motion picture industry through his work on "Adam and Eve," and "Polly with a Past." Biggs to Edit "Fifth Avenue " Douglass Biggs, lately associated with Corinne Griffith Productions, has been engaged by A. H. Sebastian as film editor of his present production, "Fifth Avenue," now being made at the Metropolitan Studios. Biggs formerly acted as film editor for Warner Brothers and Trimble-Murfin Productions. WHEN ARTHUR BRISBANE. BRILLIANT EDITOR OF "THE NEW YORK AMERICAN," visited Hollywood recently, he was the quest of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Fairbanks {Mary Pickford) at the Pick ford-Fairbanks studio. Left to right arc Harold Lloyd, Mr. Brisbane, little Sarah, his daughter; Mary Pickford and "Doug," the latter attired in the costume he will be seen in when we get a peek at his forthcoming United Artists' picture, "The Black Pirate." Start on New Dwan Picture With four of tlie featured players selected, Allan Dwan's newest production, "Sea Horses," will go into production on November 9. The story is from the novel by Francis Brett Young and was adapted by James Shelly Hamilton. Leading roles in the production will be played by Florence Vidor, Jack Holt, George Bancroft and William Powell. Large Western Prominence to EACH week shows a remarkable increase in the popularity of Gotham Productions among Independent exhibitors and several of the larger circuits in the West are featuring "Gothams" over their vaudeville bills. One of the largest is the Pantages Circuit which reports that the plan is working out to the tune of greatly increased box-office receipts. Tlie success of Gotham's "The Overland Limited" at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles prompted the management of this house to exert extra effort on behalf of the next picture which was "His Master's Voice" featuring Thunder, The Marvel Dog. A special edition of "Pantages Pickings" the theatre house organ was devoted almost entirely to this picture. Additional extra exploitation attracted the attention of the Gotham West Coast production unit and the dog was sent to the theatre for a "personal appearance." A new house record resulted. Similar reports have been received from the Frank Circuit operating in the Middle West. A three-quarter page newspaper ad. was the opening shot for "The Overland Limited" at the Isis Theatre, Cedar Rapids, la., and this city as well as Waterloo and others on the circuit report capacity business. Further East, the big Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore reports $11,500 on the week with "The Overland Limited," the highest M-G-M Buys Buys More Novels Three new stories have been purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for early production. They are "The Strolling Saint," by Rafael Sabatini; "The Little Journey," by Rachel Crothers, and "Frisco Sal," by Alfred A. Cohn. All three tales are to be produced on an elaborate scale with the best casts obtainable. Circuits Give Gotham Pictures gross receipts in the city in the face of the strongest kind of opposition. The Hippodrome has recently adopted a "box-office bu'lding" policy and states that "The Overland Limited" turned the tide for them. Von Stroheim to Produce and Act in Series for Paramount To Play Opposite Marion Davies Antonio Moreno, announces Irving G. Thalberg, associate M-G-M executive, has been signed by the Culver City studios to play the male lead opposite Marion Davies in her next starring vehicle, "Beverly of Graustark," an impressive screen version of the famous George Barr McCutcheon novel. Sydney Franklin is to direct this big Cosmopolitan production for Metro-GoldwynMayer. JESSE L. LASKY announced that, through arrangement with P. A. Powers, he had signed Eric Von Stroheim to produce and act in a series of Paramount pictures. "I have looked upon Mr. Von Stroheim as one of the outstanding figures of the screen, not only as a producer, but also as a character actor of subtlety and intelligence," said Mr. Lasky. "As the man who produced 'The Merry Widow' I think he has established himself as a director who brought a great deal to the motion picture art, so I am particularly happy that he will start his first Paramount picture early in February. We are now considering several well known theatrical properties as Mr. Von Stroheim's first picture for Paramount. "Everyone of the Von Stroheim-Paramount productions will have not only the active cooperation of the producing executives of the Lasky studio, but in making these pictures Mr. Von Stroheim will have back of him all of the resources of the Famous Player-Lasky organization. Thus in stories, casting and all the other multitudinous details of production Mr. Von Stroheim will have the very best available." Prizes Awarded Showmen on ''Charley's Aunt" Exploitation PRIZES were awarded this week in the contest for the best exploitation done by the various theatre managers on "Charley's Aunt," inaugurated last Spring by the theatre department of Famous PlayersLasky Corporation. Frank Miller, of Augusta, Ga., won the first prize, a $100 cigarette case awarded by Producers Distributing Corporation. C. W. Irvin, of the Imperial Theatre, Charlotte, N. C, took second prize, a good embossed leather case, brought over from Italy by Pat Dowling, publicity director of the Christie Film Company. Third prize, a hundred initialed cigarettes, went to C. B. Stiff, manager of the Imperial Theatre, Columbia, S. C. Some of the best exploitation stunts used in the United States were originated by the various Southern Division managers when running the famous Christie film. Decisions were made in the contest by Harold B. Franklin and L. L. Stewart, of F. P.'s theatre department.