The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

546 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 12, 1925 A "PRIZE RING" PICTURE, b u t not of the prize ring, fistic sort, for it shows Lloyd Hughes and Mary Astor in First Nation al's "The Scarlet Saint." "Drusilla with a Million" Opens St. Louis Theatre THE St. Louis Theatre, at St. Louis, Mo. a new $2,000,000 house with a seating capacity of 4,000, selected "Drusilla with a Million," an As.sociateci Arts Corporation-F. B. O. Gold Bond production for its formal opening last week. Its splendid record of performance in first run houses in various sections of the United States, added to its definite merits as a box office attraction, prompted H. A. Kupler and Asher Levy to select "Drusilla" from among the big pictures available on the market. Thousands jammed the streets on the opening night for blocks around the new theatre for hours in advance of the opening in an attempt to see the house and the feature film. Four thousand fans gained admittance, while hundreds were turned away. Mayor Miller of St. Louis, and Director of Public Safety Brod in brief addresses extolled the enterprise and public spirit of the men responsible for the new theatre. The same unequalled applause and enthusiasm which greeted the picture at its New York premiere at the Capitol Theatre, was tendered the film by both audience and the St. Louis newspaper critics. Frances V. Feldkamp, reviewing the picture for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, said: "Excellent entertainment. As Drusilla, Mary Carr has one of the triumphs of her career. Priscilla Bonner is a sweet and loving Sally May, and Kenneth Harlan is a satisfactory Collin. Claire du Brey admirably portrys the scheming Daphne." Erislon French in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch enthused: "The photoplay feature 'Drusilla with a Million' is one no movie fan should miss. It grips the interest from first flash to fadeout and is replete with emotional situations." SEVERAL weeks ago it was announced that Joe Brandt and Jack and Harry Cohn, president, vice president and treasurer of Columbia Pictures respectively, were negotiating with the exchange owners and managers, distributing productions with the Columbia brand, to organize into a national chain for th« exclusive distribution of Columbia pictures. This new move to lift independent productions from the state right rut has brought many independent exchanges rallying to the Columbia banner, that they might be in on the general trend of stabilizing both independent producers and exchanges; realizing that this progressive step means not only a national organization for the distributing of independent products, but also means extensive national advertising exploitation and publicity which will put the pictures made by independent producers on a competitive level. Exchanges will, therefore, directly benefit, and instead of having state right pictures to distribute, they will have instead nationally distributed, nationally exploited productions. May McAvoy to Play Lead in "The Chariot of the Gods" May McAvoy has just been signed by Fox Films to play the leading femmine role in "The Chariot of the Gods," which will be released on February 28. The picture will be based on an original story by Howard Hawks, for many years supervisinji director on the Famous Players lot, and Mr. Hawks will direct. Leslie Fenton, who ha.s just finished playing the leading role in the modern sequence of "The Ancient Mariner" opposite Clara Bow, has been cast as the hero of the drama. The villainy of the piece will be supplied by Ben Bard, who is said to be the handsomest scoundrel to come to the screen. New Vehicles Selected For Priscilla Dean Two starring vehicles for Priscilla Dean, to follow "The Danger Girl" in which s"he is now w'orking, were selected this week by William Sistrom, general manager of Metropolitan Pictures. The second DeanMetropolitan picture wil! be a screen version of "Forbidden Waters," written by Percy Heath of the Metropolitan scenario staff. This will be followed by "The Dice Woman," of which Welford Beston is the author. Both of these stories are of the "fast action" type in which Miss Dean has achieved her greatest successes. Cecille Evans in Lead Role Cccille Evans, a former Mack Sennett bathing girl who has recently deserted comedies for feature productions, will be seen in the leading role opposite George Walsh in "Blue Blood", that star's latest release for Chadwick Pictures Corporation. Although Miss Evans has been playing in feature productions for about one year, "Blue Blood" will mark her debut in a leading role. Other players in the cast are Joan Meredith, 1925 Wampas Baby Star, Philo McCullough, Eugene Borden, Harvey Clark, Robert Boulder and G. Howe Black. This new move to nationalize independent exchanges, and its successful conclusion, will once and for all establish the status of independent producers. In the past they were excluded from fair competition through the inadequacy of the state right selling system. With a national medium of distribution their productions will be handled as ably as those of any of the large national organizations, and will receive serious consideration from exhibitors as product worthy of national distribution. "Self Defense" With Major Campbell directing and B. F. McEveety assisting, "Self Defence," an Arrow production, went into production this week at the Whitman Bennett Glendale Studios. "Self Defence" was written by Elizabeth York Miller, and will feature the following cast: Aileen Percy, Edna Murphy, George O'Hara, May Bennett, Jane Jennings and Wilfred Lucas. Independents Successfully Nationalize Exchanges Stop Cheating Yourself Out of Real Profits— BOOK 18 MADE WCHr PRJU RIGHT PROFITJ RIGHT BOOK THEM TODAYl