Moving Picture World (Aug 1916)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD August 19, 1916 "SAVING THE FAMILY NAME" (Bluebird). The Smalleys contribute their sixth production to the Bluebird program September 11. "Saving the Family Name," prepared for the screen by Lois Weber, who based her scenario upon a story by Evelyn Heath. Beside assisting Miss Weber in the direction Phillips Smalley will play the principal male role. Mary MacLaren, the heroine of "Shoes," will be the featured person. There are in the details mentioned above sufficient facts of Scene from "Saving the Family Name" (Bluebird). importance to the exhibitor to make "Saving the Family Name" a feature that will warrant preparing for several weeks in advance. Lois Weber's vogue, established in her production of "Hypocrites," has been greatly enhanced by her consistently excellent contributions to the Bluebird series. Mary MacLaren, who gained quick fame by her abrupt elevation to screen stardom from the obscurity of "playing maids," when she was discovered and directed by Lois Weber in "Shoes," carries a quite different role in "Saving the Family Name," and justifies the excellent judgment made manifest by Miss Weber in bringing her out as a leading woman. With the preliminary introduction of "The Unattainable" featuring Dorothy Davenport and Emory Johnson, for the week embracing Labor Day, the Bluebird people practically start the theatrical season with "Saving the Family Name" — inaugurating, at least, a renewed effort to place their brand in* the public eye, through their national campaign, and retaining vogue for the series by advancing carefully chosen subjects. Phillips Smalley, as Miss MacLaren's leading man in "Saving the Family Name," makes his second appearance as a Bluebird actor. Jack Holt, Carl Von Schiller, Harry Depp and Miss Girrard Alexander will be among the principals in a large cast. Allen Seigler attended to the camera work, the photography being an important factor because of the nature of the story. MARGUERITE CLARK AS "LITTLE LADY EILEEN." "Little Lady Eileen," the girl who believes in fairies, the next starring vehicle of Marguerite Clark, is scheduled for release on the Paramount Program August 10 by the Famous Players. The keynote of the picture, which was directed by J. Searle Dawley, is the implicit faith which Eileen has in the fairies, though nobody else among her companions takes any stock in such nonsense. So strong is her faith that the little Irish lasshe actually sees the fairies themselves, though her lover is blind to them and scoffs at her. The romantic atmosphere of old Ireland and the delightful subject have given both the star and the director an almost unparalleled opportunity to give full rein to their respective abilities. Surely none could be better suited to a role of this kind than the diminutive Miss Clark, and the skill of Mr. Dawley in interweaving the real and the fantastic is too well known to need comment. It was for this production that the folk-lore and tradition of old Ireland was exhaustively studied and much time was spent in the making of queer jaunting carts, old mule-drawn carriers, Irish railway coaches, and even papier-mache fairies, in the midst of which the tiny figure of Miss Clark is now Just and now looms gigantic. Exceptionally clever work has been done in support of Miss Clark by Harrv Lee as the old Irish cobbler, \ernon Steele, John L Shine, Russell Bassett and Maggie Halloway Fisher. LENORE ULRICH IN "THE CONFLICT." Upon the completion of Lenore Ulrich's new photoplay vehicle for Pallas Pictures "The Intrigue," the popular little star will immediately begin work on her next subject, "The Conflict," a dramatic storv bv Julia Crawford Ivers. "The Intrigue," in which Miss Ulrich appears in the role of the beautiful Countess Sonia Varnli, a foreigrn spy. wil on the Paramount program. In "The Conflict" Miss Ulrich will appear as "Alona," the half-breed daughter of a wealthy white man. A romantic theme is evident in the story and it is expected that this will be brought out to particular advantage by the work of the star, together with the stirring moments of the play. "The Conflict" will be staged under the chief supervision of Scott Sidney, who has just become affilated with the Pallas organization. Mr. Sidney was formerly with Ince and has a long list of successes to his credit. He will be ably assisted by Waldo Walker. Supporting Miss Ulrich is another exceptional cast, including Colin Chase, who appears opposite the star, Howard Davies, Adelaide Woods, Jack Stark, Gail Brooks, Joy Lewis and William Winter Jefferson. The camera work will be supervised by James Van Trees, who is responsible for much of the excellent photography evidenced in recent Pallas releases. "REEL LIFE" MERITING PRAISE. The Mutual Magazine in Film, "Reel Life," which is manufactured by the Gaumont company, is coming into some well merited praise from Mutual branch managers. It is the branch manager who is in close touch with the exhibitor, and it is extremely gratifying to the Gaumont company to find that these men are not only themselves enthusiastic over the new reel, but are able to report that exhibitors are equally as well . favorable comments," writes lager, "and the picture is used in 'first run' houses." word that "we received nothing but the n 'Reel Life.' It is one of the most enterpart of any program. The adver "We have received some Froi very best comments i taining reels that ca tising campaign you quite sure will prodi As an instance of the enterta be mentioned the leading pictu This shows how water power ahod from the pri: conducting is a good c and i ng qualities of this reel may series in "Reel Life" No. 16. developed, throwing on the wheel which r quires twenty-four hours in which to grind a bushel of corn to the stupendous electric power-houses which have hundreds of thousands of horsepower developed by water. THE GERMAN FLEET IN THE NORTH SEA. For the first time since the European conflict began the German fleet, bottled up in the North Sea, has been photographed for moving pictures. Nelson E. Edwards, staff photographer of the Hearst International News Pictorial, accomplished this apparently impossible task after eighteen months of effort. Ever since the war started attempts have been made by moving picture concerns to secure films of the German fleet. To every request the German Government turned a deaf ear. Edwards, however, won the confidence of the German chancellor, Von Bethmann-Holweg. The first concession he won was to visit Constantinople, where the Sultan of Turkey posed for him. That was last November. Upon his return to Berlin, Edwards worked night and day to secure permission to photograph the fleet. Soon after the North Sea battle the chancellor consented to his going to Wilhelmshaven. He was given a permit to visit all the ships of the line, the first of its kind ever granted to a moving picture photographer. Edwards hurried to Wilhelmshaven, where he was turned over to Admiral Von Scherr of the German navy. For three days he was the guest of the admiral aboard the Frederick • be ready for release Harbor Scene, Wilhelmshaven, Germany (International). Wilhelm der Grosse, making reel after reel of film of the German warships patroling the North 9ea, constantly on the lookout for an opportunity to break through the apparent blockade of the British. All of the important ships of the German navy are shown and the pictures settle by actual visualization the disputed question of the fate of several of the warships that took part in the memorable dash for the open. The pictur* ii ts S , part