Pictures and the Picturegoer (October 1915 - March 1916)

PICTURES AND THE PICTUREGOER 86 Picture News and notes THE new leading heavy at the Selig studios is a hippo. Hip-hip-o ray ! Kate Price and Hughie Mack have won first prize for waltzing. Big contest! Big dancer! Big prize ! # # * It is better to write one good scenario than a hundred pcor ones. Some writers are busy on the hundred poor ones. _ # # # ■ * As Mary Pickford makes an aeroplane flight in 'The G-irl of Yesterday, her countless admirers will see their angel fly. And fine feathers make fin 2 birds. • * # # News cf Maurice Costello! He is to play in a domestic drama called Saints and Si inters. And Van Dyke Brooke is producing. So look forward to something good. But Mr. Costello is never bad. * # * * How's this for picturegoing in wartime ? Twenty-seven thousand people saw My Old Dutch in three days at the Peckham Hippodrome, London. The theatre seats two thousand, and the film was shown four times daily. * # « • * George Ovey, the leading comic for the Cub Film Company of America, was recently accosted by a fellow who claimedtoknowhim. Whenthe '"friend" had departed George was minus his gold watch. Time does fly, doesn't it? The manager of the Palladium Picture Playhouse, Balham, has put up a "Lost and Found7' notice board in the vestibule. Hundreds of theatres will be putting up a "Lost and Won'' notice presently. The film is '.' going great guns." See story on another page. # # # # Anita King, the Famous Players actress, arrived in Chicago on September 26th after driving her car by herself all the way from San Francisco, which she left on September 1st. Miss King is to lie presented with a fine new car by Jesse L. Lasky as a memento of her journey, which was full of thrilling experiences. * s # * The patriotic film serial, Neal of the Navy, in which the U.S. Navy Department is co-operating, is now almost finished by the Balboa Company. Their studio in California is one of the world's largest independent producing plants. It employs 2o0 people and has a capacity of 20,0(K) negative films per week. " Miss Florence Nightingale and Miss Florence Turner were both portrayed on the screen at the Countess Cinema this week. Thus does the cinema bring the great ones of the earth together." says the Saltcoats Press. Up to the time of going to press we understand that Miss Turner, far from having joined her departed namesake, is in the pink of condition. And busy on more pictures, too ! * « w « Her Highness Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein attended a private exhibition of the film of Mr. Li/ndo Liberty, by Victor Bridges, which has just been completed by Harold Shaw, of the London Film Company. We believe that this is the first time that a member of our Royal Family has been present at a similar exhibition. * * * # The Niggers' Sun Bath. IN the Lasky production of Th< Ex'plover, in which Lou Tellegen, the noted star, and former leading man for Sarah Bernhardt, is playing lead, a number of negroes were re<pured. as %»\*£*£f THE PLAYERS' HOLIDAY.— No. 2. Ford Sterling as the Romantic Lover. some of the scenes are laid in an African jungle. On their first day out the negroes complained of sunburn. It was stated in explanation that the negroes wore little more than a smile. The "Pinero Boom." THE appearance of JStceet "Lavender (a Hepworth production) was the origin of the present '" Pinero boom," in which a revival of Pinero subjects to be presented to the public by means of the cinema is taking place. But the recent completion of the Hepworth Quality Exclusive version of Jris has intensified the interest. There will he a big trade show of Iris in November, at which a new and valuable form of souvenir is to be presented. Charlie Haras es the Enemy! FROM the officer commanding the 8th Divisional Supply Column at the Front the Essanay Company received the following: -" Gentlemen I Week kxding Oct. 30, 1915 Lave to thank yon for the letter of S • tember 11th, forwarded to me to-day, and for the gift of films. It is imi Bible to make you realise how they n appreciated, and I truly wish you could have heard the cheer that went up wh in Chaplin appeared on the screen. The cardboard figures of Chaplin were carried off during the night to the trench--, and have lieen the suhject of great attention by the Germans! — W. Murphy, Major, A.S ,<;." Five Thousand People from Fifteen Nations ! ONE of the most thrilling pictui its type yet screened, and to bp published by Essanay. is The M • < Trail, a rugged story of lumber camp life. The leading man. Richard C. Travers.was allocated to that part liecause of his practically life-long association with the environment depicted. Supporting the leading lady. June Keith, and himself, are Ernest Maupain, Thomas MeLarnie. John Lorenz. an I John H. Cossar. The lumber camp, with its gambling-hells and saloons, was specially built for the play. More than five thousand people appear in this colossal production, over fifteen nationalities being represented, including a genuine Red Indians, real Chi;: negroes, and several varieties of "paleface." Riff-raff from the cities and some fifty or sixty professional lumber jacks were brought to this "mushroom" village in the wilds to act as hanger- 11. The camp was finally burnt down for a scene, the conflagration providing a truly magnificent sight. A Theatre Behind the Firing-line. IT used to be a large livery-stable. the walls being covered with every variety of poster possible to imagine— pesters advertising Oxo. the Metropolitan Railway. Vacuum Cleaners, music-hall stars. and cinematograph masterpieces. These alone made one feel like being at home again. Outside i^ a cut-out of the most popular man in the world— Charles Chaplin. Admis-i. u is 3d. per head, 2f. for officers, and the show is timed to commence at ii p.m. At 5.50 p.m. the hall was packed to it< utmost capacity. and many were refused admission. Try if you can— to imagine the screams of delight which shook the remnants of the roof when the first picture was projected -a picture depicting the amusing adventures of the one and only Polidor.' Oh. how we laughed laughed as we had never laughed before— at his silly antics with hiss lions ! Picture followed picture in rapid succession -pictures featuring Prince Tontoline and other popular comedians. Then came Tula's old masterpiece. Father, an old film I will admit, hut it was a treat to see some of the wonderful acting and the fine fire scenes again. . . . Directly opposite this theatre are the remains of the village church. There is not a trace of anything left except the four hire walls. There is nothing absolutely nothingleft inside. Not a particle of roof, not a beam, not even a stone or a piece ot woodwork, nor yet even the floor.''— E tract Jrom a fetter to the " Bioscope" from Corporal If. Hardman, who wring with the Colour*,