Motion Picture News (Jan - Mar 1914)

THE MOTION PICTURE NEWS 21 A MAMMOTH AND NOVEL PUBLICITY PLAN "Adventures of Kathlyn" a New Departure in the Motion Picture Field, Linking Up, as It Does, the Selig Polyscope Company With a Chain of Big Dailies in All Parts of the Country A MAMMOTH and unique scheme, which involves the co-operation of the Selig-Polyscope Company and a newspaper syndicate comprising the largest daily papers in the country from New York to San Francisco, a scheme which will secure for the feature pictures concerned more publicity than any other features have ever received, has just been put into operation. From now on one will see printed in forty-five newspapers a story of a long series entitled "The Adventures of Kathlyn," appearing on two Sundays a month. In conjunction with the Selig Polyscope Company releases a feature film which portrays on the screen a connected story, which also forms a part of the "Adventures of Kathlyn." Thus there are put before the public at the same time two versions of the "Adventures of Kathlyn," one in the newspapers and one on the screen. This leaves the Selig Polyscope Company and a newspaper syndicate working in conjunction with one another to attract the attention of the general public. One may now enjoy a real novelty in the shape of a stirring photo-theatrical-newspaper undertaking. For those who see in moving pictures and read in the newspapers the "Adventures of Kathlyn," there is in store much that is thrilling and full of adventures. Kathlyn is the heroine of both the motion pictures and the newspaper series. On the screen the original is Kathlyn Williams, the leading woman of the Selig Stock Company. In the newspapers Kathlyn is a protege of the pen of Harold MacGrath, author of many wellknown novels, and of the sce. narios for this series. Kathlyn is a young lady of extremely expensive habits. The syndicate is said to have paid MacGrath $12,000 to secure her presence in the papers and the Selig Polyscope Company had manufactured for her and her attendants regalia and costumes valued at more than $17,000. Plenty of wild animals will appear in this series, in which Miss Williams will play the leading role. The whole cost of the series is estimated at $100,000. IT is nothing new for the Selig star to appear in motion pictures in conjunction with beasts of the forests such as lions, tigers, elephants and leopards. She has considerable of a reputation based on previous work with wild animals. She has become accustomed to dealing with them and displays a daring that seems hazardous to the uninitiated. A more capable or favorite actress could not have been picked to play this role. As regards the story as it will appear on the syndicate and on which the motion-picture series is based, it is said to live fully up to the high reputation of the author, Harold MacGrath. Mr. MacGrath has painted a picture of travel and adventure in this and many other countries. Miss Williams, as the leading woman, will appear in scenes laid in America, India and Africa. She is said to travel through countries peopled by savages and encounters many adventures. The producer of the motion picture, the Selig Polyscope Company, is especially well fitted for this sort of work. Selig wild animal pictures have been famous for some time. At Edendale, Cal., the Selig Polyscope Company has a million dollar wild animal farm. This is stocked with wild beasts of every sort, many of whom were imported especially from Africa, including the animals less frequently seen, such as giraffes and zebras. A Selig animal picture now is a big thing and the coming pictures under the Selig brand will be still bigger. The Selig factory has every requirement necessary for these pictures. Not only has it the animals, but the plant is located in a country rich with suitable scenes. Mr. Selig's long personal experiences in producing animal pictures will serve him in good stead in these series. He is probably better fitted to undertake so stupenduous an undertaking than any other man in the country. T HE motion pictures will appear in serial form, twenty-seven reels long. The series consists of thirteen subjects. The first picture was released in three parts on December 29, and the other twelve will be in two parts each, and will be released twice a month. . Simultaneously with the release of the pictures, the printed story will appear in the forty-five newspapers. The series is being released in the regular service of the General Film Company. One of the most important issues of this undertaking is the union of the Selig Polyscope Company and the many prominent newspapers. It is the first time a similar co-operation has ever been enjoyed in the motion picture business. The daily papers which join forces with the Selig Polyscope Company are among the strongest in the country. Through their combined circulation they are bound to put the "Adventures of Kathlyn" before an extremely large number of persons. Some of the newspapers which will print the serial story are: New York Sun. Chicago Tribune, Richmond TimesDispatch, Memphis Commercial-Appeal, Atlanta Constitution. Omaha News. Rocky Mountain News, Eugene Register, Los Angeles Times, Buffalo Times, Pittsburgh Leader, Washington Star, Dayton Journal, Houghton Mining Gazette, St. Louis Star, Asheville Citizen. Mobile Register, Meridian Star. Sioux City Journal. Muskogee Phoenix. Boise Capital News, San Jose Times-Star, Boston Globe, Philadelphia Record, Baltimore American, Youngstown Vindicator, Detroit Free Press, Syracuse Herald and San Antonio Light.