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"Michael Strogoff" Shown to 6000 in London At Unprecedented Premiere in Albert Hall
THE most elaborate presentation ever given to a motion picture, featured the recent showring of "Michael Strogoff," the big Universal-Film de France, in London. Not only was the picture projected in Albert Hall, the largest auditorium in London, before 6000 people, including ambassadors from fifteen different countries and scores of titled Englishmen, as well as other high dignitaries of city and nation but it was presented with the costliest and most colorful prologue ever seen.
Even the monumental premiere of this picture in the Empire Theatre, Paris, where 5000 persons crowded the Avenue Wagram, fighting the police cordons in an attempt to see what is characterized as the greatest French film ever made, and the brilliant premiere of the picture in the UFA Palast, Berlin, where it broke German attendance records, were overshadowed by the British premiere.
London Showing Followed by Trade Show Tour
The London showing was immediately followed by a trade show tour during which the picture was presented in seven other British cities, under conditions which approximated as nearly as possible the Albert Hall showing. The trade presentations were as follows: Cardiff in the Capitol Theatre; Birmingham in the West End; Leeds in the Briggate Picture House; Newcastle in the Queen's Hall; Glasgow in the Picture House; Liverpool in the Trocadero, and Manchester in the Royal. French and other consuls and civic leaders, titled residents and prominent citizens joined with the local exhibitors in every center to get a first glimpse at the big film triumph, which Universal holds out as it first big release of the season.
Komisarjevsky, one of the best known figures in Continental theatrical circles, and former director of stage management of the Moscow Art Theatre, directed the prologue to "Michael Strogoff" in Albert Hall. The great scenic background for the prologue, in keeping with the magnitude of Albert Hall, was designed by John Bull, the most noted scene painter in Great Britain. It measured seventy feet in height and 150 in length.
Brilliant Prologue Cost More Than $10,000 A scene from the film was enacted in the prologue with prominent British stage players taking the principal roles and scores of dancing girls and others making up the colorful Tartar atmosphere. In all 150 persons participated in the prologue, which cost more than $10,000. A special symphonv orchestra of 75 comprised of members of the Royal Philharmonic and London Symphony orchestras supplied the music under the direction of M. Heurteur of the Paris Opera House. The high light of the presentation was the personal appearance of Ivan Moskin, who starred in the film.
Never Such Enthusiasm Displayed Before by Public
Writing to Mr. Laemmle of this showing, James V. Bryson, managing director of the European Motion Picture Co., distributors of Universal product in the United Kingdom, said:
"Never in my life have I seen such enthusiasm displayed by the public. Tremendous as 'Les Miserables' was, 'Strogoff' begins where that picture stops.
" Never in the history of any picture has it
been described as 'Strogoff' has, {Continued on page 34.)