Universal Weekly (1920, 1923-27)

30 Universal Weekly March 1, 1924 UNIVERSAL STARTS “FAST STEPPERS” ~-s WORK has begun at Universal City on a new high class tworeeler series of the same calibre as “The Leather Pushers.” The series will be known as “Fast Steppers,” and will consist of a number of short action comedy-dramas built around the adventures of a horse-racing enthusiast and tipster. They are beingadapted from Gerald Beaumont’s popular race track stories, “The Information Kid” series. Billy Sullivan, the popular actorfighter who succeeded Reginald Denny in “The Leather Pushers,” has been chosen to play the leading role in the “Fast Steppers.” Sullivan, in the six “Leather Pushers” in which he was starred, has created great popularity for himself with the screen public, and both fans and exhibitors have requested Universal to present him in another series. “Fast Steppers” fs the answer to these requests. “Fast Steppers” will be directed by Edward Laemmle, who first gained fame as the co-worker with William F. Alder on the Universal expedition to the South Sea Islands during which ■“Shipwrecked Among Cannibals” was made. Young Laemmle later gained great prominence by inaugurating and making the popular “Thrills From History” serials put out by Universal, including “Winners of the West,” “In the Days of Buffalo Bill,” “The Oregon Trail” and “In the Days of Daniel Boone.” Recently he took the reins of the “Leather Pushers” when Harry Pollard was advanced to Jewel productions. Laemmle made six “Leather Pushers,” with Reginald Denny, ably holding up the high standard set by Pollard. In the last series of “Leather Pushers” made with Sullivan, Laemmle equalled if he did not surpass the Two-Reel Comedy Dramas Adapted from Gerald Beaumont’s Race Track Stories — Billy Sullivan the Star — Eddie Laemmle the Director IMPERSONATES PEGGY / Harry Ormiston of the Universal publicity department exhibited “ The Darling of New York ” at the Hotel Astor before a couple of thousand New York society folk. This little girl, June Mirkin, impersonated the youthful screen star and carried the enlarged photograph through the entire evening. “Leather Pushers” which had gone before. Beaumont’s stories, from which the “Fast Steppers” are being adapted, were published in the Red Book. Later they were published in book form, as “Riders Up.” They are being put into scenario form by Scott Darling, newspaper man and short story writer, now a member of the scenario staff at Universal City. He has adapted many Universal comedies and has a high reputation for getting 100% humor out of a situation. Most of the race track scenes will be taken at Tia Juana, just over the Mexican border. Eddie Laemmle now has his company there taking the preliminary work on the first two-reeler, to be entitled “The Empty Stall.” In the supporting cast are Duke R. Lee, who will play the part of Red Murdock, a redoubtable gambler, as characterized by Beaumont in the original stories; Miss Shannon Day, James T. Quinn, Bert Woodruff, Andy Clark and others. Fred C. Quimby, sales chief for Short Subjects at Universal, predicts that the “Fast Steppers” will be p-reater than “The Leather Pushers.” The series will form the keystone of Universal’s Spring Short product and are said to be an indication of the high class one and two-reelers Universal is projecting for the coming months. Each of the “Fast Steppers” series will be a picture complete in itsell and built up around a spirited horserace, just as each of “The Leather Pushers” was built around a ring battle. All the excitement and suspense of the race track will be included in each two-reeler, as the high-light of a well constructed story with plenty of dramatic punch and romantic adventure. fSMSMSIS!SMSM3MM3M3J3MSOI3I3M3I3MI3JSI3MSI5IS®3I3J3I3M3®3 Novel Stunt Brings 9 Em In Despite Record Cold Wave MANAGER FIELD of the Garrick Theatre in St. Paul, Minn., ran Universal’s super production, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” during one of the coldest spells that cold city has ever experienced. It was so cold that people walked through the streets only when they were obliged to and then they buried their faces in their coat collars and looked at nothing but the sidewalk in front of them. This presented a serious problem for Field. He must attract attention to passersby that he was showing “The Hunchback.” All the signs and electric lights weren’t of much use if the people wouldn’t look up. Field had a huge bell installed under the marquis. He operated it by electricity and from a push button in his office. His stenographer pushed the button every thirty seconds or so and just as often the passersby raised their heads from the interior of their coats and saw that “The Hunchback” was being shown at the Garrick and that it was the one picture they should not fail to see. The bell could be heard for blocks. By using other stunts suggested by the “Hunchback” exploiteer, Jay Barnes, Field had a wonderful showing at the end of the run.