Wid's Filmdom (1920)

Some Short Reels “Paramount Industrial Magazine,’’ Famous Players Industrial reels are now being produced by Famous in conjunction with various organizations and are being released to the exhibitors without cost. These productions are being distributed as advertising matter, and the first picture of the series concerns the three pointed suspension spring now used on automobiles. As a matter of fact, it is more in the nature of a scenic production than an industrial one, for it consists almost entirely of shots showing the travel of the modern touring car over the trail used by gold seekers in the days of ’49. Some of the stuff is quite impressive and there is not too great a mention of the Overland company, which is using this as publicity matter. A few of the shots, however, are not especially good. P. M. Felton furnished a short animated cartoon which is appended. “Red Hot Hottentots,’’ Pathe Whatever the cause is, most of the recent Snub Pollard releases seem to show a falling off in quality. This one has little that is laugh provoking, there being few incidents or bits that measure up to the desired mark. For some reason or other, they have failed to get humor out of matter, which although not very new, can be handled so as to go across. This will find the going troublesome. Pathe Review, No. 32 If you are in the habit of running some sort of a weekly magazine, made up of parts of different weeklies, you should find room for some of this. It starts with a colored scenic bit, after which comes some footage devoted to lighthouses, some stuff about steel and scenes showing the capture of an alligator and its arrival in a pond in the New York Zoo. “The Speakeasy,” Sennett-Paramount Mack Sennett has taken the speakeasy, the popular indoor sport of prohibition times, and has contrived one of his best burlesques about it in this two-reeler. It will bring a lot of laughs due to the various wildly impossible contraptions that the proprietor of the speakeasy uses to serve his patrons, and due -to the divers underhanded means by which his patrons attempt to get away with more than their share. While this phase is more inventive than the wild slapstick battle which takes place in the last reel, it remains for this There are 30 Reasons HALLMARK PICTURES 130 W. 46th Street Foreign Rights controlled by Apollo Trading Corp., 220 W. 48th St. old-fashioned knockabout stuff to bring the most laughs. The two phases combine to make a typical Sennett comedy and most everyone will enjoy it. Charlie Murray is the proprietor of the speakeasy, Ben Turpin and Chester Conklin are two of the customers, with Kalla Pasha and Marie Prevost helping along in the fun. ; “The Chilkat Cubs,’’ Educational Ralph KH. Yarger is credited with the manipulation of the camera during the screening of this Robert C. Bruce onereeler, which is interesting and novel. It is rich in the natural, mountain settings provided by Alaska, and coneerns a pair of bear cubs. Numerous scenes show these animals frisking about, and are quite unusual. The titles are light, and have been written in fine style, there being no weak or overdrawn attemps at providing too much humor. (Closing are a few shots showing the quadrupeds rolling over each other. This will appeal, as will many other bits in the production, which is sure to hold its own, and will undoubtedly strengthen your bill. “The Tiny Kingdom of Montenegro,” Red Cross—Educa’l In many of the former issues included in the Red Cross Travel Series the photography has been little over which to become enthusiastic, but there is a great improvemert in this. It has several interesting studies of the people of Montenegro, showing their condition at present, one of poverty. Audiences may not like the spectacle of the misery existing there, which is about the only drawback io booking this. “Darn that Stocking,’ Goldwyn Enough material to make an acceptable one-reeler was included in this, but in stretching it another reel, they slowed up the story, and failed to make it more effective. As a matter of fact, there is nothing startling about this, looked upon from any angle, and it is extremely doubtful as to whether it can get across. Neal Burns and Marie Eline ure the featured players and Jack Laver directed. It tells of a newlywed couple, whose happiness is marred by one of the rejected suitors of the young wife. The latter attempts to disrupt the little family, but is foiled after causing a quarrel between the bride and groom. WHY YOU SHOULD BOOK “THE SCREAMING SHADOW” Reason No. 9 A Blind exhibitor cannot see “THE SCREAMING SHADOW” bu he can hear the dollars coming into the box-office. Watch for Reason No. 10 Tomorrow BEN WILSON PRODUCTIONS UNIVERSAL CITY CALIF. Released Through New York