Larry Semon has Given the Screen a Feature Length Comedy -- August 1, 2024

Exhibitors Herald, 16-August-1924

Like his contemporary Lloyd Hamilton, Larry Semon was trying to move into feature productions. The Girl in the Limousine was based on a play by Wilson Collison and Avery Hopwood. Larry Semon and Noel Smith directed. First National was going to release the film.

"They'll find Semon's first feature length picture a great evening of fun." They didn't, actually.

Exhibitors Herald, 09-August-1924

Exhibitors Herald, 09-August-1924

Larry started work on a series of short comedies for Educational "in which he plays 'straight' characters." He tried to move to a character that was more realistic than his long-time image. 

Exhibitors Herald, 16-August-1924

"Semon will direct his own pictures." This series of movies was produced at FBO and released by Educational.

Fred Thomson in a Virile, Swift-Moving Action Romance of the West -- July 11, 2024

Anaheim Bulletin, 26-July-1924

Fred Thomson was billed as "The World's Champion Athlete and Stuntman."

Exhibitors Herald, 05-July-1924

Fred and his beautiful horse Silver King check into a hotel. 

Exhibitors Herald, 05-July-1924

Albert Rogell directed Fred in The Fighting Sap. Good title. Note that the poor horse is billed as "Silver Kink." 

Exhibitors Herald, 12-July-1924

FBO was happy with Fred's work and gave him a long-term contract. Unfortunately, he didn't have many years left.

Motion Picture Magazine, July, 1924

I learned a long time ago that the words "True Story" in a film-related newspaper story, a magazine story, or a book is almost a guarantee that most of it is not true. 

Motion Picture Magazine, July, 1924

Motion Picture Magazine, July, 1924

Motion Picture Magazine, July, 1924

Photoplay, July, 1924

"Hoot Gibson in a real comedy and he is quite funny." He was good at comedy. Eddie Sedgwick directed. 

Exhibitors Herald, 05-July-1924

Casper Daily Tribune, 19-July-1924

Jack Hoxie was a real cowboy and rodeo performer who became a star in the early 1920s.

Casper Daily Tribune, 19-July-1924

Exhibitors Herald, 12-July-1924

Meet Fred Thomson -- March 18, 2024

Motion Picture News, 22-March-1924

Fred Thomson (no relation) had a diverse career. While attending the Princeton Theological Seminary, he earned the Amateur Athletic Union's All-Around Champion trophy in 1910, 1911 and 1913. After being ordained as a Presbyterian minister, he joined the Army and served as a chaplain during World War One. He went into the movie business after he married director and screenwriter Frances Marion. In time, he became a major western star. Sadly, he died of tetanus in 1928.

FBO announced plans to release six movies starring Thomson. 

Motion Picture News, 29-March-1924

Galloping Gallagher is a great title. 

This Monogram apparently had no relation to the famous B-movie studio of the 1930s and 1940s.

Motion Picture News, 15-March-1924

Both Galloping Gallagher and The Mask of Lopez were directed by Albert S Rogell. 

Fred Thomson -- The Screen's Newest and Biggest Western Star -- February 23, 2023

Motion Picture News, 02-February-1924

Fred Thomson (no relation) had a diverse career. While attending the Princeton Theological Seminary, he earned the Amateur Athletic Union's All-Around Champion trophy in 1910, 1911 and 1913. After being ordained as a Presbyterian minister, he joined the Army and served as a chaplain during World War One. He went into the movie business after he married director and screenwriter Frances Marion. In time, he became a major western star. Sadly, he died of tetanus in 1928.

The Mask of Lopez was directed by Albert S Rogell. 

Film Daily, 24-February-1924

Art Acord was a cowboy star who appeared in many silent films but did not make the transition to talkies. 

Harry Carey -- Friendly Warning!!! To All Producers of WESTERN Pictures -- March 9, 2023

Motion Picture News, 31-March-1923

Harry Carey was a pioneering cowboy star. Crashin' Through was directed by Val Paul for FBO.

Motion Picture News, 17-March-1923

Sherlock Holmes -- America's Foremost Actor Now Appears in the Most Famous Fiction Role of all Time -- October 22, 2022

Moving Picture World, 07-October-1922

I like the lettering and colors on this magazine cover ad for the Goldwyn Company's Sherlock Holmes, starring John Barrymore.

Motion Picture News, 28-October-1922

I like this profile view of Barrymore as Holmes. It reminds me of Sidney Paget's drawing for Holmes stories in The Strand Magazine. 

Motion Picture News, 21-October-1922

"Every Exhibitor Who Has Seen This Picture is Strong for It!"

Motion Picture News, 14-October-1922

The Goldwyn company was determined to block other movies that might be advertised as Sherlock Holmes or Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. "A motion for temporary injunction has been filed in the Supreme Court by William Gillette, Charles Frohman, Inc. (Frohman himself had died on the Titanic in 1912.), and Aleet Enterprises, Inc., restraining the Stoll Film Co., Ltd., and the Education (Educational? JT) Film Exchanges, Inc., from using the title "Sherlock Holmes" or "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" in connection with any motion picture."

Motion Picture News, 14-October-1922

Motion Picture News, 14-October-1922

"The Priory School" and "The Solitary Cyclist" were two episodes in the series of short Holmes films produced by Stoll and starring Eille Norwood. Educational released this series as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Motion Picture News, 07-October-1922

After the first season of popular shorts, Stoll produced The Hound of the Baskervilles as a feature. I like the picture of the Hound.

Motion Picture News, 21-October-1922

"Because all the world read the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories...?

Albuquerque Evening Herald, 07-October-1922

I haven't mentioned the many funny movies inspired by Sherlock Holmes and his name. Bert Lytell played other detectives including Michael Lanyard in The Lone Wolf and Boston Blackie.

Harry Carey in His Latest Smashing Wild Storming Western Drama -- October 9, 2022

American Guardian, 21-October-1922

I like the design of this ad for The Kick-Back, a film starring pioneering western actor Harry Carey.

Casper Daily Tribune, 19-October-1922

This image of Harry Carey was popular. It turns up in many ads. 

Macom Daily By-Stander, 19-October-1921

I wonder if the Tokyo Theater in Macom, Illinois changed its name after Pearl Harbor. 

Sherlock Holmes is October Release -- September 26, 1922

Moving Picture World, 02-September-1922

John Barrymore, "America's greatest dramatic artist," played Sherlock Holmes in Sam Goldwyn's production of Sherlock Holmes. 

Moving Picture World, 02-September-1922

Sherlock Holmes was among "The Big Birds On The Horizon!"

Moving Picture World, 16-September-1922

This was the only movie Carol Dempster appeared in that was not directed by her patron, DW Griffith.

Moving Picture World, 30-September-1922

Moving Picture World, 16-September-1922

This item is a little confusing because it reports that FBO was going to produce an adaption of The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Eille Norwood as Holmes. The movie had been made the year before in Great Britain. It was directed by Maurice Elvey, who had directed the two successful series of short stories starring Norwood as Holmes. 

Moving Picture World, 30-September-1922

I like the picture of the hound. 

Harry Carey -- Greatest of Western Stars in a Crashing Catapult of Cyclonic Drama -- September 11, 2022

Moving Picture World, 23-September-1922

Harry Carey moved from Universal to Robertson-Cole, which soon became Film Booking Office (FBO). His first movie for FBO was The Kick-Back. 

Moving Picture World, 02-September-1922

Century Comedies -- They Stand Unequalled -- August 26, 2022

Motion Picture News, 05-August-1922

Century Comedies promoted their stars: Lee Moran, Brownie the Century Wonder Dog, Johnny K Fox and Queenie the Horse. Their biggest star, Baby Peggy was moving on to feature films. 

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Betty May was signed to be Lee Moran's leading lady. 

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Arvid Gillstrom had a long career directing short comedies. Century moved him from the Brownie series to Lee Moran's. 

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Lee Moran's former partner Eddie Lyons was starring in comedies for Arrow. 

Motion Picture News, 05-August-1922

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Uncle Dan Mason, who had played the Skipper in a series of short comedies based on Fontaine Fox's comic panel The Toonerville Trolley That Meets All the Trains, moved to FBO to star in a series of Plum Center Comedies.

Motion Picture News, 12-August-1922

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Motion Picture News, 12-August-1922

I don't know much about Gloria Joy, whose "Joy Comedies" were to be released by FBO. Sherwood McDonald directed.

Moving Picture World, 19-August-1922

William Fox produced several comedy series, starring Lupino Lane, Clyde Cook, Al St John and the Lee Kids. The other article mentions the start of Sol Lesser's Principal Pictures Corporation. We will see more about that in later months. 

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Lupino Lane was a remarkable acrobatic comedian. Ida Lupino was his cousin. 

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Sisters Jane and Katherine Lee had been in movies for nearly ten years. "The Baby Grands."

Moving Picture World, 05-August-1922

Moving Picture World, 05-August-1922

Moving Picture World, 05-August-1922

Moving Picture World, 19-August-1922

Harry Cohn, his brother Jack and Joe Brandt provided the initials for C.B.C. Film Sales Corp. The Hallroom Boys Comedies were a long running series of short comedies, based on a comic strip by Harold MacGill.

Educational released the Mermaid Comedies, which starred Lloyd Hamilton and others. 

Moving Picture World, 05-August-1922

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Paul Terry made the animated Aesop's Fables series.

Moving Picture World, 26-August-1922

Max Fleischer and his brother Dave made the animated Out of the Inkwell series.