The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-07-19

daily newspapers in New York, as
well rs OF the several motion picture
trade papers, to the number of al
nCsi iwo score, crowded into the lit
tic projection room at the Mutual
Film Corporations offices at Sixth
avenue and Twcnty-third street Tues
day afternoon. June 23rd. to Sec some
Of the early releases in the trcncn-
| ,lou. new serial, "a Million Dollar
Mystery" which has been made by
! the Thanhouscr Company and mark
ctcd by the specially formed Syndi-
| cate Film Corporation i'll cooperation
with the Mutual.
The verdict seemed to be Guilty
as stated in the indictmcni''--ard the
| indictment. as represented by the
Thanlouscr c0mpuny's extraordinary
advance advertising campaign. was
that "'rhc Million Dollal Mystery"
was the biggest and best serial ever
attempted and set of motion pictures
that would establish n record Tor this
cla:s Of productions.
",rhc Million Dollar Mystery" the
last scenes of which were filmed a
fow days before the first release was
made ON Monday, June 22d, after
months Of work by the Thanhouscr
players, Is to be offered In twcnty-siX
episodes, each episode comprising
two reels for release weekly on sue
ccssivc Mondays. The scenaro is by
Lloyd F. Loncrgan from rtOry by
Harold MncGrath. To Howell Hansel
was assigned by big task OF directing
the production. =
In number of respects, Tho iiil-
lien Dollar. Mystery" project is par
ticulariy notable one IL the motion
picture industry. 1t has been handled
III an unu:;uully big way and is gam
biz tho success or failure Of which
will be followed with keen interest In
the trade.
To begin with, MacGrath and Loner-
Ean arc said to huvo drawn record
price for tho story and scenario.
Then the pick of the Thanhouscr
playera. including tho highest salar-
icd people on the payroll. were cast in
the action and the matter OF expense
was not considered In the making of
tho production. And finally, publ
city scheme with $4,000 prize Of
fer broad enough to embrace every
section Of the universe in which mo-
and expensive enough to dwarf any
thing which had been, attempted be-
fore. was devised.
Tho $4,000 prize is offered for the
best 100-word solution to tho mystery
which the serial will develop as 1t
progresses. The advcrtising'. cam
paign has been placed in the hands
Of national advC .sing agency In
Chicago which is working IN conjuDc-
tion with the Mutual Film Corpora
tion's highly effective publicity de-
partmcnt. Page advertisements In n
number Of the lead. & daily papers
and big painted sig have been used
to herald to tho NeW York publice the
coming OF tho .fc;, ure and this ex-
pcnsive advertisi, !; is to be suple-
montod with tag.onal campaign In
tended to make la; serial as big a pull
lcr in the small town ne 1t is in the
largest city. J. quarter Of million
dollars is the &. innate placed on the
advertising W .lh was done for the
serial before nc release of the first
episode.
Eight rec of the total Of flfty-two
comprising .tur episodes. were shown
ut the rect!t private exhibition. For
these 1t cen be said that they will not
Gicappoint even those who have read
every line Of advance publicity print
cd about the serial and by it. have
been led to expect something far be-
yond the ordinary. ",The Million Dol
lnr Mystery" as a title, and the men:
tion ofa $4,000 prizo for the solution
OF tho mystery, gives the proposition
wealthy: start and 1t strikes onf
as, particularly f1tting-if, not vitality
. .nccessary-tffat elegant and expcn-
siyeness of production Is male to stand
ont. That each OF the episodes in tht
four already shown'in private, not only
make complete and logical chapter
In the story but has been given ont
Tor moro big incidents to make its
satisfying In itself is also to be com
mended. ~
PartaI OF the f1rst episode Is given
over to pictured information concern
Ing. the serial. A group of Thanhous-
or people which includes President
Hitc. of the production company, and
Messrs MncGrath and Lonergan;, who
coilaborated, on the photoplay product
Ion, Is Interesting. The principals OF
the action; as follows, arc introddc6,l
I'm quite novel ways Albert Norton.
rs Stanley HargreAyes1 the MILTON
aire; Sydney Bracy. as Jones', Mars
Greave's butler; Florence IaiBadie.
as Florence Gray. Hargreaves' dauglf-
ter; Marguerite Snow. as Countess,
tOlga. adventures: Janfos Cruze. al;
James Norton, a newspaper reporter:
Lila Caester, as Susan, Florence