Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-10
REAL BIG PLAY IS
THE GREAT SECRET
Bushman and Bayne to Come
Christmas Day in Wonder
full Serial Production.
METRO PUTTING 1T OUT

"A Christmas present to the Amer
lean people,
1t is in this spirit that the millions
OF friends and admirers OF Francis
y. Bushman and Miss Beverly
Bayne will greet the statement, just
issued by Richard r. Rowland, prcsi-
dent of Metro Pictures Corporations,
that the opening chapter Of the new
Bushman- Baype wonder-se serial, The
Great Secret will be released by
Metro throughout the United States
on December Is.
1t has become an American custom.
especially in the larger cities, to at
tend motion picture theater on
Christmas children, IN particular.
welcome this break in a day that
otherwise grows bit tedious. In
recognition of this custom Mr.. Row
.-land essaycd for his company the role
OF super-Santa Claus and arranged
for the first public showing of The
Great Secret on Christmas day.
Story Of Vital Interest.
There are fourteen chapters in all
in The Great, Secret which is
founded on story of vital interest
to the American people The story
was written by Madame Fred De
Gressac, from whose pen have come
many, if not most, of the greatest sue
ccsses which klaw & Erlanger have
had. Nine. DeGressac is the first
woman author to write motion. pic
ture serial and have it produced. "The
Great Secret" was selected unani-
mously as the best of all the serial
plots submitted to Mr., Rowland and
Nine. DeGressac has the further
honor of having put it over" in COM
petition with l76 men writer's, some
of them of international reputation.
The role played by Mr.. Bushman
fits that eminent star like the proven
bal kid glove, and Miss Bayne also
is seen to-exceptional advantage . In
The Great Secret" Mr.. Bushman and
Miss Bayne make their serial debut.
Not in several years has either of
these popular players been seen in
picture of less than hve-reel length.
1t was largely due to the tremendous
power of Nine. DeGressac's story
=. that Metro could afford to present Mr..
Bushman and Miss Bayne in this
wonder-serial.
Experienced Producers on Job.
w. Christy Cabannc, for several
years the right hand man and chief
of staff to D. w. Griffith, is directing
The Great Secret" Mr. Cabanne is
still on the snny side of thirty; yet he
was Mr.. Griffith's only assistant in
the direction of "The Birth of Ma
tan and Intolerance. Mr.. Cabanne
has directed no fewer than PA photo
plays in the last three years at the
Majestic Reliance-Fine Arts studios
and somehow he found (or made)
time to write more than 800 success
fully produced picture plots. Which
perhaps explains why Mr.. Cabanne is,
today the thighest-salaried director,
Mr.. Griffith alone excepted, in the
world.
An instance Of the painstaking care
with which THE Great Secret" is
being produced is found in the fact
that, in the early chapters of the
serial, number of policemen" are
used and every policeman" is an
actor trained to do his appointed
work by the famous drill=master of
the New York police department..
Mr.. Bushman, in commenting on
The Great Secret" recently to New
York reporter, said: What makes
me- so glad to appear in The Great
Secret is that it is not one of those
harum skarum plots that start and
finish nowhere. 1t has a splendid
theme, well thought out. 1t is GER
tainly the biggest opportunity l have
ever had on the SCREEN"