The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-13
Worlds Greatest Plays
TO Be Pictured On Screen
Coming Year Greatest in History of Silent
Drama i1 MempM and Elsewhere.

Some eS the greatest plays. stage sue
eesseS and novels the literary and dra-
matte world knows, will be presented
Az the Strand and Majestic theaters
during the coming months, according to
an announcement which has been made
by Adolph Zukor, president of the Fa-
NOUS Players-L asky corporation, on the
eve or his departure for Europe.
Among other things, in connection
with the future Of the motion picture
industry, Mr.. Zukor stated that the
forthcoming year will be the most
prosperous the industry has ever known:
4 suppose that everybody knows that
the motion picture today ranks fifth
among the country's industries, but |
do not think that the average person
understands what this really means.
The gross yearly income of the motion
$76O.00O,O 900, which is larger than the
combined income of all public utilities,
companies
''There are now about $4,000 motion
picture theaters in operation, with b
seating capacity of 100000. AS most
theaters give at least two performances
a day this means that at least 16,000,-
900, people in this country see motion
pictures daily"
To satisfy the demand for motion
pictures, Mr.. Zukor said the Famous
Players-Lasky corporation has num-
as well as three in New York. A new
$2,000,000 studio is nearing completion
at Long Island City which will house
all OF the Eastern production activities
or this company under one roof.
Mr. Zukor announced that Sir James
M. Barrie. is writing story, as yet I'M
named, for Paramount Aircraft pic
lures, produced by the Famous Play
ers-Lasky corporation. He stated that
his company also owns Barrie's Peter
Pan" THE Little Minister" and What
Every Woman Knows" Other we'll
bn known 1 plays ada books which are to
Jones by George Broadhurst; "The
Witching Hour" by Augustus Thomas:
THE Shumalite," by Edward Knob
LAUGH; "The Conquest of Canaan" by
Booth Harrington; "A Celebrated Case"
by Pierre .Louys and Pierre Frondaie,
upon which the Century theater spec
tacle is based Victor Hugo's 46The
Toilers of the Sea-" DeMaurier's "Peter
lbbetson," David Belasco's 1.-THE Heart
Of Of, Maryland" George Broadhurst's
ehanan's %civilian clothes;b "The
Great Day the Drury Lane melo-
drama: Barrie's Half an Hour" Ed
ward Peple's THE Prince Chap" pro-
duced by William DeMiIle: Leonard
Merrick's Conrad in Search of His
1butH, W ne pTOuuceQ Dy w llIldIn
DeMille; Robert Louis Stevenson's
Treasure Island produced by Maui
rice Tourneur; Stevenson's story of ''Dr.
Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde" starring John
Barrymore: George Melford's produce
ton of 1.-THE Round Up featuring
Roscoe Arbuekle; Robert w. Chambers
novel, 1.-THE Fighting Chance" William
Gillette's big stage success Held by
the Enemy" and William D Taylor's
production, Young America
BY acquisition of controlling inter-
est in Charles Frohman, Inc, and by
association with other leading producers
for the legitimate stage, we have OBJ
tanned for ourselves an invaluable sup
ply of dramatic material" continued
Mr.. Zukor. Through Charles Froh-
man, Inc. we own Barrie's play, Dear
Brutus, in which William Gillette is
scoring a marked success this season;