Richard Stanton Working on “Graft” (1915) 🇺🇸

Producer has selected strong cast for the new Universal Serial — First episode quickly made.

The first episode of Graft, the new serial of the Universal Manufacturing Company, has been completed by Director Richard Stanton of the Pacific Coast studios of the Big U organization.

“Make it a stem winder,” said Carl Laemmle, president of the Universal Company in a dispatch to Director General Henry McRea about the serial, adding: “I want it to be the best serial we or any other film company had ever put out. Don’t spare the expense give us the best serial results possible.”

Director Stanton and the officers of the studio plunged into the matter with a vim and soon had planned a campaign for the forthcoming serial. A few days later Director Stanton selected his cast, the roles leading being placed in the hands of Hobart Henley and Jane Novak. Henley’s excellent work in “The Man in the Chair,” “A Little Brother of the Rich,” or the “The Tenor,” and other recent photo-plays, will be recalled by the followers of the screen as will also the splendid portrayals of Miss Novak in “The Scarlet Sin,” and A Little Brother of the Rich. Another of the principal roles was given to Glen White, a Universal favorite, who came to the coast especially to take part in this serial.

In exactly six days from the start upon the serial Director Stanton had finished the first episode, and when the two reels were given their initial showing in the projection theatre at Universal City a critical audience unanimously decided they depicted an unusually interesting which splendidly acted by the leads and the entire company.

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Collection: Moving Picture World, December 1915