Vintage original 11 x 14 in. US lobby card from the 1920s silent film drama, LOVE LIVE THE KING, released in 1923 by Metro Pictures and directed by Victor Schertzinger.
The image depicts child star Jackie Coogan (as Crown Prince Otto) as two ruffians threaten him. It is uinrestored in very fine+ condition.
*"Long Live the King is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Jackie Coogan. The film is based on the 1917 novel of the same name by Mary Roberts Rinehart. It was produced and released by Metro Pictures and was Coogan's first film for Metro Pictures. A print of Long Live the King survives in Gosfilmofond [in Russia]."
*(source: Wikipedia)
*"The 6 Mar 1923 FD announced Long Live the King as Jackie Coogan’s first production for Metro Pictures Corporation. The film marked the child actor’s departure from the “ragged” appearance that previously defined his film roles. According to the 12 May 1923 Motion Picture News, Coogan’s wardrobe would include the “Czarevitch’s ring,” said to be one of the Russian crown jewels. A news item in the 14 Apr 1923 Motion Picture Newslisted studio manager Edward Biby , financial secretary Ollie May Baker, camera assistant Robert Martin, and film editor Irene Morra as members of the production staff. The 2 Jun 1923 Motion Picture News included actors Sidney D’Albrook, George Bax, and Will Machin among the cast, and W. Van Brincken as staff research director.
On 21 Apr 1923, Motion Picture News reported that Metro was preparing for the start of photography. The 9 Jun 1923 FD estimated the budget at $600,000. The “mythical city of Lavonia” was constructed on the Metro lot for $60,000, and was populated by approximately 3,000 background actors. Production was postponed for one week, due to a temporary shortage of background actors, as reported in the 28 Jul 1923 Motion Picture News. The shortage was blamed on three unnamed studios, whose “spectacular scenes” required a total of 7,500 background players.
The 30 Jun 1923 Motion Picture News estimated a budget of $400,000 for twenty interior sets, which were designed by art director John J. Hughes to be constructed off site in sectional components as a cost-containment measure. The 4 Aug 1923 Motion Picture News reported that fifty World War I veterans, all approximately six feet tall, were hired to play Coogan’s “Palace Guard.” The group was trained by J. M. Fitzmaurice, a recent graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
On 25 Aug 1923, Motion Picture News announced the completion of principal photography the previous week. The 15 Sep 1923 Motion Picture News stated that editors were at work twenty-four hours per day, under the supervision of Irene Morra and Jackie Coogan’s father, Jack Coogan, Sr. Long Live the King premiered in Los Angeles, CA, according to the 27 Oct 1923 Motion Picture News. Mary Roberts Rinehart, who wrote the 1917 source novel, planned to attend, according to the 29 Sep 1923 Motion Picture News. The film opened 26 Nov 1923 to generally positive critical and public response. The film also garnered an endorsement from the Committee of the Federation of Women’s Clubs of California. The 1 Dec 1923 Motion Picture News reported that Metro’s “exploitation department” redesigned the popular Jackie Coogan doll to promote the film. As noted in the 22 Dec 1923 Motion Picture News, Coogan and his father hosted a free screening in Ojai, CA, as a gift to the city. On 29 Dec 1923, Motion Picture News reported that director Victor Schertzinger wrote a score for the film, which was published “as an operatic score.”
*(source: AFI Catalog of Feature Films)
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