News of the Movies

T must apologise for the non-appear-ance of any movie notes last, Saturday, and must plead the popular malady as my excuse.

The closing of the picture theatres has probably made more people think of the seriousness of the influenza epidemic than anything else. It is to bo hoped that when the time comes to resume normal conditions the movie theatre will not he treated by the authorities with any less favour than other places where the public congregate. Marguerite Clark is married. The latest mail brought the definite announcement of her wedding with her soldier man who was booked to leave for Franco shortly after.

Noes from a Los Angeles Tetter dated September 28:—Ormi Hawley, whom you have probably seen often in pictures, especially in the older Edisons, is leading lady to Caruso in " Prince Cosimo,’’ his second Artcraft, which has been made at the 56th Street Studio, New York. Dorothy Gish, at tho studios on Sunset Boulevard here, is just about completing “ The Hope Chest,” a picture with most of the parts of a youthful age. Tho theme is token from a book by Mark Lee Luther, who wrote " The Crucible,” which, if I remember rightly, was made into a picture some years ago. The picture is a Paramount directed by Elmer Clifton, and Richard Barthehness, who came here from New York recently, is tho leading man. George Fawcett and Sam de Grasse are also in the cast, A newcomer to tho screen is Carol Dempster, a Griffiths choice. Tom Mix is out in Arizona still, where a new picture has just been completed under Lynn Reynolds, who did “ Fame and Fortune” and “ Aco High,” and other Mix hits for Fox. Constance Talmadge is hard at work at Hollywood on a. new picture for Select, having completed "Sauce for the Goose” and "Mrs Leffingwell's Boots.” It is announced that Alma Reubens is filing a suit for divorce from Franklyn F'nrnum, so that they must have been married, in spito of all denials. She is at work with Triangle, it is stated, on a picture called “ Marriage.” A Los Angeles newspaper announces the engagement of Robert Leonard and Mao Murray, but the principals of the rumour say nothing. Bill Farnum has gone East, having Received word that) his wife is ill. Bill had just completed “The Man of Power.” News here is that ho will make several pictures oyer in Fox’s Now Jersey plant. Gladys Brock well has been making a subject 1 with gypsy scenes some distance away. The present title is “ Love’s Pilgrimage.” Vivian Martin and Niles "Welch have been playing together at the Lasky studios under the,direction of veteran Gcorgp Mel ford. Ethel Clayton lias finislied “The Mystery Girl,” under the direction of 0. B. de Millfy and is now working on a. new subject under Chet YVithey. Clara K. Young is expected in a day or so. There are rumours of further reorganisations at Triangle, but nothing definite is known yet. ' John Gilbert is to be Bessie Love’s leading man in her first Vitagraph picture now under way. 'Hie operators in the local theatre were startled by an announcement about teaching women operators, who, they allege, wore promised jobfi at £3 when the ruling rate is £5, and were told, it is stated, that the two years’ apprenticeship necessary to_ membership in the operators’ union is unnecessary to them. Threatening a strike, the operators secured agreements with the theatres stipulating that only members of the'union shall be employed. Bill Hart has just completed a sea picture, and now he is striking out on new lines with a?' picture in which he will wear a dross suit I It starts cowboy and finishes conventionally in New York. Seeua Owen and Arthur Shirley are in the cast, and big sets are spread all over studio _ m Hollywood. Thomas luce is building a new studio at' Culver City, and Metro is looking for a new site on the coast. Tilings generally are very active in the movie line, in spite of the war, and the output from the hig companies continue steadily. Theda Bara has recovered and gone East. Nine of the prominent, Metro stars, including Nazimova, Hale Ha mi Hon. Viola Dana. Emilv Stevens. Olive Tell, Edith Storey and Ethel Barrymore are coining to the coast and mavhe Bushman and Beverley Bayne. May Allison and Bert Lytell are on the coast already, and, perhaps we will see Harold Lockwood again.

George Jean Nathan, who writes with bitter brilliancy and usually with a great deal of commonsonse wrapped up in his uncommon verbiage, deals harshly with the movies. He sees a lot of merit in the slapstick comedies, particularly Chaplin’s A Dog’s Life,” by the way, and then goes on: “But when we turn from this class of motion picture to the so-called feature pictures, we descend coincidentally from the honourably ridiculous to the sublimely imbecile. Nine times in ten the joint product of the efforts of some wretched scenario hack, some quondam tankshow (cheap, small-town touring show) stage director, and some erstwhile pretty male counter-jumper or pantry sweetie, those pictures may no more be endured by a person civilised to the point of an occasional hair-wash than the bar-room melodeons that simultaneously render Bnlfe and one’s weight. Of unwitting ignorance, illiteracy and stupidity all compact, they serve as overpowering propaganda for the further debasing of our theatrical audience’s taste, and as a means of graduation to the dramatic stage of an increasing ample corps of cheap melodrama and sweet slop-writers, absurdly incompetent stage-producers and bad actors.” All this is doubly interesting because for years Nathan has been telling the Americans that all of its commercial stage procurers are incompetent, all of its successful drama cheap melodrama and all of its best actors bad actors.

“Tho Danger Mark,” from Robert W. Chambers's book, has been highly praised as a fine picture, and Elsie Ferguson has made a big hit in the leading role.

“ Mickey,” the Mabel Nonnand picture, has been sold to the Australian Co-operative Exchange, which probably means that the Co-op. in the Dominion will also handle it. Don’t bo misled about “The Doughnut Designer,” “Shorty in the Jungle,” “Fatty the Fourflusher” or “ The Ham Artist,” which are the following four old successes under new names; “Dough and Dynamite,” “ Shorty among Cannibals,” " Fatty Again.'’ and “The Face on tho Barroom Floor.” Frank A. Vanderlip, chairman of the U.S. National War Savings Committee, gabe Charles Bay credit for launching the idea of honouring among requests for photographs only those which are accompanied by four thrift stamps, the stamps to he returned to tho purchaser when the piiotograph-'is sent. Other screen stars have suggested, originally or following someone olse’s suit, variations of this idea, and the practice is said to have, spread throughout a number of studios with the result that the sale of thrift stamps has received material impetus, Florence Heed, who stars urith Frank Mills in “ To-day,” had a very narrow escape from a serious motor accident at 'tha uuu) thu picture wua being filmed.

BY □ The Limelight Man □

She and a few friends .more coming down o rather steep incline, when the steering gear jammed,, and the heavy car dashed into a fence. The impact caused the machine to somersault, and it. finally came to rest upside down in n ploughed field. Fortunately' for Miss Heed, she was thrown out when the car first hit the fence, and, although she fell clear, she was so severely cut and bruised that she was unable to continue work at the studio for some weeks after the accident. Upon her recovery Miss Heed finished her work on To-day without a break-down, notwithstanding that in some scenes her powers were taxed to the utmost. / > In his first Artcraft picture, "The Goat.” released September 22, Fred Stone had to put over an unusual and rapid-fire stunt when ho played a young ironworker, Chuck M’Cnrthy, who literally breaks into the movies. The “ break ” occurs when he is ordered to do some construction work at a studio and is attracted by a boxed set. “ The Great Romance ’’ has been chosen as the title for Harold Lockwood's newest Metro starring vehicle now in course of production under the direction, of Henry Otto. Tbo story is a romantic drama written especially for the star by Finis. Fox, and has a bigl patriotic subject for its theme. Ruby de Renter is in the leading role. Miss do Renter was Mr Lockwood’s leading woman also in " Pals First.” which Metro will release during September as a Screen Classics production.

The Jewel Productions’ visualisation of Henry Irving Dodge’s "Saturday Evening Post” story, “The Yellow Dog,” was fully completed at the West Coast Studio in September. In the roster of one hundred players that make up the cast are many of the following artists of the film world :■ —Ralph Graves, who had the leading masculine role in “Sporting Life,” played the male lead. Arthur Hoyt, who played “ Mr Opp,” had an important role. Antrim Short, who has been seen in many juvenile parts, appeared as leader of the Boy Detectives and the real lidro of the production. Clara Horton, who appeared in the ingenue lead with Jack Pickford in “Tom Sawyer,” played opposite Master Short. Evelyn Selbie, Alfred Allen, Frederick Starr, Frank Hayes, Harold Goodwin, Gordon Griffith, Frank M. Clark and Frank Takanaga, the Japanese actor, were also in important roles. The screen version of “ The Yellow Dog” was made under the direction of Colin Campbell from the script prepared by Elliott J. Clawson, who wrote the scenario of “ The Kaiser.”

Metro Pictures Corporation has acquired tor the use of Francis X. Bushman and Beverly Bayne the screen rights to “ The Gay and Festive Olaverhouse,"’ said to be one of the most brilliant stories ever written by the late Anne Varner. Little, Brown and Co. published this story, which is said to fit the well-khown co-stars ns if it had been originally written for them. Juno Mathis and Katharine Kavanaugh are adapting the Warner story into a fiveact motion picture. Mr Bushman and Miss Bayne will begin work on “The Gay and Festive Claverhouse ” as soon as they complete Elaine Sterne’s story, ’Little Miss Moneybags.” Charles J. Brabm, who has directed “ Little Miss Moneybags,” will also have “ The Gay and Festive Claverhouse ” in charge. Beginning with September 30, Vitagraph entered upon its new production plan, and with its announcement gave the exact dates for the entire year on which the features of all six of its stars will be released. The summary of pictures shows that during tho next twelvemonth the stars of the Blue Ribbon programme will appear at intervals of six weeks as followsEarle Williams Eight productions during tie year beginning September 30, his release on that date being “ A Diplomatic Mission., Alice Joyce-Eight productions, her first under the new- plan coin°ut on October 21. under the title of Everybody’s Girl/’ Bessie LoveNine productions, her first being r&lease< Lon November/ 4, under the title of The Dawn of Understanding.” Harry 1. Morey—Nine productions, his first being released on October 14, under the title of “The King of Diamonds. , Cocinue Griffith—Nine productions, her initial one being “ Miss Ambition, ’ scheduled for release on October 28. Gladys Leslie—Nine productions her first being “ The Mating,” scheduled to appear on October 7. A debate between George Middleton, the dramatist and scenario writer, and Fred B. Warren, vice-president of the Golciwyn Pictures Corporation, arose over the relations of dramatists and motion picture producers at the annual luncheon of the National Boa.rd of Review of Motion. Pictures. Mr Middleton in the course of his discussion of the subject of dramatists in scenario writing said that the producers did not show emphatically their desire to have the assistance of tie dramatists in the writing of stories for production on the screen. Mr V arren responded that one of the reasons that dramatists and motion picture producers did not get on very well was that the dramatists belittled the motion picture and thought of it only as an opportunity to make use of material that was not of the best, their by-product, in other words. Mr Middleton retorted that he agreed with Mr Warren that dramatists did not offer the best material and were not as sympathetically inclined to tho motion picture as they might ho, but said the reason was to he laid a.t tho door of the producers. If the producer and director would co-operate with tho writer in the same manner that takes place on the stage in building up the production of n play the writers would take a deeper interest in their work for the screen. ■,

Anna Case, the operatic singer, began work on her first moving picture in August, under the direction of Julius Steger. “The Golden Hope” is the title of the play, which was written expressly for tho star.,

T. P. O'Connor, M.P., president of tho British Board of Censors, was present at tho annual meeting of the London branch of the Kinemntograph Exhibitors’ Association in August, and said that in Great Britain the nasty, the horrible, and tho suggestive never had anything but a meteoric career and a disastrous end. Mr Brady, one of the great film producers of America, and himself, he said, had both expressed the opinion that in time a kinema hall would bo a feature m every elementary school in tho land, for the purpose of aiding the children in historical, geographical and othea studies. The American kinema had done immense service in patriotic propaganda, and there was a hearty desire in America to see* closer ties between the American and the British trade. There wa.s an immense future in America after the war for the British produced film, and it was felt that the present abnormal conditions, in which 1)0 per cent of the films came from America, and only a. few went from England, could not last. A 1 Bay, brother of Charles, has been engaged to play opposite Enid Bennett in her newest picture, under the direction of Fred Niblo, Miss Bennett’s husband. The aoeuario is by C. Uaidr.er Sullivan.