BEHIND THE SCREEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 59, 10 March 1923, Page 26

BEHIND THE SCREEN.

During 1921 over 4000 feature films were released in the United States. Universal has purchased Elizabeth Alexander's "Saturday Evening Post" story, "The Self-Made Wife." An allstar cast is being selected while Albert G. Kenyon is preparing the continuity. William Duncan, famous serial star, has jußt signed a contract with Carl Laemmle to make serials after the expiration of his contract with Vitagraph, for Universal. Edith Johnson, his wife, will be his leading woman. Almost three blocks of cobble stone pavement have been laid down in the sets for "The Hunchback, of Notre Dame," being constructed at Universal City. Every resource of moving picture ingenuity is being expended to make this production as complete a visualization of Victor Hugo's story as possible. Margaret Leland's widely-read novel, "The Vehement Flame," one of the best Kellers of 1922, has been purchased for I Universal. No decision has been made as yet about the star who will appear in it. The role of the heroine is one of the most difficult roles for a screen star ever devised. The production department of Paramount announce thnt Herbert Brennon his signed a contract whereby he becomes a special director of Paramount pictures. His first production, which will be made at the Lasky studio, will be Cosmo Hamilton's "The Rustle of Silk," in which Betty Compson will be starred. This will be followed by "The Woman with Four Faces," by Bayard Veiller, in which Miss Compson will also be the star. Undoubtedly one of the busiest British studios during 1922 was that controlled by Mr. Walter West, of Walter "West Productions, for during the past ten months he has been responsible for no less than six five-reel productions —varying greatly in theme and treatment. Amongst those productions are "Son of Kissing Cup," "When Greek meets Greek," "The White Hope," "Was She Justified?" "Scarlet Lady," and "Hornets' Nest," which latter film has just been completed. That the Renaissance of the motion picture art is at hand was the declaration made by Carl Laemmle, president of the Universal Pictures Corporation, on his departure for Universal City on his annual planning trip. Mr. Laemmle predicted that the cinema industry would, within the next twelve months, emerge from its period of evolution and take its place with the stage and literature as a fully-matured art. "Motionpicture art to-day," he declared, "is undergoing the same transformation as the arts of literature, painting, and music during the ' great Renaissance during and about the fifteenth century in Europe. For years the cinema has been floundering in a wilderness of experiment, growing and ripening. To-day it stands on the threshold of a new birth." Before endeavouring to stage scenes of private film passion amid excited crowds in the streets of Paris, the French picture-maker may now invoke the aid of the "film police"—a body of gendarmes specially sent out, with true French chivalry, to facilitate the outdoor adventures of too-popular screen heroines. No fewer than 20 gendarmes were allotted to Henri Daimant Bergcr, the young French producer, who'recently completed a 36-reel version of Dumas' "Twenty Years After" as a sequel to his wonderful version, of "The Three Musketeers." While half Paris fought in the background for a peep, these stalwart champions of the screen hero's rights sturdily guarded D'Artagnan's wayside exploits before the camera from the incursions of twentieth-century sightseers. Pola Negri is to be starred by Paramount in "The Cheat," with Jack Holt featured with her, and Charles Je Roche, who recently came from Europe at the head of the supporting cast. Georse Fitzmaurice will be the producer. "The Cheat" was produced originally about eight years ago by Cecil B. De Mille. At that time it was declared by critics to be the first motion picture with perfect dramatic construction. It was written originally by Hector Turnbull, and was produced on the stage by William A. Brady, with Mary Nash and Jose Ruben in the leading roles. The stage version was written by Willard Mack. This is the only motion picture that has ever been produced as Grand Opera. Two years ago it waa brought out at the Opera Comique in Paris as the posthumous work of Camille Erlanger, composer of "The Sorceress." Napoleon and Josephine arriving by motor-car at Fontainebleau was a novel spectacle provided by the production of scenes for "A Royal Divorce," the famous pseudo-historical stage play, now being translated into pictures.

Bill Hart, after a serious illness that kept him confined to his bed for several weeks, is up and around again. The doctor has allowed him to stroll around the grounds of his Hollywood home, and Bill says he is beginning to feel like himself again. Huga Ballin is working on the film of ■Wanity Fair," with his beautiful wife as Becky Sharp. George Walsh, Eleanor Boardman, Harrison Ford, and other well-known folks are in the cast. Large quantities of high-powered heart-throbs for British kinema-goers aro being actively prepared at tho Hertsfordshire passion factory of Ideal Films, who announce a noteworthy list of forthcoming new productions. Among them are a 6eries of "Scarlet Pimpernel" stories and an original screen adventure of "Old Bill," entitled "Old Bill Through Ye Ages," in which Captain Bairnsfather will co-operate. Other Ideal pictures just completed and shortly to be released are "The Harbour Lights," with Tom Moore, the American film star; "Greensea Island," adapted from Victor Bridges' novel, and "The Grass Orphan," with Margaret Bannerman as the heroiije. Margaret Fielding, who appeared in the American cast of the well-known mystery drama "The Bat," so recently staged in New Zealand by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., has been engaged by I William Fox, and will be seen in ; association with Percy Marmont and 1 Ann Forest in the film version of A. S. M. Hutchinson's well known story, "If Winter Comes." Margaret Fielding has been assigned the role of Mabel, th« i wife of Murk Sabre, the central! character. 'Portion of the production has been staged in England on the exact locations mentioned by the author, and both Harry Millarde and Mr. Hutchinson anticipate that the motion picturo version will be as popular as the novel itself. .