BEHIND THE SCREEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 89, 14 April 1923, Page 18

BEHIND THE SCREEN.

Jackie Coogan's first picture under his Metro contract will be "Long Live tne King," by Mary Roberts Rinehart. I Barbara Bedford, who has starred in several William Fox productions-, has been cast to play opposite Torn M l - m "Romance Land," his latest release. The Brothers Chaplin, eharliß Mid i Sydney, have released their picture The 1 Pilgrim." In this Charlie impersonates Lefty Lombard, an escaped convict, alias the Pilgrim, while his brother takes the part of a husband and father. In "The Pilgrim," a new screen youngster, "Dinky" Dean, aged 4 years, wU" be m- , troduced. ' In the course of a conversation- recently, Mary Pickford, disclosed a fact amazing perhaps to the thoughtless. Mary wants to put on a picture directed by Mack Sennett. "In certain particulars," she said, "he has never had an equal in the motion-picture industry. I know of no other director who ever lived who knew so thoroughly how to translate thought into visible action. Also. Sennett has a wonderful sense of drama." The following were voted the best ten pictures released in 1922: "Orphans of the Storm," "Grandma's Boy," '"Blood and Sand," "The Prison**: of Zenda," "When was in Flower," "Nanook of the KTorth,*? Through," "Tol'able David," "Robin , Hood" and "Oliver Twist" This was I the placing of the audiences, but the reviewers did cot agree with this. Their selection has not, however, been published. Hobart Bos-forth, *-f]*o has been a motion picture star for 13 years, practically since the beginning of motion pictures, has been sighed on a fiv<j-year contract by the Goldwyn Pictures Corporation. He holds the distinction ot having been featured in the. first production filmed in Los Angeles, and of bping the first stage actor of high standing to enter motion pictures.' Flew de Lye irr Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame,"' was. the reigning beauty of fifteenth century France. Naturally the film cplpj~.y was searched from cellar tfi BMg£ t$ find the person best "adapted to rej>i_sent this imperions potentate,' Choice fell upon Winifred Bryson, Doubtless Universal has 'started another Wu : "<f- her j>atb tq glory. " ---■-• . . - %t CCntu-y. ot «__a;i_j_J-m pbx, "The Cat and the CJanary," "-elpiSud at | the Shafteshury Theatre, at the eadt.of January, -*-he--.' fse_ was re<t?A"s4. by a. crowid-id >Ss_S m <-h*iUJ%-, ?&__ m W_on, this intriguing drama, in which Miss .Mary Glynne appears so appealinely, has a distinct vein of comedy. It has become famous, too, by reason of tbe marriage of two members of tbe cast during its run, I A new producer has joined the ranks in New York, a woman, moreover. Marguerite Gale has announced the formation of the Marguerite Gale Productions. Her first picture will be "The Turnin*? Point." It is a Western story, end the first of a series. Lem Kennedy will direct. Miss Gale is a well-known fi-rure, both in pictures and on the stage. She appeared with Constance Collier and Tyrone Power in the all-star cast of "Thais," and one of her first pictures was "How Molly Made Good," the cast including Leo "Ditrichstein, Henrietta Grossman, Julian Eltinge and Julia Dean. No expense will be spared to make Rex Beach's famous story "The Spoilers," which Jesse D. Hampton is producing for Goldwyn, one of thp most im- ! portant productions of the year. ] Eighteen famous actors and actressps will be used, making it one of" the greatest all-star casts ever used. The following players have been chosen so far: Milton Silis, Noah Beery. Barbara Bedford, Anna Q. Nilsspn, Wai. "t"ac_onald, Mitchell Lewis, Alec. B. Francis and Louise Fazenda, One hundred and thirty thousand dollars has been paid | for the film rights, and Lambert Hillyer, the director of the William S. I~art successes, has been engaged as director. A runaway horse and ,sleigh smashed a camera and ruined two days' work during the filming of scenes for "Atonement," the Palmer Photo-play production which is being made at the Thomas H. Twe studios. Just at the most dramatic moment, when Henry Sharp, the photographer, was calmly grinding away a picture of an alleged runaway, the horse became frif-htei-ed at the cracking whip of the driver and the shouts of the director, and cut loose. The second cameraman grabbed his machine and got out of the way, but Sharp stood his ground, thinking he would get something really good. The horse, instead of stopping, smashed into the camera, breaking tho tripod and a lens to smithereens. Satisfied at the tl-masre. the animal stopped short, and , the following day went through the scene again without a quiver of tero- • perament. Mrs. Wallace Reid's project of expos- ' ing the drug menace on the screen is • proceeding apace. The plan has been taken up by the newly-organised Los f Anr-eles anti-narcotic league, which is to - co-operate with the Government's crusade against the drug menace, and with • thirty metropolitan police departments • throuHiout the TTni+e* States. EnFsted i in the campaign will be many national authorities on narcotics, and many i famous police executives will assist in . tho screening of the big drama. A comi mitt.cc is issuing; a call for national sup- ; port for the Government campaign foi ; the suppression of the drug menace. ■ Throughout thp" production of the pc ' ture at the Ince studios, many nationally known Government authorities and - welfare workers will be in attendance in I advisory capacities. James Kirkwood i has been given two weeks* notice to i accept the leading male role in "The • Living Dead," which will be the title oi , tho picture. Kirkwood returned to the I legitimate stage several months ago. When the offer to appear in Mrs. Reid's , film reached him, however, he immedi . ately wired his acceptance. With Kirk 1 *vood playing the leading male role, the i cast for Mrs. Reid's film is one of the , strongest assembled for any recent pic , ture. Bessie Love, George Hackathome , Victory Batcman, Clarip McDowell, and , brie Mayne aro included, John Griffith - Wray is directing. The picture is be- _ ing made at the Thomaa H. Inca studios,