Screen Stars and Films

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 23

Screen Stars and Films

IfEW RELEASES THIS WEEK. j.l THE STRAND: "Her Reputation," i Master Picture, starring May McAVoy. jfilton Sills, Wallace Mac Donald, DeWitt Jennings, Bertram Grasaby, Mattfcetr Betts, Gertrude Claire, Nelson McDowell, and Edward Wade will support Viola Dana in her nest starring picture, "Angel Face Molly." This will Jg tbe second picture in which Sills has appeared in support of Mies Dma- The first was ''Dangerous to Men," produced by Metro several years »g°Frank Mayo is the record globe trotijng hero of the movies. Hβ played juvenile 'leads" in half of the large cltie3 in the world before going into pictures. He is now acting the hero in "The Shadow of the East," which Seorge Arehainbaud is directing at the Wiliim Fox studios. As Barry Cravan, he becomes a globe trotter again, starting off in India, going to England and then to the Desert of Sahara. "Heart's Aflame," a Metro production, Is an adaptation of the famous novel by Harold Titue. It is a momentous document of the screen in which the cause of Forestry is taken iip. Here is a picture that will not only Have an interest to the average picture goer, but it will have an appeal to all lovers of nature, and who are interested fa that great cause the prevention of destruction of forest trees. "The covered Wagon," Paramount's greatest masterpiece, for showing early & 1924 has just had its premier showing In Christchurch. All over the world this wonderful attraction has had a great run and Christchurch promises to be no exception to the rule. "The Covered Wagon" is perhaps the greatest moving picture since "Intolerance," and it will go down in the annals of moving picture history as one of the screen sensations of modern times. Jackie Coogan has a new title, selfimposed. Upon Jackie's return to Hollywood -from tho high Sierras, where he ■went vacationing, he romped into the studio offices garbed in chape, riding boots and a large sombrero, and declared in a lou d voice, "I'm the six-gun kid from the l?ierras, and I'm a hard guy," and by tray of demonstration he ■twirled two mean-looking six-shooters, long since disqualified for active duty by-reason of certain missing essential farts. So the famous young star is now inpivn to his studio associates as the "Six-Gun Kid"—at least until the novelty wears off. On board the steamship Sonoma, bound for tbe Antipodes recently, was a.package addressed to Annette Keller■man. The parcel contains a pair of .Jackie-Coogan's old trousers —the pair he wore in "The Kid." They are worth their weight in gold and are to become part of the Australian Olympic Games Fund at the request of Jliss Kellerman, who, by the way, is Jackie's film godmother. It will be remembered it ■was this daughter of Neptune, Miss Kellerraan, who first brought Jackie out on .the stage in Los Angeles about four years ago, where she was playing a .vaudeville engagement. And Charlie Chaplin was in the audience. That tells the story. That "overshooting" in an unnecessary and wasteful feature which has existed in past days of the cinema seetnj to be indicated by the experience of Cecil B. de Mille who reports his first "rough out"' on "The Ten Commandments" to be only fourteen reels. When this 14,000 feet, from which of course is still to be pruned, is compared with the hundreds of thousands of feet which have been ■ quoted for past productions, it forms, believe students of cinema affaire, an excellent example of the increased efficiency with which the motion picture if to-day is being made. De M.'Jle's ] 4.000 feet for "The Ten Commandtaenia, -, story by Jeanie Macphereon. is particularly noteworthy because of the production's rank as perhaps the biggest thing ever made in film history. The money saved by de Mille in keeping his "shooting" within reasonable bounds permitted the enhancing of certain of the effects which are to be a feature of the production. .. The interesting role of Gecko, in Richard Walton Tully's all-star production of "Trilby," the First National attraction coming to Auckland soon, offers Francis McDonald new opportunities, inasmuch as all of his former interpretations have been those of villan roles, whereas in "Trilby" Gecko ■ is a downtrodden, cringing, abused little musician, who is inspired to a devotion to his master, the sinster •Svengali. McDonald, like many other Players who came to the screen via the -etage, received his first histrionic experience in itock. He later played the 'heavy" i n "The Totem Pole," and in 100/ signol his first motion picture •contract, making his debut on the screen in 'The Looking Glass, with Marion Jjeonard. Among his best screen roles have been those of Count Cavelcante in Monte Cristo," Jules Gaillard in ■■ poing Up," with Douglas McLean, and the title role of "Captain Fly By ■ Ajght." Among others in the brilliant 'f jf of "Trilby" are Andrea Lafayette, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Crelghton SA'*r -Philo McCullogh and* Wilfred Imcaa. James Young directed the proA little film exhibited this week in Australia House, showing how a Brjtish Ploughman found independence and fortune in New South Wales, contains the germ of many a tieme fruitful in possibilities. At the present moment "The <-overed Wagon," a chapter of purelr American history, is attracting large audiences in half the big cities of the Kerld. How many no less inspiring picture plays could be made depicting the rounding of this widespread Empire ? We need not even go so far back as 1849, tbe period when occurred the incidents recorded by "The Covered Wagon." Less than forty years ago the site on which . Johannesburg, the most important city jL°f South Africa, now stands was open yefd. TV journey across the coast by . bu.lock-wagon occupied three entire vj™ 1 * - "St'M nearer to the present day, NaihW, which' possesses all the amenities <A Lavanced civilisation, was in the wilderness. Would the life of Cecil Rhodes, with its fixed, nex-er-wavering purposp, if visualised with sympathy by some Griffith of the screen, be less likely i° enthral the world than the story of the pioneers who first settled in Oregon I

I Has Pearl White left the quiet solitude of a French convent? Ruraom comes from Paris that Pearl is now making a film special for a French motion-picture company. The picture is a mystery drama—the kind that Miss White revels in, and romps out of. The French love her nerve. Perhaps the most popular and best known of Zane Grey's stories is "To the La*?t Man," the picturised version iof which is now scheduled for release Iby Paramount. This ia the only storj written by Zane Grey that has been supervised" by the author in the making [of a screen production. The cast is allI star, with Jx»is Wilson, Richard Dix and Noah Beery. This is said to be the fastest and most dramatic story oi the west that has ever come to the screen. I Some of the most magnificent sets over erected at the United Studios in Holly-wood were built for Frank •Borzage's new production, "The Age" of Desire," a First National picture. One of the seta, representing the home of a New York millionaire, is a veritable palace. It required all of the largest stage, embracing more than thirty thousand square feet, to hold the five i large rooms in which the action takes place. They all come to the films—eventually. Now it is Alice King, who has at \ last surrendered to the lure of the camera. Miss King is appearing with Viola Dan "In Search of a Thrill." Alice King is well known to patrons of the American Theatre. Her stage roles have been numerous and important, and she has gained wide recognition as an actress of great capability. This is her first appearance on the screen. Her sister-in-law, Mabel Van Buren, well known to patrons of the kinema, also appears in ''In Search of a Thrill." The scenes in "Westbound Limited," Emory Johnson's colossal railroad drama j which will be featured shortly, are not entirely devoted to railroads, trains and switch yards. The attractive and artistic scenes showing interiors of several beautiful mansions are shown in all their glory in this gigantic production. The most beautiful and costly draperies and furnishings that could be secured were utilised by Director Johnson in filming the residential scenes. One of the big interiors in " Westbound Limited" shows a long, deep library, hall and living room that mark an epoch in the manner of dressing and arranging a stage for a moving picture production. "When Odds Are Even," the latest William Fox feature starring William Russell, has been completed. The action in this picture in which Kussell has the role of a young mining engineer, ranges from San Francisco to a small island off the coast of Australia. The story concerns the- efforts of two rival syndicates to gain possession of _ a newly-discovered black opal mine. Dorthy Devore will be seen in this ■picture as Russell's new leading lady. The supporting cast includes Lloyd Wheliock, Frank Bcal, and Alan Cavan. Ramon ifovarro, who plays the title role in "Soaramouche," can go on record as the hardest worker in Hollywood's film colony. During the six months of continuous production on Rafael Sabatini's drama Novarro was called on to appear day after day without a break in. one scene or another; this, 'While the other principals, among whom were Alice Terry and Lewie Stone, did not have to appear often for days at a time. But Novarro remarked recently that he didn't mind a bit. "Not sp long ago," he said, "I could not even persuade directors that they needed mc at all." The chances are that scarcely one lone girl in a thousand, in her most horrible nightmare, visualises herself in a3 uncomplimentary a make-up as Viola Dana submits to in "In Search of a Thrill." In this picture Viola portrays the role of a young Parisian Apache, and her appearance is as unlovely and accurate as human skill could make it. Viola Dana refused to leave the etudio even for lunch while she had her make-up on. "I'm even frightened at my own reflection in the . mirror," Viola said ta the other members of the cast. "It's all right for a picture, but I won't risk it outside." Lincoln J. Carter, noted King of Melodrama, now attached to the William Fox West Coast Studios, Hollywood, is hard at work on a new thriller, "The Arizona Express." The master thriller produces somethig new. "I am going to build a new kind of melodrama," said Mr- Carter. "In the past and in the olden days melodrama, with its pyramided thrills, was constructed almost exclusively to please the men in the audience. This time lam going to write a woman's melodrama. "Just as the old ones quickened the pulses of the men and sent red blood tingling through their veins, just so I will make "The Arizona Express" appeal to the women in my audience. This means that it will contain a very pronounced and distinctive heart interest. It will sway the emotions of the gentler sex, but at the same time carry a convincing appeal to men. "So far as I know, this will be the first women's melodrama ever written, and with the help of Mr. Fox I am going to be a pioneer in this new field."

Josef Swickard, who has a leading role in Frank Borzage's new all-star picture, "The Age of Desire," a First National release, is quite an artist on the violin, and while he plays chiefly for his won amusement, he entertained the Borzage company on numerous occasions with his classical music between scenes in the studio. Pola Negri has gone in for Hollywood real estate. She recently purchased a corner on Hollywood boulevard valued it over a hundred thousand. Incidentally, Pola is one of the wealthy women of pictures. She owns large estates in Poland, and is buying a chateau on the French Riviera. To the modern jrirl who is always on the search for "thrills" the picture, "The Exciters," will have a special sigaificance. Of course, we all know in this advanced age that the modern tender blossoms of tender feminity would wither or die if it were not for the few thrille they get in life. ''But whither is this mad road leading!" asks the sage. TEH is really wonderfully up to the minute story, and will suit the girl who we ihave just referred to down to the ground. Fifty-three animals, including two bowling coyotes and a frail, yellow canary bird, were part of the Erich yon Stroheim Death Valley expedition. The animals all play parts in t'::e p'.cture, which shows the perilous flight of McTigue, the central ligure of the story, md his enemy, Marcus, up to the thrilling moment""when they stop fighting ;o battle with a. common peril —a eemimad mule which has taken to. flight with the last bit of water. The animal Dart of the caravan included one canary sird, one fangless rattlesnake, 40 burros, two mules, two horses, two large spiders two coyotes, and one horned ;oad. Rin-tin-tin, the police dog who hae starred in many a feature film, is a real hero, for he rescued a little girl recntly, from a certain, and horrible death. It happened this way. The ihHd, whose name is Harriet Stone, had made friends with the dog at Warner Brothers' studio, where a picture was in progress. They became great pals md used to wonder off together for I long walks. One afternoon, when they were together and the youngster was picking flowers, they etrayed near a narsby spot. And before Harriet knew it, she wae sinking into a quagmire. kt her eudden cry, Rin-tin-tin ran to ■>er, and the child grasped him around ihe neck. By that time ehe wae breast leep in the mud, and too firmly embedded to be pulled out by the animal done. The dog realised that, and, lolding himself absolutely rigid, with r eet braced, he began to bark. Still barking hoarsely, still with his feet >raced, they found him. Where is the cosy little Mise of the Tyrolean Alps, whose long burnished tresses were much envied by famous wig-makers, whose souls were wrapped up in the art of creating life-like blond wigs for brunette girls. Once upon a time these mountain sprites sacrificed their locks and permitted the beautiful j curls to be clipped and used in the ' manufacture of wigs- Sparkling, epun gold and scintillating silver have so revolved in the scientific realm that natural hair no longer creates the perfect effect for the camera lens. These metals have been so delicately formed in the construction of wigs that the successful use in motion pictures creates a distinct innovation in this field. Experimented upon at great length and with almost every lighting condition, the metal wig proved to have a quality of photographic reproduction entirely absent in wigs of other construction. So successful were the results of these experiments that Henry Otto, William Fox director, taking advantage of the newdiscovery, utilised it to the fullest extent in" the "Temple of Venus." now being produced at the West (Toast Studios. From extra parts to leading lady within a few short years is the unusual experience that has come to Colleen Moore, winsome screen actress, whose career reads like a fairy story. It is not so long ago since Miss Moore was waiting in studio offices hoping that the day would 'bring some work and a step nearer her amlbition. One of her first big parts vras to play opposite John Barrymore in "The Lotus Eater." The picture gave' her the opportunity she sought and her talent was recognised. She has been playing leeding parts ever since until her ability attracted the notice of Oliver Morosco. The famous producer of "The Bat," was looking for a feminine lead for Wheeler Oakman in his latest picture to "be released as a First National attraction, "Slippy McGee." He wired Miss Moore, who was then in the east, of the opportunity, and within an Hour she had made reservations on the transcontinental limited. "Slippy McGee" is perhaps the bisgest and most exacting role that has fallen to her lot. In it she is called upon to portray a girl who is responsible ivr the reformation of "Slippy," the most notorious safe cracker the country has known. The part calls for charm and naivenese combined with mature wisdom. How ably it has been rfone will be seen when "Slippy McGee" rpens its run at Auckland.