Screen Stars and Films

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 116, 17 May 1924, Page 23

Screen Stars and Films

The Hunchback of Notre Dame," _ Ben-en version of Hugo's great work, with l.on Chancy in the title role, is breaking -11 screen records in America. A.olpl-p Menjou's wardrobe is at last g thing known and monsurable The director of ''Broadway After Dark," asked hira (o use his own clothes to fill h cabinet in the -cene to be Aimed, llenjmi agreed The suits numbered Bixty ihe shoes -igliLe.-n, and the walking stick, eight Dustm fnrnum was forced to take a vacation after completing work on "The Man Who Won," ins new William Fox production. In this picture there is so much shooting that the noise tern porarily affected his ears, which, in addition, were aching already from too many water exercises In the latter production he out-dares Custer's last stand in holding six men at bay singly. "A Man's Mate" is the new title which ha. been selected for the John Gilbert starring vehicle, which William Fox has already announced under "The Apache." II is a story of Parisian life, and many of the set. erected at the West Coast studios of Pox Rim Cor poration are copies of famous French dance hallß and resorts. The story was written by Charles Kenyon and Renee Adore will be seen as the leading lady for Gilbert. Of all the foreign directors now working on American productions, Ernst Lubitsch is the best known. ""He directed the famous "Passion" and "Cipsy Blood" which made Pola Ne>m so popular It is significant that he began work as a character actor in burlesque Jewish roles, which gave him a practical knowledge of comedy in addition to his natural genius . for spectacular mob scenes Hi. art in handling masses is unsurpassed. After a brief halt in its experimental undertakings, Sweden has once more resumed its predilection for weird subjects, and in " Black Magic " offers a film of a -unique character. The film deal, with witchcraft and persecution, and the treatment of the subject in some respects resembles the manner employed In the German film "Shadows." Though the historical background of the story is Swedish, the subject is reminiscent of the practice of witchcraft in our own colonial day., with similar persecution of innocent persons suspected of intercourse with Satan. The s.enie effects, notably in the secret night gatherings, are superb and are calculated to send a thrill up and down the most phlegmatic spine Tbe morbid atmosphere of this .film find's romantic relief in another Svenska production. "The Lake Pirates," a story of youth and illusion and adventure prettily conceived and charmingly executed.—"Swedish Film."

An escape mat w__ nothing short of miraculous recently saved Ella Hall from permanent disfigurement. She was thrown through the windscreen of her car, after the big limousine had jumped a ditch and hit a telegraph pole in avoiding a collision with another car. Mjbs Hall was on ber way to the studio, w_ere she was working on "In the Name of the Law." A spitfire who defies a big and brutal Bea captain is Priseilla Dean, in her latest picture, "The Storm Daughter," a vigorous picture of the sea, directed by George Archainbaud Miss Dean plays the part of a lisherwoman who sails her own boat. Tom Santschi, who has the male lead, is captain of the big sailing ve__l which rung down her boat. Clara Bow, the little Brooklyn highschool girl, who got into pictures by winning one of the Brewster "Fame and Fortune" contests, is one of the few girls in pictures who works absolutely without make-up. After tutting every known variety of the cameramen found that she wis a rare type— the perfect screen natural colouring. The death toll of New York streets, as published in an annual report, madi such a deep impression on William Brandt, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of New York State, that he suggested to Barron Collier, Special Deputy Police Oommiesioner, and to E. B. Hatrick, general manager of International Newsreel Corporation, that they collaborate in a series of accident pictures which would serve as a warning to thousands and thousands of people whose carelessness can be remedied by no other means than by an actual instance. The "accidents" in the wonderful series of pictures, which resulted were, of course, tricked and ' faked, but they look as real as any accidents could possibly be, and as moving picture spectacles are as •thrilling as any aerial. The pictures serve, first, as an impressive warning against what the police of New York have termed "jay-walking"; that is, crossing the street at any place except the corners; second, as a warning against -reckless driving by motorists; third, as a warning to parents against allowing children to play in busy streets, and fourth, as a warning to both men and women who alight from street cars and cross behind the car without waiting for the car to draw away and a clear view of the street. Several instances of this are shown in the films. A woman athlete was used- in these scenes, and in spite of the fact that she was protected as far as possible, received several very severe bumps from automobiles in the course of the "accidents."

Herbert Rawlinson has started work in his newest starring production, "High Speed," an original story by Fred Jack- ' son. Herbert Blache ia directing the filming of the story. "Trailing Trouble," which originally bore the title of "The Jazz Kid," has been completed by Director Al. Herman. Buddy Messinger is the star of this most recent Century comedy for Universal distribution. As the dandy par excellence, the dandy who dominated the brilliant court of the Prince Regent, the exquisite dresser and superb wit, John Barrymore will assuredly carry off honours in "Beau Brummel," a forth coming Master Picture. He i_ made for the role. Highly indignant because the Los Angeles city council wouldn't let them dance after midnight, the picture stars all wtnt up to San Francisco to the Wampas ball, travelling in a flock of special trains and steamers San Francisco was so eager to have a look at them that the ballroom was as crowded as Forty-Second and Fifth Avenue. In "The Racing Kid," a new Century comedy now in the course of production with Buddy MessingeT as the star, a new landing lady will make her appearance She is twelve year-old Martha Sleeper, who played an Important juvenile role In Emory Johnson's "The Mail Msn." Little Miss Sleeper has had a great deal of stage experience, although her appearance in "The Mail Man" was her debut in fllmdom. She is the niece of a memheT of the executive staff tbat controls the Keith vaudeville circuit, and conceded to be a most versatile pantnmimist and impersonator. She is well known through. out New York as one of the mo«t promising former pupils of Chalil, the famous Russian dancing master. "The Si<rn<tl Tower" i» heralded as «• new style in big productions. It was adapted from a stirring railroad romance by Wadsworth Camp and Is remarkable for 'ts lack of lavish sets and great mob st >»s. Its setting Is the Sierra Mountain*, ,nd most of Its action takes place between Aye or si. characters played by screen favourites of sterling worth. Opposite Virginia Vnlli Is Rockliffe Fellowes in the role of a railroad signal tower operator perched high In a mountain pass. Miss Valll plays the role of his wife. It is in the signal tower and in their little mountain dwelling that most of the action takes place. Walla** Beery is the villain in the role of an assistant signalman, and the following competent players are the small east: Frankie Darrow, James O. Barrowa, J. Farrell Mac Donald and Dot Farley.

"Dark Stairways" ia the title which Universal has given to Herbert Rawlinson's next starring vehicle, an original story by Marion Orth. Ruth Dwyer plays the lead opposite Rawlinson. Noted stage stars, vaudeville celebrities, veteran character artists of the screen and notable players before the camera are assembled in a remarkable cast to surround one wee girl, in "The Law Forbids," Baby Peggy's new Universal-Jewel attraction. SiT Oswald Stoll. in the interests of the British-made movies, is taking Bruce Johnson of the First Natonal to task for underselling American movies in England. Sir Oswald declares that Johnson, "on the eve of the British Film Weeks," is offering British exhibitors blocks of films, sufficient for a year's programmes, at bedrock prices Sophie Kerr's Saturday Evening Post story, "Relative Value," has been changed by Universal for picture purposes to "Young Ideas." Laura La Plante is the featured player in this production, which waß directed by Robert Hill, who produced "Excitement" and "The Dangerous Blonde." Bryc. Morgan, famous for his automobile stories, many of which were picturised for the late Wallace Reid, has sent another one to the screen under the banner of Paramount. It is entitled "Flaming Barriers." It is said to be one of the livest and fastest screen stories that have been produced for a long time. The all star cast includes Jacqueline Logan, Antonio Moreno, Walter Hiers, Charles Ogle, and Robert McKim. A story of the follies of to-day and yesterday, of the shortcomings of the youth of three generations, is told in "His Children's Children." It is presented as a startling revelation from one of the most daring novels of the day. It reveals a cross section of the lives of three generations, the story of a family from the first generation to the third. The idea of the story is to illustrate that sometimes "tb" follies of the forefathers shall be visited on the children." The cast includes' Bebe Daniels, George Fawcett, and Mahlon Hamilton. It is rumoured that Universal will make a new version of "We Are French/" Those who were picture fans during the war time will doubtless remember this story by Robert H. Davis and Perley Poore Sheehan. As a piece of literature it was used as a text-book of patriotism by all of the allied armies. As a film, it was produced before America went Into the war and because of Wilson's neutrality proclamation Universal changed its name to "The Bugler of Algiers." As soon as America went into the war, however, the title was changed back to "We are French," and the picture embarked on another phase of Its life, when prints were ordered by all of the allied nations for use at the front. In fact, it is asserted that its vogue abroad was as great as, if not greater than, any other picture ever made in America.

"The Ten Commandments," Paramount _ big special, to be released •in New Zealand late in 19-4, is said to be i the most costly picture ever presented. Girls who —re anxious to "get into the movies" often have an idea that most girls take up photoplay acting "for the fun ot it." Marguerite dv la Motte knocked at the studio gates severa. years ago when her parents were lulled in a motor accident, and siie was left { with a younger brother to support. A tragedy in mid-air is one of the . outstandiug thrills in "The Broken Wing," featuring Kenneth Harlan, Mirian Cooper, and Walter Long. Besides this, there is an aeroplane smash through a Mexican house, an aviator who forgets his past, and marries a fascinating Mexican girl, and then an astound- : ing surprise. One of the greatest .names' in modern American fiction is that of Zane Gray. His Western novels• have been,, greatly in demand. Several of them have been brought to the screen recently, and one of the most successful was "To the Laßt > Man," which was shown her some time ago. The next Zane Grey story will be I "The Call of the Canyon." This picture was produced under the supervision of the author. The cast of this story is all star, including Richard Dix, Lois Wilson, and Marjorie Daw "The Call of the Canyon" will be one of the most important offerings for the coming season. All production activities were suspended on Hoot Gibson's set at Universal City during the filming of the hotel lobby scenes of "Forty Horse Hawkins" for a full hour—all because of one small brown puppy, named ! "Mickey." Mickey had to have inspirational music before he'd act. The temperai mental pup got the attention of everyone in the cast, the electricians, the cameramen, and even the visitors on the set. The scene called for Mickey to sit , on the counter and bark, as Hoot Gib- . son, in the role of the versatile bell- ■ boy, was to attempt to talk against the ! canine voice to Helen Holmes, playing a newly-arrived guest with a homesick purp But Mickey wouldn't bark He was well satisfied to git on the counter and wag his tail. Hoot imitated a cat. Johnny Judd, the cowboy, barked like a dog Henry 1 Cohen, the chief musican on the set, ' played doleful strains on his portable organ —whereat Mickey, howled; but nary a bark Edward Sedgwick, the director, got on his hands and knees ' and roared like a lion; William McCulley and Charlie Dorian, his assist--1 ants, rattled tin cans. Finally the pandemonium represented the combined and deversifled efforts of ' the whole cast. Then Mickey decided ' it was time to do something. He 1 barked furiously —and they took the ' scene. But the excited dog was in an acting mood then; —so he whirled and , tried to bite off Gibson's ear. Hoot i dodged him by a scant inch—and they proceeded rapidly to another scene. -

"Two Wagons, Both Covered," a Will Rogers satire on "The Covered Wagon," is described by an American magazine ac "the best laugh of the month." Dick Turpin, the King of Highwaymen, had but one love —hia mare, "Bonnie Black Bess"—who cared not for distance and knew not distress. This old favourite's story is told again in the Master Picture—"Dick Turpin b Ride to York" Picking up several men bodily and then hurling them over his head and with one band snatching a man clear over the top of a bar are no mean feats of strength performed by Anders Randolph in the roie of Big McDonald in "The Man from Glengarry." The Moulin Rouge, the most brilliant and most notorious of Montmatre cafes, js no more, except in the memory of t ur'ists and pleasure-seekers who visited it years ago. . Those who have never seen this cafe of the "Red Mill" will be able to view it in replica in "Queen of the Moulin Rogue," a Master Picture starring the late Martha Mansfield. Camera work is completed on "Poisoned Paradise." It is said that this film represents a distinct departure from the usual film plot. The story is taken from Robert W. Service's novel of Monte Carlo, in which a- new kind of romance is interwoven with the exposure of the gambling methods at the famous casino. The caste includes Kenneth Harlan, Clara Bow, Raymond Griffith, Cartnel Myers, Josef Swickard, and Frankie Lee. A bunch of very capable people are to be seen in "The Hero." . They include Barbara La Marr, Gaston Glass, John Sainpolis, and Frankie Lee. Class, according to the author is a real hero, but as there are no less than three individuals entitled to that honour there will be some difference of opinion. Another child actor, Mickey Bennett, has become a star of the screen, and, as both his parents are Australians, interest in this seven-year-old boy's career will be of more than ordinary interest (says a Melbourne paper). His father is Mr. Charles Bennett, formerly a wellknown elocutionist of Melbourne who has won competitions at South Street on several occasions, and his mother is Miss Dot Browne, who was a member of the theatrical profession here. The father's parents live at Northcote. Mickey Bennet began to act at four, and has appeared with Thomas Meighan, but only lately has be become famous in America. Practically what Charlie Chaplin did for Jackie Coogan in "The Bad" Allan Dwan has done for this boy in "Big Brother." He bas taken a comparatively unknown child performer and directed him right Into the star cla-s. The producer says that Mickey Bennett is the.quickest and most responsive child actor he has worked with, and confidently predicts' a great future for him. Some American critics declare that the boy's performance as a tough, freckled face youngster from the East Side of New York is the best that has been given on the screen for years, and in its particular sphere ranks with Jackie Coogan . work in "The Kid."