Screen Stars and Films

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 224, 20 September 1924, Page 23

Screen Stars and Films

Herbert Blache, who has just completed "The Kightcap" with Jamea Kirkwood and Madge Bellamy, ia preparing a production of Fanny Hurife unusual story, "Oats for the Woman." When "Spring Cleaning" ia filmed by William de Mille, it will be called "The Fast Set." Among others in the cast will be Betty Compson, Adolphe Menjou, Zazu Pitts and Elliott Dexter. Constance Bennett, daughter of Richard Bennett, has been engaged to appear in the Hodkinson picture, "Her Own Free Will," from a story by Ethel M. Dell. Lon Chancy will play the lead In Victor Seastrom's second American picture, "He Who Gets Slapped"; it ie the part of a grotesque clown, which gives Chancy a chance to exercise his extraordinary talent for eccentric maW up?. Norma Shearer also appears in this picture. Another of the cast will bo Paulette Dv Val, a French girl who does not speak a word of English. She has been a dancer in the "Follies." Forrest Halsey, successful playwright and author of more than twenty original stories for the screen, has been signed on a long-term contract to write exclusively for the .Famous PlayersLasky Corporation. He Just recently completed the scenario for Rudolph Valentino's new picture, "A Sainted De-ril," and is now beginning the adaptation for the screen of P. C. Wren's bork ; "Wages of Virtue," which will be Gloria Swanson's next production.

Florence Vidor is playing Barbara Frietsche in the picture made from the old Clyde Fitch play. Walter Hiers is about to begin working on a series of six two-reel comedies for the Educational Film Co. Perhaps the most anxiously awaited and long debated question in the film world has been the ultimate selection of the star or player to fill the screen role of "Peter Pan." Finally the question was placed before Sir James Barrie, who viewed screen teets of more than one hundred candidates for the role. The result of *T»i« exhaustive search is contained in a cable to Sydney, which states that the author himself has selected Betty Branson, a aeventeen-yeax-old New Jersey girl, to play the part. The girl is almost unknown to the screen world, but is stated to be an ideal choice for the role. Charlie Chaplin has been sued for 60,000d01. by Leo Loeb, a soldier in the marine barracks at Fort Misslin, Pennsylvania, on the grounds that Chaplin's great comedy, "Shoulder Arms," was based upon a" story written by Loeb and submitted to Chaplin. Loeb's euit, filed in the United States District Court of New York, asks 50,000d01. damages and an accounting of the profits of "Shoulder Arms." According to his complaint, he WTote in 1918 a story called "The Rookie." He alleges that he submitted Qua story to Chaplin, and that it was returned by Melville Brown, with the explanation that Chaplin would produce nothing that ridiculed the American army. Later on, however, Loeb claims that he recognised much of his story in "Shoulder Arms."

A forthcemini; Bueter Keaton Metro comedy is to lie produced entirely in natural colours, by the Techaicolour process. They had to pick oat an Englishman E. J. Batcliffe, to play Theodore Boose velt in the First National's production, 'Sundown." Dorothy Mackaill will play the lead in Harold Bell Wright's new story, "Tht Mine with the Iron Door," which is tc be filmed in Tucson with Sam Wood directing. W. T. Tilden, the world's champion tennis player, according to a report, ie to become a motion picture player, after completing the Davis Cup matches. It is not stated what company he will sign on with. By arrangement with Coemopolitai Productions, Howard Estabrook ha: secured the services of Harrison Ford leading man with Marion Davies it "Janice Meredith," for a featured role in "The Price of a Party," now in pro duction at the Tec Art Studios. Mar; Astor, Hope Hampton and Dagmai Godowsky have the other leads. return to vaudeville, from which pictures claimed him, and under the same management as before. He has just signed a year's contract with Alexander Pantages, and opens his engagement in San Francisco. Fatty will appear in the auu one-act monologue which he used when he broke into the theatrical business under Pantages in Seattle twentyone yean ago.

Univ«rs*l annatmcee the caet to appear i with May MucAvoy in "Jazz Parents," j the Hattons' adaptation of Richard , Waahbnm Child* etory, "Here's How.'M It include* Jack Mnlhall, Myrtle Stedmao, George Fawcett, Alec Francis and Ward Crane. Tragedy, in its most dramatic gtdee, stalked into the theatre of The Writers ' Club in Bollywood on a recent night j and, while behind the footlights make- j believe joys and sorrows were being! enacted, wrote in stark reality a drama, j more amazing and more heart-breaking ; than any ever conceived by the world- : famous playwrights who sat in the audi- | enee, says tile "Photoplay." On the stage, j Frank Keenan, great character actor of i stage and screen presented a strange j little comedy in which he portrayed the | role of a drunken newspaperman. Dur- j ing the progress of the piece there was j a slight disturbance in the audience, but j none paid any attention to it, so; engrossed were they in the story unfold-1 ing upon the stage. The play moved on j to its climax where Keenan, having just heard that his play had at last been accepted by a great New York manager, | looks at the picture of his- dead wife, and tayi, "What's the use? What does ' any of it amount to—fame or money — i without her?" He came off the stage, ■ the applause of the crowd still ringing in his ears, those words scarcely off his { lips, to be met by a white-faced friend, j to be led to the dressing-room where hie j wife, whom he had left happy and laughing in the audience, lay dying. He came Just in time to kneel down beside her, his grease-paint still on his face, j and hear her whispered words of farewell before she passed away. Mrs. Keenap had taken ill during the performance. She died pf cerebral t hemorrhage. . -

Gloria Swanson'e next attraction will be "A Society Scandal." Erio yon Stroheim is soon to start on "The Merry Widow," with Mac Murray playing the lead. Malcolm' MacGregor, Tiilly Marshall and Billy Gould have been added to the cast of "Smouldering Firee," which stars Pauline Frederick with Laura 1* Plante. Jack Dempsey, the champion boxer of the world, who has been making a series of two-reel fight dramas at Universal, says the chief difficulty about being an actor is make your nose stay on. Like most fighters, Jack has a broken-in face. He builds it up with putty before each scene, but, to hie huge disgust, somebody usually knocks it off. Little Jackie Coogan went to England during the week, and was welcomed by the Mayor of Southampton. Jacky should be pleased! Mayors are usually difficult people to .get to attend any but very important functions —but then, of course, a star's a star, however young, and even mayors must do them homage. I And while the Mayor was aboard, the crowd ashore shouted themselves hoarse, i trying to get Jackie to land. Commenting on the wonderful performance given by Lon Chancy, the character-actor, in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," a screen version of Victor Hugo's masterpiece, a review says:— I "Never before has euch a remarkable I individual performance been given ac I that of Lon Chancy in the. stellar role of Quasimodo, the deformed bellringer of the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Mr. Chancy, known for years as 'the man of a thousand faces,' outdoes himself in its vivid impersonation. It would be inadequate to say that he gave a splendid performance. His 'Quasimodo' is such a real recreation of the original that all we can say is—open a volume of Victor Hugo's *Notre Dame de Paris,' read a minute description of the poor hunchback and see if you don't feel that no one could possibly be such as this character—then go and see this production and find 'Quasimodo' come to life. Mr. Chancy has realised the character not only physically, but psychologically. It is as though the living man was before us, and not an actor. Never did an actor more completely merge his identity in a role, or make his audience more fully lose sight of the individual." Others in the cast are: —Patsy Ruth Miller, In the role of Eemerelda; Ernest Torrence, as Slopin, King of the Underworld i Norman Kerry, as dashing Captain Phoebus; Tully Marshall, as Louis XL; Nigel de Brulier, as, Dom Claude; Brandon Hurst, as Jehah; Raymond Hatton, and a score of others.