Screen Stars and Films

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 180, 1 August 1925, Page 28

Screen Stars and Films

Ramon Novarro will make his concert debut in Paris, following his work in the star role of "Ben Hur." It is not gonerally known that Novarro, before getting his first chance in pictures, and when out of work in Los Angeles, turned vocal instructer long enough to make both ends meet. ''The Arab" is his latest picture.

From the advice received from the Chaplin studio by United Artists, the forthcoming Charlie Chaplin Comedy "The Gold Rush," is the greatest ever featured by Chaplin. The little comedian will be seen again in his famous character of old. the character that he alone made so marvellously famous the world over. It will be tbe Chaplin of the cane, the Derby and the baggy pants.

"The Redeeming Sin," a forthcoming Master Picture, is a story of the Latin Quarter of Paris, and introduces Alia Nazimova as Joan, Queen of the !Apaehc9. The old Paris atmosphere, it is said, has been faithfully created, entire streets and buildings, including a bio church, having been specially built. Nazimova is supported by Lou Teilegen, the late Sarah Bernhardt's leading man.

Statistics of the United States film industry compiled by the "Wall Street Journal," indicate not only the great hold it has obtained, but aiso its financial importance. The average weekly attendance at film houses is stated to be 50,000,000, and a leading picture corporation i 9 credited with a gross income of £100,000,000 a year. The receipts of the picture theatres exceeded last year £100,000.000. Other interesting information is that the salaries and wages paid by the studios amount to £15,000,000 a year, arid that £1,400.000 is spent annually for photographs, slides, lithographs and engravings.

The speculation over the fortunate player to be chosen for the leading role in "Sporting Life," which Maurice four" neur is starting, is oVer t The listd are closed. Bert Lyttell is the winner. Seven ■tars were under consideration for this important and highly desirable role. It is regarded as one of the pliiins of the' acting season of 1925. Marian JTixdn Will play opposite the star.

"The Scarlet Streak," the adventure picture in ten episodes, which William Desmond starts at Universal City, is built around the death ray machine idea ■which received so much publicity in England recently. The machine used in this picture was reproduced and perfected by Arthur Shadur, chief of TJniversal's electrical department. Production will be under the direction ef Henry Mcßae, and the cast Will include Lola Todd, Albert J. Smith, Albert Priscoe and Virginia Ainsworth. ; . •

Zane Grey's "The Thundering Herd," is said .to be a worthy successor to "The Covered Wagon," Paramount's great 1924 production. It i 3 a thrilling Btory of the West ih the making, and its production was supervised by Zane drey himself. The leading roles have been assigned to Lois Wilson, Jack Holt, arid Noah Beery. "The Thundering Herd" is one of Mr. most popular novels, and its adaptation to the screen has been executed in the very best Paramount etyle.

The story of "The Gold Rush" is based on the stirring days of the Klondike and gold rush to Alaska —the hardships endured by the pioneers who journeyed to that icebound country—all of which are depicted with intense realism.

The daughters of three film celebrities are in the graduating class of the select Hollywood School for Girls this year. They are Cecilia De Mille, daughter of Cecil B. De Mille, Frances Rich, daughter of Irene Kich, and Margaret de Mille, William de Mille's daughter. All three of the' girls, who are great chums, expect to go on to college.

Jack Holt, Florence Vidor, Trvin Willat, the director, and his wife, Billie Dove, a score of other movie actors, six cameramen and a large corps of technical workers left Hollywood hastily recently for location in the Coos Bay district of Oregon to fihn the log jam scenes that will prove one of the many thrilling features of the picturisation of James Oliver Curwood's "The Ancient Highway." Arrangements for the trip were impromptu, as the big lumber companies of the north-west arc making their log runs earlier than usual this year, and Paramount was confronted with the necessity of making the scene at once, or waiting until next spring. Mr. Willat had just completed direction of "Rugged Water," from Joseph C. Lincoln's story of the courageous men of the Coast Guard along New England, when he decided to leave at once for Oregon. Miss Vidor was engaged in playing the leading role in "Trouble With Wives." Director Malcolm St. Clair will film other scenes in this picture not requiring Miss Vidor during her absence. Holt had just returned from an arduous location trip to Arizona making Zane Grey's "Wild Horse Mesa."

Eric Voft Stroheim, creator of "Greed" ttnd other famous screen plays, who has just completed "The Merry Widow" after a stormy session, has severed his connections with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayet and plans to produce independently.

Jim Tully, author of . "Beggars of Life" arid welLkflbWn magazine writer, has been engaged by Mrs. Ince to write the.life of the late Thomas H. Ince, who landed in Los Afigeles many years ago With four dollars, a wife and child, and Who was a Millionaire producer at the time of his death. This book should be a most interesting history of the motion picture industry, as Ince was one of its pioneers. The producer and his wife met and were married when both Wcfti playing in vaudeville for Jesse Lasky.

The filth ahhiial Paramount Week Will be celebrated between August 31 and September 5 this yfear.' Arrangements for this are now well in hand and it promises, to he the biggest campaigh ever launched in the interests of the moving picture in New Zealand. Special inducements are being offered to exhibitors to participate in this campaign, and a notable feature of the prizes offered for the best initiative shown in tlie presentation of pictures during this season will be a special Paramount Shield valued at 100. guineas. . This shield will be retained by the exhibitor each year and then passed on to the Winning exhibitdf next year.

The sad death of David Powell, one of the handsomest and most capable leading men on the screen, is reported from Hollywood. Mr. Powell had been ill for a long time when he contracted pneumonia. He had been engaged for the leading role in "Confessions of a Queen," but when he reached the coast he found he was too ill to go on with his work. Mr. Powell was of English birth and had a long and distinguished • career on the stage before going into pictures. Clive Brook, the English actor, who has been making quite a hit since he went to America, has been signed to a long term contract by Warner Bros. After playing in a number of American stage successes in London, Mr. Brook went to America and played in several '"bit" pictures with Famous, Ince, and Corinne Griffith. Then came his role in "The Woman Hater," opposite Hclene Chadwick, for the Warners, which will bo released by Master Pictures, and through his work iv this production the company lost no time in signing him for big productions. After a three months' tour of the country with her picture, "Broken Laws," Mrs. Wallace Reid and her two kiddies, William Wallace Reid, Jun., and Betty Reid, have returned to Hollywood. Jlrs. Reid spoke before many of tlie most important of the women's clubs throughout the country, and also had an interview with President Coolidge. "The thing that I found most interesting in making stich a thorough tour of the country," Mrs. Reid said, "was tho fact that tho motion picture exhibitors seem to be so glad to give the public good, clean pictures. 'Broken Laws' was very successful, and everyone seemed to like it, but that wasn't all. In every theatre where it played and where I made personal appearances with it, the exhibitor was so delighted that his patrons liked it and approved of its story. I think if the people who really enjoy a film, especially a fine, clean story that sends you away from tho theatre with something wholesome to think about, would tell the exhibitor and assure him that they want more pictures, like that, it would do more than anything in the world to encourage the making of higher class films." "One reason why British films —from our standpoint, mind you—march at the tail of the procession is because Britisli producers won't pay the money the big stars demand," says Homer Croy, an American, in an article replying to Mr. Cecil Hepworth's article on British pictures. "Stars have an immense box-office power. Whether that is as it should be does not concern us here, but it remains a fact. Now a British film enters the American field without stars known to the American public, without sets such as we are accustomed to see, with directing which we consider five years behind the times, and with little knowledge of the art of lighting —and the producer expects to knock Broadway cold. It simply can't be done. But if a film as good as ours, from our standard, should come from England we would throw up our hats. We don't care where a film comes from so long as it gives us what we want. Peru or Pategonia or Sauialiland could have films on Broadway every night if they ottered us the kind we waut. I can't solve the British film muddle—if I could I'd be lolling in my Rolls-Royce —but here is a guide-post along the Way: The Government should subsidise tho British film trade till the trade can get oti its feet, because France and Germany have the jump on England, and will continue to have it Until England shows more speed. And then, after that, the British manufacturers will lisivo to give the market what it wants. TII9 pictures may be cheap and juvenile,' but if Britain wants to get into the world market it will have to put in its store Windows what the world Wartts." Gilda Gray, , the most picturesque figure in the American theatre, has signed a contract to star in Paramount pictures. Miss Gray, with her husband, Gil Boag, as manager, will start her career in pictures ih a story written by Robert E. Sherwood and Bertram Block. The picture will be directed by Paul Bern. "In Gilda Gray we feel we have signed One of the greatest box-office attractions the theatre has developed in recent years," said Jesse L. Lasky. "Her popularity is phenomenal* as was proved recently When she drew 49,000 dollars ih One week at the Metropolitan Theatre in Los Angeles. This record has been repeated in other places where she has appeared in the last two years, and the reason for it is MiBS Gray's amazing personality. None of this personality will be lost on the screen. We have tested her thoroughly and the same magnetism which has attracted thousands of people all over the country will be manifest in her pictures." The story of Gilda Gray is a striking American success story. Born in Poland, Miss Gray went to America at the age of seven as a refugee in the steerage. She began her career as a dancer in a Milwaukee cabaret. Later she Went to Chicago, and then to New York in 1919. There she nearly starved until, dancing in a demobilisation camp, she attracted the attention of Sophie Tucker. Through Miss Tucker's intervention Miss Gray appeared at a Sunday night concert at the Winter Garden and made Such a hit the Shuberts engaged her for the "Gaieties of 1919." This was one of the plays stopped by the actor's strike, and it was during her enforced idleness that Gil Boag signed her to a contract to dance in his restaurants.