IN FILMLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18711, 17 May 1924, Page 26 (Supplement)

IN FILMLAND.

• Safeguarding the Public; • The -, London County Council is seekii ■ powers this year to close at a . moment ; notice any cinema which is believed to i ? unsafe, ■ and • without being ' compelled:. • compensate the owner. The test, it ; understood, ' which the council will er 1 ploy in making its decision'will be itl ' failure of the licensee to carry, out ar 'rules and regulations laid down as appl . ing to the. premises,, or any? conditio] > attached to his license. . , •• ' In connection with this increased stri ' gency, it is instructive to notice an a count in a recent issue of the Kinemat : • graph ] Weekly of what is * happening , France. .' In that country, from, Januai [ 1 next, no film will be allowed to. be e: » hibited in* public 4in France 'unless -it _ • composed of ; .non-flammablo; celluloii t ? This, a London paper remarks, may see: , very reasonable, but at present it is n< I very practicable, for " non-flam" filn « as ■it: is called in the trade, is not -; . durable as inflammable celluloid, nor ca » 'as good prints* be obtained'on it. ' " i •;> The percentage .of pictures shown.-an; -. where made., of non-flam" film , ■' minute 'for ; these reasons, and", as • ev ;■ dence of its .inferior quality ; and unpopi ; larity, the curious fact may be cited th"; ! in England, theoretically at all event ! a film made of " non-flam" material ma » be shown in public without a licensi 1 The Cinematograph Act* of 2909,; whic ■" was .designed - purely as a safety measun > places under the jurisdiction of the 1 censing • authority only ' those' exhibitoi t; who show in their theatres" films made < ■ a combustible substance. ■■./ . > i. The - new French - regulation, it is coi ' sidered, "should 'encourage the film" wdrl '■ to improve its " non-flam" material, f( 1 while the number, of accidents are rai in these days, every possible safety pn caution is "obviously- worth applying. ; Kotes and Comments. In "A Woman of Paris," at the Crysts Palace, Edna Purviance wears, a magnif cent chinhilla wrap, reputed to be wort £10,000. ; '' ' > Dick Turpin, the king of highwaymer had but one love—bis mare—"Bonni Black Bess," who cared not for distanc and knew not distress. . This, old favourit story is again told in the Master picture "Dick Turpi ; Ride to York." .? ; First cousin of the King of Spain, an of the royal house* of Bourbon, Prince: Mary of Spain will make her debut in m< ' tion pictures in the role of Marie Antoii ' ette in the Cosmopolitan Corporation's ne 1 production "Janice Meredith," adapte ' from "Paul Leicester Ford's novel of th same'name. ; ' There is a fascinating study in film pn sentation ,at the New Oxford Theatn nays a London paper. The screen is a] parently suspended in mid-air and is su rounded by cloth curtains about' 15 fe< away. Thi3' cloth, which is hung in semi-circle, is from time to time floods with coloured lights so that the film ; sometimes seen -in - a crimson •or blu frame. This colour * effect is 'very careful! worked, and on several occasions seem to harmonise with the action , on tl screen. .. A- Quite a number of screen stars are in a: ried to men who are not in the profe: sion, and the result seems to be saiV factory. Mae Marsh is the most devote wife of a young writer namer Armes, an they are so domestic that- even the friends see little .of them. Since they ri turned to 'Hollywood tliev are, living i •a - quiet bungalow, and Mae is almost a busy, seeing that her. : husband .ist not di: turbed in his work, as she is making p» I tures. Her last Master picture is "Dad dies," and •is said to be her; finest ,worl Cln "To : the Ladies" Paramount' ha made a subject which gives women credi and recognition of the parts they plaj While man relies to a large extent upo his judgment, 'women have i a remarkabl faculty which, the psychologists state, i often stronger .than judgment. . It _ i often this characteristic in woman whic makes ' their decisions " sound than thos of the oppcsil'e sex. ' "To the Ladies" i a story which gives woman full credi for the important part she plays in he husband's affairs, both business and other wise, : I" One' 1 of " the greatest -' names in moderi American fiction is that of Zane. Grey His western : novels have been greatly ,11 demand. Several of them have bee: brought': to r the screen recently, and on of' the most successful was "To the Las Man," which was shown here some tim ago. The next- Zane Grev .story will ' b "The Call of the Canyon." This pictur was tproduce*?, under the ■ supervision ' o the author. In getting the author's co Operation, '.Paramount- have sought' to foj low their policy of getting all that is 0 the " very best in screen talent. ; The cas of the story includes Richard Dix, Loi Wilson" and Marjorie 'Daw. . , ;. ; 1. /• Gloria Swarison'" was , never ' featured ii a more brilliant, role than as Zaza, thi darling of the-night life of Paris, in . the play of that title name. This is a roll that , has been included in the repertoire: of most of the world's most- famous act resses., While, the stage play has beei one *of the most popular in England America and the Continent, "Zniza" is le real triumph for Miss Swanson, and she is oast at • her best, amid luxury* • gowns beauty and attention of many men in hei best characterisation.'- An old friend re turns ip . this picture in the person of H, B. Warner, 1 ' who did sterling work • in "The Beggar of Cawnpore" '' and - "Th( Man mo Turned; White./' He plays the role of a young diplomat who lenrns thai there are other intrigues in the game of life 1 , besides' those of hatioijs. '■ Captain Macintosh E'lis., Director oi "the New Zealand State Forestry 'Service, and other officials,, of that V department) attended a private screening of the Metre production -' 'Hearts Aflpme", recently, at the Paramount head office,' Wellington. "Hearts' Aflame"; is an adaptation :of the famous, forestry. ..story',, '.'Timber.*' by Harold' ■ Titus,' pnd will' be rcle:£>{ in New. Zealand threjugh Paramount , shortly. Great appreciation of the productiejn was expressed by .'members of,the department .present. The feature - has been produced on an elaborate scale, arid : the scenes of the burning of the. great 'American forests are: done. in colour and tin!'. Perhaps the most amazing event of this disastrous fire shows the -wolves of the 'forest and the beautiful .spotted American deer ' rushing to: the: lakes for', safety from the fire. The scene .is terrible, r vet fascinating. The cast includes " Frank Keenah,' Anna Q. Nilsson,: Walt - Whitman, and others. It •WaV ■ directed by V Reginald Barker, who is l known the world over as a m aster' of out-door production. <-" Where - ,do ideas for - screen plays • and stage ■■ plays come from " Elmer Harris, who -is one of 1 the organisers and >■ one of the ' producers 'of Associated ' .Inc., an organisation created .. to bring ■ to. the screen. stories visualised exactly-as the authors, of the original ' plots , picture them in their - minds, answers'; the ouestion in a. matter of fact manner. " Ideas are like dimes—they , lie in the gutter, in' the busy store, in the hills and in the homes, where . someone, has. unknowingly dropped them. Jc One idea . suggests another, and the man with an imagination can weave tales around, suggestions, if he knows life and can concentrate on his knowledge; of people., Elmer Harris, whose latest screen play, " No More Women!" with ' Matt * Moore, ; Madge Bellamy, Kathleen Clifford T 4 oiid af• strong cast is about to be released in New Zealand, says that most of v hi? many .plays and' scenarios , have been suggested ,by incidents which ; be/ explained in twen£y*five words', j. and " that' ; almost all of ■ them have ; had •' their parallel in real life;-<'-'C-' v ' •• - '-i* • : -V- ' • ."'ft't-'- r •. .. . . ..... ;)vv: