THE FILM WORLD

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12181, 4 July 1925, Page 13

THE FILM WORLD

After more than a year’s stay in England, where she played the exotic heroine 1 in the film spectacle "Ohu Chin Chow,”! Betty Blythe has returned to her native Hollywood. She is now enacting "the other woman,” in the Master picture, "The Breath of Scandal.” a Casnier production, in which Miss Phyllis Haver is featured. It is now being Shown at the Strand Theatre. "The Man Next Door,” a Master picture, by the late Emerson Hough, author of "The Covered Wagon,” is the feature offered on the Empress screen for the week. It is a corking good story of the East and West, and goes right on to prove that Kipling was right. Tbe story, starting as it does by showing a rancher’s daughter raised by cowpunchers, and then sent East to a finishing school, and her discoveries in real society, has been done countless limes before, on and off the screen, but never Suite so well as in "The Man Next >oor.” The company presenting the Hm is an excellent one, and the principal roles are played by such folks as David Torrence, Frank Sheridan, James Morrison, and Alice Calhoun. To Victor Schertzinger 2 the director, must go a great deal of the credit for the real "finish” of the picture, and Vitagraph has given it as fine a production as could be desired. It is a pity Emerson Hough did not live long enough to see his story screened, for those who do not see it will, in our opionion, miss a whole lot. Harold Lloyd is one person who does believe that there is "something new iu the movies.” So he set out to snow 'screen fans the world over that an origi.nal and unused idea could be made into a motion picture In "Girl Shy,” a forthcoming Master picture, he has, In a measure, followed in the footsteos of "Grandma’s Boy,” hut he has developed a picture that is certain to be bailed a 9 novel, and a worthy successor to the previous Lloyd triumphs. A curious combination of ripe maturity, and then the whimsical frankness of the ingenue, is Irene Rich, who hajrisen to stardom in such a rapid manner through her characterisation in "Stella Maris,” "One Clear Call,” and "A Fool There Was,” and now in the featured role in the Master picture, "This Woman.” Her real name is Irene Luther, and she is American born. Her height is sft 6in. and she possesses Drown hair and eyes. Queen of comedy, Louise Fazenda, has long been the favourite of moving picture fans, and now that she lias turned to the more serious interpretations tl at call for emotional depth and dramatic sincerity, she has herself to a greater extent, if possible, in the hearts of her followers. She will be seen shortly in the Master picture, "The Lighthouse by the Sea.” Emory Johnson, eminent director, saw pictures of the navy in action, and wondered why nobody had ever used them in a screen drama. He immediately set to work to incorporate them into his latest picture; "The Mailman,” in which 'ho was given permission to use the entire Pacific fleet bv Admiral Eberle. for the chase of an outlaw rum-runner. The result is that this Master picture production is replete with thrills. Ralph Lewis

is the featured player in "The Mailman ’ . . 1 • X Edna Murphy found that working for the Pathe Company is strenuous business, She came to this conclusion alter working on tho Mastor picturisation oi Police Chief Enright’s exciting melodiama, "Into the Net.” Edna claims

that she takes more risks in this him than any serial queen. Jack Mulhall is her leading man. Patsy Ruth Miller, considered by critics to be one of the ''most beautiful women in Hollywood/' has the leading role in the Master picture, '‘The Girl on the Stairs/' Miss Miller, bv the way, had the feminine lead in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame/' Miss Miller is one of the few stars who use their real name in the movies. She has beautiful dark brown hair and brown eyes. Gasnier will make sis productions finr B. P. Schulberg, according to the producer's schedule for next year. The 1925-26 season will be Gasnier's fourth current vear under Schulberg's supervision. His current productions include "The Breath of Scandal." Marie Prevost is to appear next in "Bobbed Hair/' and not in "Why Girls Go Back Home," as previously announced by Warner Brothers. Alan Crossland, who was to have directed "Why Girls Go Back Home," will also direct Miss Prevost in "Bobbed Hair." Supporting her will be Kenneth Harlan, to whom she was recently married, and Louise Fazenda. "Kiss Me Again/' the new Ernst Lubitsch Master Picture, and "The Woman Hater/' an adaptation of the Dorothy Day novel, "The Eleventh Virgin," will bo included in the releases this month from Warner Brothers. The Lubitsch work is a comedy written by Hans Kraely and features Monte Blue and Marie Prevost, who are supported by Clara Bow, John Roche, and Willard Louis. It deals with the eternal triangle, treated in the comedy vein, and the locale is Paris. Syd Chaplin has signed a contract to star in Warner Brothers' productions. A series of special productions will be made as vehicles for this new Warner star. Syd, a brother of Charles Chaplin, made his most recent and most successful screen appearance in the title role of "Charley's Aiint." He has been in pictures for several years, and before taking up screen work had a successful career in.comedy roles on the 6tage. He interrupted his picture work to engage in business, but returned to the screen and after several prominent parts scored a personal hit in "The Galloping Fish," the Tom Ince feature comedy. "The Triflers" (Master Pictures) r fea< turing Mae Busch, Elliot Dexter, and Frank Mayo, tells the story of Marjorie. Stockton, who is a flirt. She meets another first in Monte Covington. For the purpose of mutual protection they hit upon the plan of getting married in name only. Marjorie is pestered with lovers; one tries to shoot her. But eventually both triflers find in themselves their ideals, and duly get married. Production was held up for two days on a picture Fred Thomson, the athlete, was making recently, when a stone kicked by a horse's hoof hit Nola Luxford, the Australian film star, and broke one of her front teeth.

Warner Brothers have signed Huntly Gordon to a long-term contract, and added him to their stock company at the Hollywood studio. He has just finished playing the lead opposite Iren© Rich in "My Wife and I/' a Master Picture, directed by Millard Webb.