THE DEADHEAD'S DIARY

NZ Truth, Issue 868, 15 July 1922, Page 11

THE DEADHEAD'S DIARY

The success of the "Elusive Pimpernel" as a film play is more than assured.' Several hundred revolutionaries figure m some of the scenes, and, needless to say,-:, the 'Stoll Film Company has left no stone unturned to secure the best ..possible locations to introduce the atmosphere required. Intrigue and villainy, affection and romance* and dare-devil escapades, contribute to a remarkable photoplay.

A hurricane m pictures is easily portrayed with the aid. of artificial devices. An aeroplane propeller- m, Cull blast, for instance, can "get the • wind up" sufficiently to blow sand and bamboo ti'ees m ail' directions.. A tidal wave, however, is a \ different ; matter, and a company of Stoll 'actors were* forced to wait m a seaport town fo& what seemed ages, until the real thing came along. . The result was that Ethel M. Dell's "Tidal Wave," as revealed on the screen, was a huge success..

» t zs Ist How many documents figure m th 3 arrest, prosecution and conviction of a person charged, with manslaughter? And how many more legal papers does' it take to lodge a .prisoner safely m prison and keep him there fora period of years? It is doubtful if most judges and lawyers could give an authoritative answer' to these queries, - But there is one man m theYUriited States who knows. He is Culleh Tate, assistant director {b Cecil Br De Mille. He not only knows how many documents are used but he has samples of every one. of them. In'; order that the legal and prison details . of Cecil B. De Mille's forthcoming- production, of "Manslaughter" '.might be technically, vcorrect, the producer dispatched Tate to New York jwith instructions to bring back all data pertaining to the, subject. To achieve the best results, the investigator attached himself to Jan actual trial for manslaughter and followed it from f start, to finish. By exercising judicious diplomaci'; Tate succeeded m acquiring copies of all the papers involved from the original indictment to the. -prisoner's commitment to prison*

it !! , tS It took a veteran - character fiftyseven years to appear personally on the stage before approximately the sam-e number of people that see ,a modern motion picture, m one night. W. J- Ferguson, who was on the stage of Ford's Theatre when. Lincoln was shot, has appeared before some twen- ' ty-four million playgoers m the course of over half, a century as a player. To-day he is working with Petty Compson, Bert. Lytell and Theodore Kosloff i % n >"To Have and To Hold," a' forthcoming George Fitzmaurice production for Paramount. When 'it .is released to thousands' of theatres simultaneously all over the world more people will see' his work m two or three days than, the tremendous total painstakingly amassed during fifty-seven years of personal stage appearances. Figures of this sort ex^ press vividly the; tremendous difference m scope between., the speaking stage and the screen. On the stage Mr. Ferguson could appear before only one audience at a time; varying between a few hundred to two or three thousand. On ithe screen his visage will be flashed before millions on the same day. -.' .;

jThe most succesful: "unsuccessful lover" on the screen! . That's the title. unanimously awarded Casson Ferguson. His present role m Cecil B. De* Mille's current production of "Manslaughter" is but one more of the long list of rejected lover characterisations which he has played. Ferguson has been playing, juvenile roles with considerable dramatic success. But m the -majority of his recent roles he has fallen just short of winning the ; lady m the case. He played this type of role m "The Prince Chap," again with Betty Compson m "The End of the World." Ferguson nearly but not quite succeeded m winning the hand of the girl. Even as far back as "The Gypsy Trail". and "Unclaimed Goods," he has been cast m characterisations . of this sort. Just before star ting work m "Manslaughter," he, played a similar part m "Borderland," Agnes Ayres' latest starring vehicle. In the De Mille 1 production of "Manslaughter," Ferguson is the youthful suitor for the hand of Leatrice Joy —^he, hand which is eventually won. by Thomas Meighan,. m the story. The" producer has as ?( sombled cast, which includes Lois Wilson, John Miltern, Jack Mower, Julia Faye, Dorothy Cum-' mitigs,- Edythe Chapman, Sylvia Ashton, James Neill, M ( ickfey Moore, and the famous dog actor "Teddy." Jeanie Macpherson adapted the Alice | Duer Miller story for.Pai-amount. II „ '!'' It tt

Anita Stewart is > a 'bigamist! But only m •her latest First National, "Playthings of; Destiny." Described as a "confession of a woman who married' once for love, and once again to forget love," it is a splendid drama with backgrounds of ' the frozen North, an Arctic blizzard arid a Jamaican tornado. Herbert Rawlinson makes a handsome, hero, and trie cast includes Walter McGi'ail.and little Dick Headrick, the champion kid athlete and swimmer of the Calif ornian coast.' Dick, by the way) is the proud, possessor of three years of youth.'-

Associated..with Madame Marguerite D' Alvarez, who is to appear shortly m New Zealand- m her concert programmes, will be two noted musicians — Oscar Wagner, solo pianist and accompanist, and Lifio Mannucci, a London 'cellist of Italian parentage, who recently concluded a successful tour of America. Accompanying the famous contralto on her tour is Mr. Edward W? Lowrey, ' associate manager with the well-known impresario, Daniel Mayer/ m New York. Madkme D* Alvarez, on her arrival m "Melbourne last week, ,was tendered a civic welcome , by the Lord ■Mayer at the Town, Hall, and was. given an enthusiastic welcome by s a representative gathering.

', After a visit to Adelaide, Perth, and' Brisbane, Toscha Seidel, the young Russian "Wizard of the Violin," goes on a tour, of New Zealand under the J. and N. Tait management. Jascha Spivakovsky, the brilliant -young pianist, will also tour New Zealand shortly. IX It . lit

Much amusement is provided m the trials of an Australian sportsman, as the guest of somewhat austere English relatives,, m the. screen version of Edgar Wallace's racing story. "Pallard the Punter." There are many thrills throughout the eight reels of the production and the plot works up to a smashing climax wherein racehorses, an English lord, a pretty girl, a big stock swindle and the Australian punter are for awhile inextricably mixed. g: :: :i The sensation' of the recent . season at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, was the appearance of '■ Marguerite D'Alvarez m "Samson and Delilah," with the' famous tenor, Maratore, as Samson. To say that the great contralto's performance as Delilah created a furore is to fail to do justice to the triumph/she achieved, which was summed up by the critic of the "New York Evening Post," when he declared that "no Delilah who has ever appeared* m New Youk has i equalled Marguerite D'Alvarez m the role." "Her performance," wrote another critic, "would have moved the rock of. Gibraltar. The opalescent color m 'her rich, \ supenb tones, her amorous allurement, her tenderness and^ womanly wiles, made an appeal that was simply irresistible. It was superb — tremendous. Not, even the prolonged applause . which interrupted her disturbed- her. At the finish the audience was spellbound." D'Alvarez will give excerpts from "Samson and Delilah," and other operas m each of her programmes during the 'forthcoming season, which commences at the Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday night, June 24.

Pronounced a screen classic by lead-^ ers in' the motion picture industry who predict that it will be one of the cinema sensations of the year, "The Rosary," by First National, is to be shown m thi9 city, m a few weeks' time. In addition to the unfoldment of a great story, "The Rosary" presents an allstar cast, headed by Lewis Stone, Jane Novak, Wallace Beery\ and Robert Gordon. '"The Rosary" is an original story by Bernard McConville, inspired by .the theme of Edward E. Rose's famous stage play. Lewis Stone has the principal male role as Father Brian Kelly, a part that has even ( been the goal of many great actors, arid m it he is said to give the screen one of 'his finest characterisations.

Some of .the most remarkable achievements m. the use of wild animals for a' motion picture are said to have been accomplished m the production of th(e James Oliver Curwood story, "Kazan," which will be screened here shortly. Most remarkable of all is said to 'be the work done by the wolf-dog ;who plays the part of "Kazan the killer." In one scene this dog. is shown with .his mate, a real wolf, and her litter of whelps m their cave. In another scene the great," black curly•haired dog chases and captures a rabbit m the snow. He carries his prey back to the cave and its inmates. Then, later, while Kazan is off on the hunt, a big lynx prowls up to the rock m front of the little den and enters. What happens m the cave cannot be seen on the screen, but the James Oliver Curwood story says that the vicious lynx killed the wolf pups and blinded their mother... The lynx is seen. stealing out, licking her chops, and behind her comes the mother wolf, pawing iblindly at her eyes. Kazan appears, sees the lynx, and then 'what is declared to be the most terrific battle ever seen on a motion picture screen between two wild animals takes place. Tho dog and the lynx, fighting fiercely, roll off-the top of the rock into the snow. There ' Kazan sinks his teeth into the throat of the lynx and kills it- The killing of the lynx and the rabbit by the wolf-dog, as seen on the screen, is the genuine article, accordiiig to William N. Selig, producer of the feature, who has the iskins of the two aninials as proof. > t : \ ; : ■* : : The cabled announcement published m the press regarding 1 the new attractions secured 'by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., indicate that the firm will be presenting some notable productions and artists. It is stated that some, important negotiations are now being with a view to bringing to this cojuntry several attractions of world-wide fame, the announcement of which will cause something 1 of a sensation. In the meantime . the cabled announcement mentioned' that Sir George Tallis and' Mr. Nevin .Tait, on behalf of J. C. Williamson, ; Ltd., and J.. and N. Tait | had secured "Sally," whi<?h has passed | its 250 th 'performance m London; the popular light comedy, "Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure," ''The Lady of the Rose," "Whirled into Happiness," and many other plays, including the whole of the productions of the Daly's Theatre syndicate (which used to be known' as the Geoi'ge Ed wardes .Gaiety productions). Lady Forbes Roberts (Miss Gertrude Elliott) is to come to Australia with a company. Benno Moisievitch is to return, and the great pianist and- composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff, will open m Australia for the first time 'in the early part of next year, s: :: :: "I wonder what God has against I womarv" says Judith Beresford (Florence Vidor) m Thomas Ince's "Hail the Woman." "Perhaps He blames them for filling the world with man," writes a great playwright. Whichever is right, Thomas Ince has contributed a worthy volume to screen literature m this epic of modern' womani hood — a human play ,that rubs should- ! ers with humanity's problems. The j actors are men ancS women of flesh -and blood, and the situations' those that will be readily recognised and understood by any audience.

Preparations are already well m hand for the big J. C. Williamson production m Melbourne, "The Peep Show," which' will be presented m fourteen wonderful "peeps."' The 'big revue will be staged on an elaborate scale, and a huge company will be aeen m it. Prom London have come several of the principals, including Kathlyn Hilliard, Dan Booker, J. H. Wakefield, Mona Magnet, George Baker and the producer, Captain ■ Maxwell Stewart, each of whom holds an important position on the London stage. The scenery, effects, dances, costuming-, and other features of "The Peep Show" will be something special m their line, it is promised, and altogether the revue will be one of the most elaborate productions ever staged , by the flijm.'lt will dQme to New Zealand m due course.