THE SHADOW WORLD

Southland Times, Issue 18967, 14 June 1923, Page 11

THE SHADOW WORLD

Latest Real News of Reel Folk.

th Renick and Allen Forrest have been red for the grown-up leads in Jackie an’s first Metro production, “Long the King.”

June Mathis, editorial director of the Goldwyn studios, will personally adapt F. Marion Crawford’s story, “In the Palace of the King,” for Emmett Flynn’s first production under the lion brand.

’Tis said Mrs Wallace Reid is writing a novel from the script of “The Living Dead,” the anti-dope production in which she is starring at the Thomas H. Ince studios.

Ramon Novarro. who is now basking in the glory of his latest success in Rex Ingram's “Where the Pavement Ends,” has thirteen brothers and sisters.

King Baggot is directing Herbert Raw linson in "Thicker Than Water.”

Carmelita Geraghty, Rhea Le Fort and Jean Haskell, all prize, beauties, have been added to Marshall Neilan’s “The Eternal Three.”

Craig Biddle and Drexel Biddle, ambitious sons of the Philadelphia millionaire, are playing “bits” in William de Mille’s “Only 38,” in which Lois Wilson, May McAvoy, Robert Agnew, Elliott Dexter and George Fawcett are the featured stars.

Gilda Gray, one of Broadway’s most famoils dancers, who appears nightly in the Ziegfeld Follies and early every morning at the Rcndez-Vous, will be seen in her South Sea dance in Allan Dwan’s production of “Lawful Larceny” for Paramount. The interior of the famous cabaret was reproduced at Long Island Studio and Miss Gray, with the four girls who appear every morning with her at the Rendez-Vous, performed in the presence of several hundred diners who appear in the scene. Alice Maison and Wesley Totten, who also dance nightly at the famous restaurant, did their specialty. The scene was put on as the background for one of the episodes of the story in which Hope Hampton, Nita Naldi, Lew Cody and Conrad Nagel are featured.

William de Mille has completed the filming of “Only 38,” his Paramount production featuring Lois Wilson, May McAvoy, Elliott Dexter and George Fawcett, and is now cutting the film. When the final scenes were taken, the four featured players immediately turned from picture work to brief vacations. May McAvoy is going to get a complete rest. Lois Wilson will shop several days and spend some time at the studio for art portraits. Elliott Dexter went to Del Monte for the polo matches. George Fawcett alone gets no vacation. The day Mr de Mille finished with him he had to begin work with the Herbert Brenon company producing “The Woman With Four Faces,” featuring Betty Compson and Richard Dix.

Pola Negri will appear in Paramount’s big special production, “Hollywood,” which James Cruze, producer of “The Covered Wagon,” has been making for the past three months at the Lasky studio. The complete list of players, as it stands at present, with recent additions, is as follows :—Pola Negri, Cecil B. De Mille, Thomas Meighan, Agnes Ayres, Betty Compson, Leatrice Joy, Jacqueline Logan, Jack Holt, Walter Hiers, May McAvoy, Nita Naldi, Lila Lee, Richard Dix, William de Mille, Lois Wilson, Often Moore, Charles de Roche, Mary Astor, Baby Peggy, James Cruze, Hope Hampton, Alfred E. Green, Herbert Brenon, Ben Turpin, Will Rodgers, J. Warren Kerrigan, Eileen Percy, T. Roy Barnes, Bull Montana, Julia Faye, Charles Ogle, Ford Sterling, Kalla Pasha, Clarence Burton, Guy Oliver, Sigrid Holmquist, Edythe Chapman, Gertrude Astor, Helen Dunbar, Dinkey Dean, Maym Kelso, Jack Gardner, James Finlayson, Frances Agnew, Walter Woods, Chuck Reisner, Paul Iribe, Claire West, Charles Eyton and Jeanie Macpherson.

There is always a sigh of relief in a motion picture studio when the first scene of a new picture is completed. A feeling of tension somewhat akin to that back stage on the first night of a play pervades the set just before the camera begins to grind on the first scene. Every precaution is taken to see that nothing goes wrong with the first action in a picture for it is a belief, perhaps rather superstitious, that as the first scene goes so will the picture go. Directors usually plan some easy action for the first scene. For example, the first scene made this week at the Paramount Long Island studio for “Lawful Larceny,” in which Hope Hampton, Nita Naldi, Conrad Nagel and Lew Cody are the featured players, Allan Dwan, the producer, chose the very simple action of Lew Cody answering the telephone and talking to one of the many women friends with whom he deals in the story. When the first "take” of this scene was completed there was an obvious letting down and everyone connected with the picture from Director Dwan down to the property man exclaimed: “Well, we’re off!” A new picture was in the process and from then on scene upon scene will follow in the regular way.

“Garrison’s Finish” screening at the Albion Theatre is notable because it marks the formal return to the screen as a star and independent producer of Jack Pickford, who for the last two years has been devoting all his time to directing. His best work in this line was in two successful productions of his sister, Mary Pickford. These were ““Through the Back Doer” and “Little Lord Fauntleroy.”

In his latest Fox production “Boss of Camp Four,” Charles Jones makes a flying tackle, that rivals the most sped acular play ever seen on a football field. If there is any doubt, this picture can be seen at the Albion Theatre on Friday.

Cowboys and cowgirls and some of the best horses ever seen in a Western drama are seen galore in the picturisation of “Western Hearts,” which is the attraction at the Albion Theatre on Tuesday. Those who remember Buffalo Bill and his sweetheart of the plains will have a pleasant awakening when they see how the modern cowgirl and cowboys make love in “Western Hearts.”

One of the . most thrilling court scenes ever seen in screen drama brings the story “I Am Guilty,” which comes to the Albion on Friday, to a most amazing climax, while. Dillion the supposed murderer is being tried, the wife of the defending attorney rushes into the court and declares that she is the murderer. As the result of a most unusual twist her vindication and disillusionment come in a most striking array of kaledioscopic events. Mahlon Hamilton and Louise Glaum are cast in the leading roles, the story was produced by T. Parker Read, creator of “Sex” and “Sahara.”

“Heroes of the Street,” with Wesley Barry at the Albion on Tuesday, is the story of Mickey Callahan, a young urchin who is kept busy licking the fellows of his neighbourhood. A mysterious gang of crooks, led by the Shadow is operating, and when Officer Callahan, Mickey’s father interferes he loses his life. After the grief in the bereaved home, young Mickey gets to work as home provider, without losing sight of the fact that he is out to find the crooks. How he succeeds through a series of most hair-raising adventures makes this picture rise out of the ordinary class into the de luxe class of screen classics.

An attraction from the point of view of the spectacular is registered in “Theodora” Goldwyn’s 1923 presentation. The story is adapted from the romance

by Victor Pardon and deals with the story cf the reign of the Roman Emperor Justinian. Among the notable scenes are those depicting the Christians being thrown to the lions, the storming of a castle and the defiance of the great Emperor by Theodora.

Jackie Coogan will be seen soon in “Oliver Twist.” in Invercargill. Never before has a classic been brought to the screen with so much true atmosphere of the times as this production. The characters from this famous Dicken’s classic literary step out of the book in a picture that is said to be one of the most striking films of the day.

Douglas Fairbanks has presented a copy of “Robin Hood” to Lord and Lady Louis Mountbatten, who were visitors at his studio during their American honeymoon trip. Lord Mountbatten took the picture with him on rejoining his ship and it mil be circulated throughout the fleet.

Nazimova is noted for her smart sayings. Here is one:—“A woman will make a fool of herself over the first man she can’t make a fool of.” Her next picture by the way is “Salome,” adapted from the work of Oscar Wilde, which has created a furore in the artistic and dramatic worlds in drama, opera and song.

Norma Talmadge will have the leading role in "Secrets” after she has completed “Ashes of Vengeance.” Her sister, Constance, will have “Barbara Winslow, Rebel” for her next picture, and the company will include Kack Mulhall, Claude Gillingwater and Ann Wilson. *'

Work was recently commenced on “Richard the Lion-Hearted,” under the supervision of Mr F. E. Woods. Wallace Beery, as King Richard, -is to reappear in the role he took in “Robin Hood,” John Bowers to play Sir Kenneth, Marguerite de la Motte to be Lady Edith and Kathleen Clifford the bride of King Richard. “Richard the LionHearted” is based on Sir Walter Scott’s novel, “The Talisman,” and after it will come Elmer Harris’s first production, and then Thompson Buchanan, who completes the trio, will make his first. They’re working at the Thomas H. Ince Studios for release through Allied Producers and Distributors.

Tully Marshall, Harry Myers, Ford Sterling, Ernest Torrence, Charlotte Merriam and Aggie Herring have been lined up by Maurice Tourneur for the cast of his next First National production, “The Brass Bottle,” sponsored by M. C. Levee.

Betty Compson, after a brief vacation, has begun work on her second Herbert Brenon production, "The Woman With Four Faces,” adapted by George Hopkins from Bayard Veiller’s play. Julia Crawford Ivers is production editor of this unit, while Richard Dix has been cast opposite Mist; Compson.

“A thrill in every film” is one of Reginald Barker’s mottoes. He got it via a big forest fire in "Hearts Aflame” and now in “The Law Bringers,” his second own unit production for Louis B. Mayer-Metro release, he will get it with a buffalo stampede to be staged in the Canadian National Park. Government officials will co-operate in this sequence in which 7,600 bison settlers of the park will participate. As will also Earle Williams, Renee Adoree and Pat O’Malley, the leads. And after that Mr Barker plans to send them through the rapids of the Athabasca River in a bateau and for added good measure have them caught in an ice jam on the said river while attempting to cross the frozen river with a dog team.

Despite their proximity to studios and studio folk Hollywood citizens are never too busy to watch a company “shooting” on the street. And tourists, of course, forget that they have anything else to do. Harold Lloyd was the magnet recently when with the aid of a corps of regular “cops” he and the giant traffic cop of his new comedy held up traffic at the busiest corner in Hollywood to film an original “gag.” It took them hours of waiting to get it, b,ut the hundreds w r atching didn’t mind, and'if it is the laugh it promises neither did Harold and his company.

William Duncan recently nursed a broken right hand as a memento of a production on the Vitagraph lot. While working on “Terrible Terry” in a scene where he was to shoot over his horse’s head the animal threw its head back with a violent start and Bill’s hand caught the blow. It was out of business for about two weeks, but it did not interfere with his preparations to begin his new Universal serial contract recently signed in New York.

Alice Calhoun lived the life of a cowgirl in “The Man Next Door.” The cast in Miss Calhoun’s support includes Jimmy Morrison, F&nk Sheridan, imported from New York for the production: Dave Torrence, Mary Culver and Adele Farrington.

Goldwyn’s production ’of Elinor Glyn’s “Six Days” now boasts a cast including Corinne Griffith, Myrtle Steadman, Claude King, Maude George and Charles Clary. Charles J. Brabin, who is listed in the “Only Their Husbands” club as Mr Theda Bara, will direct.

Roland West will produce his own play ‘The Deep Purple.”

Jane Murfin is producing an undfined film entitled “The Sign.”

Gladys Walton is being entertained by the city of Los Angeles, or at least she is a guest of the city—in the city gaol—for three days for speeding, states an American paper. They said Gladys was going it at thirty-three miles per and without an operator’s license. So there she is! The Judge let her go home to get some old clothes for her three days’ gaol visit. Bebe Daniels took the cream off gaol-for-speeding publicity some time ago, and Gladys can’t even console herself with the thought that it will increase her “fan” mail. Worse luck. To-morrow she can return to Universal City to tell ’em about the food and the iron bars and prepare to film “Sawdust,” her next production.

Of considerable interest is the discussion on Lilins for Posterity, recently printed in the London Daily Telegraph. It appears that the British War Office has the advantage of the services of E. Foxen-Cooper, who is also adviser to the Foreign Office and to the English Customs on all matters pertaining to cinematography.

“Speaking technically,” runs the article, Mr Loxen-Cooper said exhaustive inquiries had been made here and in America and France to ascertain how long films would last. There was only twenty-five years’ experience to go upon. We know,” he said, “how the films can be preserved permanently, but the expense is prohibitive. This method , is by taking carbon prints of each picture, carbon being everlasting so far as we know.” The base of the film, he went on to say, was the trouble. Celluloid was used for this purpose, the photograph emul sion being imposed upon it. In the course of time the celluloid shrank, so that the sprocket holes failed to fall into their right position on the machine, with the result that the picture, when shown, was “jumpy.” He was now trying to make the films with the sprocket hole so arranged that, allowing for shrinkage, in 100 or 200 years’ time they would fall into their proper place. Beyond that another safeguard was being adopted by the taking from the original negative a “soft” positive from which a secondary negative could be obtained. These

were being preserved and stored in vaults similar to those at the War Office in a building off the the Victoria Embankment. “But,” he proceeded, "it is not enough that these war films should be saved to posterity. I want films like the Scott Expedition saved. This film and many others are in existence, and it would be a burning shame if they were allowed to go from this country' or be destroyed. In many cases they are the property of individuals who cannot possibly afford to give them to the country, but to my mind their purchase for the nation would be twice as good as buying a picture for the National Gallerj.

Viola Dana's next Metro production, “Roughed Lips,” will be pretty much of a family affair, since her brother-in-law, Harold Shaw, has been engaged to direct it. Mr Shaw recently returned from England. By the way, "Roughed Lips” is to be a screen version of Rita Welman’s magazine story, “Up-Stage.”