Movie Stars, Films, and Features

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1164, 3 November 1917, Page 9 (Supplement)

Movie Stars, Films, and Features

IT I OLA Dana made her stage successes in "Rip Van Winkle," "The Squaw Man and "The Littlest Rebel," before joining Edison in photo-play about three years or so ago. She is now playing leads with Metro, and is a clever little star. Miss Dana confesses to nineteen years, is -Ift 11 in in height, and has green eyes. She -was last seen here in "God's Law and Man's" at the Grand. In private life Miss Dana is Mrs John Collins. Her husband directs for Metro.

lACK Pickford, beginning his career •* merely as "Mary I'ickford's brother," has become a star actor on his own merits entirely. His first screen work was in support of his famous sister in several of her earliest Famous Players productions. Soon his ability was recognised, and he was cast for leading roles in such pictures as "Poor Little Peppina," "The Dummy," "Seventeen," "Great Expectations," and "Freckles." The last-named will probably be shown at the Strand Theatre shortly.

MARC MacDermott, who appeared in "The Sixteenth Wife," and "Babette" with Peggy Hyland, is the husband of Miriam Nesbitt, a World star, who appeared with Alice Brady in "Maternity."

MURIEL Ostriche is only nineteen, but *"* she has already established her popularity with the screen-loving public, and gives promise of a bright future. She has played leading parts with Eclair, Thanhouser, Vitagraph, Equitable, and is now playing with World. Miss Ostriche made a great success in» "A Daughter of the Sea," "Gold Standard," "Moral Courage," "Youth," and several other pictures.

"T'OM Brown's School Days," Thomas * Hughes's great classic, made into a wonderful picture, is to be shown at the Liberty Theatre next week. The story deals with a faithful rendering of one of the greatest public schools and -the making of a man from a boy. It was produced by the Windsor Company. Two love stories are cleverly interwoven. Tom finds that his school chum's mother is his own erring sister, and manages to make a reconciliation. There are three Tom Browns in the picturisation of "Tom Brown's School Days." This was rendered necessary by the different ages at which the youthful hero is shown. Miss Dorrle Roberts as Charity is very dainty and appealing. The picture was honoured by a special command presentation at Windsor Castle by his Majesty the King, the only film drama to receive such an honour since the war.

MARY Miles Minter, the little Mutual star, who is appearing at the Queen's next week in "Periwinkle," never knew any nursery except the wings of a theatre. Many times she rested in a tray of a trunk while her mother, an actress, went on to play her role, afterward returning to rock the little one to sleep. Mrs Charlotte Shelby, who is now chum and business manager, little knew that her daughter would some day be one of the most popular exponents of a form of a drama then almost undreamed of.

* * * * pLARA Kimball Young's latest production.entitled "Magda," is to be released by Paramount. Miss Young is the daughter of two distinguished players, Mr and Mrs Edward Young, and was born in Benton Harbour, Michigan.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ THE Fox Company continue to obtain * new stars from time to time for their comedies. The latest to sign Fox contracts are Mae Busch, the former musicalcomedy star, who has been featured in innumerable Keystones, and Paddy McQuire, one of the leads in Vogue comedies. Both Miss Busch and McQuire are to make their Fox debut in a comedy starring Chester Conklin. Miss Busch is an Australian by birth, and obtained her first starring opportunity when she took Lillian Lorraine's place upon the latter's leaving the Eddie Foy Company in "Over the River." Later she was featured with Weber and Fields, and with William Collier, entering pictures about two years ago. * + * +

LIELEN Gibson, who succeeded Helen ** Holmes in the Kalera outfit when Miss Holmes joined Mutual, has deserted that company to do railroad dramas for Universal. The first few subjects are already completed, and the daring Helen is hard at work on still others. Miss Gibson's screen successes are "The Hazards of Helen" series as well as the lead in such pictures as "The Gate of Death," "The Midnight Express," and "The Capture of Red Stanley." «fi •£• •{• ■£■

■FOM Chatterton, who plays the lead * opposite Juanita Hansen in "The Secret of the Submarine," was born in Geneva, in the State of New York. He siarred in Proctor's Fifth Avenue Company, and a special big town tour with "What Happened to Jones." He also appeared in vaudeville sketches with the late Josephine Cohan—Mrs Niblo. He joined the Nymph Film Company four years ago as director and actor, since when he has been a prominent personality in the silent drama, eventually winning a remarkable success in "The Secret of the Submarine."

TWO of the earl./ releases by the Metro * Pictures Corporation are announced as "Empty Pockets," an adaptation of Rupert Hughes's novel of the same title, in which Emmy Wehlen will be starred; and "Blue Jeans" adapted from the old and popular play of that title, which will star Viola Dana.

MR Fox has been in receipt of scores ™ of letters each day since the release of "Two Little Imps," which will be shown here shortly. It is Jane and Katherine Lee's first starring vehicle, landing the production as one of the finest, most humorous, and most wholesome photoplays of the year. Most of these letters had a postscript in which the exhibitor desired to learn when the children would be seen in another picture of their own.

yALASKA Suratt, the William Fox star "■ is taking a course of physical culture under the direction of Danny Sullivan, the professional trainer. Miss Suratt first got the idea of taking a course in training when she noticed the benefits resulting from a walk every morning on her way to the studio.

LIONEL Barrymore, who is appearing in "The End of the Tour," a Metro production, at the Grand Theatre, made his first stage appearance in 1893, in. "The Rivals," playing with his illustrious grandmother, Mrs John Drew, senior. He is considered one of the most versatile members of the Barrymore-Drew family, and his decision to be an actor came as a natural result of his training and hereditary talents.

JAMES Morrison, appearing in "The Girl Who Did Not Care," was born at Mattoon, in 1888, and is now a first-class Ivan idol. He studied pantomime for years, and toiled in stock before he went to Vitagraph for almost a decade of work.

•ft 4> .j. 4> '"THE Secret of Eve," a five-part feature * screen play, with Olga Petrova as star, written by Aaron Huffman, directed by Perry Vokroff, and produced by Popular Plays and Players, is to be screened at the Grand Theatre next week. "The Secret of Eve" is replete with interesting and unusual features. It affords the star an opportunity to appear in four distinct characterisations. First she is seen as Eve in the Garden of Eden; next she is a gipsy woman; next a young Quakeress, and then a society woman, who finally gives up her purposeless life to devote her energies to unfortunate little children. In 'The Secret of Eve" Mine Petrova is surrounded by a notable cast. The part of Robert Blair, the millionaire philanthropist, is played by William L. Hinckley, Little Rosa, the child who is blind, is portrayed by Florence Moore, last seen with Edmond Breese in "The Weakness of Strength," and others are Edward Rosenian, Laurie Mackin and George Morrell. * * * *

/\LIVE Thomas makes her debut on the " Triangle programme as a full-fledged star in "Madcap Madge," which will be screened at Everybody's next week. This picture will present her in a rollicking comedy of high spirits and novel situations. Miss Thomas was the bright particular star of the Ziegfield Midnight Frolic. "Madcap Madge" might be described as the pilgrim's progress of an up-to-the-minute debutante. Miss Thomas is supported by Charles Gunn, Dorcas Matthews, and J. Barney Sherry. •§• * * ❖

I"|OROTHY Kelly gave up a career as a U magazine illustrator to become a screen actress. Since abandoning charcoal and crayons for grease-paint two years ago, Miss Kelly has become a star of considerable magnitude. She has never appeared in any but Vitagraph plays. Miss Kelly was 23 years of age on February 12 last, and is an Irish Quakeress. Miss Kelly is to be screened in a Vitagraph serial, entitled "The Secret Kingdom," the first episode of which will be shown at the Liberty on Monday week.

MEXT week Starland is showing a Wil- ** liam Fox production entitled "The Bitter Truth" with Virginia Pearson in the lead. It is a five-reel melodrama with a comic relief. The heroine of "Bitter Truth" is a girl of the slums, the daughter of a thief. She is unjustly sent to prison, and on her release, devotes herself to be-

coming revenged on the judge that gave her her sentence. She becomes an inmate of the judge's house, and is just about to assist his political enemies in making him the victim of a scandal when the man who has always loved her succeeds in arousing her better nature. The most sensational scene takes place on a Hudson River steamboat, but there are other thrilling situations, and the comic relief is supplied by a fat Irish cook, an equally v, eighty coloured maid, and an elongated iceman. As a vampire Virginia Pearson looks splendid and spreads her net for the undoing of the judge in quite the Thcda Bara fashion. Jack Hopkins, William Tooker, Alice May and Sidney D'Albrook have the other leading characters. Keneaa Rue! directed the production.

* * * * RJgARY Miles Minter is appearing at the ™* Queen's Theatre next week in "Periwinkle" a Mutual-American production* The picture was adapted from William Farquhar Payson's novel of the same name, and was directed by James Kirkwood. The picture is of light summer texture, and breathes the vacation spirit. Miss Minter portrays the title role, the beloved mascot of the coastguard station. Each man of the guard loves the little girl madly, and each one believed that some day she will choose him for a husband. But they reckon without consideration of the inevitable hero from another world—a world of wealth and social polish. George Fisher plays opposite Miss Minter, and others in the cast include Arthur Howard, Clarence Burton, Alen Forrest, Harvey Clark, George Periolat and Ann Schaefer.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ "THE Girl at Home," in which Jack Pick- * ford co-stars with Vivian Martin, will be screened at the Strand Theatre next week. This makes Miss Martin's first appearance under the Lasky management. The story was written by George Middleton, the well-known playwright, and adapted for the screen by Beuiah Marie Dix. It was staged under the direction of Marshall Neilan, who has directed so many recent Lasky successes, and whose "Bottle Imp" with Sessue Hayakawa, created such a sensation, and is proving a tremendous success. James Neil, Edyth Chapman and Olga Gray, play important roles in this production, which is a rare combination of comedy and drama, with always a subdued note of pathos in the background. Jack Pickford is Jimmy Dexter, an only child, whose mother is in such financial straits that she cannot afford to send him to college as she had always planned to do. Vivian Martin is Jeanie Hilton, the ward of a neighbour of the Dexters, and a youthful sweetheart of Jimmy's.