News of the Movies

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12285, 6 April 1918, Page 3

News of the Movies

answers to queries

Flicker.—Sorry the mails delayed severe! queries last week. “ Seven Keys to BnklpC,to ” will be shown at the Strand to-■sl.-'ht. Pleased yon liked “The Little American.” Tho next Chaplin film will be his last with Mutual, “The Adventurer." K. Apologies, too, Bello Bennett is not related to Enid. Big Bill Russell was the hero ;n “Her Southern Gentleman.” He was on tho stage before entering the American Biograph Company. Don’t know hia age. Senalite.—l don’t know whether there is a sequel to tho “ Mysteries of Myra.” I have never seen one mentioned anywhere. The.conclusion certainly suggests a sequel. The next serial at the Grand will be “The Great Secret,” with Bushman and Bayne as-stars. L. —(1) No. (2) No. (3) Yes. (4) Scenn. Owen was leading l lady to Douglas Fairbanks in his first film, " The Lamb.” Edmund B. Fan.—“ Tho Song of the Wage Slave” was presented at the Grand in 1016. Edmund Breeso played Ned Lane, and Helen Martin was tho Mildred Hale of tho film. Fan of tho Film,”—No relation to any other Answey Man. Mery Bickford was born on April 8 (my own natal day) in 1893. She stands sft lin, and draws £102,880 IBs 2d per annum and a percentage. I am taller, but she gets paid more than I do. This column appears in all editions on Saturday. You are 'certainly cn- , titled to the full degree of M.F. Crystal Palace will seat 1128. “ Little American ” showed Litllo Mary at her bast. I guess yon also spotted Walter Long as tho colonel who insults the Amenem just before the General arrives. “The Grell Mystery’’ is scheduled for presentation at Everybody’s the week after next. This means the return of the popular Earle Williams in a Vitagraph feature' that has been well spokep, “Fan of tho Film” writes ipe that he, has cut out and pasted in a book 504 photographs of picture stars, and has twelve autographed photographs of stars, with four more coming and a letter from Francis X. Bushman. He asks if there is anyone in Christchurch who can equal his connection. Now, don’t crowd! Comei steadily and I will attend to all. “Fan” talks of Alary Pickford as “the best, little star of the screen”—so he’s all right. He also supports the claim for the announcement of the timetable of films. Considerable interest is being shown in the. States in the rumour that a move is on to amalgamate or combine ni some way all the big firms outside Paramount. The idea was suggested some time ago as a means of cutting down heavy expenses in .connection with distribution, but so fat the public discussion of the project "has been rather against it. It is remarked frequently that the merging of all the picture concerns into two will not prevent the formation of new companies, and will not please the very big concerns. . Nor is it expected that such a .scheme would be able to take in ifll State rights producing companies. When the latest mails left, the picture people were talking the project very seriously. The largest picture theatre is in Paris. . Is is. the Gaumont Palace, and seats 5000 people. Prices range up to Bs. . Harry T. Morey, supported by Florence Deshon, last month commenced work on “ The Cambric Mask,” , one of the early Robert W. Chambers’ ■stories. This pair will also .bo seen in “ The Man from Where ” later onRobert W. Chambers is supplying more stories foi the Vitagraph stars. Alice Joyce has just finished “The Song of the Soul,” and is to begin “My Man,” from a play by Edith Ellis, but after that she is to be the star in the film version of “The Business of Life,” by Chambers. In her fourth. Select picture Alice Brady will letum to a field which she has formerly occupied most successfully, that of Russian romane'e. Scenes abounding in ffieavy snows and' hard frozen stretches of the country will bo embodied in the new Alice Brady pictures, which will again be under tho direction of Robert G. Vignola, who likewise directed "The Knife,” by Eugene Walter. "Ruthless Russia” is being considered .as a’ title tor the new production. Although Miss Brady has tmt just finished her work in the highly , emotional role of tho much suffering heroine of Eugene Walter’s story she will at once begin work on “ Ruthless Russia,” as both star and director are anxious to take advantage of the hard cold weather now prevailing in filming the outdoor scenes. Fur overcoats, hot coffee and frostnipped fingeys will be much in evidence. Earls Williams at the Vitagraph Studios has completed. “ An American Live Wire,” based on the O. Henry story, “Tho Lotus and the Bottle,” with Grace Darmond as his leading lady. The pair were scheduled next for “The Alan from Brodney’s,” from G- B. Al’Cutclieon’s novel, followed by “ Tho Girl in His House,” by Harold AlacGrath, and “ Out_of the Dark,” by Roma Raymond and Jn,ne Dixon. Tim Mills is director for them all. Billy West was lately announced as working on a film comedy with a champion pugilist as a central figure. Don’t T remember a Chaplin picture called “The Champion”? The big Universal Company releases on the average 1,470,000 feet of positive film each week. “ Enlighten Thy Daughter ” is scheduled for release in the Dominion by the New Zealand Picture Supplies. It is described as a “ novel treatment of an abiding modern problem for parents of girls.” The hehoine is played by Rubyo de Rcraer, who made her screen debut in “The Auction Block,” which is to be seen here shortly. The First National Exhibitors’ Circuit has purchased “ The Law of Compensation,” with Norma Talmadge as star. This will be released in New Zealand by New Zealand Picture Supplies. William Duncan, who did excellent work in “Tho Chalice of Courage,” is now with Pathe, and is playing the lead in and directing a Western serial. Duncan began in the pictures with Selig and rose to be a director at that studio, having under hi* care at different times My rtle Stedman, Lester Cunco, and Tom Alix. Ho was hero and director of the Vitagraph serial “The Fighting Trail.” The first serial issued by Pathe this year will be “The House of Hate,” by Arthur B. Reeve and Charles A. Logue ft is directed by George B. Seitz, who was responsible for the scenario of “The Lou Claw.” The stars on “ The House of Hate ” are Pearl White and Antonio Alorcno. Thomas Dixon, jun., is preparing for the screen his stones "Comrades,” “The One Woman” and “The Root of Evil.” They will be produced by the Alastercraft Photoplay Corporation. “The Battle of Arras,” the official war film which Everybody’s and Sydenham will be running next wee):, is stated to ho the most thrilling of the War Office's productions, and judging by a synopsis of the film the claim is not lightly made. It is a. picture that should bo distinctly worth seeing. The AVorld Company has announced that. Ethel Clinton has left its ranks to enter another firm, which is paying her £4OO a week for forty-four weeks in the year The World, following its custom, has a big stock of Ethel Clayton films on hand, and these will

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released from time to time. In an official statement the firm announces that it always .keeps a big stock in hand so that they can he issued after a star has loft.

“ The Square Deceiver,” with Harold Lockwood in the lead, is the Grand’s offering for next week, and as Lockwood is always a good draw, good business may be expected. The picture should be admirably suited to the star.

Crystal Palace will open this evening, showing “ Heart and Soul,” a Fox version of Sir Rider Haggard’s story, Jess,” with Theda Bara playing the lead. The Max Lipder comedy, “ Max in a Taxi,” should -’.lso be a big attraction, and, ol course, the chance to see the interior of this latest of all theatres will be rushed. Crystal Palace is such an ornament to the industry that success is more than ordinarily deserved.

The recent addition of Edmund Law)CC\ the staff of directors of the Fox Corporation brings the total number now in the employ of William Fox to nineteen. Two others, Edward J. Le Saint and Oscar A. 0. Lund, have recently joined the Fox forces. Lawrence is directing Virginia Pearson in a new war play, Le Saint is working on 1,110 Pacific Coast, and Lund directed leggy Hyland’s first Fox picture. The others include J. Gordon Edwards, in California ; R. A. Walsh, Frank Lloyd, y.no has just completed a picture dealing with the divorce tifoblem ; CarlHarbaugh, Richard Stanton, C. M. and S_ A. Franklin, Harry Millarde. Kenean Buel, Bertram Bracken and Henry Lehman. Five directors are uorking under Mr Lehman’s supervision on “ Sunshine Comedies.”

E. K. Lincoln is to be featured in a timely seven-reel feature under the direction of W. Christy Cabanne. Tills film pi eduction will introduce Cabanne as author and producer as well as director- , Since appearing as star in the Mutual-Jimmy Dale serial, “The Grev Seal,” Lincoln has been starred in “The Freedom of the AVorld,” and has played opposite Alae Alarsh in “ The Beloved Traitor.”

Jack Pickford is back in California from the east, and is at bard work again under .'William D. Tavlor, who directed all of Pickfofd’s recent sue* cesses. The feature in hand at latest was Alice Hegan Rice’s book “Sandy,” a capital medium for the ever young and irrepressible Jack Pickford. ‘

C. Gardner Sullivan, one of. the best known and most successful of scenario writers, is at work on a William S. .Hart picture for Artcraff.' It is a story that ought to provide Hart with the very sort of role that he likes best, it is worth remembering that it was Sullivan who wrote for Hart a. story wlijoh tho latter believes a masterpiece of celluloid romance and adventure—<.S 1 u, Al 7 l ? n '” Sullivan, too, wrote iieJ s Hinges,” which ran a close second to Hart’s favourite story of the white man who conceived a great 'and terrible hatred for his own race. At latest Hart was putting the finishing touches to a picture written by J. G. Hawks, one of the Thomas H. Ince staff of authors, who has provided Hart with many successes. The picture narrates a tale of the. old adobe days of the south-west, and marks ,a return of Hart to tile field of kinemn- action in which he has won some of his most noted triumphs.

Patha has released a new “analysis of Ji notioll ’ colour picture in one reel. ‘•The Horse in Action,” filmed bv the ‘ Ultra-rppxd ” camera, a Pathe invention. Ordinary motion pictures, of course, are taken with a camera recording sixteen images a second, and aro projected at the same speed. With rho Pathe ultra-rapid camera the pictures aro taken at the rate of 120 to the second, or even more. These pictures are projected at the ordinary rate, with the consequence that animate objects in the film move so slowly that the eye can easily follow every phase of muscular' action. The effects to be noticed in the case of the horses m “The Horse in Action”, are extraordinary. As the animals go over hurdles or gallop every muscular movement is clearly visible. As they jump they seem to float in the air like thistledown.

Mary Pickford’s popularity proved an effective bar t 0 l the recent filming of San Fr.ircisco street scenes for a forthcoming Artcraft play. When it became known that a location on Telegraph Hill had been decided on a dense crowd gathered at the spot long before Miss Pickford arrived in costume to do the scenes. With the help of the police, however, director Marshall Neilan was able to make some progress. On arriving at the location the following day, however, the crowd was denser than ever, and became so enthusiastic that all efforts to keep it iu hand proved futile, and the studio people were compelled to cease work. Neilan subsequently stated. that it- would be impossible to stage the picture in San Francisco. and as the story was written with that idea, the script would be changed to suit some other location. In Manitoba a bombshell has been launched into the midst of the picture theatres. The Government imposed a 'JO per cent tax, and on top of that put a. ban on all comedies. The picture theatres threatened to close if the prohibition of comedies were insisted on. Such a procedure would moan the stopping of such big attractions as the Chaplin and Fairbanks films. The ordinances were to have come into force on February 28, but a big fight is inevitable.

The new colour process devised bv Cecil de Mille and Alvin Wyckoff will be best seen here first in “ The Woman God Forgot ” and “ The Devil Stone,” both by Geraldine Farrar, though a little touch is included in “ .loan the Woman.” The most ambitions effort with tho now scheme, however, will be in “Tlio Whispering Chorus,” which Do Mille has produced for Artcraff. It is stated that the colouring gives effects resembling Dnlac's remarkable illustrations. The aim is not to produce natural colours, but to give n colouring that will make the picture go treated more effective.

Recently a Vitagraph Company wont out to tho Mojave desert to make scenes for “Tho Homo Trail,” in which Nell Shipman is the star. A sand storm was required, and when one sprang up it was eagerly utilised. The wind increased to a gale before much had been done, and tho company had to spend five hours in an honest-to-goodness dust gale which at times made the players serious. Two horses were lost, but otherwise the film actors got through safely. “ The Spurs of Sybil ” was issued on March 4 by the World. It is one of the Alice Brady pictures finished before that star left the firm lor the Select Pictures,-or rather changed over, since there are interests concerned in both organisations, and it looks as if the connection would he made stronger before long. “The Spurs of Sybil" is described as a mixture of comedy and serious drama.

Carl Laemmle, in a public statement about the him industry, says that the highest salary ever paid by the Universal Company was £3OO a week, and iI,Q -t was oaid only for a little while.