Stars of the Screen

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20043, 4 September 1920, Page 3

Stars of the Screen

“A Fool There Was," ‘‘ Tho Devil's Daughter,” ‘‘ The Tiger "Woman,” “ Salome,” “Cleopatra,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “ Under Two Flags.” A recent interviewer wrote:—There.is no use claiming a sensitive soul for. Theda Bara. If sho had possessed one, sho couldn’t have clone what she has done. Her manufactured personality seems to have had no effect on her real golf. The criticisms hurt her only when they touched upon some bit of sincerity that came through tho fantastic pose. Personally, she is not insincere. Sho is the, sort of girl who is “ good to her folks.” I suspeoUher of being an excellent business woman. For five long years she appeared in nothing bnt the most blatant sort of sex stories, aud yet you cannot get a sex interview from Theda Ba.ra. in movie circles it is rumoured that Mr W. ti. Sutton, who left this week: on his way to South Africa, will be Succeeded as manager of Crystal Palaco by an ex-member of Parliament. Moving picture patrons mill be delighted to learn that they will have an opportunity of seeing tho screen’s greatest comedian, Charlie Chaplin, again, after a long absence. Liberty’s new programme includes “ Sunnyside,” in which Ohaxlie performs many new stunts, aud is as comical as erer. A coming feature at Everybody’s will be “ Victory,” Maurice Tournie’a great attraction. Even greater will be “On with the Dance.” Coming releases in New Zealand are: —“ The Zero Horn ” (Juno Elvidge), 11 On Our Selection” (an Australian production), “Nine Tenths of the Law ” (Mitchell Lewis), and “A Temperamental "Wife ” (Constance Talmadgc). Tho latest Gazettes from England show the enormous excitement created by the arrival of Douglas and Mary Fairbanks. Thousands of people turned out to giro them a warm welcome. An old favourite returns to tho screen in “The Tower of Jewels the latest Vitagraph starring Corinne Griffith—in tho person of Maurice Costello, who was a popular favourite in the days when the (/olossoum had the monopoly of movies in Christchurch. He. looks older, otherwise he is not changed. The piece will be shown'in. New Zealand at an early date. A Bill to provide for the licensing of kmematograph operators was passed bv the Legislative Assembly.of Victoria and sent to the Legislative Council. ’ I'atty Arbuckle’s latest production ia entitled “Too Travelling Salesman.” Tho latest American stars to wo to Europe to produce pictures are Bryant. M ashburn and Ethel Oloyton. .• It is reported that Harold Lloyd. tcrepll receives aioo,ooo lor each of his pictures. A film censorship board, composed ol three fathers of families, a juvenile offenders’ judge, and a, kinematograph expert, is to be formed in Belgium. Upon completion of “Forty-five Minutes from Broadway,” Charles Ray will film an original story written especially for him. Joe Moore and Eileen Sedgwick ere the featured players in the Universal picture. “The "World Inside,” now being filmed. Big Mitchell Lewis, who has nob been seen hero lor seine time, is now making pictures for Metro. A version of Jack London's story “ Burning Daylight” is very highly spoken of. Bert Lyteli is.under contract with Metro lo turn out four pictures in twelve, months. The first will he “ The Misleading Lady," -the second “ A Message from Mara,” and the third “ flic Prisoner ol Zeuda.” The fourth has' yet lo bo selected.

Pickford say that their most thrilling' episode was stalking amongst theheadrionea of Westminster Abbey all a.m.; Doug disguised in a moustache, and Mary in the uniform of a Peel Cross muse. They thus escaped'the crowds, at zero hour, and reached another part of London without being followed. tw«T° ?rß that Ma:r y Afiles Min ter is twenty-ax or tweniy-seven were d&finitely set at, rest in Los Angeles when ed ®l' pl Courfc decision put on record that The picture star reached fen e,gh n t r tb l ,:rtl, da.v on April 1, ar xr 1° que9tlo!l oi: whether or not Miss Mmter was a minor at tho time Bvi Sl^r! a contract with the American * lira Company was a pivotal one in the suit by u,lnch Miss Mintbr sought to recover 4126 dollars in back salary. A couuter-suib for 100,000 dollars damages, filed by the film company, , was blown outof court. Miss Minter was awarded 4000 dollars by the jury. At the Old Street Children’s Court m London recently, Mr Clarke Hall Said,, that ho had been asked to express an opinion on the. question of the innnonco of the kinoma upon juvenile offenders. H« had now had a good many thousands of children before him, and he thought it only right to say that although there might have been, and undoubtedly, were, cases where boys minds had been wrought up to a pitch of excitement by the means in* cheated, and probably they had com* nutted offences in consequence,,, in his judgment those cases had been com* paratively few. He was satisfied that the kinema hud a valuable educative influence on children. A message to an Australian paper from s'uU Lake City reports that Charlie Chaplin fled to that town from Los Angeles to escape a restraining orderlas wife’s attempt to tie up his assets pending their divorce. Chaplin said; ‘‘ I spent two years producing a pic- 1 turo entitled ‘The Kid/ arid,.l do not propose to lose tho results. 1 wrote the play, acted it, and invested £60,000 in it. My wife is only a young girl, who ,has fallen into tiro hands of unscrupulous lawyers. tTI grant her a divorce at any time, hut not before this picture is' sold. . I offered her a substantial settlement, but she seeks a restraining order against the sale of this picture, and I caino here to escape that restraining order.” Airs Arlinc Lien,, daughter of Ferdinand' Deck, a Wealthy 'Chicagoan, ano divorced ivifo of ‘Hebert Taylor Bicn, krovvn on' stage and screen ..i Robert Marwick, has sued him in <ho oimnt-courfc hi Chicago for 34,444d0l (£6SBSi back alimony.' She also asked for a. writ of ‘ ue exeat ’ to restrain him from caving the State until the mouev has been paid. She alleges that ho earns 120,000d0l (£25,000)-a year. Tho couple were divorced on October 29, 1909, and Mrs Bien was awarded 3000 do! a year alimony. Bhe charges that her ax-husbaud has paid only IcOOdol ; to date. She mot and became engaged to Mr Eieu in Paris, where both were pursuing musical studies. . They were married in March, 1902, and there is one child, Rosalind, nor/ sixteen yeaws old. In the United States alone there are 18,000 kinema theatres. With such a big market, American producers are able to spend enormous suras in producing films and yet make a substantial profit, it is stated by''an American expert Dial I good film may bring tho producers a icvonne of £500,000. This explains why- American producers are, not afraid to lay out £IOO,OOO to £200,000 on tho production of a high-class film, and why salaries running into scores of thousands of pounds are paid to kiuennv slava. , ,