Star of the Screen

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16680, 11 March 1922, Page 16

Star of the Screen

and Fred Coleman; Sin Foo, Mr T. Kiley, Sergeant Brandon. If. J. Kelly; Chief of Police. Claude Terry; Trooper James Casey, Robert M'Kinnon ; Mary Staunton. Miss Monica Mack; Horatio Ploggs, John P. O'Neill; Mr Bayham Badger. Fred TJwitchin; Natalie Floury, Miss Nada Conrade. ” 'The Midnight Patrol ”—Patrolman Terrenee Shannon, Thurston Hall: Patsy O'Connell, Pomemary Tlieby; Wu Kang, Kino; v Jim Murdock. Charles French : Minnie. Marjorie Bennett ; Officer Michel O'Shea, Harold Holland*. Clink Rose. William Musgrave; Sling Hole. Yammamatto: Sergeant Joe Duncan. Hanoi ri Johnstone. The cast of ” The Amazing Woman ” is not available. The Fox,” a Universal super production, featuring Harrv Carey, will hr* shown at Crystal Palace shortly. “ Foolish Wives.” Carl von StrolieinPs production, has been reduced from 33 to 10 reels, in which form it wjll .be shown in Christchurch. The picture had its premiere at the Central Theatre. New York, at the* end of January. “ Hits of Life,” the Marshall Neilan special photoplay, will ho shown at the Grand Theatre, commencing on March 18. The picture is described as expressing the producer’s revolt against the stereotyped “happy ending” picture play, and consists of a series of foui powerful little “ stories of life.” Each of them is an entertainment presented in tabloia foTm. Ethel M. Dell’s most popular novel has been adapted for the screen, and will be presented at the Queen's Theatre next week. It is .the story of a girl who found at last that the love of a true man was to be preferred to aristocratic traditions. What is proclaimed as the greatest of Charlie Chaplin’s pictures “ The Kid ” —will be presented at Liberty on March * 18. Patrons have waited with anxious anticipation for this production of the of Screen Comedians, and there is no doubt that the big building will be packed during the run. Probably no film has been better advertised. America, where Chaplin’s niana had been smirched by his two mediocre pictures—“ Sunnyside ” and ** A Day’s Pleasure ” —rose with one accord, and with extravagant praise declared that Chaplin had more than regained his prestige, that he had, in fact, ascended to unexpected heights. England, too, acclaimed the picture. And what they thought there of the central figure in it was shown by the frantic public demonstration when Chaplin recently visited London. “The Kid ” is described as “ six reels of jov.” ft took twelve months to complete, and it brought to the screen a hoy who, Ia one hound, leaped to stardom. That is Jackie Coogan, who plays the part of The Kid. and referred to as “ one of the greatest finds ever made in the search for boys with real acting ability.” L Blood and thunder photoplays some ;times consist of thud, and blunder. & A modernised version of Mrs Henry Wood’s well-known Story, “ East Lvnne,” has been presented to the screen, and will be released by Selzmck Maurice Tourneur is converting the well-known novel, 11 Lorn a Doone, into a picture. John Bowers has the part of the hero. George Ade, famous American humorist, has been converted to the screen. He has wrjHptt ‘ Our Leading Citizen ” for Thomas Meighan, and » il! supervise it personally at the Lasky studio. L:

dined to think, put the blame on the n oducer ; the exhibitor and the "public avc to be content with what lie hands them. A Metro film. “ The Hole in the Wall,” has for its object the showing up of various fakes worked by some so-called spiritualists. The film shows clearly the tricks that can be worked by concealed doors and windows and double walls. Alice Lake is the star, in the character of a medium. The picture is not intended to cast any reflection on those who genuinely believe in Spiritualism, but is directed against the kind of faker that makes a living out of fraud. Earle Williams seems to be in trouble again (says an American magazine.) While he lias refused to discuss tho situation at all, it is understood that he and his wife, who was a beautiful New York heiress named Florence Walz, have separated and that divorce action will soon be taken. Shortly after his marriage to the wealthy New York girl, Williams was sued, by Miss Roma Raymond for oO.OOOdoI breach of promise and she was awarded half that amount by the court. Mrs Williams stuck to her husband throughout that case most loyally, and the nows of a split in that direction came as a surprise to all their friends. A kinematographer who recently returned to England from the jungles and villages of Central Africa. says that the natives display great ingenuity and ability in posing for the once feared camera. Near Mombassa lie saw the “ Chaplin ’’ walk executed with earnest pride by a trouserless comedian who had evidently studied prototype assiduously on the screen. Farther south there are film artists of genuine talent among the Ziihts< who have appeared in “ King Solomon’s Alines,” “Alan Quartermain,*' “ Prester John,” and other films made by the African Film Productions, Ltd. Kenneth Harlan and Flo Hart, who were one, are now two (says an Ameri can paper). The Court has given « divorce to the former Ziegfeld chorus beauty, with 100 dollars a week al*. mony, until her remarriage. Tho hand j some leading man didn’t put up the ! fight he promised to. hut fired on.* last verbal broadside, charging that hE i wife drank to excess. On one occasion, he charged, she did an improper dance in the street at night. On another occasion he met her with Henry Lehrman, self-admitted sweetheart of Virginia Rappe. and when he upbraided ‘ her rather strongly was haled into court, hut was discharged. She said in her allegations that he “ blacked my eyes and broke mr arm.” When Flo Hart married Harlan in 1910 she was generally given credit for having cut Lottie Pick ford out. Kenneth had been very devoted to Lottie, but suddenly switched. An American magazine has the fot- ; lowing reference to Violet de Barros, who has a part in the Griffith picture “ Orphans ot the Storm.” She is the daughter of a French attorney, and has lived abroad most of her life. Miss i do Barros is said to he highly educated and able to speak several languages. She went to the Griffith Studio as an extra, and is seen on the screen for the first* time in “Orphans of the Storm.” It is seldom that a single photograph of an unknown creates so much comment, and it will he interesting to watch this girl’s career.

MORALS IN MOTION PICTURES.

WHAT TP WANTED. In ne.r third and concluding article (the •' Motion Picture Magazine ') un the motion picture world at Holly■vood - the movie colony of Bos Angeles Madame Elinor Glvii has the follow ing on morals in the motion picture world ; Tlie thing to do to better the matter of morals in the motion picture world is to raise the position of the screen artist into one of dignity, and gradually create a tradition of fine conduc. :nd decent living, as the legitimat* stage has created for itself. So the hing is really un to the members of the picture colony themselves. Tiny should be their own police and their own most severe judges, if they want to make their profession come up to the first rank of avocations. The successful members should b< tlie examples, and each individual who achieves fame, should realise that h or she lias now taken on a grave responsibility. and must keep up the honour of the community by leading a straight and self-denying life. One. his principle of responsibility were established among tbe beads, how very joon all lesser lights would follow the cad. until it became the fashion to be decent and refined —the fashion! that ootent arbiter of conduct ! Mortj forcible than any written law ! If the wisest and best men on tn. 3 screen would show horror and contemn*t for the girls who become intoxicated at the parties, and behave badly, instead of encouraging them. If tlie really nica girls would refuse to consort with the men who are given to drinking and wild living, if they would try and aim at refinement in manners and habits, n only refinement in bodily raiment, m no time a new wave would sweep over the face of things. It lies in the hand of each sex in tlie movie world, as in all other worlds, to be the guiding stars of the other, show displeasure and contempt to transgressors, and encouragement and admiration for self-respecting ones. Tail * a pride in the honour of the profession and make a new standard of living to raise tlie industry to a loftier level It is a glorious thing to ayn highIf all directors would sternly insist upon sobriety and good behaviour on their .sets, instead of often averting the eye from offenders, or glossing ov-*i the knowledge that such and such an actor or actress is indulging in excess while making a play, this would materially assist matters. I am told that there are some actois and actresses who, the moment they have finished a picture, seem to think it is the right thing to get drunk, and spend money like wildfire, and th.-it fragile-looking heroines of romance can bo seen as intoxicated as abandonc 1 women in the gutter. T am thankful that I never saw any of this, but if it is true that it exists, it is sad to think about. For the screen can only be a successful medium for female talent until about twenty-five years is reached, beyond that, unless the art is supreme, the faces take on shadows which the merciless camera discover* and chronicles. And, of course, all riot qus living accelerates this Now is the time to begin a new state of things, to show the public of what good stuff the large majority of moving picture people are made. What priu-s they take in their profession, and what a fighting spirit they possess, which is not going to take the scorpion whip of denunciation lying down 1 Public: Try to think of the movie world with justice and gratitude. Remember the dull you would spend hut for them ! Movie World: Wake up! Look to your laurels, make a firm stand, and within yourselves weed out the notorious offenders—and then hold your head l ? high the proud equals of any other community in the civilised world !