Stars of the Screen

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16750, 3 June 1922, Page 16

Stars of the Screen

Me,” “A Sporting Chance,” “ Live Sparks,” “ The House of Whispers.” “ The Devil to Pay,” “ Tiger True ” and ma; y others. The casts inquired for are as follows:—” A Midnight Bell”: Martin Tripp, Charles Ray; Stephen Labarel. Donald MacDonald: Abner Grey Van Dyke Brooke: Annie Grey, Doris Pawn; Mao. Clyde M'Coy; Boiko. Jesse Herring; Hirton, 8. J. Bingham; Slick SweelMJ-. Burt OBorrt. ' Rent Free ; Buell Arnmter. Jun., Wallace Reid. BarWa Teller, ula Lee; Buell Armster, sem Henry Barro-wa; Justine Tate, Gertrude Short' Maud Tebbs, Lillian Leighton; Count' de Mourney. Clarence Oeldha^, Countess de Mouritey. Will “ Batty ” Briggs. Lu ,'l' e ” n r T to your endeavour to supply answers y other questions neat week. Picture patrons will Reused to lo rn that tbo- Will have tke opportunity of seeing “ The Sheik which has been booked for production at Greater Crystal Palace on .Tune 26. Thi picture is now in the fourteenth week of its run in Sydney. The productions of the Hodkmso" and Selznick Conipauie*. jtr Manager of Greater Crystah Palace, informs me, have boon secured by him, and a feature will he s.inwn each week. The weekly\screenings at this populai theatre will now run into 21,000 feet of film. Mr Rowley, Manager of the Strand, informs mo that his contract with the Fox Corporation having expired. ,w made arrangements with Parnmou" programmes, -which will include < t.i and Tourneur productions. A i "ole feature programme will he set- ened each week. “Foolish 'Wives.” von Stroheim's much discussed picture, which some I critics declare to bo one of the greatest, pictures to be thrown on the screen, is By now on its way to New Zealand.

part serial of the famous story, with Harry Myers as Crusoe, was being shown in America when the mail left. It gets a good hearing from the critics. “Enoch Arden” is a picture which was made some time ago by D. W. Griffith with Wallace Reid and Lillian Gish in the cast. It is now being reedited and retitled and will be presented anew. Charles Ray, who has been producing his own pictures for some time and distributing them through First National, has thrown in his lot with the United Artists—Mary Pickford. Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and D. W. Griffith. Mary Piclcford’s “ Tess of the Storm Country ” is said to have a record oi more productions than any other film. It has been decided to present Miss Pickford in o new version in order to take advantage of the advances made in kinematograpliy since it was originally produced. Ladv Diana Manners who made such a success in “ The Glorious Adventure,” will appear in another Stuart Blackton production, “ Iladdon Hall,” in which Lady Diana will impersonate her famous ancestress, Dorothy Vernon. Ladv Diana has received several offers from big American firms, but has decided to work in England for the present. . Cecil M. Hepworth. as a result- of his first-hand .investigations (During his recent trip to the States, declares that the American picture industry is suffering from on excess “-system” which destroys and distorts originality. Although he found much to admire, lie found nothing to be afraid of, and nothing to shake his conviction that

British pictures will predominate in British kinemas. Ultimately, he is Bured every important country produce 80 per cent, of its picture quirements. Rex Ingram says that “ The Prisoner of Zenda” is the best picture h© ever has made, not forgetting ,^ he Horsemen of the Apocalypse L-ewis Stone pi a vs a dual role, Rudolf Rassendvll and King Rudolf. Alice leny is Flavia and others in the cast are Robert Edeson. Stuart Holmes and Ramon Samariegos, a young Mexican, who has the part of Rupert of Hentzau. A man frozen solidly in a huge cake of ice in the arctic regions is rescued after 100 rears, and upon being hewn out of his' glassy tomb picks up the thread of life where it was broken off a century before. The predicament of this mall upon being restored to life provides the nucleus of the theme treated by Houdini in his first special feature photodrama production for his own. company, “ The Man from Beyond. Walter Hiers, a fat man with a smiling face, is rapidly moving up m popularity on the screen. He has a. lot of experience behind him, first ns a vaudeville performer, then in pictures as a character actor and comedian with Majestic. I.ubin, Thanhouser, Metro. Frohman and Selig. -He is now with Famous Players and, according to some critics, will nil Arbuckle’s place as a fat comedian. To mark the tenth anniversary of Paramount pictures, the following Paramount pictures were screened m a week —one night each -Hit the Rialto, New York:—“Ur Jekyll and Mr Hyde,” “ Madam© Butterfly ana “Old Wives for New” (double bill), “Carmen ’’ and “ On with the Dance (double bill), “ Ua Tosca ’’ and Uon t Change Your Husband ' (double bill), “Behold My Wife,” “ Male and female” and “The Miracle Man. It might he remarked the pictures are shown on Sundays in New- York. In a little darkened room in Wardour Street, London, three men sit for six hours each day examining films that ar e to be released for exhibition to British audiences. These men constitute the British Board of Film Censors, and their work of adjudicating on funis is not quite so easy as it would ® eel ßOne one ocoesion the president, 1.1 • O’Connor, M.P., had to see a him five times after his examiners had already seen it two or three times. “Not even the bad boy of American literature, he says. “ could see ksnema films every day without a certain satiety. The film censorship is in some senses severer than the dramatic censor, but because wo insist on the essential difference of the audiences and of the presentation of the play-s.” American files bring confirmation of the cablegram that M ilhain M. Hays, the recently appointed president of the. Motion Picture Producers mid Distributors Association, had barred the production of Fatty Arhucklo pictures. This was done, says the “ Moving Picture World.” that “ the whole matter mav have the consideration that its minortanee warrants ”' The decision was made public after Mr Hays had had a consultation with the producers »ru. distributors of the Arbncklc pictures, for which they had 10,000 contracts in force. Asked bv pressmen if the action meant “ that Arhucklo was out for good,” Mr Hays said; You know as well as T do the purposes of our organ-isation-'to attain and maintain the highest moral and artistic standard.-. Beyond that I cannot say anything just now.” The film lords are migrating from Hollywood owing to the snows of slump falling on them after the sun of success (wrote “Figaro” m the stage ” in. February. Ins suivival of the fittest is happening. A great many clerks and billiard markers will be returned to their places; many will leave Los Angeles—in fact, their exodus is now taking place ; ancl many pertormeis u ho have in the past selected their pa; ts will now strike t'he long trail for “ parts ” unknown. But, those who remain will he the people who have proved themselves to be earnest sorters before or behind the camera, J hey will be the chosen people; the day ot the overpaid and under-artistic is at an end in Los Angeles. It is stated that Roscoe Arbuckle’s trial cost the defence over 100.000d01., exclusive of counsel fees. Five attorney’s were associated in the defence. Most of the fortune spent by Arbuckle and his business associates went to bring witnesses from distant parts and maintain them in San Francisco riming the long periods of the trials. Several witnesses, both for the defence and the prosecution, made three trips from Chicago or Los Angeles, coming for each trial. Travelling expenses of attorneys and investigators added a considerable sum. Sixty-fivo witnesses actually appeared in person or through deposition at the third trial. In addition to these, a large number of prosX>eotive witnesses were brought to Ban Francisco and held in readiness to meet a possible move by the other side. The State’s expenses are estimated at close to 20,000d01, also spent principally for travel allowance for witnesses. In order to be correct in every detail in the filming of “ The Bonnie Briar Bush,” a Paramount picture made from lan MacLaren’s novel of the same name, Donald Crisp, the director, enlisted the aid of Frederick Watson, son of the author. Mr Watson, who had all his father’s notes and diary kept at the time the story was written, was able to give much aid in the making of the picture. “ The Bonnie Briar Bush ” is steeped in Scotch atmosphere and local colour. The exteriors were filmed in a typically Caledonian natural setting in Scotland, and expert ad-

vice was procured for the making cf the interior scenes and in the ™ of customs and dress. The pipers in the story were selected from a group of picked musicians of the London Scottish and the Scots Guards the scene in. which they appear being one of the striking settings. It repiesents the banqueting hall of Drumtoohtv castle, and is an excellent example of early English architecture, ot a period prior t-o the days when Sco - tish architecture was largely inspired by France. Last week there appeared in this column a cablegram reporting the arrest of Rodolph Valentino on a charge of bigamy, the allegation, that lie had married Miss Hudnut before his divorce decree was made absolute. In connection with this the following paragraph, clipped from an American magazine just to hand, by the American mail, is cf interest: —On the very best authority we understand that Randolph Valentino is not going to remain a free man long. As soon as Iris divorce decree from Jean Acker, recently granted him in the Los Angeles Courts, is final, the handsome Italian will wed Madame Nastasia Rambova, for some years past Nazimova’s art director. As a matter of fact the Russian name is a professional on© only, and Valentino’s future bride is a San Francisco girl, daughter of Richard Hudnut, the millionaire perfume manufacturer. In her native city she is well known in social circles as Winifred Hudnut. The friendship between the screen’s latest matinee idol and the brilliantly clever young artist has existed for some time During the filming of “ Camille,” for which Madame Rambova designed the sets and In which Ruddy played the hero, they were thrown in constant contact. But romance entered their lives only very recently, it is understood, and the engagement has not vet been made known to even their intimate friends- Madame Rambova speaks several languages and is an extremely intellectual and cultured woman. Tt is understood that the match has the approval of her father. 1

“ PAY DAY.”

CHAPLIN’S LATEST OFFERING. If the reader of these hues has not yet. seen Ciiariie Cliapun s newest screen comic, “ ±'ay i>ay,'' lie is earnestly aumoni sired to do to without delay (says a iVew iiorK paper). Barring, ot course, *• Tne K.id,” wineix was u. five-reeler auu tile iiigii point thus tar in revealing tii© Cnapnn genius, “Pay Day” -s about t/lie best two reel him that the world's master harlequin has ever done. At least, mat. was our bumble opinion after viewing its lirst Broadway showing at t-li© strand Theatre. • Pay Day ' will hand you a scream unless you are a professional non-smiler. It wiU inane you laugh again if you haven’t cackled since i'Jl-i. it’s surely in Charlie’s best manner and is a positive confutation of the dismal undertaker s chorus which has been saying mat Charlie is “'going back.’ If he is slipping, we tl say ne lias lots of ground to cover belore lie gets within bailing distance of his nearest competitor. The laughs in “Pay Day” are nut ali on the surface. They’re subtle, some oi them, and you have to keep your eyes peeled and your wits nimble to catch the fleetincr point of more than cue of the Chaplin “gags. ’ Nevertheless. there are plenty lor thor-c to enjoy who read as they run. In “Pay Day” Charlie is a bricklayer, who is very much married, and who trios his darndest to “ hold out 1 ‘ a few dollars from his ever watchful spouse. He nicks the pay envelope for a couple of dollars find hides some loose change under the doormat that spells “ Welcome,” but doesn’t mean it. In the end his wife catches him. and thoroughly subdues him, but not until Char lie has put across dozens of the cleverest sort of movie gags. Charlie’s brother Sydney does some excellent work in this picture. Sydney is a capital foil for Charlie, and several of the best spots in the two-reeler are when these two talented brothers are “ doing their stuff ” together. The only trouble with “ Pay Day ” is that there’s not enough of it. That’s how Charlie gets ’em, ho makes ’em long for the next one.

MISS MARY PICKFORD.

STATEMENTS CORRECTED. Th following Press Association telegram from Wellington was published early in th© week : —ln consequence of the various references to Miss Mary Pickford that have appeared from time to time in the press cables recently, Mr A. Davies, her representative in New Zealand, referred the statements contained in them to Iris principals in the United States, and has received the following cable from Mr Denis O’Brien, the New York attorney for Miss Pickford : “No suit concerning Miss Marv Pickford’s marriage or divorce has ever been brought or decided in the courts of New York State. Consequently there could be no decision. A suit lha* been brought in Nev ada, on the ground that Nevada has no jurisdiction over the parties to the suit. Mr Just Langan decided in favour of Miss Pickford, and an appeal was taken and b now pending, but no decision has been reached as yet. Should a decision be rendered against Miss Pickford the case would then go to a trial on the facts, and the decree in her divorce ca.se is absolute; until it is set aside by t'he last court, which could not be finally determined for se v eral years. Hence

the reported statement in the newspapers appears to be clearly libellous. The Press Association understands that much annoyance arid loss have been caused by the cables relating to Miss Pickford’s marriage affairs, and regrets, in view of Mr O’Brien’s statement that anything should have been published which could Ire constructed as detrimental to her.