“The Star’s" Motion Picture Section

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17039, 12 May 1923, Page 5 (Supplement)

“The Star’s" Motion Picture Section

By “ The Movie Man 99

TO CORRESPONDENTS. forreapondeots deeiroua or bavins questiqqis Mutwered in the current issue are requested to see that their comuannicationn ere delivered at this office not later than Tuesday afternoon. George.—“ Sporting Life " was screened at the Theatre Royal. Christchurch, for op© week. December B—l 3.8—13. 1919. Hare written to Wellington for the episodes, and hope to he able to supply the information next week. Snooks. — The letter to which you refer did not reach me. Possibly it was overlooked in the ma«« of correspondence received in connection with "The dtar " competitions. Douglas Fairbanks's addrees is Pickford-Fftirbanks *Studio3, Hollywood, a California. The latest ad4.re«h that I have of Edward Burns is Universal Studios, Universal City. Cali*

“ The Hoodlum/’ now showing at the Grand, is the second of Mary PickforcVs wonder productions from her own studio, and the story is an adaptation ot the ’ well-known book ‘‘Burkse’s Amy” by Julie Lippmann. which achieved such universal popularity in America and elsewhere. Mary portrays the role of a dissatisfied heiress wh© elects to live in the slums, where •he gradually emulates her playmate •nd becomes a regular street -urchin with the accomplishments of the deniaen.s of the sordid environments. She finds real happiness among her humble companions that her wealthy surroundings never gave her.

Heralded as the greatest and most thrilling drama of the turf. “ Garriion’s Finish ” will he screened at the Liberty Theatre to-day. Jack Piokford has made a truly notable return to the screen in this latest picure. Fno*n start to finish i£ Garrison’s Finish ” is exhilarating entertainment of the highest class, being that sort of photoplay which contains every ©foment that the general public likes, including romance, intrigue. thrills and well sustained suspense. The s’bODv has to do with Billy Garrison, a iff key whose successes and failure on the race track form the crux of the intensely interesting plot. 1 • Garrisexpe Finish ” is a perfect picture : it has charm, dash and everything tibe audience like to see projected on the screen. In addition to an outstomdiug performance of merit by Miss qel&axny, there are excellent eh arc ctsrisations by Clarence Burton. Charles Ogle, Charles A. Stevenson. Ethel Grey Terry. Audrey Chapman and Dorothy Manners.

Teeming with action and suspense. J Am Guilty,” to he shown at the liberty Theatre to-flay, presents an original theme in an interesting and unuaual manner. The story has to do with one Connie Mac Nair (Miss Guram), a neglected wife who is implicated in a murder mystery from vrilifeb she has great difficulty'in extcicating herself. Left alone by a thoughtless husband. Mrs Mac Nair aco«frfcs.the insistent invitation of a friend of her chorus days to attend a frolic given by Teddy Garrick, a notorious pleasure-seeker. Following the party, the host meets death in a mysterious manner, and as a result, Gwmie Mac Nair is drawn into the web which is built around the tragic death •f Garrick. A burn on the shoulder, caused by t struggle with Garrick, cause* the guilt To be placed on the •boulders of the neglected wife. It is not until the last reel that the mystery is solved, and the mysterv tutm maintained makes ” 1 Am GtaiUy ” one of the ically big pictures of the year.

Edward (Hoot) Gibson, one of the most popular players on the screen to day, .comes to Greater Crystal Palace Theatre all next week in a film drama that shows his versatility. While it i* a western picture the ‘ ‘ cow boy 5 hero does the most of his riding in o rattling flivver. “ Kindled Courage ’’ cfcttnds forth as one of Gibson’s best •Sorts and is certain to win him many new friends. There is plenty of action ia it to satisfy even the most hardened #®n. and throughout runs « refreshing vein of oomedy. 'Hie story is laid in the real West, not the West of colourful fiction. Tieet Renick: Brown wrote fche plot for Gibson’s use and William Worthington directed the filming from • orrntimiity prepared bv Raymond L. Schrock scenario editor at Universal Ciby. Gibson in this story impersonate* a voting fellow of rather cowardly tendencies who is rather ashamed of himself, but doesn’t know just what to do about it. He can't figure out the situation until Fate sticks a deputy sheriff's badge on hi« lapel and sends him out after one of the meanest bandit* that ever pulled a trigger. Beatrice Burnham, Harold Goodwin. AI Hart. a western star in his own right. Harry Tenbrook. Russel Powell and James Gordon Russell play the principal roles.

During the filming of Cecil B. De Mille’s 1 ateet Paramount picture. ** Manslaughter.*** to be shown all next week at Everybody’s, Neil M’Carthy. of Los Angeles, former counsel for Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, wax called upoy; to serve as technical advisor for the entire sequence of court room scenes which form such an Important part of the story. In this vole, Mr M’Carthv instructed Thomas MWgli*n in the duties and actions of the district attorney prosecuting a manslaughter case: lx*atrice Joy as defendant of the action : George Fawcett as the jndge Irving the case: Julia Faye as the State's chief witness : and Edward Martindel. Lucien Littlefield. Clayenc“ Burton. Edythe Chapman and John Miltern in matters of courtroom routine. That all details of this elaborate court room might be technically correct in matter* of construction. costume and equipment, the producer previously dispatched hi* assistant, Collen Tate, to New York for i&e purpose of collecting pictures and Aria on the courts of that Slate as •welt j*« t>he woman’s prisons which also nlay nn important Dart in the story. Working from this extensive c oiler Hot: of data. Pan! Tribe designed a court room that was an exact reproduction of an actual judiciary chamber. In this connection, even tb» office of the district attorney was copied entirely from a similar office in use in New York. Jeanie Maepberson. author of so many De Mille successes, adapted Alice Drier Miller’s story for this production, in which Thomas Meighan. I<ea-tricp Joy. Lois Wilson. John Milftern. George Fawoetfc. Julia Faye. Jack Mower. Dorothy Cumraing. Edythe Chapman. Gasson Ferguson. James Neil, and others appear.

Weftlev Barry, the boy actor whom everybody likes, because be is boy incarnate. the spirit fhat never dies, is

to be seen next Saturday at the Liberty Theatre in his latest picture, ■'* Heroes of the Street.” The story centres around young thirteen-year-old Mickey Callahan. Irish up to the eyes, and blessed with a pair of lists, which he finds useful in defending his reputation in the usual street fights of kids. Mickey’s father is a good-hearted policeman who love* his family devotedly. A gang of clever blackmailers is busy in the city, they are the tools of some mysterious super-criminal, unknown even to the crooks themselves. Mickey’s father is shot dead in the course of his duties, and all clues point to this shadowy sleuth, but the police are baffled. Left an orphan and the home provider, young Mickey is unhappy; the Irish in him wants to sec the murderer brought to book, and starts out in the search This involves him in some extra-

ordinary escapades. some laughable and ridiculous, ethers exciting and adventurous. Mickey, while sleuthing. helps to smooth the course of true love between an aotress and a young man who bus befriended him. Wesley Barry’s supporting cast includes Marie Provost. Jack Mulhall and Wilfred Lucas.

As it© second star attraction for next Saturday, the Liberty Theatre has announced the Select Pictures Corporation’s special production, “ Pawned.” “ Pawned ” is from a story by Frank Packard, among tlie best known of America’s writers of current fiction, and especially well-known to motion pict-urej devotee© because of the success of “ The Miracle Man ” as a photoplay. The title comes from a series of pledges, either willingly or unwillingly made, by the principal characters. One pawns his life to the service of an international

gambler. Another pawns his soul to drugs, another to drink, and the heroine pledges her hand in marriage as a loveless bride to save the life of the man slie loves. One needs no further information to convince them that the working out of such a tangled skein i© likely to result in intense and vivid photoplay action. The tale is frankly melodrama but melodrama done in such a way as to make the picture stand out among the really worth while and artistic productions of The screen. Tom Moore and Edith Roberts are featured in the interpreting cast. “ The Amerioauo,” which was one of Douglas Fairbanks’s best pictures in hie early screen days, is to be reproduced in America. William Farnum> contract with the Fox Corporation has expired and he has signed on with a new organisation called TruarT. which will produce ar the Goldwvn Studio Anna Q. Nilsson and John M. Gunnerson, junior member of a Lo* An-

geies shoe firm, were married at Loti Angeles on February 16. The age of each was given as twenty-five.

Mildred Harris apparently has retired from vaudeville, as she has entered into a long contract to appear in pictures for the Graf Productions Company, which has its headquarters in San Francisco. Those who saw that very line picture, ’* The Prisoner of Zen da,” will naturally go to see the sequel, ” Rupert of Hen tea u.” The leading parts are taken by Bert Lyteil, Lew Cody and Elaine Hammerstein. The Latin i© pushing the AngloSaxon into the background as screen attractions. Wo have Antonio Moreno, Rotfolph Valentino arid Ramon No; varro. And now ’tis said that Mark Gonzalez, a young Cuban, will be the Buster Keaton has completed his five-reel comedy. ” Three Ages.” and he boosts that his supports include three of the screens’ heavy-weights— Wallace Beery. 2251 b ; Joe Roberts, 3401 b: and Cupid Morgan. 3501 b. Buster himself weighs 1251 b.

An American magazine informs a correspondent that *' Mabel Norm and is married to an American whom she met in London while she was there.” Tliis reminds me that Miss Normand on returning to New York emphatically denied that she had acquired a husband while abroad.

The monetary value of moving pictures produced in the United States last year was round about £'20.000.600 Three-fourths of the lilms were produced in the State of California. Ten thousand men and women were regularly engaged in actual production, and drew in salaries over £8,000.000.

Cyril Maude made “ Grumpy ” a stage success. and now Theodore Roberts has scored on the screen, in the part of the grouchy but kindhearted old gentleman- " I am glad,” writes a New York critic, ” that Theodore Roberts has at last been given a decent opportunity to display his genuine talents. He has never appeared to better advantage than he does in ‘ Grumpy.’ ” The Pennsylvania Board of Censor:, in Charlie Chaplin’s "The Pilgrim.” as to make_it impracticable to screen the picture. The exceptions taken b> the Pennsylvania board centred around the "mock sanctimonious poses ” alleged to prevail throughout the picture and “ the parodying of the cloth.” Yet the picture was presented in other States without being •' cut.” The first motion pictures w> be sent out showing scenes surrounding the excavations of the tomb of Tutankhamen and the a-ctual removal of price

less treasures from the tomb, include' the Valley of the Kings, the native helpers clearing away the debris front the entrance to the tomb, princesses of the court of Egypt entering the tomb under the guidance of Howard Carter, who is in charge of the wprk. the camp of the scientists and the removal of the first relics from the tomb. Kinema stars ” often employ doubles for their dangerous exploits. When, therefore, the kinema-goer thrills over the lisKS taken by a favourite actress, it might be as well to watch the film closely, and he will probably see a clear cut in the action as the heroine poises herself before diving into a raging torrent. What happens is that a less important performer then takes her place and is photographed plunging headlong. "When the smooth water below the danger point is reached, a close-up is given of the “ star ” lying “ exhausted.” Winifred Wes lover, estranged wife of William S. Hart, the film actor, will file suit for divorce in May, it was learned to-day (says a Los Angeles telegram dated March 17). She will ask the divorce on grounds of desertion. it is said. Technically, a year must elapse to constitute desertion in the eves of the law. and that is the purpose, of waiting until May, the Harts having separated during that month last year. Both Hart and his wife have refused to give the slightest hint of the cause of their trouble, and it is reported that this course will lie maintained throughout.

Miss Pearl White, who recently retired into a convent, has now shed her novice’s robes (says a London paper) and fled from meditation within a

whitewashed cell to the whitewashed casino at Cannes, where each evening, instead of telling her rosary, she tells the number of blue and red baccarat counters. “ I have been at Fribourg,” she said, “ but caught influenza. I am only just recovering. IT is not true that I intended to retire into the convent till the end of my life. T went there for rest, which ! needed very badly. Now I am better, and shortly, perhaps. T shall be work in* again.” | A novel idea is being used by the j sales department of the Goldwvn Pici Lures Corporation to facilitate the sale jof its pictures. " The Celluloid Salesman/’ which is the name of the idea, is a small film of about 900 ft. which is compiled from the big production. Jt contains a brief picture synopsis of the story, the big climaxes of the play, ultimate glimpses of the director and stars at work on the production, as well as suggestions of how a theatre owner can advertise and make his protime both for the theatre owner and the salesman, but it also gives tbe former a sample of the production he is buying.

Some idea of what it means to | gather the necessarv detailed information and material for a Paramount pic- ! turn is illustrated in "The Man Who Saw To-morrow.” Thomas Meighan’'. latest. Thev had to find how a South Sea Island chief dresses. How elephants arc caparisoned at the Indian Durbar. Just how the Premier of England's office looks. What a lawn fete in England is like. And these are only a few of the details that the research department had to dig upfront all sorts of sources. 'Hie National Geographic Society supplied pictures of a real South Sea island chief. They reproduced the Premier’s office at 10, Downing Street, from photos—perfectly. And so on. Charles Ray’s production of " The Courtship of Miles Standish ” will be one of the most amazing mechanical productions yet offered on the screen. The majority of the sequence on board the Mayflower during its 102-day voyage across the stormy Atlantic is being filmed in the studio. The Mayflower and a good sized ocean have been built, the ship resting on a tremendous steel ball-and-socket arrangement, which gives it the necessary motion. Also, -smaller sections have been built with the same construe tion. One American writer says: ” 1 saw a scene filmed the other day. where .John Alden rescues a servant who has fallen overboard, and though it takes considerable to thrill me on a motion picture set. the kick was so great that tears ran down my face. The reproduction of a storm, with great propellers making a hurricane on the water-washed decks, four tanks of eight tons of water each being dashed on the cement and being thrown over the sides of the little vessel make giant waves. The crash of rain from

overhead pipes and the wallowing decks that tipped from side to side were so realistic that 'your heart stood still as you watched Ray struggling over the sides with a man on his back.” The American magazine •• Photo- | play ’’ is persistently boosting lor better pictures. For some time now, each issue has had an article on the subject. The last issue to hand (April) contain*? an editorial headed ” The Part the Public Plays,” from which the following is extracted : "If the ward, you must get behind it. If the silent clrnma is at present in a state of lassitude, it is because the public—and tou —are indifferent. You can change all this overnight. Tf you want better pictures you can get them by supporting the finer things of the silver sheet and starving out the inferior offerings. Don’t stop when you complain to your exhibitor. Use the power of vour purse. Don’t confine your activities to blacklisting the poorer productions. Encourage the standard bearers of the art. Boost a good picture to your exhibitor and to your friends. Don’t be afraid to condemn

And. more important, don’t \>o afraid to boost." Quite true, no doubt, but why penalise the unfortunate exhibitor who, in most cases, has to take the pictures that are supplied to him by the agents of the producers:-' Exhibitors don’t show poor pictures for tho purpose of displeasing patrons. Mildred Harris evidently has a press agent who lives up to his position. Listen to this preliminary to her appearance in vaudeville in New York “ The exquisite, languorous, luxurious flower of Hollywood has become at twenty years tile mistress of her own destiny and the yea saver to fate. She is aware of all that threatens beauty and of all that makes for beauty’s good, and this knowledge of good and evil is an armour* not to be. doffed. Tt is well with .Mildred Harris and will be better. The Palace Theatre will be crowded with men and women who go there to see Mildred Harris. The spell of her loveliness and of her story is upon them. They will come from all parts of New York to see the wondrous girl with gold-brotize hair, heavy and silk. They 1 * will sec the great* luminous eyes like deep pools of sword-blade blue : the faultless features, the skin of satiny texture, white ns the snowon Everest, the firm little teeth like rice grains, the adorable mouth, tho tiny cars, the superb bead poised on a perfect- neck ancl the figure lithe graceful. moulded in slim, rounded pantherish contours. Such is Mildred Harris in the perfection of the new and greater beauty that lias come to her with crowding thought and a quality of decision that would become a budding field marshal.” And Jhat’i that.

How many of us have taken our best gifts into life's pawnshop, and pledget! honour for wealth, beauty for position, happiness for fame, or souls for ! vice. Yet. how few of us, realising j our mistake. have the moral courage ! to redeem the pledge briore it is too late 1 J That is the lesson in " Pawned,” a Master picture, which will be shown at the Liberty on May 19. From the time that John Bruce (Tom Moore) pawned his life to Gilbert 1 • rmon until Clare (Edith Roberts) all but redeemed her pledge on the San Francisco wharf. there is action, tragedy. susj>ense, surprise after surpris 3 and hearb-th robbing interest ‘‘Pawned” i: frankly melodrama, but done in a way that lifts it to lofty heights. Tom Moore and Edith Roberts head the splendid cast. Walter Hiers, the American heavyweight comedian, has been referred to occasionally in publicity matter as " Arbuckle’s Successor.” •• It is too bad.” remarks a New York writer, '* to saddle Mr Hiers with a response bilitv like this. He is good enough to stand on his own feet. Moreover, in taJent. if not in weight, hp is a big improvement over Arbuckle.”

A print of the film. "The Ex-Kaiser in Exile,” is to be placed in the Government archives at Washington. *o that it may be saved for it* historical value. This affords another evidence of tlie tremendous value of the movies as permanent records of events. Barbara La Marr, unknown in the movies two years ago. lias made rapid pi ogress. She started her career as a scenario writer, and despite engagements calling for appearances before the camera she manages to find time to write scenarios. Barbara has the part of the ‘' Movie Vamp ’* in Rupert Hughes's " Souls for Sale.’’ The National Non-Theatrical Motion , .Picture Company is an American organisation formed :or the purpose of producing short instructive films suit able for presentation in schools and churches. \\ henerer anything goes wrong these days it is the fault of the movies (says an American paper). The crime wave, the business depression, the high rate of infant mortality, the bad weather, the Turkish trouble and the increase in divoice arc all traced back to the kinema s sinister influence. In view of this the following paragraph from •• Punch" is particularly apt:-- " The boy who was sent to a reformatory school lor committing twenty-five burglaries in Derby arid did not blame the kiiiema for bis downfall is thought i j be an impostor. There are many points in Cecil B De Mille’s " Adam’s Rib ” which prove highly vulnerable to the professional critic (says a New York paper). It is trite, it is obvious, and there is practically no element of suspense in the entire story. The whole plot is disclosed before two of the eight reelliave been unwound. But in spite oi this —or rather, because of it—the audience eats it up. We can’t deny that “.Adam’s Rib' also possesses much of real merit. It lias beautiful photography, some good acting by Aidton Sills and Theodr.ie Kosloff, and it lias one marvellous scene in the primeval wood. This comes in an epl s-ode which carries the characters ->r the book back 50.000 years into tl;c darkest ages, when men really were men and when women were merely household We believe that Mr De Alille has caught the correct spirit of this dim era. He lias de picted man as an apelike creature, dominant in himself but absolutely dwarfed by the tremendousness of the world to which he has been born. Betty Blythe is the possessor of a beautiful voice, and had the choice of being a singer or a movie artist. She chose the latter career and her success has justified her choice. Of Jobyna Howland, who has succeeded Mildred Davis as Harold Lloyd’s leading lady, an American writer says: Miss Jobyna is about- the cutest little girl who over stepped into a studio. She lived near Chattanooga, end decided that she wanted to be a movie ; so she and her mother simply packed up and made a general assault upon the artistic citadels oi Hollywood. The first job she landed was with Mar: Linder; from there she went to Lloyd’s. She has very singular but rerv beautiful eyes. . . Irish eyes of blue grey, with a rim oi black around the iris; the effect is of opals set in. black onyx. Cecil B. De Mille is to put the Ten Commandments into a motion picture. This novel plan i«» dramatise the Mosaic laws for the first time came as a result of the recent nation-wide idea contest staged by .Mr Do Alille in cooperation with the " Los Angeles Times.” Eight of the contestants submitted ideas along this line. The producer was so impressed that he awarded eight prises of 1000 dollars each, instead of one prize, and immediate!;, set to work to develop his plans. "The contest.” says Mr De Mille. " wa« n great demonstration of the value of a pp. a ling directly to public opinions for ideas. This tremendous theme for a picture has been neglected and hidden in the miud oi the people and we have beer, .justified i thousand fold m taking this means Driving hall wild malemute dogs, with a strong strain of wolf in them resulting from deliberate breeding lor endurance in pulling heavy sleds a: high speed over great distances, is no .simple task, even l'or the skilled *ni usher” oi Alaska. Far more ,diffi cult i* it ior motion picture actors, n..matter how well drilled they may be in many difficult activities. Two actors in "Shame." the spectacular Wu liuni Fox special showing at the Queen’s Theatre, commencing ou Al<;>:. day, were obliged to learn the difficult art of dog driving, liesides engaging ri lights with wolves. These actor-* were John Gilbert. who plays the leading part of David Fielding, an-; William V. Along as the laithiul secretary who takes Mrs Fielding to Alaska in search of her husband when •» hideous misapprehension drives him to separate himself from civilised society. Doris Pawn Mrs Fielding, occupy mg one of the dog sleds, played a passive part, hut one by no means free from danger. There were several up sets of the sleds before the actorgained sufficient proficiency in controlling the dogs: but the ac tion was caught at last in flawlessly realistic fashion. All America has been intensely aroused at the conversion to Christianity in a most practical manner of Fred Stone, the world-famous comedian. whom a worldly Broadway of New | York hails as its own. for he has pledged hi* daily life and a large part of bis princely income to Christ. At the age of forty-nine, and at the height of a career which has made him a unique figure ou the professional stage. Air Stone has decided to give onetenth of his large income to church and philanthropic work. Although he will continue on the stage, his own life he has committed to a serious effort to conform to the doctrines of the Christian religion The comedian reached this remarkable decision in the month of February an he sat musing in a sleeping car of a transcontinental train on which he was snow-bound in the Dakotas, with other members of the "Tip Top" Company, making for the Pacific- Coast on tour. The famous comedian has no thought of leaving the stage hut believes that laughter is good for the soul.