GENERAL FILM GOSSIP

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17218, 8 December 1923, Page 2 (Supplement)

GENERAL FILM GOSSIP

TO CORRESPONDENTS. Correspondent* desirous of bavins qu**tious answered in (be current, issue are requested to see that their communications are delivered at this office not later than Tuesday afternoon. MOVIE ANSWERS. “ Bt-arliffht ” —1 have made enquiries locally. but cannot gain any information " N.C.8."--1 know of no such stories as those you refer to. Your beet plan is to communicate with a leading producer and iisrertain the method that is usually adopted in preparing n story for pro- , duction on the screen. , • Ariel ”—Norman Kerry. Universal Stu-i dioa. Universal City, t aliforuia. Norma 1 Talniadge and Conway Tearle. United Studios. Hollywood, California. Ramon Novarro. Metro Studios, Hollywood, California. Ceor ge Waleh. Goldwyn Studios. Culver City. California. Ivor Novello has returned to England. Studio address unknown. Pleased to know that your South African friend thinks so highly of the oolumn. Gladys Walton comes to Greater Crystal Palace on Monday in “ The Untameahle.” Her role is that of Joy Fielding, a wealthy girl who is •cole mistress of her home, having a* her only companion, n Chinese serving gill. Her nature is extraordinary, in that she is alternately very sweet and charming, and cruel and selfish. The happier side of her nature predominate?-. except at intervals when she is evilly influenced by the hypnotic power of a Dr Copin, a daring and unscrupulous physician, who is tho administrator of her estate. The doctor has made a close study of hypnotism and mental influence, and lias practiced the science successfully upon the girl whose property he desires. Through this influence. the doctor has virtually converted Joy’s changeable personality into a dual identity. Joy has fallen in love with a young man by the name of Castle, who returns her love. The story offers an interesting conflict between the natural love of the real gir? for Castle, and the unnatural reaction of her other self for the doetoiv who controls her mental forces. John Salnpolis is excellent in the role of the doctor, Malcolm M‘Gregor is a satisfactory hero, and Etta Lee is graceful and charming as the little Chinese girl.

“Is Divorce a Failure?” featuring Leah Baird, will be shown at Greater Crystal Palace on Monday. It is a druma that women, like the men, crave to oee, for it shows even in the most blamed of men there is a. spark of

manhood. David Lockwood, a divorced husband, discovers his late wife and Kelsey Barton, the cause of his matrimonial trouble, on the same boat bound for the tropics. During the voyage the liner is wrecked, and in spite of the fact fclint he thinks he bus been badly treated, his one object is to save his divorced wife, and her now accepted lover. How they are all throw n together on a desert island, and the jealousies which naturally arise an<l are overcome, makes one of the finest dramas the screen luis seen for many a day.

The most thrilling and picturesque aerial scenes ever staged for a motion picture, it is said, were made in tli filming of --The Go Getter," a Cosmopolitan picturisation of a Peter B. Kvne story- which will he the feature screening at Everybody's next week. “ The shooting” of the scenes took place at Curtiss Aviation Field. Mineloa. and other parts of Long Island and in the International Studios of New’ York. This particular part of the picture entails nothing but night- scenes, the most spectacular of which is one showing a race between an aeroplane and a -peedirtg express train. The -oene i.~ a revelation when shown upon i,he screen, especially the part where the speeding train is shown as “ shot 5 from the -flying aeroplane. It brings to the screen some directorial ingenuity and also some exceptionally splendid photography.

What has the greatest demand on a man, the voice of love or the voice of God? Easily as this question may appear to be answered, the circumstances with which Eugene O'Brien finds himself confronted in the picture “The Voice from the Minaret,*’ showing at the Liberty Theatre to-day, presents r difficulty which takes a lot of explaining. but‘makes an exceptionally fine picture, in the process. He found that the call of the cDity was the greater and in return was rewarded with the love of the woman he loved. even though at the time she was another man’s wife. As a young student of Divinity. Mr O'Brien has great scope for his talent, but what picture would not lie a success w ith so charming an actress as Miss Norma Talmadge playing opposite him in the leading role r The pi tc-ure is well worthy of First iTa- | tional, and the sensational climax leaves an impression which goes deep. ** Front the Ground Up.” a breezy come ly featuring Tom Moore, will be shown- at the Libertv Theatre to-day. The stor\ concerns Terence Gilulev, a bit of old Ireland. transplanted in America, who springs up like a musli- ! room. First, lie looked after a steam l shovel, then he became a concrete mixi er and foreman. Finally, he blossomed j into a builder and contractor with an ! office of his own. Helene Chadwick also has something to do with his career. The story is by Rupert. 1 Hughes, and Terence Gilulev is the j breezy style of Irishman that only Tom I Moore can impersonate with success. “ My Lady Friends,' 1 starring Mr and Mrs Carter de Haven, commences at the Grand to-day. It is an amusing cornedy-drama of the fast moving type, and is bound to keep any audience laughing from beginning to end. The story details the difficulties which beset a man who, out of the kindness of his heart, befriended three girls, the “ lady friends.” To get himself cut of the complications which follow the sud- { den appearance of all three. Smith (Carter cle Haven) enlists the support of his lawyer friend, but the latter, .vhese vife also is suspicious, causes trouble. Eventually everything lights itself, to the satisfacton of all. • You can't find 4 screen patron wjio doesn’t like Thomas Meighan He is i the type of handsome, red-blooded I manhood the w omen go crazy over and j the men admire He takes the leading I role in ' The Frontier of the Stars, ’ a j thrilling and appealing Paramount production, now showing at the Grand Love, fights, and a plot with a really big theme running through it, make this picture one of the successes of the yearEverybody’s lias secured the Christchurch rights to screen the great horse race between the English and American champion's. Papyrus and Zev, respective I •. Tlib international event 1 created 'immense interest- throughout tho -porlinrr v. cvM and was witnessed bv a record crowd. Everybody’s has j ;,Ih, ,0. ..red the film M (he strenuous

battle between America and Australia in the final for the Davis Cup. Two thrilling features will be featured at the Queen’s Theatre in the new* programme to be screened there commencing Monday. The chief attraction will be ** Flames of Passion,” in which there is enough action to make a serial. The climax is terrific, and will hold the attention in a surprising manner. The second picture is “ The Bearcat.” starring the whirlwind ' actor. Hoot Gibson. Lillian Rich plays I- opposite to Gibson. The story is one 1 that gives the star just the kind of action that suits him, and is sure to “Forsaking Ail Others,” the*Universal attraction now screening at the Strand, presents an ail-star cast, headed bv Colleen Moore and Cullen Landis.

Tt is a story of .a mother love which 1 was so great that it could not share a son’s affection with any other woman. Colleen Moore and Cullen Landis as the young couple in love, are the ideal type of wholesome boy and girl. In the picture they -play the sort of roles in which they have become popular. The second big feature, starring Dick Talmadge, is “ Putting it Over.” A picture with many thrills which deals with a young man’s attempt to make good. A strong supporting programme is also screened. Mr A. MacDonald, geueral manager for Paramount for New Zealand, has -just- received the following advice from New York:—“ ’ Bella Donna ’ has been j booked for a second run on Broadway.” This is the first time that Paramount has ever offered a- ‘picture for a second season, and it speaks very highly for the production. From the first day that " Bella Donna ” itvas released, the public and newspaper throughout England and America nave •spoken of the picture as the most sensational screen offering since *' File Sheik." The following is taken from an English newspaper :—” * Bella Donna ’ opened last night to capacity business. It is not often that Londoners see hundreds of people being turned away from pictures. This undoubtedly proves that the picture is a masterpiece, and that Pola Negri is an actress that every English picture goer will want to see ” i. ’ll ri at church • picturegoers will hare an opportunity of seeing this attraction early in January. and from its record run in other countries it is expected to do capacity business during its screening here.

The Los Angeles correspondent of the “New Zealand Herald,” Auckland. states that he is authoritatively informed that Mary PiCki'ord and Douglas ‘Fairbanks hope to make a tour of the Pacific, leaving early in 1914—possibly in February. Their plans are. of course, subject to change, but at present they propose to travel by Japan and the East Indies to Aus-

traha and New Zealand; thence home by the Suez Canal. Mary Pickford is engaged in the screening of “Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall, ’ and Fairbanks on the production of “ The Thief of Bagdad.” which will not be completed before the New Year. It is rumoured that before she leaves Mary Pickford will appear as Juliet in an adaptation for the screen of “ Romeo and Juliet,” under the direction of Ernst Lubitscb A competition was recently held in London, by the “Sunday Pictorial, to ascertain the most popular film productions. The result was that “ Way Down blast ” came first. “Orphans of the Storm ” second, “ Tho Kid ” third, nnd “ The l-.-.r- Mm-viri-n ” k-urtii. A Bill m. Divorcement ” had a 100

We chalk up “ Ruggles of Red Gap ” as one of the most delightful satires that has ever graced the screen (says an American magazine). And we-have praise for all the players, not forgetting Ernest Torrence as Cousin Egbert. “The Thiel of Bagdad •’ (writes an American critic), is without a doubt Douglas Fairbanks’s greatest pictureAnd there are many who say it is, in numerous ways, the most ambitious r>ietuve ever attempted. The sets are dazzling : designed by a dozen or more famous artists who worked over them for six months. Among the English releases which will probably find their wav to New Zealand early next year is “Claude Duval.” now in course of production by the Gaumont Company. As its title implies, it deals with the romance of one of the most notorious charac-

ters in English history. Nigel Barrie has the part of Duval. Paramount’,s new film laboratory at Hollywood has been put into operation after a construction period covering sixteen months. It is now handling 30,000 feet, of film per day, buo when in full operation will be able to take c-are of 1.000.000 feet each ■ week. This is claimed to bo tho largest laboratory in tne worm. In referring to the fact that the Paramount stars now number but four Pola Negri. Gloria Swanson. Thomas Meighan and William Hart—the “ New York Herald ” savs :—We must confess that we are glad to see some of the stars fade. There have been far too many illegitimate luminaries in the mov-ieS heavens. Their passing is an encouraging sign. From Germany conies news of a new invention in the foript'eif-a compressed paper cinema screeii. It is claimed that not only does this screen present the best possible surface, scientifically, for of photographic pictures, but it is washable, just sufficiently absorbent to prevent condensation, and is practically everlasting. The cost is low, and the upkeep inexpensive. New pictures recently screened in London included a film version of H. de. Yere Stackpole’s “ The Blue Lagoon.” Tho romantic atmosphere of the original was said to have been very**’'faithfully preserved. A film adapted from Mr W. J. Locke’s book, “The Beloved Vagabond,” was also a success. Another was Mr F. W . Engholm’s production, “ The Romance of H.M.S. Victory,” a command performance of which was given at Balmoral.

One of the clauses in the contract which transferred the film rights of ‘ The Virginian ” to Preferred Pictures, Ltd., was that all the prints of the oight-year-old original production with Dustin Farnuin as the hero, should be called in and destroyed. So,

1 as soon as these were collected, an impressive bonfire was made of them, i whilst the former owners and the pre- : geiit owners of the copyright looked op A hundred thousand dollars’ worth of celluloid was consumed in a very little while Some idea of the cost of producing Paramount’s “ The Covered \S aggon ’ may be gathered from the fact that i«. was necessary to build five hundrei. waggons of the same style that wa used in the prairie days of the I\ estern States. Not only this, but hundreds of oxen and horses had to be gathered together, and the scene in which' oxen and horses and waggons i tl hi river is one of the im at ! spectacular in the historv of (be mod- | «rn screen. “The Covered Waggon" j will he rrKased i„ N\-v. Zealand

shortly. One-tenth of all the Indians under the protection of the United States Government were gathered together for “ The Covered Waggon.” These comprised some of the descendants of the great fighting tribes of U.S.A. Special auto express service was installed at Camp Cecil B. De Mille, near Guadalupe, California, between the camp and Hollywood. 225 miles away, during the making of the great Paramount spectacle, “ The Ten Commandments.” It was necessary to see the film before the sets were tor& down so that retakes could be made if needed. So three high-powered autos were placed in service. Every night, at seven o’clock, a ear left Camp De Mille with the film shot that day. The film reached the laboratory at midnight or a little later. It was rushed to the developing room and the driver rushed to bed. The film was developed and the driver started bacK for camp at two o’clock in the afternoon, arriving there about 7.30 o’clock at night so that the picture could be shown after dinner. About the time this driver pulled into camp, another driver would leave for Hollywood. Even since “ Robin Hood ” demonstrated in remarkable fashion the success of costume plays on the screen, there has been a cycle of these productions. the latest of which is “ Richard the Lion Hearted." This film attrac lion is based on Sir Walter Scott’s famous novel, “The Talisman,” and relates pictorially the adventures of King Richard from the time he was absent fi-om bis kingdom on the Third Crusade. The part of Richard is taken by Wallace Beery, whom it will be remembered player! the same part in •• Robin Hood.” Beery has been prominent on the screen for several years, and is acknowledged to be one of the finest delineators of character in American moviedoni. “Richard the Lion Hearted,” when complete, will form another of the very few real first-class jiictures of the year. Tho cast, a very extensive one, includes Charles Garrard, Kathleen Clifford, Marguerite de la Motto/John Bowers, Clarence Geldnrt, George Sicgman, and Wilbur Higby. j • East Lynne,” a story which has been road by hundreds of thousands, and which as a play lias been produced more frequently than any other stage production, has been picturised by Hugo Ballin, and was recently screened in Australia, where it attracted crowdjcd houses. Other versions have been ! seen on the screen, but this eight-reeler lias the advantage of having been made under the supervision of one of the leading directors in America, and with the assistance of all the modern methods employed in picture making. It will be screened in due course at . Everybody's. I Theodore Roberts, that grand old man of tho screen, will be at the Queen’s early in the new year in “ Prodigal Daughters.” Mr Roberts supports Gloria Swanson. It is a Paramount picture and filmed in a big way. It lias been held up for screening for some months, but now that the Queen’s have arranged to give their patrons a weekly service cf Paramount (.special attractions, the Paramount EsI change has been able to fit this special in during the holiday season. I . • • • • '"> 1 ! “ Conquering Power, ’ which the Queen’s offer for early in January, features Valentino and Alice Terry. It has been the aim of all motion picture directors to get these two famous stars together in a picture that will I have an universal appeal. Valentino j will be remembered for his magnificent acting in “ Blood and Sand N and “ The Sheik.” Alice Terry, Rex Ingram’s wife, has been a popular star ever since the “Four Horsemen,” and amongst the other roles she has played is that of Flavia in “ The Prisoner of Zenda.” It is slated in an American paper that “ a famous scenario writer ” has been good enough, to re-write Sir Hall Caine’s “Eternal City” (says “John o’ London’s Weekly”). The hero of the novel is a Socialist, but, nowadays, Socialists are* unpopular in America so the hero has been turned into a Fascist modelled on Mussolini! Scenario writers certainly do not lack courage. One of them introduced a love interest into “Tom Brown’s Schoolboys.'’ making Tom Brown fall in love with the

headmaster's daughter, and it is suggested that Undo Tom's Cabin’' would be made far more interesting and human if Tom were to beat Simon Legree to death and afterwards to marry Little Eva . “ Women who Wait,” starring Marguerite Clayton, Creighton Hale and George MacQuarjue, will be the chief attraction at the Papanui pictures next week. It is an entrancing story of sea life. Shakespeare and the Movies. —“ I will make my very house reel tonight.'’—Oorialianus, Act I.) “ Me will draw the curtain and show you the picture.’’- (Twelfth Night. Act I.) 11-i.-. " i Hamlet. Act IIL) “ A weak V., Act IQ ‘ ' J