FILM PERSONALS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17569, 20 June 1925, Page 20 (Supplement)

FILM PERSONALS.

Mr A. Keys, well-known to New Zealand exhibitors as a Universal representative, has joined up with Se!zniclc as office manager. A Hollywood correspondent states that Warner Brothers offered Gloria Swanson a contract at 17,500 dollars a week. * * * Milton Sills, who began his career as a newspaper man, is writing a book in which will be given the history of the movies. * * & * Enid Bennett has a young sister named Katherine. She has been engaged to appear in Metro-Goldwyn productions. if- * * * Mae Marsh has accepted another engagement to appear in a picture made in England. She will play opposite Ivor Novello in “The Rat.” * * & * Helene and Dolores Costello, daughters of Maurice Costello, famous screen star in Yitagraph pictures a decade ago, have been signed to long contracts by Warner Bros. Lila Lee (Mrs James Kiikwood), ■who recently appeared in a picture with Thomas Meighan, is to appear on Broadway in “ The Charming Bride,” a comedy adapted from the French. ;’s * ijs * Noah Beery was a splendid basso and an aspirant for operatic honours before he became a motion picture actor. fie appeared in numerous musical comedies. Beery’s next Para-

I mount picture is Zane Grey’s “ The | Light of Western Stars.” | Anna Q. Nilsson has signed a long- | term contract with First National as a feature player. Miss Nilsson first caught the public fancy as the “boy heroine” in “Ponjola,” and since then she has been in great demand with producers for special parts. ~,, * * * * \v hen an irresistible star meets an immovable bachelor, what happens? Matrimony, of course (says “ Photo Play)”). This means that all signs point toward a wedding in which Lillian Gish will play the leading role with George Jean Nathan as support. F. 8.0. has signed Fred Tromson, Western star, to a new contract under which he and his wonder horse. Silver E’.ng, will make another series of Super-Westerns for that company. The new Thomson series will be made from novels and stories from the pens of some of the best known authors. Willard Louis, Warner Brothers* star »s a good actor, but lias the soul of a chef. Fie has been honorary chef of the Lamb's Club of New York, and the Kitchen of his Hollywood home xxould put a housewife into ecstacies. Mr Louis is featured in “The Man Without a Conscience,” a forthcoming Master Picture. While in Poland recently Po!a Negri —with the aid of the Government—laid plans for an orphanage to care for a thousand children. She hopes to interest generous Americans to the extent of contributing 150.000 dollars. She has given 75,000 dollars toward the project. The star bought the rights to two plays while abroad. Fifty-fivo years on the stage and now acting in pictures. That’s the long-distance record of J. P. O’Neill who has adopted the whiskers and red handkerchief of Dad Hayseed in “Prehistoric Hayseeds,” a now Australian picture, the third Hayseeds film in which Jbhnny has appeared and which will soon bo released in New Zealand. * # * * W hat figure in motion pictures mostinterests Hollywood? A safe answer to this question is Ernst Lubitsch. The actors feel to be selected by the Warner Brothers director for a part in a picture is to bo “made.” Also they like him personally better than most actors like directors. Also they have an almost superstitious faith in his power to make them act. He is a director whom the actors approach with submissive and contrite hearts Tsuzurya Moroguchi—a name whicc, sounds like the manifestation of a cold in the head, says a San Francisco paper —arrived in San Francisco on May G from Japan, for the purpose of getting into pictures. In his own country he is known as “ The Rodolph Valentino of the screen.” He has starred in historical Japanese dramas and in modern European stories, and as an indication of his popularity it is said that 20,000 movie fans assembled at Yokohama to see i him off. A cable message in the Sydney “Sun” from New York, states that Lila Lee accumulated a fortune in an amazing advance of Maxwell Motor stock, trading in which was suspended by the Stock Exchange because a natural corner had developed. Lila Lee recently emerged from her domestic retirement, after marrying James Kirkwood, for the sole purpose of playing leading woman for Thomas Meighan in “Coming Through” and “Old Home Week,” two Paramount pictures. sfc >st sfc Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks will visit Australia, and possibly New Zealand, during an Eastern tour at the end of this year, says Mr David Worrall, writing from Hollywood. “Give the people of Australia my affectionate greetings,” Miss Pickford* said in an interview. “Tell them that I’ve wanted for a long time to visit them, but I've been so busy and it is so far awav. f J want to do three pictures before our

next vacation, and then we’ll go to Australia.” * ❖ * # Paulino Frederick lias just celebrated her tenth aniversary in motion pictures. Ten years ago Famous Players engaged her for “ The Eternal City.” This is of special interest, inasmuch as “ Tlio Eternal City ” has also recently been made by another producing} company. Miss Frederick was the first star to go to Europe on location—the compny having journeyed to Romo for the exterior shots. She is to be seen in tho Master Picture 1 ‘ Three W’omen ’’ now showing at the Grand Theatre, and at present is playring with her own company at Melbourne. Lotus Thomson is now’ an authority of the feelings of a cave flapper. She has learned to cope with animal skins as tho main item of dress, to muffle her feet in fur instead of mounting them upon Louis heels, to forgive sandflies for their treacherous bites at Port Hacking, and to endanger the lives of unsuspecting citizens by using a bow and arrow to supply the cave pantry. “ Prehistoric Hayseeds,” a new Australian film lias been the cause. It deals with the adventures os’ Dad Hayseed after discovering some Stone Ago people and guiding them around Sydney. Lotus Thomson, a pretty Australian girl whose film work here is al(al ready well known, was chosen to give the picture some sentimental interest. * * * * A comedian who has established himself as one of the real top-notchers is Raymond Griffith (says “ Motion Picture News”). He has surely won aimself a place among the elite, but it is surprising that his talents weren’t appreciated before. Certainly if any playerdes erves stardoom it is this dapper comedian who may be called a silkhatted Chaplin. Now after lending his personality to various pictures—which have sparkled the more because of his presence—he has been rewarded with stardom in “ The Night Club.” Griffith is no budding star who might blossom for a time and fade out over the film horizon. His manner is 100 individual for that. He has a definite style and personality all his own—a style which makes him a sort of artful dodger of comedy. He might be classified as a comic go-getter who times his scenes perfectly'. He never overdoes the facial pantomime. Each expression has a place in denoting the meaning of his antics. His pathos is not of the wistful type, but more of the ty'pe which registers shock and surprise ever some sudden hurt.