AMONG THE "MOVIE" STARS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17569, 13 May 1919, Page 2

AMONG THE "MOVIE" STARS

SOME INTERESTING REMINISINCES.

Mr. \V Dunn, Manager of His Majesty's Theatre, has just received a letter from Mr. E. J. Righton, Managing Director of the New Zen land Picture Supplies. Limited, in which he tells for Iho benefit of the load theatre goers, some interesting experiences he has had svhile on n, prolonged visit to Canada and thy Uuited States. Mr. Righton has ji'sv returned from Screen land, and from personal observation he has come to the conclusion that the general idea of the lives and work of the screen artists is quite an erroneous one, and his commerts should be of particular interest to ail picture enthusiasts.

Mr. Righton had the opportunity of coming mo personal toucn with nearly all the greatest artists, and found them all, without exception, hard-working earnest people, with a keenly developed desire to turn out only the best, and so please their widely-spread admirers ;aid patrons

In regard to the work of thie studios, the artists are so carefully guarded from interruption that it is practically impossible to gain access to the studios, and even the greatest artist is not allowed to have visitors, or to brings lvs friends mto see him at his work. Before obtaining interviews innujnera-ble obstacles had to be overcome, and :ill sorts of influence brought to bear on the directors and managers.

Charlie Chaplin, the best known and most popuJar man in the world to-day, creates more interest, even in Los Angeles, the hub of the film industry, than any crowned head would cause, am? becomings and goings are just as eagerly looked for by the lesser lights of the film world, as by the humblest picture 'fan,' and when he passes, all work nutom.'iticallv ceases. Mr. Righton was I fortunate in meeting Mary Piekford, Chaplin, Fairbanks, GHffith, Geraldine Farrar, Mabel Normand, Pauline Frederick and a host of others too numerous to mention, and they all displayed the greatest interest in little Ne-W Zealand, nnd strange to say, the unanimous opinion expressed was that the t y received from New Zealand more letters in proj. portion to the population, than any j other country in the world. 1 Regarding Mary Pickford, Mr. Righ- . ton has the highest opinion. She is a ! delightfully unaffected young girl, lie jf-ays, with a magnetic personality and n : charm of manner which endears her to. i all around her. Some idea of her in> 'portancc in the United States may be 'gauged from the fact that she hi-.--' ■ iluencel the people to purchase some millions of dollars of Bonds of Liberty Loans, entirely by the magnetism of her personality and popularity. "Geraldine Katrar is a wonderful woman "< states Mr. ■Righton, "and one can understand affcr meeting her the wholesome admiration she has bcca>sionod."

"Jack Pickford (a charming, unassuming boy), Mabel Normand, Douglas Fairbiiniis, Madge Kennedy, w Pauline Fairbanks, Madge Kennedy, Pauline others equally well known, we met, and can only say" the same of all of them. They ad without exception display the greatest interest in New Zealand, know quite t» lot about our little country, and no one asked he quesion "what State is it in " In addition they were most arxious to hear about opinions ot Maorilanders concerning their work. " I must say a word about those so the directoi-s. They are wonderful men tittle known men of this screen world — men of vitnl'ty and pep, always on the go, an.l possessing those rare qualities,! tho-ability to inspire work, and th<: genius which the copy books ufted to teil j v.a, tho art of taking infinite pains."'.- | •'Make Ho mistake,"' Mr. llighfcah ! added, '"with.these people work is their god. They never spare themselves jri any wa,'/ to obtain the best results and w ill spend hours and hours rehearsing over avd over again little incidents or no apparent importance, which will result, when finished, in perhaps twenty l'eet of film. _ , "I have seen Charlie Chaplin, dogtired after a heavy day, rehearsing one small happening over and over again until he was satisfied, for perhaps two hours —then called for 'camera'—net result 22ft. of finished film. And :>.ii. in mind that he didn't spare himself either at the expense of his actors. CHARLIE CHAPLIN TO VISIT NEW ZEALAND. On behalf of the showmen and pntrons of New Zealnnd, Mr. Righton extended to Mr .and Mrs. Chaplin a cordial invitation to visit this country, aoa Char ho promised definitely that as soon as his <?qntratts would allow him l-o would, with his wife, pay New Zealana a visit, and would also appear personally at heatres throughout his tour. THE UNITED ARTISTS' CORPORATION. The recent formation of the United Artists 1 Corporation — comprising Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, David Wark Griffith, and later on probably William S. Hart, will prove a boon to exhibitors all over the world. These artists, who are tho greatest, decline to have their work expioited and controlled by any trust, and for the sake of freedom of market, ,-:s well as to develop the best in their art without outside interference, will produce their own pictures, which will be shown in Now Zealand theatres. AN IMMENSE INDUSTRY. I do not think the general public hits any idea of the immense influence this business has in America; the amount of capital invested is simply stupendous, and the size of the largest plants makes one stand and gaze open-mouthed. On j studio I went through. The Goldwyn, covers over four acres of ground, and ;.i the preparation of their productions, almost every trade has some representatives permanently employed there. Everything required in the scenes that can be manufactured is built on th& premises by their own staff, and bouio very wonderful work is turned out. The glamour of the footlights does not exist in film land, and hard work and very little play are the order of the d«iy. Long hours are the custom, and no one is spared. Directors work as hard a;i actors.and scene shifters, and there is only ono standard—that is perfection. They really do try very hard to.reach that standard. No amount of trouble is too greafc to achieve ono little effect to make ono more step towards the highroad of successful production. That my visit to America, will prove of benefit" to New Zealand theatre goers. I have no doubt. I was able to svrrsinw for the supply' of the biggest, liviVbtes" and bpst pictures for tho T>orviinion. nnrl the public nay reasonably look forward to f». birr improvement in ilio standard of the films. Every film •■vortb bnvina: we will now get rmd T hope ihnt the th*w arrangements will j^rivp central ssitisfaction.