Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 15, 1923, Page 2

SOANY ONE OF THE CBCIL SCBINES (Mp7 PROD: Something of What lt Means to Stage a Great Scene in Rome’s Decadence HERE will be a lot of brush- ing up on ancient history when “Manslaughter” reaches the~screens of the world. Cecil B. DeMille with his love of gorz spectacle and unusual abili flago a tremendous scene artistry and an eye for beaut: infused into the purely modern of a modern girl's recklessness a yi- sion of that period broadly referred to as the Roman Decadence which probably tops any previous effort slong similar lines, The great scene—or series of Bcenes—are merely the thoughts of a number of people whose tmagina- tions are stimulated by the words ‘of the young district attorney, played by Thomas Meighan, when he com- pares the present day actions of the Jazz-loving, excitement - craying, wealthy class to the same class in ancient Rome, pointing out the danger of a similar fate unless the Ude is stemmed. From a court- room, or a wild party, the scene fades to a vast ampbitheater-like room in the home of some patrician woman of the Roman empire. As Leatrice Joy is the actress playing the heroine of the story itself, she appears as the hostess at this jazz party in ancient times. The Splendor of Rome. At the top of a great flight of steps she sits like another Cleopatra, ar- rayed in costly jewels and a magnifi- cent robe with a train of cloth of gold which reaches almost to the floor below. Beside her stand Roman guards, negro slaves, and ladies in waiting, while on either hand, a few steps below, are two giant Bengal tigers who snarl and strike at the shadows of the revelers on every side. And the guests are everywhere, men and women, half stupid with drink, plunged into an orgy of pure Dancing follow the ic of myriad lutes; spring from the walls to join in the mad revel below which as- Sumes the proportions of a wild and abandoned carouse in which Pan himself might well bave led the rout, And presently, haying drunk too deeply of the wine cups, all fall into a stupor. As they are overtaken by the power of the liquor, so they suc- cumb to slumber and the wild babel of sound is stilled. Into this scene of debauchery, a riot of color, not without its almost supernatural beauty, so inextricably mingled with debased passion and unrestrained pursuit of pleasure, there bufsts a rider upon a great black charger, a man of giant pro- portions, clad in skins and wearing a tremendous helmet that adds to his height until he seems to touch the very ceiling of the great room. Be- hind him come a swarm of hideous and eyil-visaged barbarians, more like animals than men. Enter the Barbarians, It is Alaric, the visigoth, played by Thomas Meighan and his wild to'- lowers, overrunning the shores of it coming like a yisftation into the homes of wealth and wickedness, destroying, despoiling, all in their path. They seize the women, slay the men and leaving death and de- ction in their wake, ride on—and ision fades, CECIL DE ITILLE- DIRECTING A SCENE So much for that. On the screen a few minutes tell the story, but it would take pages to describe the immensity of tho task, the colossal job of all concerned in making the scenes, Always the guiding spirit, Cecil B. DeMille, producer of Paramount pic- tures, planned the spectacle after many conferences with his chiefs of staff, with Jeanie Macpherson, who wrote the photodrama from the story by Alice Duer Miller; with Paul Iribe, the art director, with Theodore Kosloff, expert in dancing and art work; and piany others. First of all to portray faithfully at least the types and costumes, the architecture and decoration, of the od HE motion Picture Studio Vis- T itors’ Union last night heard an interesting address by I. Brew Trubble, president of that bod: on “How to be Popular when Visiting the Studios.” “Of late,” lamented Mr, Trubble, “members of our organization are becoming more or less tongue-tied ‘The yery few who have been able to leap the “No Visitors Allow2d” bar- riers in the studios have been wandering hroug and making no friends stars. Let which, if you will make you y the motion pi actual serene among the few ruics tors love to have the Playing in the dramatic si ing the ¢urniture around on the set and otherwise ca » éndisaa ‘thou. ble. , which is q RULES FOR STUDIO When you se Rodolph Valentino, be certain to rush up to him and nacertain whether he is really the son of McGinnis, an Irishman living In Louisville, Kentucky. This always Uckles Rodolph, w with his ro- mantic dark eyes, dark olive com- plexion and jet black hair, looks very Irish indeed, “If you obserye Gloria Swanson weeping in a scene, be sure to ob- servo, loud enough for everyone, ine cluding Miss Swanson, to hear, that your ‘dear little chee-Ild looks ex- actly like Gloria when it cries— e often, “When hasten p to ally a t that he must play xophone for since you've you ace Reid, non inst you, ard he {s a very remarkable per- former on that instrument. Should he reply that he has no saxophone with him, volunteer to loan him your Jew’s harp ologize he direc- tor f 1 ene while (solden (jleanings~ it was being filmed, then inform him that your appearance in the picture would really be of value, because ey- erybody in your home town would come out to see it. “If you happen on a set just as Betty Compson Is working herself up to a highly emotional scene, don’t fail to shout to her that you admired ber work 1 “Tho Miracle Man,” and that you wonder whether she was really born in Humptulip, Washing- ton, where you have a seventh cousin by the name of John Smith. Ask her if she knows John. Betty, or any star, can always work up a good emotional mood and answer fodlish questions simultaneou Be polite. If sho 6a; she doesn’a know your cousin, sympathize with her. Tell e would have Iiked John, to ask Penrhyn Stanlaws to make a test picture of ‘ou. Remember, the cost of the film ed the company is “Finally, be sure VISITORS period of approximately A. D. 402-3, the producer sought a copy of a fa- mous painting which he recalled had once been hung in a great New York cafe, And after much research it was located and a photograph made, And there are moments in the scene which are almost fac similes of this painting. No Small Task. Paul Iribe set to work upon the settings and decorations for the big interior. And when completed it was one of the most gorgeous that could be devised. Classic in design, massive, almost Gargantuan in pro- portions, occupying a large portion of the biggest glass enclosed stage in the world, the task was no mean & only a matter of a few hundred dol- lars, more or less, What are a few hundred dollars to you—it’s not your money. “Before I close, fellow members of the Motion Picture Studio Visitors’ Union, allow me to impress on you that it is because of these and count- less other tricks that the studios have been forced to display the sign: ‘Positively No Visitors Allowed.’ That is why you can't force your way in with a crowbar. “I thank you,” A storm of applause followed Mr. Trubble’s address and he was invited ed to accept the presidency of the Motion Picture Studio Visitors’ Union for the coming year. He ac- cepted, saying briefly: “I don’t want the job but tife sal- ary 1s too good to be true, I sug- gest, as our slogan for the next 12 months: “We'll die together or we won't die at aJl.”—By I, Brew Trubble. one. seemingly cloud-searching heights. Tho great flights of stairs were broad enough for a score of people to walk upon abreast; the floor of the arena could have staged a small circus. tumes which were made from draw- ings and which were historically ac- curate so far as could be determined. They were many in number. those for tho principals, were hun- dreds for scenes—the dancing girls, the guests, the soldiers, the slaves, etc. beautiful Goths bet: Sree DD =. The dancing was a feature which necessitated much study and special training, and in this field Theodore Kosloff is without a superior. Train- ed dancers were brought from his imperial Russian ballet school in Los Angeles and from the ranks of the Denishawn school. There were battles between ar- mored gladiators and the famous painting, “Thumbs Down” was re- produced with great accuracy. A Timely Lesson, The bits of by-play in themselves were miniature dramas or comedies; the magic of beauty, unhallowed, but none the less impressive, was pre- eminent, lending additional contrast to the terror when the barbarians overrode it all. As an object lesson it will perhaps LBATRICE JOY-DEDBKLED IN 2 CGORGECOS COSTONE OF ITOCH DRADIING AiIND LITTLE CLOTS The giant columns reached to be the most emphatic that has reach- ed the screen and there will be many no doubt to agree that our present day sensational functions are com- parable to this and that their doom is no less assured. No preachment is necessary—you are shown the com- parative scen and left to draw your own conclus{ons, Lois Wilson, a slave girl in the vi- ion, in the real story appears as a servant who has been arrested for theft. e When it is remembered that this is but one feature of 2 photodrama which has numberless features, the task of the producer may be well imagined. No less {important were the cos- Besides the various types in the the barbarian hordes, All were extremely or striking, those for the ne eepecially effective. he shall stand before kings. ON WITH THE RAINCE ’ There {s the great courtroom scene, the accident which results in the slaying of the motorcycle officer, the modern revel to which the Roman debacle is compared, the prison Scenes to obtain local color for which Miss Macpherson was actually {m- mured in a woman's prison in the East, and so on, There seems no doubt that the fa- mous producer will eclipse even such former Paramount masterpieces as “Male and Female;” “Fool’s Para- dise” or “The Affairs of Anatol” by this picture, his first since his Eu- ropean trip. The power of the cast and the etrength of the story itself, together with the broad treatment upon the widespread canvas provided, will re- sult in a photodrama that can not fail to find its way into the records of marvetous achievement in the realms of the screen play—By Adam Hill-Shirk. EVEN SEVENTEENTH CENTURY HAD ITS FLAPIERS, “Flapperism a new idea? I should Say not!” George Fitzmaurise, producer of “To Have and To old,” laughed at the suggestion that modern women “had something diferent, “If you think flapperism is new,” he laughed, “watch a few scenes of “To Have and To Hold.” The cos- tumes show you that the action is * laid in the early seventeenth cen- tury. Then watch the sequence.” And for ten minutes thereafter the doubtful person will sec a few of the coquettes of early history roll their eyes and vamp as successfully as modern women. Near the camera a beautiful girl with high white wig anc bustles crosses her knees slyly and smiles coyly at Bert Lytell, fea- tured with Betty Compson in the Picture. In a distant corner, another miss of sweet sixteen mounts the stairs and hesitates a moment—long enough to exhibit a few inches of silken clad ankie, “Flapperism a new idea?” laughed Fitzmaurice. “I should say not,” VGEAIVE TELE SCONARBISZ Taught Sam Bernard How to Dance HAT is one of*the many inter» esting reminiscences of Suits Edwards, old-timer of the legitimate stage, who after retiring from the footlights, decided to be- come active again and for the last four years has been one of the most striking character comedians of the screen. His latest role is “Manico” in “The Ghost Breaker,” starring Wallace Refd.and directed by Alfred Green, “A man {s just as old as he feels,” observes Edwards, who after retiring from the legitimate, decided that he Still felt like a man of 35, despite his 56 Summers, and arrived at the con- clusion that he was merely hurrying @ conclusion of his activity and try- ing to rush himself into an old age environment, Snitz and Sam were vaudeville partners back in the old days—in fact, the partnershIp with Bernard was the first formed by Edwards. The two had known each other for a long time—in fact had grown up together as boys. “I shall never forget what a time I had teaching him a certain dance step,” ruminates Edwards. “That was the only step he ever learned and he could only do it with one foot. “We worked for a German, named Gansberg, who had a little concert hall in Hoboken and reccived the astounding salary of $15 a week, :o be divided equally among us. Af. ¢ the first week, there was a henvy ¢-- mand for a‘return engagement of cor act, which was the headliner, aiid Gansberg induced us to come back }y raising the $15 to $18, and especialy stipulating that he would sce thut the props—one fat custard pie— were on hand every night and that he would give us his head waiter to play a straight part. Edwards was 18 years of age when he first began in vaudeville. Prior to that time he had been a jockey for three years in New York, but an accident in which he broke three ribs, caused him to give up that game. After the first partnership with Bernard, Edwards continued in vaudeville for seven years and then Joined Heverly’s minstrels, which was considered. one of the finest minstrel organizations of that time He remained with them for two years and then went from blackface to musical comedy with De Wolf Hopper. Later he was with Charles Frohman for six years, during which time he again was associated with his old friend, Bernard, in a produc- tion called “The Silver Sipper.” He was also with Willam Faversham in the famous plece, “Don Cesar Bae zen,” was one season as a clown with the New York Hippodrome, etc. Some people take fivo weeks to Edwards’ experience was not con- grow a beard—and some play parts fined solely to this country. He went {n two motion pictures at the same to Europe with the Handlans for time. three years, played in Paris fourteen Raymond Hatton {s one of the Iat- months and then all through Spain, ter, Perhaps he’s having a day off Germany and Austria. Then he re from his smooth-faced part in Pen- turned to London for a season after rhyn Stanlaws’ production of “Pink which he returned to America aud Gods,” when along comes Frank joined Al Woods in musical comedy. O'Connor and says: “Get on your For three years she played at the As- beard, Ray.” Then out comes a bale tor in New York and on tho road. of crepe hair, and quicker than you “It was merely to please, Eleanor could ost an Eskimo pie, Raymond Edwards, who had played with me a appears decorated with whiskers for great deal,” he recounts, “that I took his part of King James I, in George a play on the rdad in which I played Fitzmaurice’s production of “To a dramatic part Up to that time I Haye and To Hold.” playea principally musical comedy ‘The rest of the time he has to him- and I hardly thought I could handle self. the part in this play. But she insist- ed, and we took the play out. It was called ‘The Man Who Stood Still,” and was one of the most suc- cessful ventures I had ever floated.” It was Charles Giblyn who induced Snitz to go into motion pictures. Giblyn was msking “The Price She Paid,” by Charles Graham Phillips, and wanted a very unusual type—a sort of dramatic comedian, to play tae husband role, Remember this when you are hay- ing James Kirkwood to dinner. Have a thick, creamy lemon me- ringue pie for dessert, but don't use any corn starch In making it. “If there’s anything I hate,” says this popular player, “it {s to put my fork into a lemon pie and find it loaded with corn starch, instead of the but- ter and eggs that should be in it!” Mr. Kirkwood is now co-featured with Bebe Daniels in “Pink Gods,” the current Penrhyn Stanlaws pro- duction, Joy is that pecullar feeling a man has when he finds more money in his pockets than he thought he had. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? — Proverbs. ‘\ Sg