Evening Star Newspaper, January 2, 1921, Page 55

AMUSEMENTS THE SUNDAY . STAR, JANUARY 9 Amusements PHOTOPLAY HE screen, the stage, the novel—the three methods of emo- tional expression, are like three musica! instruments. They get their effects differently, but their aim is the same, h?r— mony.” Beulah Marie Dix, who has been writing continuity jor Paramount Pictures for several years, but who previously was well known both as a novelist and a playwright, is given as authority l'?r l!le foregoing—and she ought to know. Any goed story, she says. re}a:_n; its appeal through all three mediums, just as a great piece of music is de- tightful whether played by piano, violin or cornet. “To say that any one method of expression is superior is merely prejudice. * * * The person who tries all methods gains the most broad-minded view.” The writer evidently had in mind the ridiculous controversy of some years ago as to whether the screen should supplant the stage or not. s * ¥k Ok XPERIENCE has demonstrated that the screen has its place in the world; the stage has its place and thg novel has its place. One of the most popular methods emploped for expression is the vernacular. To express thoughts there must be a language, not necessarily the “spoken” language, but a language nevertheless. The language of the screen is pantomime, and pantomime is as old as the hills to the stage, which employs_both the spoken language and the pantomims of action. A periect moving picture story should be able to tell itself in pictures, but there are few which have reached this ?erfection. If it were not for the good old vernacular, expressed in_cold, hard type. many a pic- ture would die a-bornin’. Where pantomime is the only means of ex- pression, naturally the gifts which make players great must be developed to their highest possibilities. This is also a check on the player oi the stage who hopes to get by with a rich. resonant declamation and as fittle pantomime as possible. Thus, the movie is a help to the stage in that it requires a higher development of the pantomimic mode of ex- pression, which, coupled with the voice, makes the ideal actor. Janau- schek, the famous actress, used to play a little comedy of but a single character. It was calied “Come Here,” and with it she illustrated the many, many ways that two small words can be expressed to convey in- finitely more than their ordinary meaning would imply. It illustrated also that something more than a good speaking voice is required on the stage to properly deliver a message that mere words not convey, unless their hidden meaning, in a given instance, is disclosed in the manner in, which they are spoken. 5 * % % * THE great promoters of the art of picture drama have learned much » by experience, and are constantly learning new facts that will ulti- dnately result, probably, in a perfect picture drama. The fault of most the present-day picture drama is not its mode of expression, but at it 1s made to express. No mechanical art in the world can dispense ith the manifold beauties of spiritual cleanliness and virtue and expect o reach perfection with its product. Perfection has attributes all of ‘which must be present or perfection is not there. You may delight the eye, please the ear, excite the heart, thrill the body, and think that you have hit the mountain peak of perfection, when, as a matter of fact, you are simply wallowing around in the mire miles below. The struggle to reach the snows must needs encounter the causes of the mud, as well as those who lay it on the pathway that leads to the heights. The pro- ducer of the unwholesome picture is primarily to blame, but the exhibitor of it is not guiltless. The screen has wonderful possibilities for educa- tion and the s{read of culture and good, but its greatest enemies are within the ranks of its own industry. * X x X “blue laws” are beginning to frighten the industry. The National Association of the Moving Picture Industry is already taking steps to head off the plans of the puritan. William A. Brady, its president, feels that he has found the antidote for the Lord's Day Alliance, how- ever, according to reports. . (%] * ¥ % % STIANITY,” the seventy-seven-reel Italian photoplay produc- tion, which purports to depict the Bible story from the creation down to the advent of Christianity, “verbatim,” is on its way to America. It requires fifteen hours to show the entire picture, it is said, and the problem will be how to split up the exhibitions. Pope Benedict is said to have severely criticised it. JUSTINE JOH'NSTONE the new picture star, who won out in a beauty contest, is now to be featured in a new picture, “The Plaything of Broad Pla; ngs of Broadway are not usually agreeable com- panions i polite society. Why picture them? : : P -‘& Y - 4 Y e 5 isy” according td variaf thu,mt‘e. % - . * X k ¥ with variations and it is the e charm of his pictures. 9 § | B * % % X THEDA BARA TiS€S ‘up to explain that the fact that she appeared in 4 forty pictares in r and a half years is not to be taken as an indication that she has’been a moving picture star for fifteen years or even for ten years: ‘When her picture activities were at their height, she says, “we mai ure production as they make sausages—just turned them out, ome ter another.” Yet, withal, she found time for reading and to write two plays, one of which, “Mrs. Jimmy Thompson,” has been produced, and another, “Beyond the Pale,” has been accepted for early production by A. H. Woods. In neither play, she says, was there a vampire written into the story. i * X %k ¥ AE MURRAY, whose “dance of ‘the chiffon” imi; M oo et chiffon” was eliminated from e Maryland censors, is reported to have been engaged as Star for “The Greenwich Vill: » H oy e wic! illage Scandals,” 2 new musical ping c suggests that “they can get a i the revue which is denied to motion prit:!m'ey art. e Aty in * %X %X % k HARRY FOX, l}insiul comedy star with the Dolly Sisters, for the movies and will make his debut in a two-reeler. * ¥ X % Wallace Reid’s new picture, reviewer blames the director have been made delightfull. left out altogether; he ‘tittes s “a very liberal has fallen - E Charm School,” 4 New York. The episodes which might merely touched on or structed and there wa and will.” did not p]ease and says that f humofous were the titles were badly con- mixing up of the verbs shall | * % ¥ % 'ADGE KENNEDY'S new picture, “The Girl Wi is highly commended. It is said to give her t izations and to display th i Eadkitw v sc"!p y the most baffling double Filmograms ILE New York Sleeps,” an eigbt-recl melodrama produced by the Fox Film Corporation. with a cast of prominent players whose abil- ities were tested in triple roles, m.k-;f;:"c',‘;‘edwfl‘,‘,,",' ing it a notable example of versa- | ture. tility in screen work, is scheduled for the Criterion Theater early this mynth. ith the Jazz Heart,” 'wo superb character- -exposure work yet pre- [ falling down a hatchway in an ld- fashioned sailing vessel {nd cump‘:e‘{- :;;E"In r‘r’lotlor tfltvh‘i’"w'h Slhfomhl. ed to “rest him up,” Horere ten up,” but wh!chl Earle Williams feels that he is justi- until 1921 is fairly ‘e starting a.new pic- Over 2,000 people appear in one In- terior scene in Dorothy Phillips’ new- st Universal-Jewel production. “Once to Every Woman.” It represents the auditorium ang stage of the Metro- pelitan Opera House in New York. Elghteen hundred people constitute the audience, there are sixty-five musicians in the orchestra and more than a hundred actors on the stage. LA Mutt and Jeff cartoon, called Sound Your A" is said to be a gen- uine screen comedy classic, Dorothy Dalton's latest picture is another of the Alaskan dance hall amas in the gold rush days. It is called “The Teaser. = An making Ani tonio paking An Moreno's picture, it is said, mo 300 of the convicts at the nne"p:h:: at Florence, Ariz, were permitted outside the prison walls to enact a general ja‘l delivery, and none of l.);em Tan away, or even tried to do The name of the original photopla; ¥ritten by Sir Gilbert Parker is catled “The Money Master.” It will be filmed under his direction at the Lasky stu- dio with Dorothy Dalton in the lead- ing role. After his conquest of Europe, Roscos | p AS50¢ciated w (“Fatty”) Arbuckle will be(lg ‘work on a new comedy, “Three Miles Out™ un- 'QI' the direction of James Cruse, Ethel Clayton is to have a new pic- ture, “The Sham.” a play by Eimer Har- ris and Geraldine Bonner. ith Joe Ryan, in * Purple Riders,” which Le’deil(ned‘r:l: a classic of the west, are men with whom Ryan rode on the plains, some of them. it is said, the wildest riders and ropers the west can offer. Manager Beatus of Loew's P: Theater was host Thursday :((ar‘r:::vel to 100 orphan chi Among the best films of the year of | institutions -bout‘dv!-ve:-tnfn?;nto;lr’fl“' {iterature and history by thelis an annual f - at 5‘:;‘,'-‘:’.""3.5""")'""' }l};;ie_v are ;| cbserved during the: rag o lfi“n.fifl . ‘Treasure | co The_White Circle.” “Huckle- | 0 Prosram. Manager E. J. lumbia Theater. executed a novel Stutz of Loew's Co- :n.; phnneld and unusual 1 display and advertising clmp.l.:bx:: 5 B onnection with the sh: _Which Gloria Swanson i3 to be .| was one of the fi in called “The Great Moment.” upon |season in New Yory “cnoations of the ‘which Miss Swansom will start work £ Wallace Reld will be seen soon. in his latest production, “Th School”; the week of Jlnll;rry ;3?;‘1‘:!“7‘ Pickford. in her latest United Artists’ production, “The Love Light,” and the week of Janu: 3 - Lean, in “The l:gkln‘ Rc?u‘n." paa George Randolph Chester's new story, “The Som of ‘allingford.” is to be (frst published as a magazine serfal, then book form and then it will be re- sed for motion picture purposes to graph. ‘After having b buffeted about en! e Pacific in filming “Diamonds Adrift.” DOROTHY PHILLIPS ~ Rialtc Photoplays This Week At Photoplay Houses All the Week. PALACE—"“The Mark of Zorro.” COLUMBIA—"Earthbound.” METROPOLITAN—"Dint Opens today. Opens today. Opens today. RIALTO—"Once to Every Woman.” Opens-today. GARDEN—"Hearts Up. SHUBERT-GARRICK afternoon. Opens today. “Last of the Mohicans.” Opens tomorrow LEADER—"The Spoilers” (second week). Performance today. “The Mark of Zorro.” Douglas Fairbanks will be featured on the screen of Loew's Palace Thed- ter today and all this week. in his latest photoplay production, *“The clude an orchestrai overture, “Semi- ramid, Crandall’s Metropolitan Theater this week, beginning today at 3 pm., will Mark of Zorro,” an eight-reel whirl-|feature “Dinty.” whose star is that 'wind of romance and dare-deviltry, |Youthful, freckle-faced geniu bagsed on Johnston McCulley's maga- le¥ Barry, remembered as w. zine story, “The Curse of Capistrano.’ Tkhe production is said to reveal Fair. banks in the most astounding se of feats he has ever given the screen, and in a swiftly-moxing romance California of 1800, under the rule the imperious Spanish dons. Fairbanks plays the dual role Don Diego Vega, a young noble birth, position and indolent love books and poetry, who, at night, is transformed into the irresistible, mys- terious curse of the Spanish autoc- racy, Zorro, a man who vanishes like magic and fights like a fiend a the cruelty and brutality practjced upon the.poor and helpiess; of §the period. The added attractions include a Mutt and Jeff animated cartoon. the Pathe News pictures and the Literary Di gest's Popular Topics, with orghes- tral music, and “Humoresque on Sorella’ ” ‘as the overture. “Earthbound.” “Earthbound.” the Samuel Goldwyn- Rex Beach film production of Basjl King's story, featuring Wyndham Standing, Naomi Childers and others, will be shown at Loew's Columbia ‘Theater today and this week only. 1t is a gripping tale of love. passion an@ dynamic forces, through which Wes- h Mary Pickford, in “Daddy Longlegs,” and his own personal success in “Go .and The cast includes Marjorie Noah Beery, Pat O'Malley, Col- leen Moore and others of note. Dinty” is a comedy-melodrama. with a generous dash of pathos and almost a plethora of thrills, written. produced and directed by Marshall Neflan _as his latest release through irst Nationa The hero is a fighting newsboy in San Francisco who has an aged in- valid mother to sup During his ursuit of financial independence he ins the lasting friendship of the ity’s ass'stant district attorney. Just as easier times loom ahead for him and his mother she passes on and leaves the little battler heart-broken. Life, however, soon takes on a livelier .a |#8Dcct by reason of his activity in rescuing from a Chinatown den ,the beautiful girl to whom his pal, the attorney, is engaged. Added attractions include a special orchestral accompaniment. “Once to Every Woman.” nce to HBvery Woman," versal superproduction, featuring Dorothy Phillips, will be shown this week at Moore's Rialto Theater. start- ing today. Mother Jove is Its key- a Uni- Basil King advances a remarkable | note. It concerns the daughter of the theory concerning life after death. The picture was shown as a Broad- way attraction at $2.50 a seat, and was regarded by critics as one of the high lights of the 1920-21 photoplay season. It concerns the creed adopted by two youngsters at college— God, no sin, no future life; nothin but the survival of the fittest and every man for himself. The lads separate, marry and gain riches and comfort. Then one falls in love with the other's wife and a killing follows. Here the author elucidates the theory that the spirit of the dead man, bound to earth, without power to rec- tify the wrong he has done, vet clings to his former haunts until the wrong has been made right. The moral situa- tion is finally cleared up and the man’'s spirit is released and allowed to rest. Added attractions and music in- LEADER Continuous, 10 A.M. to 11 P.M. village blacksmith, who, because of her good looks and sweet voice, is the pet of the family. She accepts the sacrifices of her mother and sis- ters. and, when a visitor from New York offers to send her abroad to have her voice trained, she leaves home with no regrets. After many dramatic episodes she reaches the goal of her ambition—grand opera. Her home and family are forgotten. Then comes climax after climax. The orchestra w 3 inter- pretative score and in the closing scenes of the picture a Washingtpn soprano will sing. Minor films afso are announced. “Hearts Up.” Indugurating a new policy for the ming ar, _whereby. (Continued on Fourth Page.) i . HEATRE — Over by Popular D In the de Luxe Edition of* Dancer in the Films. LORA REVALLES. whose portrayal of the part of Daisy Rittenshaw “Earthbound” is a feature of the play, was formerly a star member of the famous Diaghileff Russian Ballet. and in the days before the war was a St. Petersburg favori.= She is .one of the most fascinating women on the stage or screen. She attained her greatest fame in the Russian ballet dance “Cleopatra,” in which she had the title role. She made a cold, beautiful, snake-like queen of the Nile. To perfect the dance she adopted a cobra and studied the rhythm of this most graceful of {all snakes. Miss Revalles admits she grew fond of the snake. She declares she has learned many, many things by watch- ing it. British and American Humor AYMOND HITCHCOCK and G. P. Huntley, the Engish comedian, tried to define the difference between British and American humor, at a din- ner given in their honor at the Wil- lard this week. The two comedians were asked to discuss American and British humor, ,runecll\'ely. Each told a few stories [ to illustrate his points, two of which tare given here. “An Englishman dropped into a pub,” said Mr. Huntley, “and after or- dering a glass of half-and-half, turn- 1 ‘ear about it? Did you ‘ear about it? Bill was caught dead to rights. ‘Did you ‘ear about it? Did you "ear about it? he repeated. °‘Old Bill down to Scotland Yard now.' ‘And as he took his drink, he went ‘Old 'Bill was caught dead to rights. He's down in Scotland Yard now. Did you 'ear about it? ‘At this point one of the listeners nearby piped up: ‘Yes, we heard about it all right, but this is the first time we heard the particulars.’ Mr. Hitchcock told how one of Nat Goodwin’s American stories was re- ceived in the Savage Club in London— to illustrate the difference between the two brands of humor. Nat Goodwin was asked to tell a typical American story, and he began about a man who stopped off the train in a small town in Pennsylvania. Meeting another man on the street the on, where the post office in?" “Yes,' replied the other and walked away. At this point one of Nat Goodwin's listeners urged him 1o go on with the story, so the comedian continued: “‘A moment or two after this con- versation took place the native who had replied to the question turned around and said: ‘Do you want to know where the post office is? To which the first man replied, ‘No." “‘Afid that's American umor? asked one of Mr. Goodwin’s 1fsteners ‘h think it was jolly rude of both of them.’ " him more than- ever,| —MmMm™mmMmMmMmMm M M M —— ™ — — ————_ e Ho “THE SPOILERS” Draws at The Leader SECOND 9th below F . Admission, 25c—including tax emand—Starting Toda; “WILLIAM FAR “THE SPOILERS” SEE OUR OUT-DOOR ALASKAN DISPLAY AND BRING ALL THE KIDDIES i~ 1921—PART ed to the barmaid and said: ‘Did you | newcomer said to him: “Do you know , o 3. AMUSEMENTS GLADYS WATLTON~ Garden NEXT WEEK'S PHOTOPLAYS. Palace. Metro's film production of “Some One in the House,” the stage play by Larry Evans, George S. Kaufman and Walter Percival. Edmund Lowe is featured. | Columbia. “Midsummer Madness,” the William De Mille film production of Cosmo Hamilton's story, “His Friend, His Vife.” J . Metropolitan. Constance .Talmadge in her latest (First Natiopal attraction. ‘Dangerous | Business,” *comed)‘ of married life. ?Enkerhnuker. Constance Imadge. in “Dangerous usiness”; Mabel Julienne Scott, in Behold My Wife Rawlin- son and Tom Lewis, in “Passers-by Saturday, Bessie Love, i Mia- lander. - of “The Mutiny Parlor, Bedroom and May Allison, i in_Trust. Grateful for Service. {D® RALPH JENKINS, chairman of i the District of Columbia Chapter of the“Red@Cross, has sent Manager Robbins of jB. F. Keith's Theater, a letter in behalf of the executive com- mittee of the District of Columbia Chaptef of The Red Cross expressing deep appreciation for the splendid work” he did during the last roll call in securing fhe largest percentage of members of any city in the United States, . proportionately speaking, which the workers in the Red Cross feel 15 due ‘very Iftgely to your en- ,ergy and management. | Leon Louise, stage manager of the !Ona Munson Company, at Keith's Christmas-wegk, also wrote to Man- ager Robbins a letter expressing ap- preciation “to Mr. E. F. Albee and to you and your assoclates and co-work ers at the focal theater for your ! thoughtfulness; expressed in the form lof a most delightful buffet luncheon !and entertainment after the evening show Christmas eve.” The signatures to the letter include Trixie Friganza, Lina Abarbanell, Lew Dockstader. Ona Munson and all the others forming the program that ONE WEEK ONLY TODAY (AT S P M g §é A - | Roberi feld | | == {EPWIN JUSTUS MAYER writes an interesting story | Magic.” The wide world, dreaming of photo- {plays to come. has an insatiable curiosity to enter actually into the | secrets of studio magic. Kings, mil- | lionaires, Noble prize winners, great | generals, 1l players and more of the accepted “quality” are just as eager as any seventeen-year- ©0ld flapper to pierce the heart of the shadow world. P If you don't believe thafl here are {just a few of the many prominent | visitors to the Goldwyn studios in { the last . | King Aib ling, Maurice on | { rt of Belgium. Gen. Persh- Maeterlinck, Cornelius { Vanderbilt, Ty Cobb, Gertrude Atherton. Gouveneur Morris, Mary Rineharf, Rupert Hughes and Basil King. bt Of course, some of these visited on | business, but the business was to see | what actuaily transpired when a writ- |ten theme was translated into screen action, and that's just. about what {you want to know. after all. - The movie has mi an almost mystigal appeal to thé&diniverse. Its pophigBity #xtends to the far east as well @510 the sast side of New York; it stars are venerated in Tokio as they are in Chicago. Only a few industries and profes- sions have appealed to the world's mind a romatic. Magazine writers talk glibly of the “romance of steel and the like, but to the average mind such talk is mostly blab. On the other hand, newspaper reporting— there is a romatic way of making a living: “You must meet ever so many interesting character: Lreathes there the reporter with ears so dead that he has not heard the intense words? As a matter of fact, ithe most intersting character a re- porter usually meets is the city editor. He is the man who eventually fires ou. ¥ Puring the last decade the movies ihave taken their place side by side with newspaperdom as something strange and exotic. Most people would be disappointed to find out that the jman who gets out the morning news- paper sits at a roll-top desk much like any other execut| They (the peo- ple) have a vague idea that news papers are published by pulling a series of peculiar levers in_a locked room which only the elect are al- d to penetrate. And so with the it is “interesting” “Earthbound”—Will Hold You Spellbound “Movie | | | LOEW’S COLUMBIA N EPIC STORY OF PASSION, LOVE AND RELENTLESE AMBITION STUDIO MAGIC LURES THE CURIOUS. watch the filing of a scene, as it i noi interesting to see a shippin clerk make out a bill of lading, Th: distinction happens to be u good one and the people. as usual, are right for it is “interesting” to see a movi being filmed. That very fact furnishes enough vexations to the average studio man- ager to lead him to an early grave The desire to be courteous i strong. but equally strong is the desire to keep the studio grownds from being completely swamped with those who Vi at studios in Cali- the world, with ¢ of fifty acres. have finally been forced to promuigate a rule which strictly limits the number of visitors allowad the different “sets.” Exceptiona #re natural’ in favor of distinguished mca and women, but despite thix it is getting harder. say, than avoiding mention me for the new cabinet, to get into view of the sacred lens. Perhaps this is one reason why the caliber of the “extras” in_pictures has changed much of late. Many old, middle-aged, and yoyng men -and women of good standing, in a social sense. now, ffequently partake in movie pri@ict! a8 “extras,” and tkere is ne bt that this is partly due to a desire 36 find out “how it's dgne"—to pierce the vague secrets of motion picture’ making. In many cases the only wag for flappers and philosophers fo pidrce this secret is to take part in a *mob sceme” and they do it. ) 1 alxerybody wants| to See how_its Will Not,Régtire. ]DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS is said to have just really begun to do his best work, having been freed from the necessity of turning eut pictures on a schedule, by reason of the fact that he is master of hif own pro- ducing company, and all his product is marketed by the United Artists. Because of this he has been enabled to expend more time on his produc- tions. thereby making them superior to any that he reade in years past. He no longer works for a salar: but gets profits from his picture: which are individually marketed by the “Big Four.” When told there were rumors that he was to retire from the screen, he just grinned and said, “Oh, such falk tolis preposterous.” SEASON'S TENTH RUPER- PROGRAM Z ND” THAT LIFTS THE VEIL BETWEEN TWO WORLDS—A PICTURE THAT ASTOUNDED BROADWAY FOR FOUR SOLID WEEKS—A GOLDWYN-REX BEACH PICTURE—DIRECTED BY T. HAYES HUNTER WITH A BRILLIANT CAST THAT INCLUDES— YNDHAM STANDING —MAHLON HAMILTON—NAOMI CHILDERS COLUMBIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA—OVERTURE, “SEMIRAMIDE” SELZNICK NEWS—MUTT AND JEFF CARTOON—OTHER HITS