Evening Star Newspaper, April 22, 1923, Page 60

AMUSEMENTS 1sements 12 PHOTOPLAYS ROM the National Board of Review and the National Committee for Better Films ‘comes the information that 708 of the 1,574 motion pictures submitted to the board during 1922 and now available are worthwhile entertainment. It does not mean, how- ever, that the remainder are offensive, but that, in.the opinion of.the board and the committee, 871 of the entire product failed to justify their existence, for one reason or another. “Worthwhile entertainment” is a generic term that means much or little. Since the memory of the most mature flapper first began there has been a question as to what does and what does not entertain the public. Pictures that delight the very souls of some beholders strike others as trash. It is a daily experience to listen to conflicting opinions of this picture or that. The general public is peculiar in many ways, and usually is competent to judge what it wants in the way of entertainment. Some part oi this genéral public —a small fraction when compared to the whole, it is to be hoped—often selects as what it wants that which it ought not to have. But it is often just as difficult to draw the line of demarcation on what should not be shown at all as on what is “worthwhile.” Slapstick comedy in “rough- house” pictures has often brought smiles and even hearty laughter to people that needed it. Melodrama has delighted thousands, and among careful observers there is a disposition to believe that melodrama is really the most popular form of entertainment, although those who have intellectual and literary aspirations may turn their noses up at it:. Many patrons of the screen, doubtless, believe that low comedy and melodra- matic entertainment are “very much worthwhile.” So that, except in the matter of morals, it is best, as a rule, to let each person judge for him-; self. A picture that may be “worthwhile” as needed relaxation from care to many would be anything but “worthwhile” in the opinion of | educators, whose purpose and effort are directed along lines of their own. So that it is just as well to carefully scrutinize terms that pass judgment, at all times, before reaching a definite conclusion based upon { the employment of those terms by individuals and even by boards and committees. * % ok ok HIGHLY colored announcement concerning a new relcase by Asso- ated Exhibitors, of which Arthur S. Kane is president, declares: | Here is a gripping story of the moderh butterfly wife at her best and worst. It begins in Reno, dips to the depths of remorse and ends in a triumph of lo Those who are gifted with ordinary intelligence and ! have secrious, exalted ideals of marriage and of love will be very apt to consider this picture, without further consideration, as certainly not worthwhile. The picture has not yet been shown here, and there is no information at hand upon which to base a correct judgment concerning it. It may be all that the brief descripition says of it, and it may be a very interesting and worthwhile picture drama. It serves, however, to point out just how imprudent pulgicity may make or mar anything. The power of the press, which all the world regards as greater even than that of kings and emperors, is a d‘mgerou; weapon to be entrusted to incompe- | teat or unworthy hands. Would it not help a great deal in the motion | picture game if morc attention were given to the selection of its press | agents? And by the same token, when asked our opinion as to whether a picture is good or bad, wouldn't it help a lot in the way of fairness to think an instant before passing judgment? Personal opinions within their scope often take on a semblance of the power of the press, especially when passed along, as they always are. * ok ok % THE force of suggestion is frequently as demoralizing as the force of example, a good reason for feeling sorry that Charles Chaplin's latest efforts in funmaking concern themselves with the cloth. There are some themes that are barred by good taste and“wise judgment as material for burlesque and funmaking. Religion and everything connected with it are in this class, and when employed always denote a lack of originalit and ability in those who employ them. During the war a would-be funmaker in a prominent organization in St. Louis brought down upon himself the execration of the whole country for making a parody of “America.” It was established beyond question that there was no malice in what he did. He was simply a fool funmaker and it cost him dearly im the instance cited. It would be a pity to-have the inimitable Chaplin gathered into that class. W.R.L. Photoplays This Week AT THE PHOTOPLAY HOUSES THIS WEEK. RIALTO—"Hunting Big Game in Africa.” Shown this afternoon. PALACE—Theodore Roberts, in “Grumpy.” Shown this afternoon. METROPOLITAN—“What- a Wife Learned” Shown' this after~ noon. COLUMBIA—"“The Famous Mrs. Fair.” CENTRAL—“Environment.” Shown this afternoon. CRANDALL'S—Eugene Sue's “Secrets of Paris.” Shown this after- noon. Shown this afternoon. RIALTO—*Hunting Big Game in Africa.” ‘What is claimed to be one of the | who uccepts a position as school | teacher in a little western settlement | in order to gather material for & new |novel. There she meets and marries {2 young ranchman. When her book 1s recognized and 2, famous dramatist T | offers to convert it into a & X Moore's Rialto Theater this week, | she leaves her husband mdun‘.:{:'::- beginning today, in “Hunting BIE 'cast. Percelving his own blunder he Game in Africa with Gun and Cam- | follows, but is entirely “out of the era,” as made by H. A. Snow and|picture” and so returns to his ranch hie son during a thirty-month ex-|To the scene of his activities come pedition into the heart of the dark |the wife and her nfatuated playe continent. Mr. Snow will appear in|wright. The ensuing episodes are in- person Sunday and Monday. tensely’ dramatic, genuinely exciting. Sidney Snow, nineteen-year-old son | Marguerite de ia Motte and John of the Jeader of the expedition, ac- | Bowers have the chief roles. companied his father. With two| The comedy will ‘be Christie's “A camera, men they sailed from the|Hula Honeymoon,” which was filmed Pacific coast in 1919, and spent two | on the beach at Walkiki. most astounding moving pictures ever made will be the feature at and one-half years in Africa, and Wwith the novel aid of the American | filvver, more than 50,000 miles and ten different countries were covered in hunting ferocious man-killers and studying the habits of lions, leopards, rhinoceri, elephants and .other ani- ‘mals, It 1s all graphically illus- trated by the pictured detail of the hunts. Elephants supply the thrill of the picture. The African elephant, the most dangerous of all, towering thirty feet in height, with tusks measuring twenty feet. For those that are squeamish, it s explained that the animals were shot only when absolutely necessary to obtain rare specimens for the Oak- land Museum or In self-defense. -A laughable comed: Trafi the Fox News and other subjects will be shown and an orchestral interpre- tative score arranged by Director George Wild. PALACE—Theodore Roberts “Grumpy.” ‘Those who remember the fascinat- | ing charm of Cyril Maude's famous | play, “Grumpy,” ‘may be delighted to know that “Grumpy” has finally found ite way to the screen as a star- ring production for that “grand old man” of the siiver shest, Theodore Roberts, and that it will be_given| its Washington premfere at Loew's Palace Theater this week, beginning this afternoon. “Grumpy” is described as melo- dramatic comedy of character” which first achieved an outstanding stage success in London with Cyril Maude in the title role, which was duplicated a year later in New York, and later won popularity on tour. ' The play was_written by Horace Hodges ana T. Wygney Percyval. It has been prepared for the screen by Clara Beranger and {ts production ‘was di- rected by William De Mille. 1 Theodore Roberts, the “Grumpy” of the picture, has long been recognized a3 one of the greatest character act- ! ors in the stient -drama. A really; notable cast includes May McAvoy, | who will be remembered especlaliy for her work in “Sentimental Tom- | my”; Conrad ‘Nage), pominent and popular_leading mount fold; Casson Ferguson, Ber- tram Johns, Charles Ogle, Robert Bolder, Chdrles French and Bernice| Frank. The picture has & polgnant roman- tlc motif . that centers abbut the theft of a diamond, charged against the sweetheart of “Grumpy’s” grand- daughter. The story reveals haw the old fellow, after an amazing series of developments, eventually estab- lishes the complate innocence of his granddaughter's sweetheart and pins the crijme on an_unscrupulous &nd successful suitor for her hand. Added_screen and musical ttons will be. provided. in *“What & Wife Learnéd,” a Thomas H. Ince production, will be presented for- the t time in Washington this. ;:ekwn Crandall's Metropolitan eater. It concerna & brilliant woman writer, ! 8al” who The musical embellishments will in- clude a concert overture by the or- chestra and Miss Viola T. Abrams, in a harp solo prelude for which one of ‘the proscenium side-stages will ’ba utilized with special lighting ef- COLUMBIA—"“The Fair.” Another splendid stage success will be brought to the screen at Loew's Columbia Theater this week only, be- ginning this afternoon, in Metro's production of ‘“The Famous Mrs. Fair,”" the fascinating play by James Forbes, in which Henry Miller and Blanche Bates achieved remarkable succe, = Fred Niblo,” famous for his screen production of “The Three Musket- starring Douglas Fairbanks, and “Blood and Sand,” in which Ro- dolph Valentino had the Otis Skinner ;?.110,'” directed “The Famous Mrs. r. The story concerns the efforts of Mrs. *Falr, an upper-class American mother, to continue on the lecture platform that prominence she won in war, work {n France, and the dire consequences to her husband, who is led into the web of an ad- venturess; her son, who contraéts a marriage of questionable judgment, and her daughter, Who enters upon a career of cocktalls, jazz and dubious social contacts. Myrtle Stedman has the role of Mr: Fair, Marguerite de la Motte that of the daughter; Cullen Landls, the son; Helen Ferguson, the girl he marries; Huatley -Gordon, Mr, Fair; Carmel Myers, the adventuress, and Ward Crane, the man who misled the daugh- ter. ‘Added screen and musical at- tractions.are promised. CENTRAL—“Environment.” “Environment,” an Irving Cum- mings' production, will be given its premiere Washington showing at Crand Central Theater the first four days of this week, with Milton Sills and Allce Lake in the chief roles. It contrasts underworld and country ife, ‘with Mliton 8llls as a young ‘armer and Miss Lake as “Chicago odivides her time between thieving and performing as a cabaret dancer. When the paths of these two cross, the girl finds herself torn be- tween conflicting emotions and strangely contradictory desires. For a time she seems to reform, under the influence of Steve and his mother, but only to evade prison, but so im- pressed is Steve with her dormant ?ullll:‘tl that ll‘ :nll?:l he; back nto her night life and then things bexin to heppen. . The fonrih release in the hting Blood™ series, based on H. C. twet’s short stories, also will be shown, with the Kinograms. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Milton silis; Anna Q. Nilsson, Pauline Garon, Elliott Dexter and Theodo Kosloff will be plctured in “Adam!' Rib.” W. E. Thompson's organ re- citals will bé a feature. CRANDALL'S—“Secrets of Paris.” “Secrets of. Paris” will be shown the first four days of this week, be- $inning this afternoon, at Crandall's ‘ 5 Famous Mrs. | THE ‘SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, P. C.. APRIL MyrTLE STEDMAN ~ olumbia BLYTHE Crandalls Theater. It is a screen version of the famous novel by Eugene Sue and its cast includes Lew Cody, Gladys Hulette, Montague Love, Dolrores Cassenelli, J. Barney Sherey, Coghlan, Efie Shannon and Bradley Barker. In the coronation scenes, in which Mayflower, the unknown or- phan of the slums finally participates when her true identity is established, Miss Hulette is said to wear a robe | the Marchioness of | actually worn by Ely at the coronation of King kdward VIL of England. Thursday, Friday apd Saturday, Betty Blythe will be seen in “The Darling of the Rich,” with Christie’s new comedy, “Babies Wel- come." Apollo. Today and tomorrow. Bebe Danfels and Lewis Stone, in “The World's Ap- plause,” and Paul Parrot. in “The Smile ‘Wins”; Tuesday and Wednes. day, Jackie Coogan, in “Daddy.” and Larry Semon, in “No Wedding Bells” Thursday, Marion Davies and T. Roy Barnes, in “Adam and Eva"; Friday Lon Chaney, Hope Hampton and E. Lincoln, in “The Light in_the Dark,’ and Harry Pollard. in “A Tough Win- ter”; Saturday, Alice Brady. in “Mi ing Milllons,” 'and Louise Fazenda, in “Pest of the Storm Country.” Avenue Grand. Today and tomorrow, Jackie Coo- gan, in “Daddy,” and Larry Semon, in No Wedding Bells”; Tuesday and Wednesday, Bebe Danlels and Lewis Stohe, in “The World's Applause,” and Paul Parrot, in “Good Riddance”; Thursday, Lon Chaney, Hope Hamp- ton and E. K. Lincoln, in “The Light in the Dark,” and Louise Fazenda, in “Pest of the Storm Country”: Frida. Alice Brad: in “Missing Millions, and George O'Hara., In_ “Fighting Blood,” No. 2; Saturday, Marfon Da- vies and T. Roy Barnes, in “Adam and Eva” and comedy, “Fishing." Chevy Chase. Today, tomorrow and Tuesday, Har- old Lioyd, in “Dr. Jack,” Mary Alden, in “Hope,” Aesops Fables, Interna- tional News, and Pearl White, in “Plunder,” Episode No. 1; Wednesday, Glenn Hunter, in “The Second Fid- dle” Lige Conley, in “Look Out Below,” and International News; Thursday, Dorothy Dalton, in “Dark Secrets,” H. C. Witwer's “The Fight- ing Blood,” Round 1. and Charlie Murray, in “A Soclal Error”; Friday, Jack Holt, in “Making a Man,” Eddie Barry, in’ “Dog Sense,” and Oregon N' Nell Shipman, Century Comedy “Dad’s Boy,” and Movie Chats. Mati nee only, Pearl White, in lunde Episode No. 2. Circle. Today and tomorrow, Booth Tark- ington’s “The Flirt”; Tuesday, Col- leen Moore, in “The Ninety and Nine’ ‘Wednesday, Martha Mansfield, in “Queen of the Moulin Rouge”; Thurs- day and Friday, Leatrice Joy and Jacqueline Loga in “Java Head"; Saturday, Douglas MacLean, in “Bell Boy 13.” Dumbarton. Today, Viola Dana, “Crinoline and Romance”; tomorrow, Clara Kimball Young, in “Enter Madame”; Tuesday, Gloria’ Swanson, in “My 'American Wife"; Wednesday and Thursday, “Golden Dream; Friday, Milton Sills, in “The Forgotten Law"; Sat- urday, Willlam Russell, in- “Man Size.” .Elite. Today, Leatrice Joy and Matt Moore, in_“Minnle”; tomorrow and Tuesday, Mae Marsh, in “Till We Meet Again ba oung; nter Madame’: . Crawford Kent, In “Silas Marner”; Friday, Milton Sills, in “The Forgotten Law”; Saturday, John Barrymore, in “Sherlock Holmes.’ Empire. Today and tomorrow, Buck Jones, in “Boss of Camp 4, also Aeso) Fables, “Day by Day in Every Wai and Lupino Lane, in “The Reporter” T‘u'lfllr and Wednesday, Mae Marsh, in “Till We Meet Again,” also com- edy, “Sweety”; Thursday, “A Clouded Name,” also’ comedy, “Something About Nothin, Friday, Pete Morri- son, in “Smilin’ On,” also the Leather Pushers; Saturday, Hoot Gibsonm, in g‘:;d'{td Courage,” also comedy, “No Favorite. ‘Today, Betty Compson and Bert Lytell, in “Kick In"; tomorrow, Jack Holt, In “Making a Ma; Tuesday, Anita Stewart, in * Question of Honor”; Wednesday, North"; Thursday, [, “Too Much Business”; Friday, Kath- erine MacDonald, in “The Woman's ide”; Saturday, Charlss Jones, In “The Boss of Camp 4. Hippodrome. Today and tomorrow, Norman Tal« THEODORE, ROBERTS - Palade i | Rose | MOT!(\.\‘ pictures primarily appeal to the dream mind or romantic of the people who see them, according to Allan Dwan, producer | of Paramount pictures, and for that | reason many things are done in pic- tures that would not happen in real |life. Directors deliberately make | exaggerations help along this dream mind. “In all of us, no matter how naterialistic, there is a tinge, & hope of romance,” Dwan explained. “In plctures we always try to give our lovers a beautiful background for | their love scenes, because it appeals { to the romantic state of the audience. In actual life the lovers might be at the kitchen sink washing dishes, but a scene like that would not stir an audience nearly as much as one showing the happy couple with a pleasant vista in the background. We sometimes use symbolism to proa duce that feeling in the audience, but in actuality one seldom encounters a symbol in his entire existence, | state to to produce an Imitation of life, and to be a good imitation it should be impressionistic. A vaudeville artist who imitates gives an impression of the character that he is imitating rather than an actual reproduction. The idea is the same in pictures. “The screen is a medium of impres- | sionism and we exaggerate often to give the proper cffect. A mediéval castle in England is not impressive, actually. It is necessary, to exag- gerate, to fill all the dream crevices of the mind. Therefore we use high lines to give the impression of mag- nificence and _size. Lines are pro- longed to reach the imagination. The dreamer—the average person in the motion-picture audience—visualizes the wealthy home as more ornate than it really is, so it 18 necessary to make it appear as those in the audience think it should look. “The whole trend today in tem- porary art s toward impressionism rather than actuality. Gordon Craig is one of the modern artists who be- lleves in exaggeration. In pictures we strive for the same thing. “The very first thing we do in plc- tures is absolutely contrary to nature. We make-up our actors, We want them to appear pleasing on the screen, an effect we could not get from the pigments of the skin. We are careful about the way the st dress their hair and about the clot they wear, not because we want them to be ordinary, but unusual In art and pictures the unusual is more in- teresting to the multitude. “The YVolce from the ; Tuesday, “Old Wives for ‘Wednesday, Cullen Landis and Moore, ‘in “Forsake All Others”; Thursday, Clara Kimball Young, in “Enter Madame"; Friday, Constance Talmadge, in “Good-night, Paul”; Saturday, Wallace Reid, in “The Ghost Breaker. madge, Minare New" Colleen in Home. Today and tomorrow, Leatrice Joy, in “Java Head"; Tuesday, Viola Dana, in “Crinoline and Romance”; Wednes- day and Thursday, all start cast in “Hearts Aflame”; in the “Flaming Hour"; Saturday, Harry Carey, in “Crashin’ Thru” New. Today, Charles Jones, in “The Bells of St. Juan,” Sunshine comedy, “The Jungle Goddess Chapter 2: tomorrow, “The Silent Barrier, d comedy, “The Four Orphan day, Willlam Russell, in sader.” and Tweedy comedy; Wedne: day, Milton Sills, in “Burning Sands,” Ham and Bud comedy and Fox News; Thursday, Betty Compson, in “Always the Woman,” Rod and Gun series and comedy, amateur night; Friday, Wil- liam buncan in ' “The Fighting Guide,” Harold Lloyd comedy an Aesop Fables; Saturday, Tom Mix, in “Do or Dare,” Buster Keaton comedy and Pearl White, in “Plunder.” Olympie. Today, Jack Holt, In “Making a Man”; tomorrow and Tuesday, Gloria Swanson and Antonio Moreno, In “My 'a Louiss Larral e 0 AN uise n »A‘I‘L’lr Stairs,” and Charlie Chaplin, in “A Dog’s Life": Thursdsy, Rich- ard Barthelmess, In “Fury”; Friday. Mary Pickford, in ‘Daddy Long Legs": Saturday, Norman Talmadge, in “The Isle of Conquest.” Princess. Today, “My Friend the Devil” morrow, Norma Talmadge, in Daughter of Two. Worlds":- Tuesdsy. Clara Kimball Young. in_ “Enter Madame”; Wednesday, Mary Pickford,! “The business of motion pictures is | NEXT WEEK'S PHOTOPLAY. RIALTO—"Souls For Sale.” METROPOLITAN—"Sure Fire Flint COLUMBIA—Gloria Swanson, in “Prodigal Daughter: PALACE — Alice Brady, “The Leopardess.” CENTRAL—"The Fourth Mus- keteer.” CRANDALLS — Hoot Gibson, in “Dead Game.” in | “We always strive t. please the {eve with the background. For this | reason conventional lines on walls | are avolded, so when the camera ap- | proaches or recedes from the wall the | designs will not be distorted. Many times we misplace furniture from the accustomed manner of placing furni- ture in a room for the sake of com- {position and te aecommodate the |action. This Is advisable for photo- ! graphic purposes. 1 ‘A wealthy woman in real life i might wear a blue serge suit, yet if | we dreesed her that way in pictures she would not appear wealthy. So | we put her in ermine and give her {Jewels. of course always avoiding vulgarity. Because of the cosi, when | we want to destroy a fine plece of bric-a-brac we sometimes use a clay | or plaster-of-paris imitation. A con- nolsseur on seeing the picture might | say that a piece like it, if real, would | not break in the manner in which it {was broken in the scene. but the Allan Dwan Explains His Theory | average person in the audience gets | | the effect of the broken piece and | does not question ft further. We put |smoke powder cartridges in a pistol when we want to have one fired in |2 scene because we want the audi- |ence to know that a shot was fired. Dealers in firearms might say that no plstol would smoke like this particu- lar one did, but the inaccuracy is necessary. | A lot” of anachoroniems in pictures |are accidental. Nobody would put a | Winehester rifie in a twelfth century | scene, but if they used twelve-faot spears in that time we might make | themn fifteen feet long. No man I ing knows everything. We must re- 1y ‘on research and experts for much of our information. Frequently we are victimized by these experts. We only learn from the public that we are wrong and then it is too late to change. “Visitors who come to a motion- picture studio see men at a full dress dinner party wearing pink and blue shirts and they are aghast They wear shirts of this color because white is too glaring. This, however, is a technical inaccuracy that does not show on the screen, for the shirts look white when photographed. The business of a director Is to hold together and direct the various forces that make a picture. If the man employed to dress the sets, the property men. the -art department make mistakes the fault must be placed on the department that pro- duces it. It is a physical Impossi- bility for any one man to check carefully everything that goes Into the making of a motion picture on the scale they are now made. “Daddy Long Le ‘Thursday, “The Forgotten Law"; Friday and Saturday, “The Ninety and Nine.” Raphael. Today and tomorrow, Richard Bar- thelmess, in “Fury”; Tuesday, Lea- trice Joy, in “Java Head”; Wednes- dsy and Thursday, Lila Lee and James Kirkwood, in “Ebb Tide"; Fri- day, Douglass MacLean, in “Bell Boy 13”; Saturday, Harry Cgrey, in “Can- yon o the Fools.” Regent. Today and tomorrow, “Tess of the Storm Country” (Mary _Pickford): Tuesday, Jean P in_‘“The Prodi- #al Judge”; Wednesday, Bebe Daniels, in “Pink Gods”; Thursday, Pauline Starke, in “The Kingdom Within"; Friday, Mary Mliles Minter and Tom Moore, in “The Cowboy and the Lady”; Saturday, Wallace Reed, in ‘The Ghost Breaker. Savoy. Today_and tomorrow, Jackie Coo- gan, in “Daddy,” and Larry Semon, in “No' Wedding 'Bells”; Tuesday and Wednesday, Bebe Danfels and Lewls in “World's Applaus Paul Parrott, in “Good Riddance’ Thursday, Lon Chaney, Hdpe Hamp- ton and E. K. Lincoln, in “The Light in the Dark,” and Dorothy Devore, in “Bables Welcome”; Friday, Alice Brady, in “Missing_Millions,” and George O'Hara, in “Fighting Blood” No. 2; Saturday, Marion Davies and T. Roy Barnes, in “Adam and Eva." York. Today and tomorrow, Mae Murray. in “Jaszmania,” and “The Alley Cat”; Tuesday and Wednesday, Richard Dix and Mae Busch, in “The Christian”; Thursday, Eileen Percy, in “The Flirt,” and Payl Parrott, in “Good Riddance Friday, Cullen. Landis and Eva No- vak, in “Dollar Devils,” -and Al St. in_ “The Alarm”; Saturday, Buck John, in “The Alarm"; Saturday, Buck Louise Fasenda, in “Pest of the Storm Country. | but out of prafses Screen Vers;on. CTRIL MAUD stage star, who played the title role in “Grumpy" some fourteen hun- dred times in England and America, saw William De Mille's screen version of the play at the Rivoli Theater, York, recently, when he and ‘Winter Come: stage compan guests of Hugo Riesenfeld at the pic- ture's premiere. Two days later Mr. Riesenfeld ceived the following letter from Maude: “It was wond me, when on you witnessed the admi of ‘Grumpy.’ What a wonde sonality Mr. Roberts has—a dear, de- lightful old face. And what a good actor! Many congratulations on your version of my dear old Picsarae Wild Auimals. A. SNOW'S “Hunting Big Game in Africa with Gun and Camera” is going to startle folks whose only visuzBzation of wild creatures is that of the zoo or menagerie. The big game presented is from one-third to two-thirds larger than the captive cousins in the menugeries Means were found of picturing many of the larger wild animals in close- ups. Actual combats are shown, and each hunt is a thrilling continuity from the first tracking to the stop- ping of the charging animal by Mr. Bnow's rifle. The story begins on the west coast of Africa, then South Africa is visit- ed, native “jazz" fashions and cere- monies are recorded. the Kimberly diamond fields are explored, and soon the grand safari starts via Mombasa towards the equator. Old elephant tralls constituted the only roads into the jungle. One of these led into the vast crater or bowl of an extinct volcano, where the party nearly lost their lives by an elephant stampede. Attacks on their re- Mr. interesting for | camp’ by THons, legpards, hyenas and other prowlers were an almost night- ly occurrence. When an ant army invaded, refuge was found only by placing the sleeping cots in the river! There were many other hardships, privations and breath-taking escapes, it_all the Snow party erged in 1922, with a wonderful collection of museum gpecimens and pictures. Glories of Other Days. EVOKING memories of another day, almost another age, was the effect of the news received from the coast by the Metro home offices that Frankie Bailey, the one-time toast of New York, is appearing as an extra in the Fred Niblo production of “Thes) Famous Mrs. Fair.” 2 Time was when Frankie Balley— now just one in a filmed group of Red Cross “buddles”—was the hit of many a musical show, and chiefly because of her legs! Adjudged the most beau- tiful in the world. They were more eloguent to the audience than singers, songs and orchestra. They were a legend which became part of the language, for to speak of “Frankle Bailey's’ was another way of ‘designating lower limbs. It was Frankie Bailey who inspired that one- time crack: “The legs are the founda- tion of the drama.” However, she isn't the only. former avorite appearing in extra parts in “The Famous Mrs. Fair.” In the same group are Lvdia. Yeamans Titus, Josephine Kirkwood, Muriel Beres- ford, Eva Mudge and Dorcas Mat- thews. Chats on Dress. CLARA KIMBALL YOUNG, noted screen actress, contends that no fast and hard rules can be set for ‘women’s dress. The appropriateness of any costume, she declares, must, in the last analysis, depend upon the occasion and the wearer. Unless a gown expresses {individuality, she says, It is inappropriate nc matter how great its cost or its intrinsic beauty. “A wsense of fitness of things is vital to dre: says Miss Young. “The long draped models are exquis- ite in the drawing room, but utterly out of place on the street, for one should ‘not be hampered by long skirts. Dress should be a happy combination of beauty and common “Each year dr is becoming more and more of an art. The new gowns are very beautiful because they are being specially designed to exl)u individuality and the moods of the American woman. “She does not have to go to Eu- ropll for beautiful and becoming styles. “In fact, it has been my experience that most imported gowns have to be remodeled to suit her beauty or per- sonality.” _— James Forbes, author of “The Famous Mrs. Fair”’ paid a great tribute to Fred Niblo's abliity when he waived the right of supervising the. screen dramatization of his play after he was told that Niblo was to be the director. AMUSEMENTS Latest Gossip From Hollywood BY HALLETT ABEND. Bpecia) Qorrespondence of The Star. LOS ANGELES, April 16—No press agent could possibly have stirred up the furore sbout Barbara La Marr which raged here because of a care- less and premature announcement made by Julius Bernheim, general manager of Universal City. Mies La Marr’s stock has gone soar- ing, and the attention of Hollywood has been focused upon her. She has sdvanced in about fourteen months from a player in occasional demand at 3100 a week to a leading woman sought after by half a dozen pro- ducers at $2,000 a week. Bernheim, it {s sa{d, announced that Universal had signed Miss La Marr for a contract covering a term of years, to be starred in superfeatures, and that she would rank with Pris cilla Dean, Lon Chaney and other Universal headliners. The local news- Ppapers accepted the contract as an accomplished fact, but a storm of pro- tests followed from Bernhelm. The facts are that contracts had been iprepared calling on Miss La Marr to make one picture for Universal after 2lfilling her prior eengagements. ‘he salary nemed is 32,000 a week, 4nd a clause in the contract gave an option for a second picture if both parties are willing. It advertised as a star, but as “leading the cast.” Meanwhile Miss La Marr will com- plete her work in “Captain Apple- jack,” which Fred Niblo is directing for Louis B. Mayor. After that she has to fill a contract with Samuel Goldwyn and George Fitzmaurice which ‘calls for her to play the role of Hall Cain's “The KEternal City,” is specified | also that Miss La Marr shall not be | Donna Roma in_ the fllm version of | Cherry Malotte in “The Spoilers.” The production will be made at the Goldwyn studio, and James Young will direct, after he finishes “Trilby" for Richard Walton Tully. Dick Jones, Mabel Normand's direc- tor, is hereafter to be known as d'- rector general of Mack Sennett pro- ductions. He announces & change in » the star part of “The Extra Girl” which will be played by Winifrea Bryson instead of by Phyllis Haver.~ Victor ~ Seastrom, the famous Swedish director, now at Goldwyn's. |is angling for Joseph Schildkraut to play opposite Mae Murray in Hall Caine’s “Master of Man.” John Blackwood's film “Havoc” Wwill be the first feature which Harry Garson will direct for Universal. J. Warren Kerrigan has been loaned by Lasky and Tom Sant- schl also will have an important part. play. Warner Brothers will feature Mary Prevost in “Broadway After Dark." feature written by Edmund Gould- ing. Virginia Lee Corbin, the child {flm star, who has toured the United States apd much of Europe in vaude- ville, will return to the screen in_the Fisher production of “Youth Tri- umphant.” The grand banks of Newfoundlan: will be the scens for the Louls B Mayer production of “Cape Cod Folks.” Victor Heerman, directing for J. M | Schenck, announces “Barbara Wins- |low, Rebel,” us the next vehicle for | Constance Talmadge, after she oom | pletes “Dulcy.” C. Gardner Sullive: |is “already at work upon the scrip! | which will follow closely the novel o old English days, by Elizabeth Ellis which is to be fllmed in and around| ‘Cecil B. De Mille will start filming Rome. After the Goldwin-Fitsmau-|«The Ten Commandments” May 1 rice feature, Miss La Marr's manager, | The largest set ever used fn motion Arthur §. Sawyer, probably will fea- | pictures will be built on the sout! ture her in “The Shooting of Dan Mc- | ern California desert for the city of Grew,” though that may be deferred | Rameses II, and the mob scenes wii! until ‘after the Universal picture has been made. Sam E. Rork announces a four-cor- nered contract involving story, star, production and director. The story is Cynthla Stockley's South African novel. “Pon Jola”; the star is Anna Q. Nilsson, now finishing the role of | include thousands of people. Severa | hundred people are now busy mak- ing the thousands of biblical cot |tumes which will be needed. Tie film, it is estimated, will take flie | months to make. | (Copyright, 1823, T. 8. id Great Britain, \ North American Newspaper Alllance. rights reserved.) Filmograms BEBE DANIELS, Antonio Moreno | and a company of Paramount players, including Burr MacIntosh, Diana Allen, Cyril Ring, Herbert Grimwood, Ida Darling, Jane Thomas, Allan Simpson and George Backus, have returned from a five-week stay in Miami, Fla, and vicinity and are making interior scenes for “The Ex- citers” at the Long Island studio. Jack Cunningham, screen adaptor of Emerson Hough's story, “The Cov- ered Wagon.” has returned to New York from Florida, where he has been for the last two wecks on location with “The Heart Raider” company. Mr. Cunningham aiso wrote the screen version of this story. Agnes Ayres is the star and Wesley Ruggles is directing. All sorts of people who do not or- figure in the pictures as the public sees them will come to light in James Cruze's new production, “Hollywood.” "Aside from the galaxy of stars, directors and others who are to appear, there will be “movie” cor- respondents for trade papers, embryo scenarists, casting directors, studio chauffeurs, assistant directors, pho- | tographers, 'neverybody. Another secret has been discovered about Nita Naldl. She was the orig- inal Benda girl and was the first model used In making the famous Benda_masks. It was in the days when Benda was unknown in the art world. Records for the Olympia Theater in Mexico City were broken during holy week by the Paramount picture, “Experience.” which had its premiere there, according to cables received. Jerome Storm has started “Chil- dren of Jazz,” which is from a play {by Harold Brighouse, adapted b: Beulah Marie Dix, at Paramount's west coat studio. The cast includes Theodore Kosloff, Ricardo Cortez Eileen Percy, Irene Dalton and Rob- E;l Cain. Ralph Block is production editor. In filming “You Can't Fool Your Wife,” the director had a hospital se. quence to photograpl To avold the mistakes that critical fans are so quick to note in sickroom procedure and in surgical operations on the screen, Director Melford had the rvices of two trained nurses to check up on the details of handling instruments, administering ether and general operating room methods. A statistical fiend assures us there are ten times as many nationally Kpown screen stars as stage stars, So the epitaph of a “legit.” veteran on Jolning the movies or dying is about the same. Ho had ranted for twenty-five years on the stage, Oother stars all acceded priority, No we miss his voice, charged with' emotional rage— He has passed to the eHent majority. John Stahl has signed Marie Prevost and Robert Ellis for leading roles in his newest Louls B. Mayer oroduction for First National release. The picture is temporarily titled “Climbing.” Maurice Tourneur is exercising his peculiar talent for the fantastic and eerie, in “The Brass Bottle,” now being made at the United studios, in California. An axe, held by unseen hands, batters down a heavy oak door; a mob storms through & drizsly night of rural England; a jinee leaps from “the brass bottle” in" a flash of smoke and flame, in three of the scenes filmed during the past few days. Allen Holubar, who has just com- pleted “Slander the Woman,” starring Dorothy Phillips, may return to the speaking stage for a brief time. Mr. Holubar is contemplating the build- ing of a modern theater in Holly- wood, where nothing but well known stage plays and operas will be pre- sented, Joe Butterworth, Jjuvenile actor, who plays the role of Sam in the First Nationa] picture, *“Penrod and Sam,” never uses make-up. An educated mule is one of the cast members of Maurice Tourneur's “The Brasy Bottle." Norma Talmadge Is having a three- week vacation in California until Director Frank Lloyd reaches her initial scene in “Ashes of Vengeance,’ now in the making and to be released next summer. Frank Lloyd has been signed to make a serles of Frank Lloyd pro- ductions _for Associated First Na. ional. Some of his big_directorial accomplishments are the Norma Tal- madge pictures, “The Eternal Flame,’ “The Volice From the Minaret and “Within the Law,” and the Jackie Coogan classic, “Oliver Twist.” Frank Borzage has finished shoot- ing “Children of Dust” While the picture is being edited, Borzage is searching the entire scenario writer fleld to select a continuity writer for his next story, “Dust in the Doorway,” on account of the delicate treatment and finesse it demands. Director Edwin Carewe has left Los Angeles with the completed print of “The Girl of the Golden West" for the Atlantic City meeting of stock- holders of Associated First National Pictures, Inc. Holbrook Blinn has been engaged by Carewe_ to yl% the title role in “The Bad Man.” Blinn {s now star- ring on the stage in this play in Los Angeles, and its run will probably extend into the start of the picture, which will be a unique situation. David Belasco has learned his first motion picture phrase. When Sid- ney Franklin, who will direct the Belasco play, “Tiger Rose” for the Warner Brothers, met the theatrical producer, they discussed the play and its adaptation. In the course of the conversation Mr, Belasco asked, “Are You very busy, Mr. Frinklin?” 1 have been, but I'm not ‘shooting’ at present.” replied Franklin A few days later they met agai. and Mr. Belasco. much to Franklin's ’ surprise, said, “When do you plan to ‘shoot’ ‘Tiger Rose'?” “Baby” Bruce Guerin, who plays a prominent role in “Brass.” the screen version of Charles G. Norris' novel, s said to be the youngest actor who has actually portraved a dramtic part on the screen. Bruce is only three and a half years old. At the “Neighborhood Gathering Hours" observed in Crandall's Savoy Avenue Grand and Apollo theaters’ last week Mrs. Harriet Hawley Loch er, director ot the public service and educational department of the C dall Theaters, entertined more t 4,000 Washington school children witl the pictures of the Czechoslovakian city of Prague and the Bakule School, together with the interesting reels of the Sokol Society of 12,000 men and women in organized gvmnastics. which were presented through x!? courtesy of Dr. Stepanek and the 1¢- gation in this city. The widely advertised shortage of leading men and character actors on the Pacific coast seems to be corrobo- rated this current week at Crandall's Central and Sth and E streets thea- ters. Milton Sills is leading man in both of the photodramas announced for the Central, and Montagu Love in both scheduled for Crandall's at 9t and E. The Sills of “Environment, however, will not be recognized as the Sills of “Adam’'s Rib," and certainly the Montagu Love of “Secrets of Par- is” bears no resemblance to the pol-/ ished actor with Betty Blythe in “The Darling of the Rich." The coinci- dence can be accounted for only as “one of those things." Equivalent of The French Academy GREAT French dressmaker, great French painter and a great French architect are suggested as per- sons to be invited to the great inter- national conference to discuss the mo- tion picture now being assembled by Adolph Zukor, president of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. The suggestion is made by another great Frenchman, great because he was great in France and has now achieved additional greatness in the fleld of mo- tion pictures, Paul Iribe, former de signer for Poiret and Paquin in Paris now art director for Cecll B. De Mjll producer of Paramount pictures. The great dressmaker is Poiret. The_great painter is Picasso, leading nch modernist. e great architect {5 Andre Groult, considered the greatest creative archi- tect of his age. “I am too lately in this country -to presume to suggest Americans for this conference,” says M. Iribe, “but I can speak with authority as to the noted Frenchmen who should be in attend- nce. Poiret for gowns, Picasso fop artistic groupings and color, Grouit for new thoughts as to sets—assuredly these Europeans would add much of value to Mr. Zukor's laudable attempt to establish in America the equivalent of the French Academy. Has Hyacinthian Hasr. HE secret of Nita Naldl's success as a screen vamp is out. She has hyacinthian hair! That {s, he hair is so black that it glves off- cerulean tints. This discovery was not made by a press agent, strange to say. It all came out when a visitor to the Long Island studio saw her doing a scene in “Lawful Larceny,” Allan Dwan's latest production. “Oh, she has hvacinthian hafrt exclaimed the visitor. “Natice the violet tints it gives off under the lights." 7 The the p. a. stepped in. He had? been puzzling for a long time ' on Miss Naldi's Tet powers of vamp- ing and on just why It was she seem- ed to cast a spell over & man when, she turned her black eyes on him. Now he knew. It wasn't her eyes at all, it was her hair. The violet rays cast off her raven black hair when strong lights were turned on did the trick. There is sométhing hypnotic about the reflected tint; “l do have a terrible time with my hair when the spot lights ari turned on it to keep from having & sort of halo show,” explained Miss aldi. “That's the reason I always try to wear some kind of headplece. It breaks up the blackness of my ha and prevents the sheen which ‘sh if T do mot wear any ornaments. Then the visitor, who is a stundent of Latin at Columbia University, ex plained the ancient-Romans used the phrase “cerulean tints” to describe” Just such a condition. The explan: tion sounded satisfactory all around, hence this yarn. #* . ——— % 1Ty E. Lohmeyer, manager o Crafdall's Avenue Grand Theater, ha 3 secured R. Burroughs, baritone, as an* added musical attraction at the Ave- nus Grand for Thursday ‘eveming of this week only. Mr. Burroughs wilk be heard in a cycle of ballads. I d