Evening Star Newspaper, July 11, 1926, Page 45

. “industry, the director is‘set up as the one cl Ihegters - BREVOST, Metropdlitan. .QVIA BREAMER, Anbgss : F all the memorable classics that have been coined in slang to embellish the expressive power of the vernacular, none perhaps is more intimately associated with everyday life. than “Passing world to unload its burdens upon others than those who should bear them, and it is equally the common custom to shift the responsibility to the ‘other fellow when things go wrong. We find this in the case of the column, perhaps, in the object of our weekly concern, the movie.” The child and the movie are much alike, in their homework and recitation schedule. The homework of the child, too often carried on alone in.a will come of it, bears a strong resemblance to moyie production in the studio. When recitation time comes for the .overburdened child, should failure_come with it, either the child has not studied his lesson or his result. The teacher who doesn’t teach can never, never be at fault.! So when the recitation time of the movie comes—and that is when it is cast upon the screen before thes public—if the picture be deemed a; failure, it delicate comprehensibility, or ignorance .of art. It is never:the fault:of the. one particular chap of all who most of all is responsible for the fall- down. - Thus, both with the child and with the movie, fly ‘buck is passed the real responsibility is ever to be definitely placed in either the case of the child, or the case of the movie, remains to be seen. The child naturally is helpléss, hopeless, in the shadow of his failure, and the general By W. H. Landvoigt. o the buck” and “Let George doit.” It is the way of our workaday child whose education does not prosper, and, more appropriately. to this bewildering mass of doubt, with no hope otherthan, hit. or miss, something parents. have rot helped him, for in no other way could failure possibly is the fault of the public's ighorance, or lack of appreciation, or want of and the real culprit is not singled out and held up to execration. Whether public, unorganized, seldom fights back. * ¥ %k X ITH its keen eve of investigation on the movie, Film Daily, a trade organ of the industry generallycredited with being “the Bradstreet of Filmdom,” recently issued an imposing number devoted almost exclu- sively to the directors of motion pictures. In it is published a poll of “the country's leading critics” as to whom.they consider the “ten: leading photoplay directors in Anmrerica.” The editor, prefacing the nuniber, points out the importance of the director in the making of successful photoplays. “To him,” he states, “directly is charged the success or failure of a pro- duction.” His must be “that inherent quality of subtlety, that delightful sense of humor, that quaint, human, philosophical slant on life, or tense dramatic interest, that is characteristic and personal” They can never 3 be drilled into him, indeed, directors must be born, they ¢annot be made. v And then, after pointing out what the qualifications of a successful direc- tor must be, Film Daily publishes the pictures and the names of “the ten R leading directorial geniuses of the screen,” as nomindted by 158 leading ILI.IAN critical geniuses of the newspapers, who are supposed to knot bout | LL it. There are few, if any, who will dispute the laurels of the ten. “Efich i von Stroheim received 129 votes; King Vidor, 121; Ernest Lubitsch, 115 DAVIS/ ;o David Wark Griffith, long considered- the geer of them all, 114; James & i 1 Cruze, maker of “The Covered Wagon,” 112; Cecil Be De Mille of “The niral. Ten Commandments” and “The Volga Boatman” notabl{, 81; Malcolm St. ¥ ” Clair, not so well known to the public, perhaps, 67; Rex Ingram, who made: “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” “The Prisoner of Zenda” and “Scaramouche,” 59; Charles Chagwolin, whom everybody knows as the] comedian supreme of the screen, 50, and Herbert Brenon, whose work is familiar to every screen fan, 49 votes. The decision was restricted to works released from 1921 to 1926, inclusive. . * ok ok ok : INETY-THREE directors of motion pictures are named in the Film Daily list who received the honor of a vote, and each. of these, below the first 27, received less than 10 votes, while 58 of theni received but 5 or less. “There are so many excellent directors whose names appear in the list below the chosen ten that lovers of pictures who ate not gifted with critical genius will be_tempted to flaunt the list ‘of the chosen ten | | and thereby do injustice to those whom they always should del‘fht to ! honor. In the same issue of the periodical which furnishes this informa. ! tion, however, is a rather interesting contribution by Reginald 'Barker, president of the Motion Picture Directors’ Association. "Mr. Barker, after Erecounting the illimitable qualifications necessary to be a godod director, Curr‘enrtv_ Attractions. K¢ the Theaters This Week, . : Afifik‘a\nb—v‘t‘.{hellfimfll& “Upstairs” ‘comedy drama. ~Tomorrow. L. eveningil . y . SRS | KEITH’S—]Johnny, Dooley, vaudeville. This afternoon-and évening EARLE—Welsh Choi obbins’ - Baltimoreans; vaudeville.~ This i afternoon and évening. 3 TR NATIONAL PLAYERS—“The Family [young Heller girl when the play had 4 Upstairs.” P R g.:pnmhratunfl Here, & lit- “The Family Upstairs,” which |!® More than a season § nn;r as follows: “And finullyl,‘ m;; every 'i‘cene is shot qn{i the film i: m? Netional p,‘”r‘: will offer this| = KEITH'S—Johnny. Dooley. ‘in the cutting room, comes what often is tife most excruciating part o : # » | the business—the problem .of :ittinf by and watching . week, commeneing tomorrow night,| At B, F. Keith’s Theater the bill for clipped to meet the requirements of length by the cutters, imes’ { director_may think that his entire work has been shamelessly nb";ed jn|1ng, lesson' for “relatives, especially Johnny Dooley in a new act, pre- he cutting and editing, but he is supposed to stand by and modestly take|paronts, who ‘fritérfére in the. heart[gented by E. { what acclaim is his, if it meets the expectations of its sponsors,:or ‘fake. [affaies.of thelr children. a 'leurl;o&mm" W] the fall' if it does not ‘pack them in’ when réleaged.. Ve after a |is at’ the | sgrenuous - job of filming, in which he feels he has had to. make up:for "‘f‘;‘f“"‘ e shortcomings of the author, scenarist, editor and others.who.had a1, :ge i the pie, the director feels (when the film cutter and ¢ditor‘k”gil;) at his t oftering & hrewartl m:st b‘e‘e beyond the grave, ":;l: not far ofirnva{hn. thus seem that ti pictures we see on_the screen are not,, 3 ::‘:t their diréctors tried to make them, and one wonders mm knowing this, can pick out a b;‘n ;‘iuectof. A RN * % TRECTORS doubtless are generals of the armies they lead, other generals eyidently furnish the plans of battle; and it that they, not alone the chap who fights his best to win “and- those plans, should ‘at ‘least share the responsibility in case: The public geherally does not know one director from: 1 very few instances. -Its demand usually is for thé name ¢ story, its star, and perhaps its cast. And yet, by common col ki 1 fails 0;!::“‘ . ted or kicked for a success of a ure -in- pictures; ‘N mms of bl the picture cutter, the editor, op any one’ ¢ case in the industry. -~ - bear in mind, is . i * % % % 5 'I'HE purpose of Filin Daily, do‘ubfle;. is to wm"‘bmh’::m e - f P edit, the heretofore obscure director, but s out -:rog:agle :hce‘ ln‘tfi - ten, or.the best ten,'it has uninteitionally upon the. great majority. of directors, who for one reason.or | mot seemed to please the critics. The verdict of the list, v Ebc u::‘pted, even in the industry, and ly no more by n w:n‘e‘gm:nmtg ?.{?:"‘effi‘c thase epce et in ave seems 1o be thst nominaly the ditector is the isn’t, a8 pre ATLEEN . PRINGLE, Slivoli %. ARGARET LIVINGSTON, OHNNY DOOLEY Keiths "Riatto. Photoplays BETTY . . BrRONSON Columbia, This Week At the Photoplay Houses This Week. COLUMBIA—*The Cat's Pajamas.” * METROPOLITAN—“Up in Mabel's Room.” evening. RIALTO—"A Trip to Chinatown.” PALACE—“Fascinating Youth.” TIVOLI—“The Palm Beach Girl.” AMBASSADOR—“Up evening. CENTRAL—“Quo Vadis.” evening. RIALTO—“A Trip to Chinatown.” EDWARD 5 HEARN, Wardman Park.. “Butter and Eggers.” ’I'HE conditions of theatrical produc- tion have undergone a silent revo- lution during the past 10 or 15 years. ‘Twenty-five years ago the bulk of the New York productions were made by established firms who had a prac- tical - monepoly. Theatrical produc- tions had the stamp of the individuals who made them, just as the news- papers, of 60 years ago had. Charles Frohman—C. F., as he was affection- ately known—was an individuality in the ‘theater, just as Horace Greeley, .| Gordon Bennett and Joseph Pulitzer JAMES KIRKWOOD _Iincolw. “Postponed Glosilying. g e Tt g American Girl,” -has tylng. been announced by Jesse L. 'l4-lky in a _fwire trom"the Coust. were in the newspaper field. There ‘were haif a dozen firms and they made all the productions. . ¢ Nowadays the _entrepréneur . who makes his own productions with his own money and.on his own responsi- bility is getting rarer. There is a crop of young, independent and fugi- tive producers whose dramatic output, as as productions are concerned, s exactly commensurate with the amount of money they can\raise, with the generosity_ of the butter and egg ™o hutter and egt” : 2 a a production A > verb in the “hooked” a- luction means for an individual to be let in to finance a bad , & play-which has very little aniop. toe micant; . G m.r'” makes tp:f‘::k. conserva: ively, 30 pe rent ®_productions made in New York durluu;m. fu he artis 2 of. to | may well refer to the “Butter dnd egg” revolution the American 1d 1916-1930.” t ; 'C‘:‘z there is a ‘pointed, though entertain- |the current week will be topped by:la; 5 K. Nadel, entidteq | first is said ; interplot to the complications. picked the military male. Women, he| stated, are enchanted by uniforms. - But what of the superior male? Is ‘| he ‘ingensitive ‘to chromatic trousers, | to the glint of brass buttons, to the clank of swords? How many march: “A Trip to Chinatown,” adapted from Charles A. Hoyt's stage comedy, is the photoplay attraction at the Rialto this week. It was directed by Robert P. Kerr, and features Earle Foxe, Margaret . Livingston -and J. Farrell MacDonald, supplemented by Anna . May Wong, George Kuwa, Harry Woods, Wilson- Benge, Marie plosive ‘lung, Fran- cisco, and what happens to him in the ensuing six weeks furnishes the amus- ing situations. . Much of the action is laid in San .Francisco’s romantic Chinatown, which is said to be repro- » sutmost fidelity, and of ‘were necessary s “m:ion directed b o.4tage presental A Y Mischa ‘Guterdon, is entitled “A Chop Sugy of Novelt! headed by Charles A. McDonald, the blind baritone, who has been held over for a second week by popular demand. International News and other subsidiary features will complete the program. COLUMBIA—“The Cat’s Pajamas.” The second weelk of Loew's Colum- bia’s 1926-7 photoplay season, starting this afternoon, will bring to the screen one of the productions announced as brilliant and delightful, from Para. mount’s fteenth birthday group, entitled, he Cat's Pajamas,” with a cast including Antonio. Moreno, Betty Bronson, Arlette Marchal and ‘Theodore Roberts. “The Cat's Pajamas” is described as a gay, frisky and spicy comedy from '2’ pen of Ernest Vajda, the Hunga playwright. who recently gave to the New York Theater in rapid succession, “Fata Morgana” and “Grounds for Divorce.” It is ;n Hope Loring and constitutes the first directoral fort under the Paramount banner of ‘Willam Wellman, orie of the newer directoral geniuses of the day. + It is said to be ‘gorgeous with its wns and gayety, spicy with' fervent d tascinating -in its limpses of back-stage atmosphere,”™ and concerns an operatic star. who endeavors to win a bet and to main- features will include a. Tux- edo comedy, “Honest Injun”; the I ternational news reel and Mr. Brusi- lot's orchestral embellishment. METROPOLITAN~—"Up in Mabel's . Room.” s Ths eight-day program to be inau- at Crandall's - Metropolitan n Phyllls Hay Maud Truax, Paul Breamer, ; | Harry Myers, Nicholson and Bylv!n-:! in Mabel's Room.” This afternoon and evening. This afternoon and This afternoon and evening. This afternoon and evening. | This afternoon and evening. This aftefnoon and This afternoon and evening. WARDMAN PARK—“As No Man Has Loved.” LINCOLN (Colored)—“The Reckless Lady.” This evéning. This afternoon -and thor . of numerous” hits for the late ‘Wally Reid, and it was directed by Sam Wood, long faimous as a Para- mount director, who for nearly two months ‘steadily drilled 'the Junior Stars in the various scen actual work began. In addition a group of most famous players appear in the picture, including = Thomas Meighan, Richard Dix,: Adolphe Men- jou, Clara Bow, Lois Wilson, P.l?’ mo% Chester Conklin and lcolm St. Cl % ddy s and Ivy Harrls have central.. of “Fascinating Youth, s, against the Midwinter splendor of the Adiron- dacks, the gayety of Greenwich Vil- Long: 1sand ‘scudion. the. siory of & . os,. story of a wnmly Jounig seciety idler who falls in love with a villige sketch-artist, contrary to his father's plans. It is fullsof: realism. thrills and amusing situations. A ‘Sennett comedis ‘Muscle Bound”; the Pathe news reel, Topics of the Day and a musical background by the - Palace Orchestra under Thomas J. Gannon will be added attractions. TIVOLI—“The Palm Beach Girl.” Bebs Danfels’ Paramount picture, attraction at Crandall’'s Tivoll The- ater the first two days of this week, beginning this afternoon. ‘The gayeties of fashionavle Florida have been utilized to lend verve to this story, with one of the thrilling se- quences depicting the hazards of a whirlwind speedboat race. The star is supported by Lawrence Gray, Jo- sephine Drake, John' Patrick and Mldlld%v Turner Gordon. A “Helen an arren” comedy, “Too Many Relations,” with Hallam Coolley -and Kathryn Perry, and the Pathe Re- view will also be shown. L and Wednesday, Comtll and Robert Catn- 1o in First Na- tional’s film version of Arthur String- er's story, “The Wilderness Woman,” together Christi “Ti Thursday and e O ray, George.:Sidney, Vera Gordon, Jack ._Mulhall, Jobyria ' Ralston and n Glass in_First National's de- lightful comedy, “Sweet - Daddies,” supplemented by O. Henry's “Elsle in New York” and the Pathe Review. Saturday, Greta’Nissen in “The Lucky pics the Detective,” No. 8. mmmn—"vy in Mabel's Room.” Marie Prevost, Harrison Ford P Haver, Sylvia Breamer an o Thursday, % t Moore, Kathryn e Za Su Pttn,HJnlh Swayne Gor- and Arth lousman, ur together ‘Willies” and Topics of.thc I;:y. ll=l‘- Charles Ra: J wiopd f:vfiahuoou{dx s Yoerhings und ing's original story, Arh"smm his of the . underwor! Gang” before .