Evening Star Newspaper, December 19, 1926, Page 79

| Flash es E;om thiScreen BY C. E. NELSO BOUT two years ago a group | Indiana folk — labeled by many—organized a society known as the Na- tional Indorsers of Photoplays. The idea of the organization was to draw together the motion picture loving people of the country who bhelieved in constructive cr m to aid ts to produce of “cran nd the industry in its cfforts to prod bigger and better screen photoplays And; start few for- ward-looking membe society has grown to large proportions dur- ing the last 24 months, ! In dorse shlich a tiny four-page monthly or newspaper, whic over work tee of th eration local e of motion pic national group. Here is a December pul “A hig @rac ing made the country these pietur duce ard of th be encon season pictures splendid for the Am publication are “Tak terback, “Ben-Hu he te From ke ocie ication of pictures is be anized groups over 1 he Christm Cl: mas There are tures suitable t this, 1o show special for ch selected holiday t the pictures listed by the worth remembering From Me,” “The Qua Four Horsemen,’ Private Izzy Murphy, “The Nervous Wreek.” “Sunny Side Up,” “The Clinging Vine” and Speeding Venus.” Pictures listed as suitable for churches, schools and community entertainments include “The Ancient Mariner,” “Cricket on the Hearth,” “A Kiss for Cinder- ella,” “Twenty Dollars a Week” and “The Man Nobody Knows.” The organization does not con- demn certain photoplays—it merely indorses pictures that it considers especially suitable for exhibition. has been stated in these col- run of motion pi many times, the general tures is on a much higher scale than ever before. One has but to glance through the list of local attractions to sec that this holds true. Photoplays like “Stella Dallas” and “Tin Hats” are not few and far between; they are exhibited fn Washington theaters each week. The Ufa production of “Faust” was fot billed as a “superpicture,” yet it would have been in that class a few years back. The real “flop” in the icture line rarely reaches the ex- Eibimr these days. He is no more interested in screening bad pictures | than the audience is in grazing upon them. It would be safe to say that he is less interested * ok Kk URING the next week J. Stuart Blackton will begin production, at the Vitgraph studio in Hollywood, of the first photoplay to be made © by the Spoor stereocopic process. The title of the “natural vision” pic- ture will be “The American,” and it will probably be completed in Feb- ruary. The new process, which is an invention of George K. Spoor, head of the old -Essanay firm of Chicago, has involved an expendi- ture of $3,000,000. Exhibitors and producers are watching the experi- ment with considerable interest, for it may mean big things to the in- dustry. O VE play reviewer in New York goes into print with a_statement that “the best show in New York is a motion picture—the film version of “What Price Glory?” Then the reviewer goes on to tell his reasons why the picture far outclasses any other paid attraction in the metrop- olis. Special mention is made of the antomime work of Victor McLag- en, who plays the part of Capt. Flagg. Another New York reviewer does not go far enough to claim the photoplay is the city’s best show, but he does say that the picture “ranks alongside ‘The Big Parade’” and that the war scenes of “What Price Glory?” are even better than those of the first battle story. A i INCE her work in “Stella Dallas,” Lois Moran has joined the ranks of the photoplay stars, and her sal- ary is now said to be $100,000 a year. Naturally, her ambition is to_play “Camille.” She was born in Pitts- burgh, and had appeared in several R MUCH DEPENDS Lya de Putti says the style of hairbob is a key to character. “As the hair £oes, 0 does its owner,” speaks the seven ¢ - pess, dignity and temptation. Exhibitors should | The | pictures before her triumph in “Steila Dalla e N persons may contend that FE the work of Emil Jannings in | aust” docs not compare with his | | | | “Variety,” but the fact re- t even Jannings' second or is good enough to attract picture, b remark- orts The “F u, L | nen of | %o H ERUSALEM is being constructed | in Hollywood for the fiiming of The Kings of Kings.” This pic-| ture, which will be several months {in the making, tells a story of the Rible, and i being produced at | the De Mille studio, where thou sands of extras are finding employ- | ment in the mob scenes | * * | VERYTHING is ready for “Laugh | Month.” be celebrated far | and wide during January. Many of the studios are rushing their short | comedies for special exhibition, and | the producers and exhibitors have | so0o'ed their interests to make the | movie fans shake their sides for 30 days. The d and gloomy month |is to be the jolliest of the year. * * Al directors with the Para- mo=nt organization, the first to establish a “school of acting,” are | now required to find new faces for | the screen each vear. This means | that at least 20 newcomers will be | singled out annually for training | and development and that they will | be started toward the coveted ;.vnal‘ | of stardom in the photoplay world | The directors are given to under- | | stand that to develop a “new face” | | which will find favor with the pub- | [tice will be considered of as great a value to_the company as the pro- duction of a good box office pic-| ture. | | This step is expected to overcome | |to a certain extent the hesitancy of | | directors to use inexperienced or un- | known players. It is the outgrowth | {of the Paramount Pictures School, {in which 16 young people are an- | nually given ~ training for screen | work. Among those who graduated | | from the school are Charles Rogers, | now playing one of the leading roles in “Wings"; Mona Palmer, leading | woman_ for Thomas Meighan in “The Canadian”; Josephine. Dunn, | recently assigned to the leading role in “Love’s Greatest Mistake”; Ivy | Harris, with a prominent role in | “The Potters,” and Jack Luden, who | has appeared in several photoplays | during the past féw months. P In Theater and Studio—“Big Bill” Tilden, the tennis star, appears as the butler in the Belasco-Warfield | triumph, “The Music Master,” di- | rected for Fox Films by Allan | Dwan. Tilden's service is said to. | be perfect. | Lon Chaney, before he went into |the movics, was a stagehand. | Renee Adoree was a barcback rider |in her father’s circus in France. Boardman went to New | Eleanor York in scarch of a theatrical job, and then she went to work as an assistant to an interior director. | She is-a graduate of the Philade]- phia Academy of Fine Arts. Ramon Novarro was a piano and vocal teacher before thé film directors | found him. Mae Murray, when 15| vears old, appeared as a dancer| with a Broadway production. Joan'| Crawford's first job was with a| |revue in Chicago. John Gilbért once | | sold automobile_tires. | | “What Price Glory” is not'a ques- | [tion, says Victor McLaglen, who | plays the part of Capt. Flagg. Then { he explains that it is a specimen of British_slang—a Cockney, sneering phrase.” Mildred Davis (Mrs. Harold Lloyd) is returning to the screen after a retirement of four years. She will appear before the Para- mount camera in “Too Many Cooks,” a comedy. The Stanley Co. of America car- ried $1,000,000 insurance on Jules E. Mastbaum, who died _recently. Mastbaum also had policies for | $2,000,000, half of which goes to the | Federation of Jewish Charities. | According to reports, Charles Ray is going to England to make four pictures, work starting next Sum-| mer. At the present time he is com- | pleting “Getting Gertie's * Garter,” | Marie Prevost playing opposite. | Clara Bow has just completed her | | first starring vehicle, “It,” written by Eliner Glyn. Clara started her movie career four years ago. UPON THE BOB i | authors presented |and “Fallen Angel s HE SUNDAY e [PHOTOPLA STAR.” WASHINGTON, D C, HI L % |WVAN PETROVICH and ALICE TERRY - Col lumb i3 NNA Q. NILSSON A a Metropolitan, Next Week's Photoplays METROPOLITAN —— Colleen Moore in “Twinkletoes.” COLUMBIA — Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton in “We're in the Navy Now.” RIALTO—Edward Everett Horton and Marion Nixen in “Taxi! Taxil” PALACE—Beatrice Lillie and Will Show Government Film 0 furnish ‘a contrast with the | spirit of the season, the Leader | Theater Christmas day will start showing, for a week's run, a series of United States Government war films entitled “Through Hell and Back Again With the Allies,” which are de- | clared absolutely authentic and which show the American doughboy fighting side by side with the French, Belgian, Canadian, Australian and Italian troops in’ the late World War. One of the features of the serles is the bottling up of the German fleet. M:dmght Show at Strand TREAT 18 promised for the Strand patrons, as Manager Sparrow has made arrangements for a special mid night show on New Year eve, starting at 11:30. i The stage attraction will be Victor Hyde's snappy, syncopated musical comedy hit, “Frolics of 1927, by the Strand's permanent cast. On the scréen will be shown a first- run photoplay appropriate for the holidays. All seats will be reserved, going on sale December 19. Mall orders will be filled according to time of receipt. Max Reinhardt. the three years since his last visit to America Max Reinhardt has produced scores of modern plays in his theaters in Vienna and Berlin, apart from his classical repertory, his Summer festivals in Salzburg and oc- casional artistic {nvasions of the neighboring capitals. Among the American and English by the Reinhardt theaters were Eugene O'Neill, John Galsworthy, Ossip Dymow, Noel Cow ard, Randolph and Colton, Milne, Shaw, Somerset Maugham, Hopwood, The biggest Anglo-Saxon successes of Retnhardt 'were “Rain,” ‘“‘Saint Joan,” Somerset Maugham's ““Vic- toria,” Noel Coward’s “Hay Fever, " and Galsworthy's “Loyalties.,” The next English piay {on 'his program 1s Noel Coward's “Semimonde,” which he considers aa the opening of a new chapter in dra- | matic technique. Max Reinhardt, who recently ar- rived in New York, will go to San Francisco for his “Jast” “‘Miracle” re. hearsals, at the Civic Auditorfum. Dr. Karl Vollmoeller, co-author of | “The Miracle,” arrived with Mr. Rein-. ‘hardt on the Deutschland. He also is | the continuity. European screen star. “And there are to California, at the invitation ford. ] Seene }/KOJ//L - Do MYSTERY Rialto nd' LEWIS S.STONE- BETTY. BRONSON — Palace Talxfiadge Sisters Busy. WHILE Norma Talmadge is en- gaged in a unique modern ver- sion of “Camillp,”’ under direction of Fred Niblo, Constance is b n an original comedy-drama, “The Vamp of Venice." with. Manshall Neilan: in charge. Both featu are being pro- duced by Joseph M. Schenck for First Natjonal. “Camille” 1s Narma's last release for First National before she becomes a member of United Artists, of which Mr. Schenck is chairman of the board of directors, while Constance has one other picture aftér’ “The Vamp of Venice” to' make for First National before she, too, joins the associated galaxy of stars which inclydes Mary Pickford, Douglas Faftbanks,: Charles Chaplin, John Barrymore, Buster Keaton, Gloria Swanson and others. Desiring to make ‘[Camille” one of the outstanding triumphs in Norma's career, Mr. Schenek,who fincidentally {s her husband, recruited a notable cast, including Gilbert Roland, a dash- ing young Spanish actor, for the role ot Armand; Lillyan Tashman for the role of Olympe, Rose Dione;as Pru- dence and Oscar Beregi as Count.de Varville. Fred de Gresac wrote the adaptation of “Camille” and Chandler Sprague and Olga Printzlau prepared The new *Camille” is lavishly costumed. Miss Talmadge's gowns and other finery were brought divect from Paris, and Oliver Marsh is chief cinematographer. In “The Vamp of Venice” Constance Talmadge has perhaps the strangest role of her career.- The play has been retitled from an original screen story, “Carlotta,” by Hans Kraly and Wal lace Smith, and presents the come- dienne as an elysive young Ventian listinet desires in bobs—ambition, art, maternal, seeking youth, brazen-|of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pick- | creok. who swims: the famous canals _4n search of victims, ind who finally 1926 | “reforms” and wins the heart of an American artist. Antonio Moreno is Constance's new leading man. Other players in the cast are Edward Mar- tindel, Jullanne Johnston, Michael Vavitch, Arthur Thalasso and Andre Lanoy. Dave Kesson, Director Nel- lan’s veteran camera chief, is doing the photographing. William Cameron Menzies, art di- rector for the Schenck organization, designed both the “Camille” and “The Vanip of Venice” sets, and John W. Considine, jr., general manager of the Schenck enterprises, is supervising the productions. Rex a Cosmopolite. REX INRGAM, by taste and inclina- tion, is sald to be a *‘cosmopolite.” He loves to roam in strange climes and send back pictorial records of his travels. His uncanny ability to judge public taste in matters of film moves Metro-Goldwyn to continue to cable him drafts of money and take in ex- change the film product that has been popular since Ingram made his first picture, “Shore Acres,” in the U. S. A. Ingram made “The Arab"” abroad |and followed it up with another Eu | ropean-filmed hit, “Mare Nostrum. Three years ago he read Maugham's novel, “The Magiclan,” and decided to make it into a picture If possible. His willingness to film the story in its continental locale was a big factor in deciding the novelist in Ingram’'s favor. The story offers ‘a great role for Paul Wegener, the famous German star of “The Golem,” and inasmuch as Ingram has long desired to make a picture with Wegener in it, “The Ma- siclan” gave him the epportunity. DECEMBER 19, 1926—PART 3. Movie Sidelights | By the Associated Press. RASS and flowers did not grow fast enough for the movies, so a lawn, flower garden and banana tree are being grown at Universal| City by artificial light and heat in order to have a big set ready on the required date, to represent a planta- tion home in “Uncle Tom's Cabin.” Featured players, entirely at ease before batteries of motion picture cam- eras leveled at them, have been known to “freeze up” and become as self- conscious as an amateur while pos- | ing for new portraits and “still” pic- tures. Six extras were recently engaged for a_scene in “Paradise for Two,” {in which they had to portray the roles bf six extras applying at a thea- trical casting office for work. The wilds aren’'t wild enough any more for making outdoor adventure { thrillers. It was necessary to ship a small sized menagerfe of wild ani- mals into the Sierras for the filming of Zane Gre; “The Man of the SILENT DRAMA PALACE—“Everybody’s Acting.” METROPOLITAN COLUMBIA—"The Magiciar RIALTO—"“The Mystery Club.” TIVOLI— and evening WARDMAN PARK—"“The Cabinet and evening CENTRAL—"Flaming Fury.” PALACE—“Everybody’s Acting.” | An elaborate Christmas week pro gram s promised at Loew's Palace starting this afternoon Joe Rea and his California Ni t hawks, in a revue of revelry, will ap pear as the headliner of the stage pro gram, with “Everybody's Acting.’ Marshall Neflan's latest production the outstanding number of the screen | bill Addittonal features will be the over “The Message of Yuleti n ra feature combined w i and screen embellishment, directed by David Armandi, guest conductor: Pal ace World Events in picture form organlogue, “‘Christmas Suggestic with Dick Lelbert at the consol Harry Campbell's Rec Joe Rea and his California Night- hawks promise 30 minutes of music, song, dance and comedy, featuri rie Le Viness, soprano; Jerry tenor; Jim McNamara, dancing Matt Walker, baritone; son, comedian, and F rector | “Everybody's Acting with a cast including Betty Bronson, Lawrenc Grey, Louise Dresser, Ford Sterling Raymond Hitchcock, Stuart Holmes and Henry B. Walthall, concerns a waif of the theater who is adopted by | four foster daddies and who, when the only love affair of her life seems | smashed to pleces by the interference | of an Imperious woman, finds her path | to happiness smoothed by the guile of her four foster parents. METROPOLITAN—“Midnight- Lovers. fool Jack- | form to the spirit of the Yuletide will be presented at Crandall's Metro politan Theater Christmas_week, be ginning this afternoon. The photo play will be First National's produc tion, “Midnight Lovers,” featuring Stone and Anna Q. Nilsson, Contance Mering and Muriel Pollock Duo-Art_and Columbia recording ar tists, will be heard in a double piano- | logue; and a selected two-reel comedy the Metropolitan World Survey, with | added short reels and music by the Metropolitan Symphony, under Danfel | Breeskin, will complete the program Midnight Lovers” is a comedy drama which concerns the marital ex periences of a flying ace in the Eng- | lish aviation forces on the French front and a cultured English woman | who is wholly mismated but swept | into matrimony after a whirlwind | courtship of two weeks while the major is on furlough. An effeminate young interior decorator forms the | third side of the triangle and helps to_make things interesting. Misses Mering and Pollock will | confine thelr program to the lighter forms of musical expression, to which | they bring distinctive interpretation. Danlel Breeskin, conductor of the Metropolitan Symphony, will substi tute for the overture a miniature | concert comprised of three sharply | contrasted numbers, the “Hungarian | Midnight Lovers.” This afternoon and evening. This afternoon and evening The Four Horsemen of the Apoca AMBASSADOR—*“Midnight Lovers.' | appears Pz Stage and screen features to con- |’ photoplays This Week ATTRACTIONS This afternoon and evening This afternoon and evening. ypse.” This afternoon This afternoon and evening. of Dr. Caligari” This afternoon This afternoon and evening Dance No. 6" by Brahms, followed by a unique arrangement for fo folins of “Somewhere a Voice and a special transcription for solo inst nts of the sextet from “Lucia Lammertoor,” Donizett!. COLUMBIA—"The Magiclan." The production of Rex I gram, producer of “The Four Horse men aramouche” and *Mare Nostrum,” called “The Magictan,” and based on the novel by W. Somerget Maugham, author of “Rain,” will be ven its f local presentation 'w's Columbia this week starting afternoon. n at latest p Alice Terry has the lead ne role, while Ivan Petro rblan actor, is ses! g man. . In the title ul Wegener, the great C man_character star. “The Magiclan,” directed and pr duced entirely in Europe, concerns u beautiful girl who 1s saved from belr \ hopeless cripple by a delicate and wonderful operation performed by young surgeon. At almost the climax of their happiness the shadow of a min a voun as her lead sinister, half-mad magician falis acro: reir path and the girl is suddenly rought under the hypnotic spell of this curlous character. The program will be supplemented hort-length comedy, the Pathe news reel and a Christmas overture. RIALTO—"The Mystery Club.” The Rialto offers us its feature, pic ture this week Edith Roberts, Mildred Harris and Matt Moore in the featured taken from Arthur Som ers Roche's series, “Crimes of the Armehair Club.” concerns the adven tures off an organization of million- aires, called “The Mystery Club.”" As result of a heated dfscussion, wager is made, by the terms of whi each member obligates himself to commit crime, undetected by the police, the failure of any project en tailing the payment of a large forfelt A real erime is committed and mem bers of the club are suspected. This | is the basis for a series of startling situations. The action is fast and irring until the very last, when a surprise upsets all calculations. The cast includes Charles Lane, War ner Oland, Henry Herbert, Charles Puffy, Alphose Martell, Finch Smiles sarl Metcalf, Nat Carr, Jed Proudy, Alfred Allen, Sidney Bracey and Monte Montague. The stage presentation is the “At lantic Four,” a harmony quartet, which will be heard in a program of late song hits; also an unpublished number by Percy Venable, entitled “Red Riding Hood.” The Rialto Orchestra, under Rox Rommell, will play for an overtu “The Blue Danube Waltz," Otto F. Beck will offer an original organlogue, the International News, Buster Brown comedy and other short reels will com plete the bill. S WWHAT'S a gag?” Wrauulv a dozen swers meet the query. all. Curlosity isn't appeased. For the question, “Where did the word come from?" {nvarfably follows, for “gags” are as common now in the movies as spots In a case of meases Now, and without intending to be evastve, Edward Sedgwick. who has just completed the direction of “Tin Hats” for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, says that a “gag” can be explained and de fined in a half dozen different ways. “For example,” says Sedgwick, “an Englishman might define the word ‘gag’ as a ‘bit of extemporal wit,’ while his American cousins would de- scribe It as a ‘plece of business in a play or movle that gets a laugh “And really, a ‘gag’ is a plece of different an- Forest.” A mountain lion, a bear, some deer, foxes, wolves and a coy- ote were transported to the location. Impressionistic photography is an example of modernistic influence in the motion pietures. It has been em- ployed in “Sunya,” Gloria Swanson's forthcoming production, in which an unusual effect of photographing the mind has been attempted by Dudley Murphy, cinematographer, in fiiming a sequence of enacted “thoughts’ with rythmic speed Picture producers say that in buy- ing stories they are attracted by mys- tifying titles. “The Taxi Dancer,” for instance does not mean a dancing taxicab, nor a person who dances in such a vehicle; neither is it a cab driver who indulges in the new steps It is a girl in a public dance hall who dances with anybody that pays for the privilege. Dolores Costello. and Kate Price re- cently met on a set and talked over old times. Miss Costello played in sev- eral pictures with Miss Price as long as 12 years ago, when Maurice Cos- tello, father of Dolores and Helene, was a screen idol. John Gilbert and Lew Cody have basement dens in thelr California homes. Gilbert has equipped his with raplers, masks and other equipment for fencing, while Cody has one room for billiards and another for his corn- beef and cabbage dinners. Crandall's Christmas Party selected programs for chil- dren_in Crandall's Tivoli and Chevy Chase Theaters Saturday morning will glve way to Mr Cran- dall's annual Christmas party for the children. For weeks the cards available in all of the theaters have been coming babk signed by the children request- ing invitations. Prominent leaders in mrésical life of the city have volun- teered to lead the children in singing. Mr. James P. Shick at the Ambas sador; Mrs. B. B. Brann at the Apoll Miss Sara Williams at the Colon: Mr. Arthur Jett at the Home; Miss Hattie Potter at the York; Miss Glad E. Mills at_the Chevy Chase. The Savoy and Tivoli audiences combined at the Tivoll will be led by Mrs. Robert Lawrence. The extent to which this yeatr's merrymaking will be carried on may be estimated by the fact that ccm- tracts were let late last Summer for the delivery of four tons (8,000 pounds) of candy in half-pound pack- ages and 16,000 toys. The candy is of a high grade and the carton in which it is presented to the kiddies is one of genuine attractiveness. The. most popular of the musical noise-makers to be distributed this vear no doubt will be the flexophone, an ingenious device which in unskilled hands is merely a noise-maker, but which with sufficient training on the part of the player can be made to HE business in a theatrical production, or in a motion picture play, inserted to get a laugh. Sometimes a script is ‘gagged’ before the cameras start working; mostly, a picture is ‘gagged’ on the sets as it unfolds. “Often, on the set, a ‘gag’ presents itself, and this means, simply, that the opportunity to get a laugh pre- sents {tself. And, incidentally, that’ what we hire ‘gagmen’ for—they are employed to look for ‘gags’ and think them out—create them—if they do not find any. “It is extremely hard to say where | it came from. It s a well known fact that it is not modern. Long before the period of 1864, the year Dutton Cook was much concerned about the origin of the word, it had been in- vented and was in common use among theatrical people, particularly comedians. What's a “Cigf 4l » “In Al probabllity, the, word origi- nated when drama originated. It But that isn't | probably the contrivance and prop- erty of the comic performers of the Greek plays. So soon as the author began writing words for the actors to deliver, rest assured -that .the actors found a way.to interpolate a speech of their own—particularly the comedians, for a ‘gag’ is their privi- lege, and always has been. The dra matic actor of the tragedian of old do not ‘gag'—they require lines to speak of another nature. There is, except in rare cases, nothing funny about the parts they play. “I found in Whetstone's ‘Hep- tameron,’ a book published in Eng- land away back in 1582, a very rare old volume, that ‘the comedians of Ravenna, who were not tied to any written device, but who, nevertheless, had certain grounds or principles of their own,’ found it most successful to ‘gag’ their roles. “There .is not a question or doubt that the word ‘gag’ is a very old éne, and its meaning is the same today as it was when it was first originated Call it slang it you wish, call it what you may—it is a part and parcel of both the theater and motion plec- tures.” s —— Sunya” 1s a Sanskrit word mean 1llusion, in the sense that all lifes here is phantom-like, and was selected as the title of Gloria Swanson's latest because the picture itself is said to re: yeal great illusion in camera angles parallel to and correlating with the hu action in the drama. “Suny is also Miss Swanson's name in the film WOULD YOU KNOW DICKIE? Richard Barthelmess in his newest render the same quality of tone and | romantic story with an orlental background. Di melod‘ns fhe musical saw. new type of role. . A s as