Camera - April 14, 1923 to February 16, 1924 (April 1923-February 1924)

Page Twelve Weekly Wake-'Em-Up— CAMERA'S News Section CAMERA I Flashes from Frisco By agnes kerr crawford SAN FRANCISCO, April 9— Gibson Gowland, Zasu Pitts, Fanny Midgley and Frank Hayes aal arrived in San Francisco last week to join Eric Von Strobeim's production of "Greed" for Goldwyn. Chester Conklin and Jean Hersholt are still to come, when the cast will be complete. The company Is working very hard day and night on their set at Hayes and Lagima Streets, with a little location work. Having been drowned in the cold, dark waters of the bayon Friday night, Ceasare Gravina has almost finished his part in the picture, and will return to Los Angeles in a day or two. Paul Powell, director, is editing "The Fog" made by the Graf Productions, at t lie Pacific studios at San Mateo. The shooting of the picture was finished on Thursday after a little more than seven weeks' work. Joseph Kerr has severed his connection as publicity director for the Paul Gerson studios on Page Street and returned to Los Angeles. The Victor B. Fisher Productions began work at the Hollywood studios last Monday on the filming of "Youth Triumphant." Ward Crane, lately with Lasky in "Within the Law," and William Boyd have been added to the cast. David Chaplin, business manager of the corporation, and Iverson Blake went south, from the office here, on Sunday to remain during the shooting of the picture. The Rellineo Film Syndicate, of which Dr. Orlando E. Miller is the head, and who has offices in the Chronicle Building, has started the filming of their first picture in a southern studio. The story is as yet unnamed, but it will be a picture with a physchological punch. Louis W. Chaudet is directing. John Arnold, cameraman on "The Fog," is returning to Los Angeles in a day or two. He says he has enjoyed every day of his ten weeks' stay in San Francisco, and will always be more than willing to come back. His next picture will be at the Metro studio under Harold Shaw's direction, the story by Rita Wellman. The Famous Players-Lasky company mak ing "The Woman With Two Faces," put off their expected coming to San Francisco for a week, but they really arrived on Sunday morning. They will do some jail and other location work here for several days. The company includes Herbert Brenon, director, Harold Schwartz, assistant director, James Howe, cameraman, Betty Compson, Richard Dix, Gladden James, Theodore von Eltz and some dozen other members of the cast and staff. With Eric Von Stroheim's outfit now filming "Greed" is what is probably the highest paid actor for his size in captivity. A large black raven with a friendly disposition, but seemingly little conversation, who is drawing the merry little salary of $75 dollars a week. San Francisco people have had the unusual opportunity the last week of seeing a favorite star either in person or on the screen, as Elsie Ferguson was playing "The Wheel of Life" at the Columbia Theatre, while her picture "Outcast" held the screen at the Royal. ANOTHER FOOTBALL HERO TO BECOME FILM HERO Three years ago Robert Cosgriff, full-back of that famous Oregon football team which played Harvard off her feet, to finally lose the game on a fluke play, at Pasadena, visited Hollywood. When he returned to college his mind was made up that some day he would return to Hollywood, equipped to take some part in the great motion picture industry which has its home here. A course In dramatic art was the result. Graduating, Cosgriff's ability was recognized immediately by leading stock companies of the Northwest. More lately he has been featured in a series of pictures made in Portland and released by Pathe. He has now come to Hollywood, where he has been assured of leading roles by some of the most prominent producers. He will probably be seen first in Irving Cummings' next all-star production. Gladys Walton has just started her starring vehicle, "Sawdust," at Universal City under the direction of Jack Conway. It is a story of the old time circus days when the appearance of the big tents in a community was the occasion of a general holiday. It was adapted to the screen by Hugh Hoffman from a magazine story by Courtney Riley Cooper. She will be supported in the cast by several well known and popular screen players, including Niles Welch, Edith Yorke, William Robert Daly, Frank Brownlee and Mathew Betz. Extensive improvements have been made in the property department at Universal City, where nineteen companies are depend ROBERT COSGRIFF ent upon one studio's facilities, not counting the outside firms that lease space there. Under management of A. E. Rosenberg, the department has been considerably enlarged, "Props" to the value of twenty-five thousand dollars have been added to the stock and ten thousand spent on general imp rovements. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," the spectacle film starring Lon Chaney, following several other specials of unusual magnitude, made such demands upon the existing stock that enlargement and improvement were necessary. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is not only the biggest motion picture undertaking in history, but, due to its period and locale, the most exacting in costuming and investiture. With the recovery of William Duncan, incapacitated for several weeks past by a broken hand, work will start within the coining month on "The Steel Trail," Universal^ big railroad story, by George l'lympton and George Pyper. Duncan was the victim of one of the oddest accidents in the history of Universal City. While riding his horse in a thrilling "Itescue scene" he stretched his hand out over the animal's head as it reared sharply. His hand, weighted by a heavy revolver, was forcibly hit by metal on the bridle, and a shattered bone resulted. Despite his pain the actor finished the scene. "The Steel Trail" marks a reunion between actor and playwright. While filming some very dangerous fire scenes for "Now You See It," an R-C picture, which pames W. Home is directing, Virginia Fox, who plays the leading feminine role, was uninjured. In fact, startling excitement remained completely away. Tom Gallery, the hero of the screen story, made no daring rescues except those ordered by the director. This story is quite unusual because it is against all stereotyped rules of press-agentism. Following several weeks at Universal City the author will return to Oakland, having recently purchased a new home on Lake Merritt, and thenceforth plans to gravitate between studio and home. "The most amazing thing to me," said Beaumont on his arrival at Universal City, "is the immensity of the film capital of America. After going over the gigantic 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' settings and the gr< at Vienna street setting of 'Merry-GoRound,' and seeing the big productions in the making, I was almost breathless with amazement. It gives one a thrill for the first time to see crowds of several thousand directed with the precision of an army, — a thrill almost akin to awe." FROM WITHIN FILMDOM'S INNER PORTALS