Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

26 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIX, No. 1. Aviator Wales "Drops In" for Visit Former American Film Company Employe Flies to Santa Barbara and Takes Bill Russell for a "Spin" Rusfor """THERE'S no telling," said William sell, when Lieut. Edward Wales, merly with the American Film Company at Santa Barbara, dropped in one morning on a flying visit. "There's no telling, you know — I may want to aviate a little myself sometime. Just for instance, lieutenant, what the dickens is this arrangement here for?" "Just a minute," said the young air navigator, "It's like this. First you ." And William Russell, who knows a lot about the screen, but little about an airship, was given his first lesson in operating one of the greyhounds of the air that Lieutenant Wales can manipulate with the ease of long practice. Mr. Russell took a few trial flights about the place ; but you could tell that he sort of wanted to hang around as near the ground as possible. "Don't worry," reassured Wales, "If you fly high and anything happens and you get a drop, you know, the distance '11 never bother you. Half the time they are dead before they strike the ground at all. So don't be afraid if we seem to hit the high places." "I guess it must be time for me to go home for dinner," protested Russell. So the trial flights ended and Russell spent the rest of the time in examining every bolt in the airplane. William Russell. American Film Company star, and Lieut. Edward Wales. U. S. A., in an army airplane. Starts New Year with Four Strong Plays Vitagraph Offers Quartette of Blue Ribbon Features for January Based on Stories of Literary Merit GREATER Vitagraph will start the New Year with an even stronger offering of Blue Ribbon features than it closes 1917 with, according to an announcement by Albert E. Smith, president of the company. Four strong plays have been listed for the month of January and these bring to the exhibitors many of the Vitagraph favoritics, among them Earlc Williams. Corinne Griffith, Nell Shipman, Evart Overton, Alfred Whitman, Edward Earle, Miriam Miles and Betty Howe. President Smith declares that the outstanding feature of the January prograni is the excellence of story presented in each picture. "Without real stories," said Mr. Smith, the best stars and the best productions that a company can put out fail in their primary object — entertainment— and unless the public is enter tained, the motion picture industry is bound to come to a standstill. Thus, it is up to the producers to provide their stars with the best stories available. With Vitagraph this has long been a fixed policy and I feel safe in the statement that no company has on its list of contributors a better or more extensive company of fine writers than has this." The list of productions as announced by President Smith follows: January 7 — "The Blind Adventure," featuring Edward Earle and Betty Howe. January 14 — "The Wild Strain," featuring Nell Shipman with Alfred Whitman. January 21— "The Menace," featuring Corinne Griffith with Evart Overton. January 28 — "A Mother's Sin," featuring Earlc Williams. Commands Army Without Raising Voice He commanded an army of 5,000. He wore no uniform and he never raised his voice. The man was J. Gordon Edwards, who directed "Cleopatra" and who makes all of Theda Bara's productions. Most motion picture directors are inordinately fond of epaulets, puttees, megaphones and other trappings so dear to the heart of men who like glitter and pomp. Mr. Edwards wears puttees only when astride a horse, as he rides about giving directions for a great "mob" scene. Only once during the entire time that he was handling the tremendous crowds in "Cleopatra" was Mr. Edwards seen to use a megaphone — in one of the big naval battle "shots" — and he spoke hardly above a conversational tone even then. "The coolest man I ever saw directing such a gigantic production," was the tribute of Alfred Cohn, managing editor of Photoplay Magazine. Vitagraph Helps U. S. Win Recruits In co-operation with the United States Army department of ordnance, Greater Vitagraph is sending out a trailer urging mechanics to enlist in the service of the government. The trailer is being attached to the Blue Ribbon feature, "For France," a patriotic five-reel subject in which Edward Earle and Betty Howe are featured. This picture, which has aroused audiences to heights of enthusiasm wherever shown, was written by Cyrus Townsend Brady and made under the direction of Wesley Ruggles, who since has been called to the National Army. It was filmed at Centreport, L. I., where, under the direction of regular army officers and veterans of the fighting in France, an exact duplicate of the Marne battlefield was built. More than a thousand troops of the regular army, most of which are now believed to be in France with the first American army, were used in this picture. Feature Production for Miss Fischer Margarita Fischer, American Film Company star, has finished her second feature production, entitled "Molly Go Get 'Em," under the supervision of Director Lloyd Ingraham. The story by Beatrice Van was adapted to the screen by Elizabeth Mahoney. It is the second of a new line of comedy drama written expressly for the new American star. Miss Van also wrote Miss Fischer's first story produced under the working title of "A Daughter of Joan." After a short vacation, the production of "High Heels," the third of the new comedy dramas, will be commenced. Helen Starr wrote the story and James E. Hungerford is responsible for the screen adaptation. New Rice Story Filmed "Calvary Alley," the latest novel by Alice Hegan Rice, whose famous story, "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch," has become a veritable classic of its kind, has been chosen as the next Paramount picture starring the dainty Ann Pennington.