Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1915)

2184 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD September 25, 1915 in "Jane," and will probably not put on moving picture powder and paint for a week or two. * * * George Stanley has his hands full with his comedy "He Got Himself a Wife." He has some twenty "mermaids" to manage and is quite ready to admit that for temperament they have grand opera prima donnas left at the post. The worst part of it is the audience that follows George around. In one scene they all dive off the end of the Municipal Wharf in Santa Monica. George tried to make them jump off in a natural manner, but training interfered and they all made most artistic dives. George tried to tell them how to do it, and they all demanded that he do it first and show them how. But George was stumped for once. Webster Campbell, playing the juvenile lead in the picture, was game, and good naturedly did it for them, much to their delight and appreciation. Most of the girls are medal winners and one of them holds the high diving record of the Coast. * * * Aaron Hoffman and William Jerome have joined the scenario staff of the Keystone Film Company. The Keystone Scenario Department will occupy a building of its own, when the new plant is completed, with private offices, library, consulting room and a reception room. * * * William Campbell has been recently promoted from the Keystone Scenario Department to the position of director, and is now making a picture in co-operation with Del Henderson in which Fred Mace plays the lead. * * * A new Monoplane has been added to the equipment of the Kevstone Studios. The aviator in charge is Jose Muera. * * * The Scream Club, composed of picture writers, held another dinner this week at the Sunset Inn in Santa Monica on the ocean shore. Thomas H. Ince was the guest of honor and responded to the toasts with a few snappy words. The members, men from the publicity departments of the companies here and the magazine writers, enjoyed the dinner and after feast speeches. * * * "Slippery Slim" of the Essanay, known off the curtain as Victor Potel, has joined the Universal and is now at work here. He is under the direction of Roy Clements. For a long time Slippery Slim has been known as a crack comedian with the Indian Head company and the Universal is lucky in securing him for their program. Wilton Lackaye AFTER another successful year of professional achievement. Wilton Lackaye, the Broadway star, is spending his usual vacation days at his summer home at Shelter Island, New York. Just after "Trilby" closed Mr. Lackaye played before the camera of the Universal Film Company for the first time in his career. And he has a few things to say about picture acting which deserve a little thought from the many photoplay stars who cannot boast of the long series of roles written in Mr. Lackaye's history. Mr. Lackaye has had a remarkable professional career. He was born in Virginia in 1862 and studied law at Georgetown University in Washington. In that city he became much interested in amateur dramatics and after becoming acquainted with Lawrence Barrett joined that star's company. Later he appeared in "The Merchant of Venice," "Quo Vadis," "Les Miserable s," "Shenandoa h," and other favorites of the day. The actor's first Broadway success was achieved in "Allan Dare," and he was later associated with Fanny Davenport, Rose Coghlan, Mrs. Fiske and Amelia Bingham, usually carrying emotional or heavy roles, commonly known as "villain work." Wilton Lackaye. Charles Frohman, W. A. Brady and Augustin Daly had long contracts with Lackaye at different periods in his career. His latest successes were "The Pit," "Fine Feathers" and "Trilby." Wilton Lackaye first played Svengali in 1895 in New York. "His Double" is the title of the film play in which Mr. Lackaye is featured by the Universal Company. Some of the scenes were taken in Quebec and for several weeks the streets of that old French city were enlivened by the presence of peasants in gay garb, gendarmes, and fine ladies riding in old fashioned vehicles. "Sunshine and Tempest" Two Popular Vaudeville Favorites to Be Seen in Rialto Star Feature. itO UNSHIXE and Tempest" will be the title of the ^ three-reel Rialto star feature picture which will be the important Mutual release for October 6. And in this play, full of the clouds and smiles of Tennessee skies, written by Rev. Clarence J. Harris, will be featured "Sunshine and Tempest," the two dearly loved little actresses, who since they were children together in the sunny southland, have been associated together on the stage. Florence Tempest and Marion Sunshine were born in Louisville, Kentucky, some twenty odd years ago. They were sent to the same school, a Catholic convent, when they were four years of age, and, as with a premonition of the days which were to follow when they should be really grown up, they often appearing together in dialogues and other simple forms of entertainments at the regular "Friday afternoons" at the convent. One day they were to give a scene from "Uncle Tom's Cabin," in which they had been carefully trained. Bright-eyed little "Sunshine" forgot her lines in the most important part, and immediately tempestuous little "Sunshine." "Tempest" turned upon her with such scorn that Father Raffles named them "Sunshine and Tempest." The name has never left them. When they were six, Lincoln J. Carter starred them in "Two Little Waifs," and offered a reward of $5,000 for any two children who could match them. During this engagement Robert Mantell saw them and engaged them for the roles of the two little princes in his production of "Richard III." As motion picture players the charming young actresses are great successes. Their clear cut beauty, their alertness, and their ready intelligence gives them more than the average screen value. In the great Rialto feature picture in which they will appear on the Mutual program, the girls have not only the advantages of their youth and beauty but intelligence to make them unusually successful. They are both cast for roles, and in a setting with which they are perfectly familiar. Although they did not live in Tennessee, their early life in Kentucky served the same purpose, and they interpret the life of the Southern back woods, as only those who have lived near it could. "Sunshine and Tempest" will be the third three-reel feature made by the Gaumont company under the title of Rialto brand. "Tempest."