The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

408 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 11, 1926 Rain Storm Has Bad Effect On "Sunrise" Just before going to the post office we had another one of those showers such as we described in this department last week. This time, however, it rained just enough to cheat 1,600 extras in one section of Hollywood out of a day's pay. These men and women reported dark and early at the Fox Hills studio where F. W. Murnau is directing "Sunrise." Their work would have been on a huge exterior set dependent upon the sunshine for dllumination. When the sun forgot to appear and the rain came down in torrents, 1,600 extras found a closed gate. The loss was experienced not only by them but by the Wm. Fox Corporation, since a day's rain means a deficit of several thousand dollars to Wm. Fox on the "Sunrise" production alone. The "Sunrise" set at Fox Hills represents a section of a metropolitan city with everything from elevated t/ains to car lines. We learned officially that it took two months to build the set. It certainly went up as rapidly as construction in the heart of New York. Henley and His Mother Celebrate "Happy birthday, dear mother!" "Same to you, my son!" These were the greeting* extended last week when Mrs. Clementine Henley visited the set of "Tillie, the Toiler" at the MetroGoldwyn Mayer studio, where Hobart Henley is directing Marion Davies in her latest Cosmopolitan production based on Rust Westover's internationally famous comic strip. Henley, one of the youngest successful picture directors, was born thirty years ago on the anniversary of his own mother's birth. Marion Davies, Cosmopolitan star, entertained mother and son on the set at the M.-G.-M. studio and poured tea for the entire cast of the picture between scenes of her new picture. Marie had a little dog with long and shaggy hair and when Marie a-swimming went, the dog was always there. Marie Prevost, P. D. C. star, is the girl. F. P. L. Nail Rumos Reports coming from the East that Famous Players-Lasky would cease making productions at their big studio in Astoria and confine production activities to the Hollywood acreage were described here by officials as "wild rumors without basis in fact." Bachmann Lauds Value of "Exclusive Rights" (Continued from page 405) ment which was incorporated throughout the feature, "Capitol Punishment," made by Preferred several years ago. New York critics will recall the picture particularly because of the unique way in which they were allowed to preview it in Sing Sing prison. Bachmann had this to say to Moving Picture W orld about the two pictures. "I actually feel 'Exclusive Rights' will be more generally liked than 'Capitol Punishment' because of its light handling, diversified story with romance and comedy and the powerful theme underlying all of this which is the everlasting human conflict between a government official honestly engaged in his duties as he sees them and the supposed obligation he owes to the party which elected him." In this statement Bachmann neatly condenses the theme of Jerome Wilson's novel, "The Invisible Empire," upon which "Exclusive Rights" is based. Jerry, as he is known to the newspaper and film worlds, personally informs Moving Picluie World that he got considerable of his inspiration for this story from thinking back into the days when he was a city hall and police headquarters reporter. He did active reporting for about seven years. Then he started to circumnavigate the globe, which he has since done three times. Wilson, as the result, can talk fluently not only about police and the underworlds in New York, Chicago and San Francisco but he also knows how locks are picked and criminals caught in Paris and Shanghai. Retains Eve Unsell With the screen rights to Wilson's "Invisible Empire" secured, Producer Bachmann retained Eve Unsell to adapt the story to the screen as "Exclusive Rights." Production Manager J. W. Schleiff shortly afterwards kept Fine Arts studio craftsmen so busy that by the time Director Frank O'Connor stepped upon the lot every one of the five stages comprising this studio were crowded with sets. It may be interesting to note that the entire activities of the "Exclusive Rights" company were confined, in accordance with the action in the story, to interior scenes. Fourteen sets were erected for this purpose. They were shielded under the big Fine Arts roof because Producer Bachmann knows that California sunshine is treacherous at this time of the year and that sudden turmoils of rain not only completely ruin the average set but inundate with water and mud the wide open spaces which would ordinarily accommodate these sets and at the same time furnish free candle power from the sky. Thus Kleig lights and sun spots sputtered all during the making of "Exclusive Rights." But the rough print which we saw and which will be cut and previewed several times before it is okayed for the public eye represented as fine a specimen of clear-cut and warm-hued photography as we have ever seen. Cameraman Andre Barlatier modestly refuses praise in this respect but in turn attributes such finese to the fact that the entire picture is made on Eastman's panchomatic film clicked through a Mitchell camera. George Nicholls, Jr., who is editing "Exclusive Rights" also puts in a good word for panchromatic negative. Lillian Rich Leads In order of importance, Lillian Rich heads the cast. Her work as Catherine Courtright, socially prominent fiancee of Stanley Wharton, the Governor, should registy well, from what we can judge at this early date. Others are Gayne Whitman, Gaston Glass, Shirley Palmer, Raymond McKee, James Bradbury, Jr., Sheldon Lewis, Gloria Gordon and Fletcher Norton. Bad Weather Really Halts "Sunrise 9 9