The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

nrOM WALLECL WE^T COAJ^T REPREPEnTATIVEl MEAD^UARTEDP 318 i:0.rT. BLDG^ James Not To Succeed Barthelmess In a letter to Moving Picture World's West Coast headquarters J. Boyce Smith, General Manager of Inspirations Pictures, Inc., denies reports that his company signed Gardiner James "to fill the shoes" of Richard Barthelmess. "We do regard Gardner James as a young actor of great promise and we expect tp offer him an opportunity to demonstrate his abihties in roles that will suit his peculiar gifts and enable him to win the approbation of the public. His personality and gift of characterization are, however, distinctly "different" and while we hope and believe he will ascend the ladder of fame as Barthelmess did, it will be to establish a niche of his own and not to duplicate Richard Barthelmess." "The American" May Be Talking Picture "The American" when it makes its bow in the new Roxy Theatre in Manhattan may be a talking picture, as well as what its producers, J. Stuart Blackton and George K. Spoor describe as "The world's first natural vision stereoscopic motion picture drama." Such a possibility was inferred by Blackton in a brief interview with Moving Picture World. Blackton said that if such were the case, an apparatus similar to the Vitaphone or the DeForrest Phone Film invention would probably be used. He'll Kid 'Em Will Rogers will be accorded a great reception when he steps off the train in the Los Angeles depot on December 21. Sam Rork's daughter, Ann, who appeared in "The Blonde Saint," which her father made for First National. Carl Laemmie Is Ready for "Yukon TraiF' By the time this issue of Moving Picture World gets back to the Coast, Earnest Laemmie will be starting the "Yukon Trail" with an all-star cast. This will be the first picture which he has directed since the completion of "Held By Law" which met with great success at its recent preview in The Writers Club. Nat Ross at that time will also commence directing another picture in the Collegian series and Harry Sweet will have started Charley Duffy in a picture as yet untitled. Not So Ragged "The Beloved Rogue" which was changed to "The Ragged Lover" is now "The Beloved Rogue" again. It was said at the United Artists Studios that John Barrymore's plans call for a month's yachting trip. TELEPMOME* GLADJ^'TOnE 0508 Complete Work On Last Story by Noted Writer "The Magic Garden," by Gene Stratton Porter, Filmed by F.B.O. With Son-in-Law of Novelist Directing Has Vast Promise EXACTLY two years after an automobile tragedy on , the Pacific Coast which resulted in the death of Gene Stratton Porter, the son-in-law of that noted novelist was completing the other day in the Film Booking Offices' studios actual shooting on a production which should bring to the screen a vivid translation of a story which Mrs. Porter was revising for the printer just before her life was brought to its sudden close. The story has never been published. It will, however, appear serially in McCall's Magazine and then in book form simultaneously with the release of the picture. Both are titled "The Magic Garden." Joseph P. Kennedy's Gold Bond production will thus reach the screens of the country with an exploitation barrage which should be excelled by few of the many this industry has experienced. "Magic Garden" release is set for February 27, 1927, at a tentative length of 6,900 feet. Wet Weather Chases Hines "All Aboard" Johnny Hines has run into a lot of wet weather in making "All Aboard." At the Tec-Art Studios the other day we waded through a field of mud to get to Johnny's door, only, to find that he was a few miles away where the mud was even a few feet deeper. Johnny's customary smile is still there, although rain and mud make it assume more the expression of grim determination. A couple of days later, however, while the sun was out, we learned that Johnny had just signed Edna Murphy to play the leading role opposite him. Eleven Visits Studio Coach Rockne and members of the Notre Dame Football team visited Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios shortly after they had vanquished Southern California. Meehan Has Story We talked with J. Leo Meehan while the sun beat down on a many-hued elaborate replica of Venetian streets and Italian porticoes and again while real rain poured over a studio roof housing some of the delicate interior sets used in "The Magic Garden." We availed ourselves for a period of several hours of many of the minutes that Meehan was not wielding his megaphone. Meehan has a story to tell that speaks not only directly to box offices but to picture fans, thousands of whom are readers of Gene Stratton Porter's novels. He is known as the Stratton director on the F. B. O. lot. He has actually translated Stratton stories to the screen for F. B. O. for the past four years. (Continued on page 492) Gene Porter's Genius Now On Film