Pictures and the Picturegoer (Jan-Dec 1924)

JANUARY 1924 all that, of course, which is a pit Jackie hasn't Stopped improvim Charles Chaplin's first serious ./ Woman of Paris, is somethi grown-ups — emphatically yes. harks hack to the simple niovi used tO be in the early Griffit' only plus modern technique an big and the Chaplin genius o! di A masterly simplicity is its keyiu it is a veritable slice of life. A grown-ups is Anna Christie, a sordid tale, compelling however dramatic intensity. Blanche " degenerates " wonderfully, sh did; hut she also has a eostum to her credit in In the l'alac King, the same storj h'raneis ami Beverley Bayne did so eh some years ago. Marion D; just completed another sr romance, with more to fo Beau Barrymore in Beau seems to have staged an re-entry. Personally, I fin more's Jekyll and Hyde wor him all dolled up in fancy d heavily waved hair, but Beau is going to be a popular thin Rose, with Lenore Ulrich original role is also ready, Corinne Griffith's Black Oxen, Conway Tearle opposite. Whether every fan will appreciate the satire, and sly, delicious humour of James Cruze's Hollywood is uncertain. But he can and will enjoy seeing all his pet Paramount stars^ N.B. James Cruze, whose engagement to Betty Compson was recently announced will be one of the year's directors. Italy has not been idle this winter, and several interesting productions are due from there. Firstly there is J. Gordon Edward's Shepherd King with a cast entirely Italian with the exception of Violet Mersereau And Quo Vadis is being re-filmed there now wfth Emil Jannings, the German star as " Nero." France, too, has more big features than ever. Besides the long overdue 15 Anothei interesting " futur< OUSe mi the Sen for which i has gone to Italy. / he 11 htte • Inn d in Italy, also. This net story, with a deeply religious . hui pictorially h is exquisite, lllian Gish is every whit as good ■r. Her next, Romold, in which Dorothy will CO star, is also to he in Italy, and should he extremely •ular. lauv's spectaculars are i lual. There is I.N.R.I., tin made in the mormons new in which Asta Nielsen and a other famous people appear. a long and elaborate picturisa Abei Gance feature, The ^^*/heel there are half-a-dozen big ones, some of which will be seen early • in the year, some not until May. Messalina which was made by Signor Enrico Guazzoni, who was also responsible for the 1913 Quo Vadis, Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, is a story of the year 12 A.D., and is considered his best Wallace Beery's " Richard the Lionhcartcd " tells oj adventures of that zvorthy omitted from "Robin Hood." Blanche Sweet's "Anna Christie" is a notable piece of work. tion of the life of Christ. There arc also several screen adaptations of Wagner's operas, which are not new productions, but have not yet been shown in England. Destiny, which arrived last December, is a fantasy' with an unusual theme. Its symbolical story depicts the struggle of a woman for the life of her lover with Death, who is shown as a Stranger, possessing powers which are beyond even his control. It is played by Bernard Goetzke, Walter Jaasen, and Lil Dagovar, all of whom have been seen before on British screens, and is remarkable for the simplicity and effectiveness of its settings, its well drawn characters, and its thought-provoking theme. Some " futures " from America include Gulliver's Travels, Ben Hur, the leading role for which seems to have been given to George Walsh; Captain Blood, The Arab (Rex Ingram), and Triumph (Cecil De Mille). Will Rogers' Unccnsorcd Movies, a satire on Cinema Folk, Investigation Leagues, etc.. etc., is something no one with a sense of humour can afford to miss. Space forbids details, of the dozen or so other notable 1924 productions but this year is unique, in that Britain is no longer compelled to wait six or nine months to see productions already released in America. These days release is simultaneous either side, in some cases we have the preference — which is not at all a bad thing. Holbrook Blinn " The Bad Man ' screen. brings to the I