Camera (May 1922-April 1923)

CAMERA ! J^''cckly IVake-'Em-Up— CAMERA !'S A'nvs Section Page Fifteen CHAMP LADY DIVER DIVES INTO WRITING The occasional death through accident of people who take the risks of doubling for actors in doing stunts fraught with dangers to life and limb is about the only reminder that the film world has its full quota of quite remarkable performers whose names are almost totally unknown to the general public. In this connection it is interesting to note as an example that one of the most daring women divers in the world, one of the very few who take the chances coincident to diving into dangerous waters with all of her street clothes on, is among the most useful of doubles in the Los Angeles picture field and that this same accomplished aquatic wonder is a literary genius with several successfully published stories to her credit. Her name is Edla Laurance and her latest stories, "The Successful Wife" and "Human Destiny," both published by the Neiv York Journal, are well on their way to acceptance for motion picture production soon, according to report. Miss Laurance is the proud descendant of five generations of Americans, the daughter of a well-known New Jersey physician, Dr. James N. Faulkner, one of the veteran G. A. R. men, and a descendant of Lord Faulkner. She moved to Hollywood from the east about a year ago with the determination to devote all of her energies to motion pictures. She began her literary work as a compositor and proof-reader on the Louisville Courier Journal, received personal references from the late Col. Henry Watterson and was transferred to the magazine department of the New York Tribune. While employed there she married a promising young engineer and inventor, who went to England and became a consulting engineer with Lord Kelvin. Her life and talent while in Europe brought her in contact with one prominent person after another, both in a social and business way. Sixteen years were spent in travel in Europe. When the war became a fact, she devoted all her time and money for the benefit of the boys in Base Hospital No. 16, in New Haven. Great concerns like the Remington Arms of Bridgeport collected thousands of dollars and gave it to her to spend on the boys. Verbosity will convert the would-be author into a curiosity. Save words! The political spell-binders need them anyway. The real upper classes arc down among tlie masses. Those who disagree with this are cautioned not to confuse the word "snob" with "upper." I CAPPING LAST MINUTE CLIMAXES | ENGAGEMENT RUMOR DENIAL NUMBER 1,39874— LOIS WILSON— J. WARREN KERRIGAN— "JUST GOOD FRIENDS." * * * MRS. BERTHA WESTBROOK REID, MOTHER OF THE LATE WALLACE REID, ANNOUNCES HER INTENTION OF VISITING HOLLYWOOD NEXT SPRING. * * * PEGGY JOYCE MAY MARRY DUCI DE KEREKJARTO, THE ARMENIAN VIOLINIST. IF YOU CAN STILL GET A THRILL OUT OF HER COUNTLESS NUPTIAL PROSPECTS. * » GxVRETH HUGHES IS BACK IN HOLLYWOOD AFTER A TRIP TO EUROPE, WHERE HE SUPPORTED LIONEL BARRYMORE IN "ENEMIES OF WOMEN," WHICH WILL BE RELEASED SOON. * * * MRS. MONTE BLUE IS MAKING HER FIRST SCREEN APPEARANCE AFTER A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS ABSENCE. SHE IS IN THE CAST SUPPORTING CHARLES RAY IN "THE "COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH." * * * CARL LAEMMLE IS HERE FROM NEW YORK ON A SOJOURN OF INSPECTION AT UNIVERSAL CITY. HE IS HIGHLY OPTIMISTIC OVER BUSINESS CONDITIONS IN GENERAL AND THE FILM BUSINESS IN PARTICULAR. * * * THE HEROIC LIFE OF KING CHARLES XII OP SWEDEN, IN HIS TIME ONE OF THE MOST FEARED WARRIORS OF ALL EUROPE, IS BEING FILMED BY THE HISTORIC FILMS, LTD., AND WILL BE RELEASED IN AMERICA EARLY NEXT MARCH. * * » SESSUE HAYAKAWA'S STAGE PLAY, "TIGER LILY," HAS FAILED TO SCORE THE EXPECTED SUCCESS AND WAS TAKEN OFF THE BOARDS BEFORE IT EVER REACHED NEW YORK. IT IS SAID THE JAPANESE STAR PLANS AN EARLY RETURN TO PICTURES. * * * JOHN FAIRBANKS, BROTHER AND GENERAL MANAGER OF DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, AND, ONE OF THE GREAT PRINCES OF PICTURES, WAS ATTACKED WEDNESDAY BY A PARALYTIC STROKE, WHICH WAS INDUCED BY A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN CAUSED BY OVERWORK. * * * PARAMOUNT SEEMS PRONE TO HASTEN THE WORK OF FILLING ITS EXTREMELY EXTENUATED STELLAR RANKS AND HAS STARTED THE PROCESS BY SIGNING RICHARD DIX TO A LONG-TERM CONTRACT, ACCORDING TO AN ANNOUNCEMENT EMANATING FROM NEW YORK. * * * RODOLPH VALENTINO SEEMS DEFINITELY LOST TO THE FILMS FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS AT LEAST AND NOW WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE NEW YORK COURTS HE HAS SIGNED A CONTRACT TO APPEAR IN KEITH VAUDEVILLE AT A REPORTED SALARY OF $6,000 PER WEEK. * * » » AMONG THE ATTRACTIONS TO BE OFFERED AT THE hIRST ANNUAL AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVUE AND MOTION PICTURE EXPOSITION NEXT JUNE WILL BE THE GREATEST HORSE SHOW EVER HELD IN THE WEST. NEGOTIATIONS ARE NOW UNDER WAY TO HAVE EASTERN ENTRIES BROUGHT HERE. JOHN AASEN, OF MINOT, NORTH DAKOTA, WHO IS EIGHT FEET, NINE INCHES TALL, AND THE MOST GIGANTIC GIANT IN THE WORLD, HAS JOINED THE HOLLYWOOD FILM COLONY AND WILL APPEAR IN HAIiOLD LLOYD COMEDIES. IF HE SCORES ANY KIND OF A SUCCESS AS A PHOTOPLAYER, AASEN IS BOUND TO BE A BIG SUCCESS. * Hi * THE WEST COAST THEATRES, INC., HAS PURCHASED THE ENTIRE CHAIN OF FORTY TURNER & DAIINKEN PICTURE THEATRES, ALL OF WHICH ARE IN CALIFORNIA. SOL LESSER, A. L. GORE, M. GORE AND ADOLPH RAMISH OWN THE WEST COAST THEATRES, INC., AND THIS LATEST TRANSACTION GIVES THEM CONTROL OF A TOTAL OF 105 THEATRES. * ♦ * THE CO-OPERATIVE REPERTORY THEATRE ASSOCIATION WILL OBSERVE NATIONAL DRAMA WEEK BY PRE SENTING "HONORABLE TOGO," "DIES IRAE" AND "A BEAR," 4LL ONE-ACT PLAYS, AT THE AMERICAN LEGION HALL IN HOLLYWOOD MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 29TH, AND, WILL FOLLOW THIS ON FEBRUARY 24TH, 2.5TH AND 26TH WITH "IVANOUSHKA," A RUSSIAN EXTRAVAGANZA. AMERICAN CINEMA GENIUS LEADS IN ENGLAND According to the London Times, Denison Clift, former Lasky scenarist and Fox director, has achieved the premier position as Director of British pictures. "A Bill of Divorcement," starring ('onstance Binney, is rated as the best British picture of the year. "This Freedom," the great A. S. M. Hutchinson novel, has just been completed in London, and will be ready in March to compete with the Fox production of "If Winter Conies" the other Hutchinson best-seller. Mr. Clift is now directing "Out to Win," founded on the London stage success, and upon its completion he will produce his own version of the "Mary Queen of Scots" story, using the great castles of England and Scotland as backgrounds, and with Fay Compton, the loveliest of England's great actresses, as the ill-fated Queen. The original scenes of the story will be used, notably Lochleven, Stirling, Holyrood and Fotheringay. Huge sets, a cast of the greatest of English actors, lavish costumes and historical accuracy will make this one of the most stupendous foreign pictures. The resources of the British Museum are being used for story, costumes and backgrounds, and a group of experts are already preparing for the opening shots of the picture. Upon the completion of this production in London, Mr. Clift vvill return to Hollywood. SWICKARD HEADS ALLSTAR CAST FIRST TIME Director Lorimer Johnston, formerly of the American Film company and Vitagraph, is coming down the home-stretch at Universal City in the filming of "The Cricket on the Hearth," the Charles Dickens classic, for the Paul Gerson Corporation of San Francisco. This feature marks the initial appearance of Josef Swickard as a star. Mi-. Swickard will be remembered as the beloved Marcelo Denoyers in "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." In "The Cricket on the Hearth," he plays the role of Caleb Plummer, the toymaker. An all-star cast is supporting him, among the better known players being F'riizi Ridgeway, Virginia Brown Fair(\ Paul Gerson, Joan Standing and Paul Moore. A. L. Thompson, formerly of the executive staff of the American Film company, is general manager of (lie Gerson orgaiiizalion and Joseph Kerr, formerly of First National, is publicity director. Stay conservative — always conservative — then youi' progress will be safe.