Camera (May 1922-April 1923)

CAM ERA I Weekly Wake-'Em-V p~C 4MERA!'S News Section Page Thirtef( TWO NOTED AUTHORS. PELLEY AND VAN LOAN, JOIN FORCES IN FILMLAND FILMING OF "THE FRENCH DOLL" IS STARTED Work has been started on "The French Doll," Mae Murray's second production to be made this season in California. It is to be an elaborate version of the play of that name by A. E. Thomas, adapted by the latter from a famous French play for Irene Bordoni. It had a successful New York run and Miss Bordoni is now on tour with it. Robert Leonard, producer of the Mae Murray pictures for Tiffany Productions and also Miss Murray's director, has surrounded her with an exceptionally good cast, including Rod Le Rocque, Willard Louis, Orville Caldwell, Madame Rose Dione, Bernard Randall, Paul Cazeneuve and others. The adaptation of the play for the screen was made by Frances Marion, one of the most noted writers for the films. The production is being made at the Goldwyn studios at Culver City, where the Tiffany Company is leasing space and will be released as Miss Murray's other recent productions by Metro. Miss Murray's first production turned out at the Goldwyn plant, "Jazzamania," a satirical comedy, very lavishly mounted, is booked for early showing at the Capitol in New York and Loew's State in Los Angeles. The story was written by Edmund Goulding and the picture was titled by Al Cohn. Rod LeRocque, Edward Burns, Robert Frazer, Lionel Belmore and Jean Hersholt have prominent parts. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS ELECT NEW OFFICERS The Electrical Illuminating Engineers Society held their annual election of officers January 25 at the Cinema Studio Supply Company. The following officers were elected: President, H. M. Ewing; Vice-President, R. E. Nauman; Secretary-Treasurer, R. Hostetter; and Harry D. Brown, chief electrical engineer of Universal, and H. M. Ewing were elected as a committee to meet the State's Electrical Safety Commissioner in San Francisco. Pete Harron was appointed to call on W. J. Reynolds, president of the Motion Picture Producers' Association, to interest him in the San Francisco project, the purpose of which is to present the studio angle of the electrical engineers before the commission. The condition of John Fairbanks, brother of Douglas, was reported last Thursday as slightly improved. Mr. Fairbanks was the victim of a paralytic stroke a week ago, and was in a serious condition for several days. Announcement is made of the association of William Dudley Pelley of New York City, magazine writer and novelist, with H. H. Van Loan, photodramatist and one of the most successful script writers in the trade. Mr. Pelley has arrived in Hollywood and taken offices with Mr. Van Loan in the Security Bank Building. The joining of forces came about as the result of Mr. Van Loan's adaptation of Mr. Pelley's last novel, "The Fog," which Graf Productions are now screening for April release on the Metro program. Mr. Pelley has been connected the past two years with the Red Book Magazine where his short story work has appeared regularly. Prior to that he was a regular contributor to The Amc7-ican. He has also appeared in The Saturday Et^ening Post and Cosmopolitan, a new series of stories by him starting in the latter magazine in April. His two novels, "The Greater Glory" and "The Fog," were extremely popular in the East, the former having gone into four printings and the latter into seven. About fifteen months ago Mr. Pelley started writing directly AND ANOTHER ONE QUITS STAGE TO TRY SCREEN Ross Forrester, son of Jane Corthope, the eminent legitimate actress, an Orpheum and Keith star, who arrived in Hollywood about six months ago, has achieved much success on the New York stage for the past eighteen years. Ross is from a theatrical family of many years' standing. He played the part of the Artful Dodger in "Oliver Twist" in New York and was with "Lucky Jim," one of the largest vaudeville sketches ever produced. He toured through France, Germany and England for four years and this country for three years. Mr. Forrester played the leading role in "Suspicion" at the Bgan Theatre, under the direction of Walter Hast. He also played the juvenile "leads" with the Empire Theatre in Long Beach for four months. Some of the productions which Mr. Forrester has been associated with are: "The Lady and the Cowboy," "It Might Have Been," "Fisherman's Luck," and "Peggy," all New York successes. Mr. Forrester intends locating heie permanently to try his luck in pictures. Winfield Sheehan, vice-president of the William Fox Film Corporation, arrived in Los Angeles Thursday to make an inspection of the coast studios. . Ann Schaefer has been cast as Mrs. V a 1 b o r g in Warner Brothers' production of "Main ( Street." for the screen. His first seven photoplays were sold immediately, most of them now awaiting release. His screen success has been so extraordinary that he has taken up his home in Hollywood to be in direct touch with practical studio work. Mr. Van Loan now has about forty screen successes to his credit and having finished Mr. Pelley's "Fog" is now engaged in putting Jack London's "Call of the Wild" into script form for Hal Roach. Out of more than two hundred published magazine stories, which is Mr. Pelley's record to date, he will adapt about thirty of them for the screen in association with Mr. Pelley. In outside screen work, however, both writers will preserve their individuality and carry on their activities separately. Wherever collaboration is attempted, the work will be so designated. Mr. Pelley has written vehicles for E. K. Lincoln, Lon Chaney, Hope Hampton, Viola Dana and his latest work will star Cullen Landis. His latest novel, "The Last Sweetheart," will be published this coming autumn by Little, Brown & Company. DAVID BELASCO TO AID WARNERS FILM 3 PLAYS David Belasco, through a deal closed recently, has been definitely brought to the screen by Warner Brothers. According to the agreement and an understanding reached between Belasco and the Warner organization, the great stage craftsman will aid in the preparation of the scenarios, editing and titling and the choosing of the casts for the first three Belasco productions, "The Gold Diggers," by Avery Hopwood, "Deburau," by Sacha Guitry, and "Daddies," by Lessing Hubble. It is stated that a cash advance royalty of $250,000 figured in the deal, and in addition Belasco will share in the profits of the pioductions. Another feature of the transaction is that all the appointments, costumes and accessories used by Belasco in the various stage productions will be utilized by the Warner Brothers in the making of the pictures. INTO VAUDEVILLE Al .\It and George (Zip) Williams, who have just finished a series of "Hall Room Boy" comedies under the direction of Al Saiitell and Harry Edwards, have signed a contract to appear on a vaudeville circuit for the coming twelve weeks. When this contract expires, they are scheduled to return to Los Angeles and produce another series of comedies. PAUL POWELL TO DIRECT "FOG" FOR GRAF Max Graf, Supervising Director of Graf Productions, Inc., announces that he has secured the services of Paul Powell to direct the forthcoming Graf Production, "The Fog," the filming of which will start at the Pacific Studios in San Mateo in the immediate future. The signing of Paul Powell as director of "The Fog" signifies the calibre of production Graf intends to present as his next photoplay offering through Metro Pictures Corporation. Mr. Powell is best remembered for the delightful treatment of "Pollyanna" which he directed with Mary Pickford as the star. It is but one of his many sterling contributions to the screen. During the three years he has been directing at the Lasky Studios, he has made many of the notable successes which have come from the Famous Players -Lasky organization. "Racing Hearts," with Agnes Ayres; "The Ci-adle" with Ethel Clayton, "All Night" with Rudolph Valentino; "Sweet Lavender" with Mary Miles Minter and "The Crimson Challenge" with Dorothy Dalton are but a few of the pictures that have established him among the brighter lights of directorial genius. When the Lasky Studios were opened in London, Paul Powell was sent from this country to take charge of production activities there. He remained in London for some time and then returned to Hollywood, where he remained with the Lasky forces until secured by Mr. Graf for his present engagement. Mr. Powell is now collaborating with Winifred Dunn on the finishing touches of the continuity which has been written by Miss Dunn from the adaptation by H. H. Van Loan. Miss Dunn's capabilities as a continuity writer were vividly demonstrated in "Quincy Adams Sawyer." MARCIA MANON TO STAR IN "THE DICE WOMAN" J. L. Frothinghani will star Marcia Manon in his first production this year, "The Dice Woman," an original story by Haivey Gates. Miss Manon has been a prominent figure on the screen for the last four years. She appeared in Cecil B. De Mille's "Old Wives for New," "Stella Maris" with Mary Pickford, George Loane Tucker's "Ladies Must Live," "The Masquerader" with CUiy Bates Post, J . L . Frothingliam's ''The Woman He Loved" and "Skin Deep," a Thomas H. Ince production in which Miss Manon scored a personal hit.