Camera (May 1922-April 1923)

CAMERA ! "The Digest of the Motion Picture Industry" Page Five Mar}) Pickford Springs Some Sensations Mary Pickiord poured oil on the wheels of progress at the Pickford-Fairbanks Studios the other day when she announced that she would start work next week. And with this announcement she incidentally exploded a few bombshells, for Mary is going to produce two pictures at once, neither of which will be "Faust," although she stated a short time ago she would turn this into celluloid. "My first new play is to be an original story," she said, "under the working title of 'Rosita,' but before it is complete I expect to commence work on 'Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall,' the script for which has already been prepared." When asked why she had decided not to film "Faust" Miss Pickford explained, "As a matter of fact, I have merely decided to to postpone 'Faust.' Each star, you see, has her own especial following and it seems best after careful analysis based on correspondence from those who are interested in my plays, as well as upon a survey made through our various exchange offices, not to step suddenly out of the type of story the public has been accustomed to associating me with into anything quite so dramatic as 'Faust.' " The new story, the final title for which will be decided later, is from the pen of a European dramatic editor and was brought to this country by Mr. Lubitsch. The scenario has been prepared by Edward Knoblock, noted dramatist, who also wrote the script, in collaboration with Lubitsch, for "Faust." In "Kosita" Miss Pickford will attempt her most pretentious screen undertaking. Sets for this picture it is understood will A PAULINE Pauline Garon, filmdom's flapper, who is returning to Hollywood to play in Frank Borzage's "Terwilliger". tiutdo those for Doug's "Robin Hood." The Riory is a colorful romance built against the historical background of fifteenth century Si)ain, and Miss Pickford will assume the role of a dancing girl. There will he a mediaeval king, portrayed, perhaps, by Holl)rook Blinn of "Rad Man" fame. And if negotiations can be arranged, Maurice (Hievalier, at present the musical comedy rage of Paris, will play opposite Miss Pickford as leading man. The picture will be directed by Ernest Lubitsch, who was specially engaged by Miss Pickford to do "Faust." For "Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall," the star expects to employ another director, for she hopes to step out of "Rosita" as soon as her scenes are finished, leaving Mr. Lubitsch to complete the picture with the remainder of the cast while she goes on with "Dorothy Vernon." "Rosita" promises to supply a vehicle for Miss Pickford's emotional powers and at the same time she hopes it will nuirk a distinct phase in her transition to the dramatic pinnacle to which she aspires. With this play as the first stepping stone toward a new type of art for her, and with "Dorothy Vernon" as the second, she believes the public will be sufficiently accustomed to the heavier roles to look with favor upon her as "Marguerite" in "Faust." "While the new story will be strongly dramatic," the little star explained, "it will be sprinkled with natural, spontaneous comedy, but with none of the made-to-order kind, created, to use studio vernacular, through the medium of 'business.' I intend to make this picture 'handwork,' not a factory product, and once we get started I hope the task to be complete in ten weeks." Golden Opportunity) for Photopla37ers to Set Fashions Unless all signs fail, fashions will be more or less influenced by the Monroe Doctrine Centennial to be celebrated next summer by the American Historical Revue and Motion Picture Exposition. While there has been a tendency to revive the kerchief, head decorations and full skirts, the costuming of many of the historical episodes to be presented in pageants and floats doubtless will have a distinct effect in encouraging a trend of the modes already marked. Here seems to be a chance for the motion picture stars to set the styles for 1923. In the time of President Monroe there was a great divergence of fashions, for every city and state had distinctive styles of dress, according to the slowness of transmission of news from Paris or New York. For instance, Boston dressed with marked deference to Puritan influences, while Philadelphia was true to its Quaker traditions. Washington was the center of fashions during the administration of the fifth President, because Mrs. Monroe, a New Yorker by birth, had passed a number of years in Paris when her hushusband was envoy to France. Portraits of Mrs. Monroe are rare indeed, but it is known that she was a brunette, tall and dignified. She was fond of velvet gowns then much in vogue, and it is recorded that she wore a black velvet much trimmed with lace at one of the White House levees. The fact that she and her two married daughters appeared with "bare neck and arms" was ANOTHER PAULINE Pauline Starke, after playing in Raoul Walsh's "Lost and Found" in Tahiti, and in "The Little Girl Next Door" in Chicago, has returned to Hollywood. mentioned by contemporary writers who were a bit shocked perhaps. Pearl necklaces were in high favor then as now. The ornamentation of the coiffure, now apparently so i)opuIar, led to the wearing of caps a hundred years ago. From Paris Mrs. Monroe bi'ouglit the fashion of wearin,g three nodding white iilumos in her' hair. Plumes were later sui)i)lenu>nted with flowers and ribbons and in time the caj) of lace and furbelows which i)er.sons of middle age may recall in remembering their grandmothers, were introduced. Hoops and crinolines of various shapes were worn a hundred years ago, although they did not expand to absurd circumferences until later. All this inlormation is the result of research work done in preparation for costuming pageants and floats for the Revue and Exposition. Costume pictures have been so successful lately and have pi'oved so convincing of the ability of our actresses to wear old-time .garments charmingly that it is to be expected tlu'y will dcnujiistrate how lovely they can ajipear in modes of a day long antedating photography, a day when (lagu( i rotypes were miracles in the line of port I :ii lure. Muiiay Spencer, ex-Yale man and now striviny to become one of the screen idols, has been selected as president of the Old Yale Dramatic Club of Southei-n California. Several of the members of this organization are successful motion picture actors.