Camera (May 1922-April 1923)

C A MER A I "The Digest of the Motion Picture Industry" Page Seven 98 Poundb of Star and $25,000 WortK of "Extras" By RAY H. LEEK iiiiHiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii IIIIIIHIIIIIIIHIIIIIII Enter the ninety-eight pound starlet! Ethel Shannon, declared to be the living embodiment of "The Little Disturbei." as conceived by D. W. Griffith, again has lived up to her practice of attaining success by violating all the precedents of the picture industry. Just when most producers are agreeing that the stately maid of man's size inches will be the future vogue, Miss Shannon has been signed for a long term of years to enact featured roles in special productions — the tiniest adult star in captivity. Appropriately enough, she has joined the playing forces of a producer who already has gained a reputation of doing things differently, B. P. Schulberg. Although the winsome Miss Shannon has been elevated to a rank equal to stardom in most organizations, she is not technically a star. For the casts in which she will appear will be made up of other stars and featured players of like importance. To further prove that accepted rules of procedure are not being followed, Mr. Schulberg announced at the time this news became public, that he was seeking two more promising girl players — either with or without experience, beautiful or plain, blonde or brunette! All that is required is that they possess the ability to record their emotions on the screen in the forceful manner that has brought Miss Shannon to the fore in such productions as "The Hero" and "The Girl Who Came Back." Awaiting the fortunate girls are salaries ranging from .?200 to $2,000 a week. No more certain means of gauging the progress of the screen art is to be found than through the re-making of famous productions of a few years ago. The latest example of the "re-made" film will be found in Goldwyn's "The Spoilers," being filmed by Jesse D. Hampton. Rex Beach's picturesque story originally was filmed by Col. Selig more than ten years ago. It is said that the present production will cost many times that of the Selig picture. Mary Pickford's second production of "Tess of the Storm Country," also at great cost, was declared by some critics to fall short of her original effort. It remains to be seen whether this filming of the Rex Beach story will mark ten years of picture progress. Independent pictures agdin scored this week when Victor Schertzinger signed a long term contract under which he will head a producing unit for Preferred Pictures that will bear his name. His selection for this important post — for he has been named to make a series of ambitious all-star pictures for the company — is a recognition of his efforts in the same capacity for such stars as Charles Ray, Katherine MacDonald, Mabel Normand, Geraldine Farrar and others of a similar caliber. Mr. Schertzinger is one of those versatile individuals who prove the theory that art is ail regardless of the medium througli which it .speaks. First an actor, he became a composer .musical director, producer of light operas and finally chose to address his audience through the medium of the directorial megaphone. Hut even here he permitted his personalily certain liberties. Instead of the conventional megaphone, Mr. Schertzinger uses his violin to interpi^t his thoughts. In his future Al Lichtman attractions he says the violin will be given an opportunity to register before the camera as it has in the past. A spirited election in the ranks of the Wampas, the organization of advertising and publicity men who are waging a campaign for truth in picture advertising, has resulted in the election of Joseph Jackson as the new head of the body. "1 am for the same policy for which the organization always has stood — -truth in advertising and publicity," said Mr. Jackson, "whatever else we may do this year, the Wampas will not depart from this hard fast rule." Just a hint of the cost of a big picture production was given to the uninitiated in Hollywood the other evening when Tom Forman sent out word that he wanted to Continued to Page 21 VICTOR SCHeRTXiKGeR.,W(TH PREreRREO P\CT0Re5, DIRECTS WITH VlOUhl ETHeu SHAHKorJ A6WtA VlOtAres PI?EceOBHTS A»40 BECOMES -nrJlES-r STP.^ SClVikIo TMe FORElGrt STAR PROOLeM—