Camera (May 1922-April 1923)

Page Twelve JVeekly IVake-'Em-Up— CAMERA .''S Nezvs Section CAMERA ! EDITORIAL PAGE Camera's Weekly Wake-em-up Why not more concentration on making all-good pictures rather than merely all-star ones? Let's harmonize — not victimize. Let's unify — not nullify. Let's keep busy and avoid being dizzy! Here's hoping the present wave of prosperity in filmdom will not develop into a breaker for anyone. "Contradict McCarthy," reads a new.spaper headline. But why should we? In other words, why all these imperative headlines? It is^ still an ill wind that blows no one good. Those blizzards back east made the business of movie theatres jump up, the winds literally driving the crowds to the shows. The Selznick financial troubles, as reported from New York, seem to have been a matter of "he who sells in the nick of time," and, here's hoping this rather pioneer firm emerges from all its difllculties victoriously. They are still building larger studibs in this field. A notable case is that of the Warner Brothers. Keep the hammers in the constructive hands of the carpenters and the chronic "knockers" will have less chances to inflict their destruction. There is no place on earth equal to Southern California as the place to make motion pictures. Hence it is well within the range of possibility that practically all the films will be made here eventually. This is a good goal to pull togcthrr for and the more concerted the effort the more assured the possibility. Present studio activities indicate that the film-making industry is now out of its infancy and approaching a healthy maturity. Now if all its clothes are made larger and fit— if small political trickery is eliminated — the full-grown power of the great business will be free to wield its unlimited influence for good. Picture people as a group are away above the average of citizenry, being of the same strata as that occupied by great educators. This is truth of the whole-cloth, easily proven by analytical logic. Yet, if such a statement were placed on film and projected in picture theatres of some eastern states, it would be deleted by the censors. The point is raised simply to show how wildly unjust censorship has become. SOMETHING TO THINK PROUDLY ABOUT Do you realize that the United States is by far the greatest motion-picture-film producer in the world? This country's annual output is estimated at 1,000,000,000 feet of film worth $40,000,000 and there is a consistently steady increase in the manufacture of this entertainment-providing commodity. The extensiveness of the moving picture industry is an excellent barometer by which to judge and appreciate the vast precedence which has been attained by grand, incomparable America in other lines of business and it should inspire a thrill of pride in the heart of every loyal patriot. Moreover, every photoplay-goer should be constantly aware of the fact that when he or she is witnessing the photoplay made in the U. S. A., he or she is enjoying the happy privilege of seeing the best there is in this wonderful art. The most caustic critic cannot justly assail the American screen in general nor do we know of a single one who has ventured so much. Praise instead of criticism has the upper hand, because the plane occupied by the shadow stage is so exalted, so firmly fixed in its American superiority that even the habitual fault-finder cannot maintain a tenable congruity and denounce it. THE GAME LITTLE SPORT The game little spoit is man. Physically he is very small when compared to the huge proportions of many of Nature's w(»nders. Yet, by dint of his mettle he is the conqueror of most all the giants of his realm. The Roaring Lions of Discontent and the Merciless Dragons of Opposition cannot stay him nor has he ever been known to give up the uneven battle despite all the almost insurmountable obstructions the countless Fates could cram into his pathway. Man, like the game, little sport that he is, keeps his face "squarely front" and he maintains an invulnerable equilibrium although he is being incessantly confronted by unheard-of difficulties which seem to defy disposal. Now, whenever you feel yourself demurring because it becomes necessary to deal a blow to a man, remember he was created with all the powers to survive just such blows. Do not make yourself unhappy and permit a series of events to take a wrong course simply because you are so tender-hearted and considerate that you cannot bring yourself to the point of striking for the right shore. Man may seem to falter occasionally and he will err, but when it comes to arising to an emergency requiring bravei-y and gallantry, he never fails and he never forgets to smile under any or all circumstances. Above-board candor excels reluctant silence every time as a producer of ultimate happiness. The reason is plain: because man is a game little sport. You can bank on this. ^iiriiiiiiHMmiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiHHiitiutiiinriiiiiiiii'^ INTAKES From U Edilor You won't have so many things to mind if you cease minding other people's business so much. Don't 'oe so ready to grunt. It's too much like a hog and besides, it makes you resemble a piece of cheese. Another case of false report is false hair and another kind of bum rumor is a roomer who jumps his board bill. Don't worry should you be forced to start at the bottom of the ladder. All you've got to do is to climb and even monkeys can climb. When most of the leading comedians complete their marches up to the altar, may they escape the necessity for rushing up to the courts of alter! When Clara Phillips is captured she will make personal appearances with ''Broken Chains." Then Sheriff Traeger plans to re-make "To Have and to Hold" with our little Clara playing all parts. Whenever you hear anyone "knock" Los Angeles or Hollywood, redouble your boosting activities, because the "knocking" is a sure sign of the greatness and importance of these giants of running California. There are more truly great photoplays current this season than ever before. The cinema as an art is on the upward bound, in other words. Therefore, it is high time every dissenting force discontinues all downward pull. New screen faces are more welcome to the public than some film men may think. Valentino proves this. Something more to think about in these days of mad scrambles for allstar casts the usual names of which are limited to about seventy different artists only. The day is not far distant when Hollywood will become one of the most important cities of this whole country. It will not only grow as a center of photoplay-making, but it is sure to become a great theatre center. Grauman's Egyptian Theatre is the worthy nucleus of an amusement district, which five years hence will be crowded with paying play-houses showing every form of attraction from motion pictures to top-notch vaudeville, from spoken drama, including modern, Shakespearean and Grecian classics, to musical extravaganza. A pipe dream? All right. Remember this prediction and don't be surprised if it begins to materialize extensively even within the next two years. it E H USTS 11 horn Al Martin 11 p 11 ■iM.ii...i.i.i.ii......iiiiii>iiiniiitiiiiiiiitiriiiiitiiiiiniiriiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiriiiiirt 5 ■ ' "■"""•It nil lit ■iiiKiMiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiu; The cast of the "Little Girl Next Door" has returned from Chicago. Did she ask for me? Edgar Lewis' "The Right of the Strongest" may be changed to "I can eat more onions than you." Frederick Kohler is doing the "Journey of Death" with Tom Mix. I can't think of a "gag" for that title. Monty Banks says he won't work in "The Lion and the Mouse" because he dislikes animal pictures. Seeing that the producers are making "April Showers" and other song successes, who should make "Oh, what a pal was Mary?" Viola Dana's latest "appendices" under the direction of Dr. Maurice Kahn has been "cut," but the title changed to "My Vacatioti." Gladys Walton is making a comedy on the phone service entitled, "Crossed Wires." Can you imagine anything funny about the telephone service? Now that the pictures are getting cleaner and better, why mislead the public with titles like "W'hat Fools Men Are" and "What Wives Want?" Kingsley Benedict suggests that this being the day of "contests," why not have an ability contest. The question is, who has the ability to judge the ability? E. W. Borman, playing in "The Silent Accuser," has a pet saying and it is "Hide something and see if I can find it." The reason for this is, he's learning to be a detective. Florence Gilbert, playing opposite Bull Montana in his snow picture, says she was so cold in her bathing suit at Truckee that if someone dropped her in chocolate she'd be an Eskimo pie. Bob Marks has given to the woild a new song which he dedicated to Alice Belcher, the comedy vamp of the Bonnie Brier Hotel. The song is entitled "If That's Chicken, I'll Take Fish." Now that everyone has a "name," Jimmy Cruze fools us all by picking an unknown for "Hollywood." Which reminds me of that old saying, "No matter how cold the night may be, she's still your mother."