Camera - April 14, 1923 to February 16, 1924 (April 1923-February 1924)

Page Ten Weekly Wake'Em-Up— CAMERA'S News Section CAMERA! FINIS STARTS 4th INDEPENDENT PICTURE Finis Fox has started work on his fourth independent feature production, "Bag and Baggage" at the Hollywood Studios with a notable cast of screen artists. Like all his other productions, Finis not only wrote the story, but is also directing and supervising the details of production from story and theme to the cutting room. The cast is headed by Gloria Grey, the most recent Finis Fox discovery. John Roche, who scored a big hit in David Belasco's New York stage success, "Deburau," has been signed for the male lead. The cast also includes such film notables as Paul Wiegel, Carmelita Geraghty, Adele Farrington, Arthur Stuart Hull. Maxine Elliott Hicks and Ned Grey. The story is a typical Finis Fox drama with pathos and comedy relief. The continuity was written by Lois Zellner. The executive and technical personnel of the Fox organization includes R. R. Beaty, General Manager, William Dashiell, Assistant Director, Danny Hall, Technical Director and Hal Mohr, Photographer. "Bag and Baggage" is the first of a new series of super productions that Finis Fox will make for the independent market. STORY OF METRO PICTURE-MAKING TOLD IN REELS A precedent was set by officials of the Metro west coast studios when they sent Howard Strickling, director of publicity at the Hollywood plant, to the annual national Metro sales convention in New York with a three-reel film showing the exact progress of the various pictures now under course of production. The film contained scenes from "Scaramouche," "The Eagle's Feather," "The Girl Who Dared,' "Strangers of the Night," "The Master of Woman' and other pictures now being made. In addition it shows sidelights on the various productions, the actual difficulties involved in making some scenes, the handling of huge crowds and other interesting features. Following the convention Mr. Strickling will confer with Metro officials and return to Hollywood about July 1st. William S. Hart this week signed a long term contract with Lasky, and will start at once to re-establish himself after an absence from the screen of two years. He will resume his oldtime virile western characterizations. Back to Free Lancing Eugene A. Vogt, having completed his engagement as scenarist for the H. and B. Film Company at the Bronx studio, has opened an office at 5515 Santa Monica Boulevard, where he will free lance in writing subtitles or continuity. Vogt has the titling of a number of important productions to his credit as well as several stories and continuities. CONSTANCE HEARS HER OWN SONG ON THE RADIO Constance Talmadge has had two new thrills this week. First of all, she has heard her own song, "If Anyone Can Steal You, Then You're Not the One For Me," out in California, across the radio, as sung by Miss Rita Gould in New York. And secondly, all her Hollywood friends have been dropping in at tea time, at the palatial new Talmadge home on South Ardmore avenue, to hear Constance's first musical effort on the OKeh phonograph records. Constance originally wrote the song, "If Anyone Can Steal You, Then You're Not the One For Me," sometime ago, in collaboration with Edward Laska, well-known composer and playwright. This is the first lyric Constance has ever written, though she has frequently composed little jazz melodies on the piano for her own amusement. The song has been published by Stark & Cowan, and the Okeh record is recorded by Markers orchestra. All Miss Talmadge's friends in the screen world are listening in these days and praising Constance's unexpected new talent. Many First National exhibitors are planning to capitalize the success of this song and fox trot by Miss Talmadge, by using orchestrations of it during the run of "Dulcy," Constance's next Joseph M. Schenck production. MABEL NORMAND HAS HER OWN GOLF COURSE NOW That she may keep in practice and brush up on some of the more intricate points of the great outdoor game of the Scots, golf, Mabel Normand has had constructed a miniature golf course back of her bungalow on the Mack Sennett studio lot, where one will find her every minute she is not busy on the set of "The Extra Girl." Miss Normand has been an ardent golf enthusiast for many years and was one of the first women in Los Angeles to take out a golf membership in any of the clubs. The Annandale and Wilshire Country Clubs get Miss Normand's patronage, where it is admitted she is one of the best and steadiest players among the w omen. Suffering Musician Cecil Crandall, one of "Mickey" Neilan's Fiddlers Four, having had several teeth extracted on his "chin-rest" side, is finding no trouble in making the mournful Russian music more mournful on the set of Neilan's Russ drama, "The Rendezvous," Crandall is thankful he doesn't play the slide trombone or something equally as convulsive to the muscles of the face. OFFERS A CZAR A JOB IN MOTION PICTURES Czar Boris III, Bulgarian monarch whose throne is tottering, may come to Hollywood. M. C. Levee, president of United Studios, yesterday offered him a job as technical advisor after reading an Examiner special dispatch from Paris quoting the king of the buttermilk fiends as saying he would come to America if he had to doff the purple. "Job as technical advisor motion pictures awaits your acceptance," read the cablegram the fast-thinking Mr. Levee dashed off at the breakfast table as he read the Czar's words. "Foreign pictures, with their kings, empereors and czars, their unique clothing, furniture and interiors, are coming to the fore," Mr. Levee explained. "We want to be exact, to picture people, manners, customs, clothes as they are. We need advice. A czar, steeped in the traditions of his people and of his class, is better equipped to give us that advice than anyone else. There is a place for him, as there is a place for everyone with a special knowledge, in pictures." The Paris dispatch published in yesterday's Examiner quoted Czar Boris as declaring that he would not be frightened if he lost his throne, as he could "go right to America and get a job." Revolution in Bulgaria threatens Boris' position. Miss Moore to Star Again Colleen Moore is to be starred in "Flaming Youth," First National's picturization of Warner Fabian's daring story of contemporary life. The picture is to be made at the United Studios and it is estimated that it will cost upwards of $500,000 to produce. The elaborate feature will be filmed immediately following the completion of "The Huntress," in which Miss Moore is now appearing in the star role. Harold Lloyd and Hal Roach have parted ways after an affiliation of nine years. Lloyd will head his own producing unit henceforth and Roach will continue to operate his other six units. FIRST ALL-WOMAN FILM COMPANY LAUNCHED The first motion picture company composed entirely of women has been launched. It is the only one in America, in the world, or in film history. Its first production has been made, and preparations are on the way for making a large regular program of feature releases, educationals, and other films in San Diego at the Sawyer-Lubin Studios. Women occupy the positions of producers, directors, co-directors, script-clerk, screen editor, continuity writer, assistant director, and publicity director. At the head of the company is Mrs. Lule Warrenton, who has been upon the stage and in motion pictures since childhood. With Universal Film Company and other organizations she was, first, character actress, then writer and director of a number of productions. Mrs. Warrenton's chief aide* are Mrs. A. B. E. Shute, Mrs, Katherine Chesnaye and -Miss Edith Kendall, all of whom conn, to the screen with no other motion picture experience than that supplied by the educational department of the Palmer Photoplay Corporation. Mrs. Shute is a novelist, whose first book was published about 12 years ago. Mrs. Chesnaye is a short story writer, the wife of British officer, and a world-traveler, who spent six years in Central Africa. Miss Kendall is also a writer. The special significance of this organization not only embraces the fact that women fill all creative and executive positions, but that three who occupy very important positions are newcomers, trained, but not experienced on either stage or screen. This means that the "outsider" can enter films after receiving adequate training. without "working up from the bottom," and that careers in all important branches of the motion picture industry are open to women. Hamilton is Back Lloyd Hamilton has returned to Los Angeles and will start work immediately on his new series of Hamilton Comedies to be released through Educational Film Exchanges. Hamilton had been in New York for several weeks on his annual vacation and conferring with E. W. H amnions, president of Educational, regarding production and distribution plans for the coming season, and immediately on signing the new contract, Hamilton left New York for the Pacific Coast He visited his mother in Oakland before going on to Los Angeles.