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

Weekly JVake-'Em-Up — CAMERA'S Neius Section UMERA! i"ELYN BRENT IS ENGAGED BY METRO I Evelyn Brent, now appearing kin Monte Blue in "Harbor l|" at the Ince studio, has Irn engaged by Metro to p'ay pposite House Peters in the fcfturization of Peter Clark McHrlane's novel, "Held to Mswer," directed by Harold taw. Ijn order to allow Miss Brent Uappear in the Metro film, As■ciated Authors are rushing the pst important scenes for "Harif Bar" in which Miss Brent rrticipates. After working ftht and day for the past week, Hss Brent is now enabled to art immediately on the Metro itn and conclude her work at Ifc Ince studio when not actu|y appearing before the ■nera in "Held to Answer." Ihliss Brent has the distinction il being the first girl who ever ■used to act opposite Doug llirbanks for the screen. Alipugh signed to a two ..ears' fi tract to play leading femifce roles opposite Doug, Miss lent recently obtained her rehse from the contract in order | allow her to appear in a imber of other productions. IMiss Brent in private life, is |e wife of B. P. Fineman, proIcer, who left for New York lis week to arrange for the disibution of his forthcoming Iries of pictures, the first of nicli is completed. lAlthough a newcomer to west|n producing circles, Miss lent has appeared on the Ireen since she was fourteen, bring the past few years she IB played on the speaking age and in some fifteen film pductions in England. Shortly after she arrived in ollywood she was selected as pe of the thirteen "stars of to|orrow" by the Wampas, the lovie publicity men's associaon here. ore Fighting Films "Fighting Back," the return of rhe Leather Pushers," the new rize ring series of stories by . C. Witwer, running in Cooler's Weekly, are being made by niversal as the third series of ather pushers. The original ist, including Reginald Denny, ayden Stevenson and Elinor ie!d, that made such a hit in le first two series, also have le leading parts in the newest x rounds. Harry Pollard is ?ain directing. hooper Joins McCarthy Ashley Cooper, well-known creen character actor, has been hosen by John P. McCarthy to nact the part of Spider McCall a his forthcoming production, The Days of Yesterday." Coop r's histrionic career covers the egitimate stage and vaudeville s well as the films. WHEN IT'S FOREIGN, James Ewens, assistant to Donald Crisp, who is directing the filming of "Ponjola," which Sam E. Rork will present through First National, seems destined by fate to work with all t he distinguished foreign directors in the picture game. In 1915, at the Ft. Lee, N. J. studio of the old World Film Corporation, he became the first art director of the film industry in I he company of Albert Capellani. Then followed three and a half years as assistant director to every foreign director who was wielding a megaphone in America. And then they took him over lo Europe and on the French setting of Chateau Thierry he went "over the top" and collided with a German bullet travelling in the opposite direction. JACK WILL START A NEW FILM SOON The genius of Mary and Jack Pickford combined with that of Marion Jackson's, will be embodied in Jack's next production, which is scheduled to be begun within the next ten days, it was announced this week. Mary and Jack have collabo rated with Marion Jackson, the writer, in producing an original tale of the Kentuckian mountains, to serve as a successor to "Garrison's finish." The story is of a mountain boy, a typical American youth of the hills, with the settings of a decade or so ago. Mary and Jack have tinted the scenes of the story, which has not been titled, with the wistful feelings and longings of a young mountaineer. Jack will forget his stiff collar, the tuxedo, and the keen part in his hair in this mountain boy picture. He will be bare-footed again — happy in worn-out rags. He will appear in that role of the American youth, which has endeared him to the hearts of theatre-followers the world over. George Hill, who recently finished directing "The Daughter of Mother McGinn," a Boston Blackie story by Jack Boyle, has been signed by Jack Pickford to direct his mountain boy production. "Merry-Go-Round" shipped With prints of "Merry-GoRound" shipped to New York ready for distribution early in the fall, Universal is centering its activities on "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "A Lady of Quality," two other super-Jewels now under production. IT'S NOT TO EWENS That sent him back to America. After his recovery he reentered pictures as an assistant director and though his lot fell with American directors the locale of the pictures was decidedly foreign. As assistant to Allan Dwan he helped make "Robin Hood," starring Douglas aFirbanks; then came "Omar the Tentmaker," a Richard Walton Tully production for First National, starring Guy Bates Post. And on the heels of that production came his work as assistant to James Young in the directing of Tully's screen version of Du Maurier's "Trilby." And now if he isn't assistant to Donald Crisp, and the bloomin' story is Cynthia Stockley's tale of South African life. Nothing foreign is foreign to Jimmie. KICKLESS TEA IS NOW POPULAR AT UNITED They cawn't keep the English out! Upon my word they cawn't! Not even out of a Chinese picture, which was adapted by a writer who was born in Egypt of Greed and Bulgarian parents; directed by a Frenchman and in which Owen Moore, a native of the ould sod, has the leading role. Which all leads up to the saying that the 'alf awfter four tea habit has been instituted on the United Studio stage where "Thundergate" is being filmed for First National. Conrad Tritschler, the English scenic artist who designed many of the settings of this elaborate picture of Chinese and American life, is responsible for the introduction of the -English institution. Conrad cawn't get along without his tea, you know, any more than an elephant can get along without his trunk. Every afternoon at exactly half past four he lays his brushes and pallete down long enough to brew himself a pot of Ceylon. A week ago he invited Director Joe De Grasse to join him in "a cup that cheers." Joe found that the tea acted as a real "pep provoker." If the beverage will put pep into a director, reasoned De Gresse, then it will pep up the cast. Hence the brief recess every afternoon on the "Thundergate" set while members of the cast and technical forces imbibe tea. Betty Blythe writes from Berlin that due to climatic conditions existing in Algeria which have been causing severe earthquakes the company has returned to Germany to film exteriors there. Page Fifteen "PROPS" LIGHTNING BRINGS QUICK "RESCUE" California authorities, and especially those in the vicinity of Hollywood, are quite ready to expect the unexpected from the film folk. It is not unusual for the police or fire departments to answer an alarm sent in by some unitiated layman, but it was the lot of Associated Authors to experience a new joke on the San Pedro Cal., harbor fire boats. The Associated Authors' "Loving Lies" company were aboard the steam schooner "G. C. Lindauer" several miles out at sea filming some of the thrilling storm stuff called for by the script. Among the many devices and tricks of the film world carried aboard ship as "props" was a huge lightning machine which made a flash that could be seen for miles. The fire boat seeing these flashes mistook them for signals of distress and steamed full speed ahead to the "Lindauer's" aid. After profuse explanations by Director W. S. Van Dyke and no little chagrin on the part of the sea-going fire-fighters, they stood by and watched several scenes photographed. "Loving Lies" is Thompson Buchanan's screen version of Peter B. Kyne's sea story, "The Harbor Bar," and will be released by Associated Authors through Allied Producers and Distributors, a subsidiary of United Artists Corporation. The leading roles are portrayed by Monte Blue, Evelyn Brent, Charles Gerrard and Ralph Faulkner. MUSICAL COMEDY ARTIST GETS BIG SURPRISE AT U Velma Connor, one of the Connor Sisters of "The Pepper Box Revue," which recently played Los Angeles, visited Universal City with a theatrical manager and gained the surprise of her young life. The surprise was when she was unexpectedly approached with an offer of screen work. Not having any definite hopes of that on her mind made the quality of the offer more interesting— for she was assigned to play opposite Reginald Denny in the sixth round of the third series of "The Leather Pushers," the two-reelers of the prize ring. A lead at the first jump — and that wasn't all that was interesting at the start, for her first day's work was a hard journey out on location. The unit under Harry A. Pollard's direction went to Fleming ,near Lake Arrowhead, for exterior scenes in the beautiful scenic spots there.