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

Page Fourteen Camera! News Section Camera Flapper Flaps Cancels Trip; Goes To Work Viola Dana I With Swamp Angel Clara Bow, immortalized by Howard Chandler Christy as "The Spirit of Youth," and today considered among motion picture producers as "the ideal flapper," has been engaged by First National to portray an important role in "The Swamp Angel." This is a picture of typical small town life. Clarence Badger is directing it and the leading role is in the hands of Colleen Moore. Only eighteen years of age, Miss Bow came into pictures a few months ago to find herself a "type" and one very much in demand during the vogue for pictures of "flapperism and jazz." Like Virginia Brown Faire and several other well-known screen stars, the young actress really made her debut in pictures through the winning of a beauty contest. Her first pictorial efforts never reached the screen, however. Her part fell a victim of the cutter's shears. Her second venture was more successful. This was as "Dot Morgan," in "Down to the Sea in Ships." Later she played opposite Glen Hunter in "Grit," then she appeared in "Maytime" and more recently portrayed a naive flapperish role in the Frank Lloyd production "Black Oxen," a picture now in production. Clara is a native of Brooklyn, N. Y. She studied to be a secretary, but changed her mind very suddenly when her beauty attracted Howard Chandler Christy, who used her as a model for his paintnig "The Spirit of Youth." A great future is predicted for the youthful thespian who, producers claim, is one of the most naturally gifted young players to reach the screen for many moons. One prominent director describes her as a composite of Lenore Ulric and Marguerite Clark. The Fred Caldwell Co. has purchased another story by J. Stewart Woodhouse which has been approved by James Dent. West Coast representative of Selznick's, for the Hollywood series. The title for which has not yet been announced, but deals with rural life. Mr. Woodhouse centered the story around Muriel Reynolds, the embryo comedienne of the Fred Caldwell Company. Creative Productions, working at the Hollywood Studios, has finished shooting on "Superstition," an all-star feature, which is now in the editing room being prepared for an early Fall release. Although casting is practically completed, the Irving Production. "The Dawn of Love," is being held up by the continuity. This picture will be directed by Dallas M. Fitzgerald and will feature an all-star cast. Togo Yamamoto, prominent Japanese actor who recently returned from New York, and who portrayed an eccentric Chinese character in First National's production "The Lord .of Thundergaite," is now playing a similar role in "The Yellow Stigma," which is being filmed by the kellimeo Film Company under the direction of Colin Campbell with a notable cast including Wyndham Standing, Barbara Bedtord, Tully Marshall, Rosemary Theby, June Elvidge, Raymond McK.ee and Sam Dc Grasse. Togo was planning to go back to Japan the coming Spring to direct pictures for the Matsutake Kinema Company, which is the largest film producing organization in that country, but due to the recent catastrophe he will be compelled to postpone this contemplated journey for at least two years. It is interesting to note that he is also the publisher of a graphic film magazine in Tokyo, having a 100.000 circulation. It is a month|v and by far the largest and best of its kind in the Orient. Today Togo is the premier screen player of his native land, and the significance of this position is brought out by the 1922 statistics of the United States Chamber of Com Concentration Vital Asset Concentration. A simple word, ygt one of the most vital factors to the success of the actor or actress, according to Mae Murray. Metro star, who is now working on "Fashion Row," her new Tiffany production for Metro. "Concentration is important in every art, but especially in the art of acting." states Miss Murray. "Concentration is the quality which permits us to direct all our spiritual and intellectual forces towards one definite object — sometimes for a time much longer than our physical strength can endure. "I once heard of a fisherman, who, during a storm, did not leave his rudder for forty-eight hours, concentrating to the last minute on his work of steering his schooner. Only when he had brought his boat safely back to the harbor did he allow his body to faint. This strength, this certainty of power over ourselves is the fundamental quality of every creative artist. The actor must find it within himself and develop it to the very last degree. "In the art of acting a special kind of concentration is necessary. The pilot, the architect, the scientist, the painter, the sculptor, the musician, tin author — all have visible objects of concentration. With the actor it is quite different. "To act one must know how to concentrate on something materially imperceptible. In other words, the actor and actress need a spiritual concentration on emotions which do not exist, but are invented or imagined. mercc which reveals that Japan and Fngland are the two best markets for American films. The picture market of the Orient is controlled, for the greater part, by Japan. Likens Films To Melodramas "The famous old Drury Lane melodramas of King Edward's time were more closely akin to the motion pictures of today than any other form of past or present day stage entertainment." So declares Percy Marmont, the Mark Sabre of the screen version of "If Winter Comes," and the portrayer of the title role in "The Man Whom Life Passed By," which Victor Schertzinger is directing at the Metro studio. Mr. Marmont, although a leading man in American screen productions for the past seven years, is an Englishman by birth and was formerly a popular member of the Drury Lane players. "America, it seems, has a misconstrued conception of the nature of the Drury Lane melodramas," Mr. Marmont states. "Cheap imitations of them were produced in the English provinces and it is these, I feel, that have led the majority of the American public to form the opinion that Drury Lane productions were closely similar to the ten-twenty-thirty melodramas which were popular in the cheaper theatres of America a dozen years ago. "Drury Lane had one of the largest stages in the world. The melodramas staged there were full of action, to be sure, but not the wildly exaggerated action that is imagined. The King and royalty were frequent attendants. There was always one big scene in each production, very spectacularly staged and not unlike the big scenes Fast Worker Viola Dana believes she h; qualified as a quick change arti as the result of her experieno during the filming of "Angel Fai Molly " her newest Metro sta ring picture which Oscar Apfel directing. Miss Dana's wardrobe for th picture includes seven costumi and during one day's filming si wore six of them. In most of cases a change of makeup acc panied the change of clothes the little star rubbed greasepai on and off her face until her ers tired with the labor. Some of the costumes ■ w coarse, strong garments. Othe were fine, thin things that requir careful handling. The average person changes attire not more than twice bet~ the time he arises in the mor~° and the time he retires for night. With Miss Dana the plications were far greater. She arrived at the studio at o'clock in the morning and by o'clock was ready for work. At 10 o'clock, Mr. Apfel tol her to change from the dress of denizen of Third Avenue. Ne York, to that of a wealthy your society girl. She had to chang. her costume and her makeup at* have her hair dressed. This operation was repeated fivi times before she finished the fin; scene of the day at 6 o'clock. Be fore going home she telephone her sister, Edna Flugrath. "Tell those people I can't g> to the theatre tonight." she rej quested. "Tell them I'm ill. Te them I've gone to Europe. Te; them anything. I'm not going t change my dress again." Symphonies Factory stacks muttering smok to slander the sun. Shanties that have collapsed ir to an architectural embrace ma querading as a "duplex" house. Tin cans, sparkling as beautiful ly as jewels on the diaphragm of dowager. Goats posed as gracefully on as| heaps as marble fauns on the tei race of a nalace. Such is the setting for "Th| Swamp Angel," the rollicking car1 edy drama of pathos and humc which First National is producim with Colleen Moore in the feature! role. Richard Connell wrote the stor; Clarence Badger directs. Support1 ing Miss Moore are Ben Lyoi Sam DeGrasse, Charlie Murra;' Mary Aldcn and a flock of kids. ' of present day motion picture spe< tacles. "After all. the stage is a cor tinuous 'long shot,' and the rat scene in 'The Sporting Duchess the thrilling scene in the Alps i 'Hearts are Trumps,' and the ur derwatcr scene in 'The Whit Heather,' were all staged at Dn ry Lane, a little more artificial!; but quite as effectively as the' were later for the screen."