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

Can\ra! Camera! News Section Page 1 5 Ch tese Produce Clemenceau Tale Win Georges Clemenceau, exPrer t of France, and universally It wn as "The Tiger," wrote Th Veil of Happiness," he took as I theme an old Chinese legend id the subsequent picturization f his novel resulted in a uniq photodrama of a story wor ' of the sincerity of the direct' and actors and the beauty eftf settings. A the leading roles in "The Veil f Happiness" are played by Chil e actors and actresses who rev« themselves as artists of the first ink and not alone in settings Aid tmosphere is the production Chii>e, but its theme is a native one ised on its poetic traditions. T> is probably the first motion pict : thus far produced in which the st and settings wholely portraj the Celestial Empire and Ufi s to the spectator a most unuj al and gripping legend of thisj ncient race. JMis. Clemenceau personally Hid the director during the fifalE of his story and both were HJ by eminent Chinese statesmerind historians which resulted in [faithful picturization of the perl in which the story was e/i ►fif production is being sponsIfcpy the Edward L. Klein Comarjof New York, which organiatp will arrange for its early Hart Interest For Lewis -Hph Lewis is going to pay parBtlr attention to the heart in!rl elements in his new series pictures. Lewis says the plays la have lived in the popular ll are the heart interest plays Ir'Shore Acres," "Way Down 81 and "David Harum" and he lt|ds to film only pictures that Ofss these elements to the ultiitl The first of his new series Slbe "The Country Doctor." 'lla Luxford has been engaged fparold Lloyd Productions to I;| the dramatic role of the deBid wife of the heavy. Miss iliord is a young but versatile Clss with considerable talent nlher recent work is very cornliable. imounces UnsteadyStar System . F. Wood is opposed to gofrom one extreme to another, refore, he regrets the inclinaof motion picture producers to ish the single-star system only mbrace what he calls a "tooy-stars fad." Mr. Wood is vice-president and general ager of the United Producers Distributors, an organization ete with new ideas in both the lucing and distributing of Wind Wreaks Havoc at Goldwyn The terrific wind storm that has swept Southern California recently wrecked havoc on some of the sets standing in the back lot of the Goldwyn Studios at Culver City. Flying pieces of the scenery and swaying walls made it necessary to rope off the back lot area as a danger zone during the storm. The most damage was done to the huge set for "In the Palace of the King," which is the largest ever built for a motion picture. The castle buildings, which surround an expansive courtyard, tower hundreds of feet into the air. Most of these withstood the onslaught of the storm but one section that is broadside to the wind became loosened from its moorings and the topmost sections flew into the courtyard. Several workmen narrowly escaped with theii lives as the piece crashed down. They were engaged in lashing another section that was ominously swaying. One of the men saw the piece blow off of the top of the set and shouted a warning to his co-workers. They scurried to shelter just in time and the section of concrete and wood came down, with a thunderous crash that was heard all over the studio, on the spot they had been working just a moment before. Xmas Rush Old Stuff For Him The mailman whose route embraces that section of Los Angeles in which Wallace Worsley lives has no fear of the last minute rush of Christmas mail for during the past month or two he has been carrying an extra pouch to accommodate the letters of congratulation that have been fairly deluging the well known director since the world premier of his screen classic, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." From every corner of the United States messages of a congratulatory nature have arrived signed by persons who have viewed the screen version of the Victor Hugo novel in one of the several key cities where it is now being exhibited. Worsley has been receiving on an average of seventy-five letters and post cards a day for the past five weeks — a fan mail that would make the average star turn green with envy. The director's secretary is called upon to acknowledge receipt of every message as Worsley believes in maintaining a constant contact with the theater-going public whom he serves. Louise Loraine was married, attended three prize fights, and went up in an aeroplane in her last ' Fighting Blood" picture. Louise Takes First 1923 Pause Louise Fazenda, will come to a pause, her first this year, when in a few days, work on the Ince production, "The Galloping Fish" will be completed. The picture in which Miss Fazenda presents a vaudeville headliner with a trained seal that gets the whole world involved, took the comedy queen on a four weeks location trip to Yuma where the flood scenes were taken on the Colorado river where the sets were built. There were two months of interiors at the studios and concluding shots at Balboa. The picture represented many departures in sundry and "divers" things, for Miss Fazenda did her comedy on straight lines, likewise she could this time pack her costumes in a thimble, for cloudy lingerie and tights as the diving Venus were her allotment for many of the riotous scenes. This picture followed immediately upon a featured role in the Hal E. Roach western "Rex" and Warner Brothers "The Gold Diggers," her three leading pictures of a busy year. Lionel Barrymore, in addition to his successful starring venture with David Belasco, has been engaged to play the part of Walter Butler in the forthcoming D. W. Griffith production, "America." " THE WORLD'S GREATEST FILMPAPER Coming January Fifth. Full details in next week's issue of "Camera " NORMA HOLDS FRENCH GOOD-WILL IN HIGH ESTEEM; REFUSES OFFER There has been a considerable stir in French motion picture circles over the reported decision of the French government to allow an American firm the absolute entree to the Palace of Versailles, for reproduction of the film of the life of the ill-fated Marie-Antoinette. French producers, as it seems, resent this infringement on thenprivileges and are protesting vigorously, declaring that such a picture should be made by a French company with a French star. Many French playwrights and historians disagree with the Syndicate of Producers — an organization that includes most of the cinema owners of France — and still maintain that as American stars are more popular in France than their own stars, such a gigantic undertaking should be placed in the capable hands of the greatest emotional actresses on the screen, irregardless of nationality. The honor of appearing in this film was offered to Norma Talmadge last October through an official representative of the French government, and at first, Mr. Schenck, President of the Talmadge Productions, and Norma Talmadge were very much inclined to accept the great honor. But because of the opposition to this American productions on the part of the French producers and exhibitors, Miss Talmadge has now decided to decline although she deeply appreciates the wonderful tribute paid her by the French government in making her their choice. The following telegram has been received from Joseph M. Schenck by Beulah Livingstone, his New York publicity director: "In view of opposition on the part of French producers and exhibitors, regret that Miss Talmadge and I must decline the Marie-Antoinette proposition. As you know, this proposition was voluntarily offered us by the French government, and we were at first both willing and eager to accept it, but on account of the insistence of certain French producers and exhibitors that this film should be made by a French company with an entire native cast, a patriotic sentiment in which Miss Talmadge is quite in sympathy, we have decided to decline, although we are extremely appreciative of the great honor conferred on Miss Talmadge by this invitation from the French government. JOSEPH M. SCHENCK." Under the original plans, the story of "The Queen's Necklace," used by Alexandre Dumas, pere, in one of his romances, was to form the basis of a scenario written by Messrs. Funck Brentano and Pierre de Nohlac. This story called for scenes in the Palace at Versailles and other famous French public places. The arrangements were made whereby the original Marie-Antoinette costumes, and even some of the jewels from the national museum were to be placed at Miss Talmadge's disposal. Miss Talmadge was to have taken with her an Am?rican director, an American leading man, cameraman, continuity writer and executive staff. Hundreds of French players would have obtained work in this mammoth production, but Miss Talmadge feels that since the French syndicate of cinema directors have hinted that they would boycott the film, and raised a protest that the French government was ignoring its own screen players, that she would not care to appear in any production, however interesting in its story and publicity possibilities, wherein she did not meet with the full co-operation and approval of the French people. She and her sister, Constance, have always met with great popularity thruout France, and Miss Talmadge would infinitely rather keep the good will of the people, the exhibitors and producers than to be even the indirect cause of any friction in the French cinema world.