Camera! (April 1919-April 1920)

CAMERA I "The Digest of ihe Motion Picture Iniuslr})" Page Seven CHIT, CHAT AND CHATTER BY HARRY BURNS Monroe Salisbury is being directed at the Big U by Rollin Sturgeon for his present picture, which includes a trip north to Feather River. No wonder Monroe looks so good, he does most of his work before the camera either up in the mountains or on a river, lake, plains or cliff. This close to nature stuff is sure fire health for any man that follows it up. Jack Cooper has bought the niflllest roadster that any of the comics own in their own right, and is giving the villagers a treat thesfl days as he drives from the Sunshine-Fox studio to his home. R. A. Walsh is working night and day on "Evangeline," both on and off of the screen, meaning that day time he is averaging up footage in scenes taken, and his latest evening sport is to assemble and cut his scenes into continuity form as soon as they are completed. Cecil B. De Mille seems to be getting a corner on comedy inguenes these days, for his latest recruit to follow in the footsteps of Gloria Swanson is our charming and captivating Bebe Daniels, and now it is rumored that Mldred Reardon too is to join the rank and file of the Lasky leading actresses a la Swanson-Daniels route. Lillian Webster has been cast to play opposite Pete Morrisson at the Universal, which will afford Lillian an opportunity of playing an excellent part, and get her better acquainted with the directors out that way. Willard Louis just finished a picture with Bryant Washburn at Lasky's which was directed by Donald Crisp, and was a Universal caller to see some of his friends on the directorial staff and the casting directress, Lillian Greenberger. Willard no doubt will be working for some firm about the time this goes to press. Al Kaufman, well known in fistiana as an exponent of the art of those days gone by, but noc forgotten, is working at the L. K. O. studio in a serial and doing excellent work. Al is one of the best big men on the screen, both in size and actions. Fred Fishbach brought his troupe of stars and near-greats out to the Universal where he photographed the Western street. Mister Fishbach has surrounded himself with a very capable staff, having Bob Doran as cameraman, A. Alt and Fred Jefferson as assistants; then he has Jimmy Adams, Edith Roberts, Bud Jamison and other well known screen celebrities facing the camera, producing tworeel super de luxe comedies. Rose Mullaney has been working so hard these days that she threatens to slip down to the beach some balmy Sunday afternoon or evening and hear what the sad sea waves are saying, just to rest her weary mind. Follow me? Just to build up for a hard siege of work that looms up ahead of her as casting directress of the Metro studios in the Southland. Jimmy O'Shea has been working nights at Morosco's theatre. No, kind readers, he hasn't gone back to acting. To the contrary, he has been paying that said place a nightly visit after the hour of midnight, where Director George Siegman, to whom Jimmy is what an ordinary right hand is to any human being, has been aiding his boss stage some real theatrical scenes for a story that Fritzi Brunette is appearing in under the Universal banner, and the direction of Geo. S. JOIMES IS SO BUSY, YES, SO BUSY. Hank Mann has sent his personal representative, M. R. Schlank, to New York City, to exhibit his four pictures to the powers that be, so they can see that he can be equally as funny in a short subject as he can be in a feature comedy, and when his man returns from the metropolis Hank expects to have landed the contract that he has been dickering for, and he will be the busiest man this side of the Rockies. King Baggott is not only in our midst, but just as I announced in my column, is going to appear in a serial, have his own studio and everything. Here's luck to you, old-timer, and may your powers never wane. Frank Coleman has finished his engagement with the Pox Sunshine corporation and will soon cast his lot with another organization of equal note. It is an accepted fact that Frank is one of our best comedy heavies, and such a man can't be idle for any length. Lottie Pickford had a birthday party Sunday at the Ship Cafe, and her closest friends sat about the table and dined and wined and danced, just like it wasn't a yearly occurence with Miss Lottie. When the birthday cake took its place on the table, it seemed to me that there were twenty-two lighted candles. Can this be possible Good luck, L. D, meaning Little Princess. Hazel Deane has been cast to play the leading feminine role in the Hugh McClung Comedies, which are being made at the Balboa studio. The charming Hazel has been resting ever since she finished her engagement with the Fox Sunshine studios, and feels fit and ready to work for some time to come. Harry Millarde no more than finished his picture with Madeline Travers than he boarded a train for the east. He has been working hard out this way and his trip to Huntington Lake finally showed him that one can't keep up a hard grind of day and night work out this way and still be themselves, hence his decision to go east and rest. Halt ye, who have stood in the path of the advancing army of filmland, who have made it possible for the directors now in the hy.ll of fame to attain their present standing with theatregoers. The day of reckoning has arrived, and it is up to you to give the just dues to the man who assisted in the making of your name a household word, and is still in the dark, as to who he is or where he is at, while you are lauded from all sides. Father Time is bringing about such changes, that will make all men equal, and today we come to ihe question of, "Should the assistant director be given screen credit?" and every moving picture studio has been asked to answer this query, and from all corners of the representative men of the profession there is forthcoming something of interest anent this subject. Directors, stars, producers, exchange managers, technical directors, all seem to feel that the assistant director is as essential as is the man who handles the megaphone or the cameraman who turns the crank, for the man who assists in the direction of the picture must watch every angle of the production. For instance, he must understand detail, modes and lives of people, makeups, photographic colors, the value of money towards making a picture which will not exceed the estimate of the producers, in fact he is a general business representative of the company he is working for, and in him there is more responsibility than in any other individual connected with the making of a narrative. Still the boys who choee to be called assistant directors have to go on and do their daily labors, and when a director finishes his picture and it is finally flashed on the screen, no one knows the trials and tribulations that lone man went through to arrange the setting for the story, the people, the everything. Now, that isn't fair, is it? Henry Lehrman's studio is nearing completion and we shall be seeing the ex-Sunshine comics made up for their old boss and doing his funny stunts so they can make their bow as First National stars, thereby re-establishing Henry Lehrman Comedies, which came to an end when Pathe Lehrman and William Fox severed their business relations. Chap P. McHugh has been engaged to play the owner of a newspaper. Strange to say, all his life he has been mixed up around such an establishment and now he is going to act natural for George Siegman in a Universal feature story. Eddie Cline is hard at it over on the Fox Sunshine lot where he is making a schoolroom story with Jack Cooper, Polly Moran, Slim Summerville and Tom Kennedy. This is his initial effort since he quit Sennett's. Joe Rock has been decorating his car so much of late that when he drives down Prospect street his coworkers can hear him coming long before he comes into view. The colors of the rainbow have nothing on Mr. Rock's array of colors, from the hood to the rear wheels, and his partner, Earle Montgomery, and Director Gilbert W. Pratt are trying to figure how they can put a stop to his making any further additions and save being disgraced. James Young, who directs the screen destinies of Earle Williams, is a very much sought man by the leading clubs of the southland to render speeches on some of our most serious questions of the day, not forgetting his great portrayal of Shakespeare. Henry Murray was out having the time of his young life the other night. Saw him on Broadway with his wife and Frank Messinger, actually looking the theatre announcements over. To think that he would find time to do this is putting one over on someone, for he usually is so busy, yep, so busy. Henry Schenck is shouting "all aboard" for the excursion to Catalina scheduled for next Saturday night, when the boys will take their wives and sweethearts for a moonlight trip on the Pacific, and what a time they will have. It will go down in history. And Mr. Harry S. is in back of it all, hook, line and sinker. Chas. Hail promised to be at the lasf meeting, and his director, George Holt, did likewise. But the way they are being rushed to turn out the Pete Morrisson two-reel western stories, has kept the genial Charles from the club meetings, which the boys regret, for he is such good company. Douglas Dawson is using Queenie, the trained dog owned by Eddie Pearson. To that dog hangs a tale. Get me? She swallowed a twenty dollar gold piece the other day, and every one about the Vitagraph lot has been following the dog about expecting it to die most any time, but to the contrary, the animal seems happier than ever before. For she is $20 to the good. So she should worry. Walter De Coursey has been handling actors from Temple Street to those who live in Hollywood and not forgetting actresses and vampires of the Arabian-Turkish type. In fact, his set the other night looked like a gathering of the powers that be who are to sign the peace treaty of the world. Allen Watt was a Universal visitor. Why this personage stays idle is a mystery to mo, for there is none cleverer or brainier than Allen when it comes to putting on pictures, be it comedies, western stories or whatever you are minded to produce. Look him up. How many directors of silent stage stars could follow in the footsteps of Mr. J. Y. on or off the screen, and still they wonder why we don't have more great successes amongst some of our so-called leading producers. Mai St. Clair, one of the latest finds along director row, groomed at Sennett's, 'tis said has cast his lot with the Fox Sunshine and will co-direct with Roy Del Ruth. Here's what I call a good combination, and should make more than good. Louis B. Mayer, aided and abetted by Bennie Ziedman, will have a million dollar producing corporation in working order here shortly, and thanks to Little Bennie a number of brand new stars will soon be in our midst. Welcome, children. Bebe Daniels is deserting the starting point of her comedy career and cast her lot with Cecil B. DeMille. She has been given a very inviting contract, and the old team of Harold Lloyd and Bebe Daniels has passed out of existence. Lloyd is making two reelers for the Rolin company where the pair have been holding forth for some time, and will continue to amuse theatregoers with hi s funny antics. Bennie Ziedman they say will soon change his business address. Little Bennie of Lubinville has done wonderful work ever since he landed in our midst, and Douglas Fairbanks • can thank this chap for his present position in filmland, for there never lived a more loyal and conscientious press publicist than this same B. Z. Carl Laemmie no more than arrived in Los Angeles than he insisted that Joe Martin insure his life for $25,000 with Lloyd's, and he didn't lost any time seeing to it that he did as ordered, for New York City has just gone daffy about Mr. Martin, who appears in W. S. Campbell Comedies that the Universal is producing in the Southland studio. Director W. S. Campbell has just finished his third story with" the much talked of ourang outang, who answers to the conogmen of "Joe Martin," and Mr. Laemmie figures to play it safe, for the Campbell Comedies are the best bet on the marke t today, hence his guarding against any accidents. Ben Turpin stood in front of Grauman's the other evening reading the electric sign which announced that he would appear in a Sennett Comedy. Alongside of him was his charming wife. I'll bet there was one hundred different friends who shook Ben's hand while he was trying to cast his optics on the sign, and he finally gave it up in disgust, for he no more than started to raise his head to gaze upon the lettering, than some one else would give him the "Hello, Ben," etc. It must be awful to be so popular that you can't read your own name on a theatre sign. Alf Goulding, dame rumor has it, will once more direct Harold Lloyd alternating with Hal E. Roach, president and director general of the Rolin Film Co. Al Jennings is to produce his own pictures at the old Metro studio and is due to take possession Monday, which means that polka dotted shirts, cowboys. Mexicans, badnien, cowgirls and what goes to make western pictures will he very much in evidence about Lillian Way. Fontine LaRue has been loaned to George Siegman for his present picture that he is making for the Big U, Miss La Rue has been doing heavies in the W. S. Campbell Comedies for the Universal, and had just completed her second story with that organization, when a eleventh hour call came from Director Siegman for Fontine to play the heavy in his story. Polly Moran has adopted a youngster, who they tell me is going to keep Sheriff Nell guessing how to be as clover as that kid is, for those who have had the pleasure of casting their optics upon him say he is one great bunch of personality personified. Assistant Directors Association Doings By Harry Burns