Cinema Art (November 1926)

NOVEMBER, 1926 police melodrama, Mr. Hoffman secured the active co-operation of the Los Angeles Fire and Police Department together with their ap- paratus. One of the most exciting scenes shows ten firemen jumping from the roof of a burning building into a life net held in the hands of their brother firemen. The camera- man caught a new angle in this sequence by jumping from the roof with a motor-driven camera attached to his person, thus securing an effect that is breath-taking. The story of “Heroes of the Night” deals with two brothers, one a fireman, the other a policeman. They become rivals in love but through force of circumstances each saves the life of the other. Despite their differences, blood proves thicker than water and their mu- tual romance with the same girl comes to a satisfactory settlement. ELEN OF TROY, recently made famous by John Erskine’s delightful book of private revelations, may be the sub- ject of a film for the Famous Players. In fact Mr. Lasky is said to be looking right now for an actress to play the role of Helen. It is also said that, even in Hollywood he can not find a woman beautiful enough to meet his idea of the character. A new story will be written, Mr. Erskine’s book not being particularly suited to the movies. W C. FIELDS, having glorified the • American druggist in his first picture and the eccentric inventor in his second, will do the same for that great sea-faring man, the inland canal barge captain. “Sweethearts in Every Port,” from a story by Tom J. Geraghty, will be the title of Fields’ third Paramount picture, it is an- nounced. Estelle Clark, on the other hand (or rather the other foot), has found a use for her boy friend’s photograph “Legs," said the bus driver, “mean noth- ing to me any more.” Consequently Holly- wood has been spending sleepless nights thinking up ways of overcoming the situa- tion. Patricia Avery has decided on an old cameo sewed to a band of black ribbon The story will give Fields an opportunity for an unusually comic characterization, and has a background that is altogether new to motion pictures. Fields will play the role of a canal barge captain who has never gone down to the sea in ships, but who, nothwith- standing, considers himself a great navigator. The picture will be made at the Long Island studio and on the canals of New Jer- sey. S AMUEL GOLDWYN announced from the Pacific coast yesterday that his next production featuring Ronald Colman and Vilma Banky will be “The Night of Love.” Mr. Colman and Miss Banky have re- cently completed work together in “The Win- ning of Barbara Worth,” Henry King’s pro- duction. In “The Night of Love,” Vilma Banky plays the role of a beautiful duchess who is kidnapped by Ronald Colman on her wedding night, while Colman’s part is entirely different from anything he has done in the past. He plays the part of a Spanish bandit seeking vengeance against a Castilian duke. It gives him a great opportunity to display his ability in character delineation. The story is based on the old feudal custom of the right to the first night or “Le droit de Seigneur.” F OLLOWING “Annie Laurie,” to be re- leased soon, Lillian Gish will be seen in a screen translation of Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina.” Mme. Fred de Gressac who adapted “La Boheme” will write the scenario. T WELVE cameras in airplanes and six at the top of 100-foot parallel will be used to film the battle of St. Mihiel which will be reproduced as the sensational climax of “Wings,” Paramount’s big production of the American birdmen in the late war. More than 8,000 men on the ground and 300 planes will enact the historic battle which broke the Hindenburg line and brought victory to the United States and her Allies. William Well- man, the director, was a flyer in the Lafayette Escadrille, while the author, John Monk Saunders, also was a pilot. The cast includes Clara Bow, Charles Rogers, Richard Arlen and El Brendel. NIVERSAL PICTURES is utilizing its hundreds of branches throughout the world to collect photographs and properties to be used in creating atmosphere. They have on file now thousands of photographs showing the costumes, streets, principal buildings, and open country from, China, India, Australia, South Africa, Madagascar and the rest of the world. Properties that are invaluable when produc- ing pictures with foreign atmosphere such as wine and beer labels, magazines, posters, rail- road tickets, theatre tickets, programs, news- papers, clothing ornaments and objects of dec- oration, are regularly received from the branches. Y an agreement among members of the producers’ association all large studios are installing schoolrooms for children this year, regardless of the regularity or irregularity of their employment of minor talent. The Hal Roach Studios have maintained a special schoolroom for “Our Gang” and the other children employed there for the past four years or more, following the belief that lack of proper educational facilities hurts a child actor’s chance for success more than his training under the lights may help him. Dorothy Sebastian thinks a rabbit’s left hind foot should be the most effective scheme of all. Granting, of course, that publicity is really necessary Paae Fifty-seven