Close Up (Oct 1920 - Aug 1923)

9 On Strips of Celluloid PERT POINTS LEAH BAIRD PRODUCTIONS At last there is hope of settling the more or less burning question of “what is the biggest punch in a movie?” Leah Baird, in her production of “When Civilization Failed," is going to put the matter right up to the public, first hand. This picture, which is now being cut and titled at the Thomas H. Ince Studio at Culver City, will have in it four of the biggest punches possible to human nature. So says Arthur F. Beck, its producer, and also, husband of the star. What do you call the K'ggest punch you ever saw in a movie? Well, here are the four Baird punches, and you can judge for yourself: First, the eruption into a roaring destroyer of a somnolent volcano; second, a hand-tohand battle under the sea of a man and a man-eating shark; third, an actual shipwreck off the coast of South America; fourth, the bursting point of a tropical typhoon with all of its devastating horrors. The “punch” D. W. Griffith put in “Way Down East” was, of course, the breaking up of the ice pack and the rescue of Lillian Gish by Dick Barthelmess in the storm. The fury of Nature contains the greatest possibilities of “punch” because human beings feel so powerless before it — a volcano, a typhoon, an earthquake — they are inevitable. We shall watch Miss Baird's “four-punch picture” with a great deal of interest and see if it really leaves anything unpunched! * * * David Torrence, one of the hits of Mary Pickford’s new “Tess of the Storm Country,” has received a fan letter in which he is denounced roundly for treating Mary so roughly in this picture. But, he should not complain, because this thing of being taken seriously while only playing is a compliment. * * * No, Joe Bush is not Mae Busch’s brother. * * sb Shirley Mason discovered this news item: “Perfume should match your temperament.” We’re glad that some of the “hard guys” don’t use the stuff. PLEASE PATR JOE FISHER, FAR EAST FILM MAGNATE, VISITS F. B. O.’S BIG WEST COAST STUDIOS Joe Fisher, foremost film impresario of the Middle and Far East, has landed at San Pedro from Singapore, where are located the headquarters of the Middle East Films, Ltd., of which he is general manager. Mr. Fisher is paying his annual visit to New York for the purpose of making booking arrangements for a period of a year for approximately 600 theatres whose projection programs are in his charge. Mr. Fisher made the journey from the Orient on the Matsonia and at Honolulu met Ralph Lewis, the noted screen actor, who boarded the vessel there for the American port after a month of motion picture actiivity in Hawaii. Mr. Fisher upon the insistence of his friend cancelled through passage to New York and remained in Los Angeles for a day, devoting his time mostly at the Powers studios, formerly Robertson-Cole, where he had luncheon and spent the afternoon meeting officials of the concern and screen stars aside of glimpses of the big busy stages. Mr. Fisher as general manager of the Middle East Films, Ltd., books all the principal cinema houses of the Federated Malay States, Siam, Java, China and the British East Indies. By arrangement with the African Theatres, Ltd., and the India Films, Ltd., he also books the foremost chains of theatres in South Africa and India generally. Mr. Fisher while in New York will make his headquarters at the International Variety Theatre Agency, Inc., 218 West Forty-second street. TOO BAD, KING, TOO BAD! The false report that King Baggot, Universal director, recently won $120,000 in a gambling game is causing him considerable embarrassment. While wishing that the story was true. Baggot states that he won nothing; neither did he gamble. “I hope that the income tax collector doesn’t believe everything he hears,” said Baggot. Why did Edyth Sterling get 5 days, when she was so weak — that day? N I Z E— W HO ADVERTISE— THE FINEST Is none too good! And the BEST People Know the good quality of “Ragtime” Chocolates Ethel Broadhurst Is a Keen Judge And She Eats Them. C. C, BROWN CANDY CO. Los Angeles California 621 South Olive Street ’Phone Broadway 1610 Soloman’s dance hall has vaudeville for the dancers. We presume that this is hard on the dancers, says Dale Fuller. 5b * 5b “Cast-off bride demands $15,000 — news item. Probably wants to go into pictures, says Phil Rosen. ^ ^ Jerry Decker, noted artist, arrived Monday from San Francisco to do a number of the stars’ portraits for the newspapers. 5b =b 5b Fred Datig said that an old stage actor said that there were no Amateur Knights in ye old daze. 5b 5b 5b One lady asked if the Knickerbocker Orchestra wore golf suits. This is Mabel Normand’s laugh. 5b * 5b “Warn against selling fake bonded booze” — news item. Can it be that the officials have just found this out. Grace Darmond is anxious. IN “CLOSE-UP”