Close Up (Oct 1920 - Aug 1923)

6 With Comedians in Comedy Lane AN EARLY START FOR A LONG SUCCESSFUL CAREER “Gigi.” Dinky Dean’s initial starring vehicle, produced by Z. A. Stegmuller at Universal City, has just been completed and the negative and masterprint taken East where arrangements are being made for distribution. For the first time in film history a four-year-old star makes his bow to the picture public in a five-reel costume production adapted from a classic penned by a famous author. That this picture will take like wild fire is the consensus of opinion of those who have seen it. The production is a lavish one and little Dinky is supported by a remarkable cast, consisting of such celebrities as Virginia Pearson, John Sainpolis, Josef Swickard, Sam De Grasse, Eric Mayne, Mitchell Lewis, Ethel Wales, Frank Bond and Frank Darrow, Sr. “Gigi,” a screen adaptation of Abbie Farwell Brown’s famous “John of the Woods,” a Houghton Mifflin bool<, now in its sixteenth edition, is the story of an Italian youngster who lived in an Italian principality during the fifteenth century. The story has a strong and appealing plot and costumes and settings are lavish and rich far beyond those of the average costume production. The film was directed by Albert Austin, who wrote and directed “My Boy” and who also directed “Trouble.” Chuck Reisner, famous character actor, star and director, who is Dinky’s father, assisted in the filming of the youngster’s first serious effort toward stardom. Dinky first came into the public eye when he appeared with Charlie -Chaplin in “The Pilgrim.” Jacques Jaccard used to shoot Western dramas on the grounds that Universal City is located on right at the present time. There used to be a ranch house there, and the Universal company at that time was located at Gower and Sunset. Today Director Jaccard is producing his own pictures in his own studio on Lankershim in boulevard opposite the Big U studios, with an all-star cast. * a * Bobby Vernon came back from the beach, just in time to be ushered in to perform at the Exposition grounds the opening night with the Christie company. PLAYING VAUDEVILLE With three new theaters now under construction one in Alhambra, one in Santa Monica, and one in San Pedro, fully equipped to play vaudeville acts in conjunction with the presentation of feature pictures, under the direction, of West Coast Theaters, Inc., there looms a very attractive booking time for vaudeville acts with this organization, comprising • the tour of about thirty theaters in the Southern California district of the Gore Bros., Ramish and Sol Lesser holdings. “Doc” Howe, in charge of the vaudeville division of West Coast Theatres, Inc., recently closed contracts with several well-known performers sojourning in Southern California. The theaters now using vaudeville acts are: Inglewood Theater, Inglewood; Pasadena Theater, Pasadena; Hippodrome Theater, Taft; California Theater, Anaheim; Metropolitan Theater, Hermosa Beach; Hippodrome Theater, Bakersfield; Belvedere Theater, Pomona; California Theater, Bakersfield; California Theater, Venice; Mission Theater, Riverside; Dome Theater, Ocean Park; Capitol Theater, Redondo; Mission Theater, Santa Barbara; Loew’s State 1 heater, Los Angeles; T. D. & L. Theater, Glendale; Huntington Theater, Huntington Park; Red Mill Theater, Belvedere; Tivoli Theater, Los Angeles; Theatorium Theater, Los Angeles; Strand Theater, Los Angeles; Granada Theater, Hollywood; Alvarado Theater, Los Angeles; Rivoli Theater, Los Angeles; Apollo Theater, Hollywood; Circle Theater, Los Angeles. George O’Hara, star of the Witwer “Fighting Blood’ series, agrees that stars have a hard time. Mr. O’Hara’s difficult task yesterday arose in the taking of a trailer to be annexed to the last picture of the old series, announcing the new when he had to drape his arms around the waists of Mary Beth Milford and Louise Lorraine, his attractive new “opposites.” “Uncle Ed” Forrest, production manager, kept the trio rehearsing this friendly “get-together” for an even hour and then called it a “day.” Mr. O’Hara is now busy with “She Supes to Conquer,” second of the new series. * * * Roy Del Ruth is directing Ben Turpin in “Ten Dollars or Ten Days.” This seems liek an old story to us. Henry Otto is producing “The Temple of Venus” for Fox corporation. It is the kind of a picture that he has proven in the past he is best fitted to make, for it deals with fairyland, extravaganza, that is brought right up to the minute, with some very unique effects, and trick photography that will cause the wiseacres to wonder how it is done. The layman that follows pictures will chirp, “The greatest ever,” and he will be saying the truth when Director Otto and Assistant Director Gordon Hollingshead will write “finis” to it and turn it over to the Fox officials. ifc ?!* Ed Sloman is directing “The Eagle’s Feather.” This ought to ‘t’ickle” someone!