Close Up (Oct 1920 - Aug 1923)

6 With Comedians in Comedy Lane MAKING HIS OWN GAGS Jimmy Aubrey never realized the possibilities that a comedian has to inject real comedy “gags” and pieces of business into a two-reel fun-film until he started to make his present series of Jimmy Aubrey comedies, under the supervision of Leon Lee. Aubrey in the past has always taken orders from his directors, never questioning their judgment, and lots of times they have had him do a whole lot of unnatural things, and haven’t brought out the best that he had in his funny makeups he has been portraying. But, ever since he started his initial two-reel picture under his own contract, which gives him the right to inject such situations which he figures theatregoers will enjoy seeing him in, his pictures have shown such a marked improvement that the powers that be in New York City, who are the ones that either approve or disapprove of “joimes’ ” fun-making antics, came through the other day with such complimentary things about his latest screen efforts that he and his manager, Leon Lee, are walking on air and feel elated over the way they are putting the picture over to such great success. Patricia Palmer seems right at home once more at the Christie studios, where she is appearing in Bobby Vernon’s initial comedy that he is making. Miss Palmer at one time was one of the stellar attractions as a leading lady in fun-films, and she deserted comedies to appear in dramatic productions and did remarkably well, and her return to her first love will be watched with interest by all who remember her work in the past in two-reel subjects. * * * Edgar Lewis says his ukelele has a lot of guts. PLUGGING AT IT DID IT Mai St. Clair has at last arrived as a feature director, he is at present handling Wesley Barry in George Washington Jr. for the Warner Bros., this in itself is a feather in his cap, for when one looks back to the days when “Mai” used to serve up “gags” to directors to make them look like smart fellows, and at that they didn’t appreciate that he had a great sense of humor, until one day he had his chance, and from that time on, up he never stopped advancing, when he put over “The Fighting Blood” series, he made his mark, he had hit his stride and take it from one who knows, he isn’t going to stop at that. William Beaudine didn’t stop, neither did Eddie Cline, Victor Heerman, A1 Santell, an a lot of others who used to make two-reel comedies, and made ’em good at that, for short dough-ray-me and here they are at the top of the ladder among the big names of filmdom as directors of features. BILLY BEVAN, STILL GOING With his wife and an automobile loaded down until it resembles a moving van, Billy Bevan, Mack Sennett comedian, has started on the second leg on his motor trip up the Coast as far as Seattle. A post card received at the studio tells of the wonderful time the pair are having, traveling through the high Sierra Mountains. It reads, “Am now six hundred miles from home, having a great time.” The Bevans expect to be back in their Hollywood home about the first of September, and shortly thereafter he will again take to the funny wardrobe and make-up. Allen Holubar’s initial production for Metro release will be “The Human Mill,” an adaption of the novel, “The Bishop of Cottontown.” THE TREMENDOUS CAST OF THE “LIFE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN” The cast of characters reads like a page from United States history, the numerous players being scientifically selected according to type, the principals being, aside from Mr. Billings; Ruth Clifford, Eddie Burns, Pat Hartigan, Otis Harlan, Wm. Humphrey, Wm. Moran, Wescott B. Clark, Fay McKenzie, Irene Hunt. Chas. French, Danny Hoy, Lillian Leighton, Peaches Jackson, Louise Fazenda, Nell Craig, Mickey Moore, Homer Willets, Eddie Sutherland, Walter Rodgers, Alfred Allen, Earl Schenk, Dolly McLean, Willis Marks, Drexel Biddle, Alfred Hart, Mabel Trunelle, George Dromgold and others. Ruth Clifford, as Ann Rutledge; Nell Craig, as Mary Todd Lincoln; Wm. Humphrey, as Stephen A. Douglas; Wm. Moran, as John Wilkes Booth; Homer Millets, as John Hay; Walter Rodgers, as General Grant; Irene Hunt, as Nancy Hanks Lincoln escott B. Clark, as Thomas Lincoln; Danny Hoy, as Abraham Lincoln, the boy, and many others will come out of the picture with added honors and some will be started on their way to the electric lights. Messrs. Rockett claim for the picture a nation wide influence for good in teaching the wholesome lessons of Lincoln’s life to the rising and future generations, a liberal education in United States history and a visual demonstration that there is no entertainment so rich in all elements of the drama as real life properly picturized. Every child in the United States will be given an opportunity to see this Lincoln picture and the producers believe that because of the innumerable tie-ups with schools, women’s clubs, fraternal, welfare, military and patriotic organizations, as well as of the peculiar charm of the subject, “The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln” will in time be seen by not less than one hundred million people in America alone and by five hundred millions in the world. The picture will be ready for release in September. Irving Cummings is* back from New York after having state-righted his much-talked-of independent feature, “Broken Hearts of Broadway”, without the aid of a middleman. BROWN CALDWELL 4ND LADD PKo t o -ei\d r aVe r\s 'LAJ S. BDWY; LOS A NGELES