The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Apr-Jun 1922)

June 17, 1922. Praise for the Pictures. 66 HANK God for the kinema, the only thing that stands between these people’s lives (who live in Dockland) and utter drabness.’’—Lady Rodney. All Hot. OT tempers are the usual accompaniment of hot weather, as the kinema-manager out-West discovered who found himself obliged, owing to the supply of musicians falling short, to stick up the notice, *‘ Don’t shoot the pianist; he’s doing his best.”’ A new book just out tells us what happens when people lose their tempers: The arterial pressure is increased, the pulse is quickened, the blood supply to the viscera is lessened, and that to the skeletal muscles is mereased ; sugar as a source of energy is thrown into the blood from its storehouse in the liver, digestive processes _ temporarily cease; and the secretion of ‘‘ andrenin”’ is greatly stimulated, the effect of which is to heighten all the above processes, to increase the ready coagubility of the blood, and to restore fatigued muscles quickly, There’s a warning for somebody. Sybil Thorndike on the Screen. NDER the direction of Challis Sanderson, the youngest of British film producers, Sybil Thorndike, one of our most popular and talented stage stars, is to reappear before motion picture audiences in a Masters film version of ‘‘ The Merchant of Venice.’’ Miss Thorndike will be seen in the réle of Portia. This is not Miss Thorndike’s first screen appearance, but she expresses her delight in having the opportunity to portray one of Shakespeare’s most popular heroines for the screen. Mr. Sanderson has recently completed the production of a series of one-reel operas for the same company. It will be recalled that Miss Thorndike’s most recent appearance on the screen was as Lady Macbeth in a short length film of the witches” cauldron scene. Cheerio. HE above cheery greeting appears in big type on the ecard of invitation to the trade show of ‘* Penrod,’’ issued by Associated First National this week. But when I looked at the card which is 94 inches in width by 114 inches in depth, and regarded the broiling sun outside the window, considerations of weight decided me, and I clipped out the small portion intended to serve as an invitation to the show and put it in a pocket too small to contain the full sized card. Why will renters indulge in these little extravaganGies in the dog days? Digitized by Gor gle ‘* DANNY.” The above typical portrait of Joseph Dannenberg, the brilliant editor of the American ‘‘ Film Daily,” now on a visit to this country, was specially taken for THe Firm Renter on Tuesday. from his per: appears on another page of this issue. THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. 5 Fitm Star Shoplifter. TESTIMONY to the clever concealment of the A camera whilst taking street scenes at St. Albans during the filming of ‘* The Cause of All the Trouble ’’ (the Albanian Film Company’s first production), was given by a tram conversation overheard by George K. Arthur, who is co-starring in that film with Flora le Breton, whilst returning to London the other day. Two dear old ladies were talking of their day’s experiences when one related how, on passing a draper’s shop, a well-dressed, pretty little slip of a girl was arrested by a policeman for shoplifting. What actually happened was that the two ladies had seen Flora le Breton playing the part of Mrs. Jimmy Rodney for the film. As arranged, Flora linked her arm in that of a policeman, mistaking it for that of George K. Arthur, the Jimmy Rodney in the film, The First Stage of Film History. 66 HE first stage of film history —in which mere novelty of ap peal was sufficient to ensure success —is approaching its close,’ says the ‘‘ Yorkshire Post.”’ ‘* What its future de velopment may be none can predict,’’ continues this journal. ‘“Tt has been suggested that since the film is a new artistic medium it requires a new form, more distinct than the new novel of Fielding and Richardson was from the romantic drama of the Elizabethans or the classical drama of the ancient Greeks. It may be so. If it is, as in all arts, that form will be settled by the genius who, all in a day, will develop the kinema art from its garish infancy into full manhood.”’ The Superior Leader writer. same article indicates how biased in their view some superior leader writers can be when they try. It is well worth reading for that reason, if for no other: A NOTHER extract from the An article Meantime, pending the quest of the new form much can_ be done by producers. They may terminate the reign of dead-head imagination at once. ‘They may start to banish their present scenario-writers, with their ideals of sensational and spectacular entertainment, and put in their place men of sufficient talent to recognise artistic unity, which will evoke imagination, when they see it; men whose conception of the morality of art is at least high enough to see that the business of catering for the pleasure of peoples involves fixing standards. For at once to bore men by relieving them of all mental effort, and at the same time to infringe their sense of good taste by being unaware of its existence, is not even a sound commercial u proposition In this is the 3, = film’s best hope of an early SO revival. Original from NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY