The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Sep-Oct 1922)

September 2, 1922. NAZIMOVA ON IBSEN. HHE announcement by Mr. Carroll 8. Trowbridge that Allied Artists Corporation, Ltd., will release Nazimova’s greatest screen ‘achievement, ‘‘A Doll’s House,’’ in October next serves as a reminder that it was in Ibsen’s famous play that Nazimova made the greatest success of her stage career. Indeed, the plays of Henrik Ibsen have exercised an enormous fascination over this superb ‘‘ mime,’’ who has appeared in most of the well-known ones. Questioned on her liking for ‘‘A Doll’s House,”’ in which Nazimova appears as Nora Nazimova AS Nora Hetmer in ‘‘A Douu’s Hovuss.’’ Helmer, the famous screen actress compared the heroines of Dumas'’s films with those of Ibsen. ‘The former’s heroine,’’ she said, ‘* was all seduction, softness, and ‘ I love you, you love me, we love each other.’ Dumas seemed to know of but one career for woman outside matrimony—the fast life, oblivion. ‘* Not so with Ibsen. He foresaw with his remarkable vision woman’s present place in the world, the day when women need no longer be either mere love-making machines or discarded and worthless fragments of humanity. His Nora in ‘ A Doll’s House ’ paved the way for the emancipation of women. In many respects I consider Ibsen’s Nora one of his greatest, if not his very greatest, feminine character. She is a real, pulsating character, and I am proud to be able to portray her on the screen.”” Nothing more sensational has been depicted upon the screen, and we venture on the assertion that its representation is as near the real thing as we are ever likely to see, for if the heroine had remained in the coach another thirty seconds the play would have ended on. a tragic note. Apart from all else this scene makes the film, and, properly exploited, it will fill any. theatre to capacity. There is little need for more. The cast, headed by Georges Carpentier and Flora Le Breton (one of the pluckiest THE FILM RENTER & MOVING. PICTURE NEWS. 15 THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF FILM DIRECTORS. HE monthly meeting of the British Association of Film Directors was held at the Kinema Club, Great Newport Street, last Friday night, when the President (Percy Nash) reported the receipt of a letter from a firm of film manufacturers, asking that the Association appoint from its members an Arbitration Committee to deal with a dispute over a picture. The Association unanimously resolved to appoint a Committee, the names of whom will not be divulged to either parties to the dispute, and the hon. secretary (W. G. Faulkner) was asked to inform the manufacturers of this decision. Attacks on the Industry. The principal business before the meeting was the discussion of the recent attacks made upon the British film industry by certain people. The president, Mr. Nash, opened the discussion, expressing the view that if these attacks upon directors, scenario writers, and artistes had been confined to the trade Press the matter could have been ignored, as the trade knew exactly the value to put upon them. Made, however, in the lay Press, they were, in his opinion, doing more harm to the British film industry than any other form of hostility that had been shown by anyone inside or outside the industry. Interesting and informative speeches were made by most of the members, and eventually it was decided that a publicity campaign for placing the facts about British productions should be entered upon, and that it would be unwise to answer in the form of resolutions the attacks made by the chief offender, who could very well be left to give the reasons to the concern with which he is connected,. for making and continuing. to: make pictures, if the state of affairs were such as he had outlined. The Association unanimously decided: to hold a dinner: in October, to which the principal heads of the British film industry will be invited as guests of the Association. ATTENDANT SHOT DEAD IN BELFAST KINEMA. RUMLIN ROAD picture house, Belfast, was the scene on Tuesday of an extraordinary shooting tragedy. A young man, who had been sitting quietly watching the pictures for some time, suddenly drew a revolver and fired two shots at an attendant, who was struck in the head and instantly killed. A panic followed, women screaming and many rushing for the exits, and in the confusion the assassin disappeared. The victim was Peter Mullan, aged sixty-five. The D. W. Griffith super-film, *‘ Birth of a Nation,’’ will be shown for a season at the Scala Theatre, Charlotte Street, W., commencing on Monday evening next (September 4). heroines who ever appeared in a film) does splendid work throughout ; Stuart Blackton’s direction calls for high praise; the exterioy settings are admirably chosen, and always with an eye to picturesque effect, and the photography is superb. ‘‘A Gipsy Cavalier '’ is a box-office attraction of the first magnitude, and the Gaumont Company, who are putting the picture out under the auspices of the British National Film League, should do record business with it.—L.W. Original from NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY