Associated First National Franchise (1921)

))LAY EDITOR'S Sheet \d Newsy Notes from IriONAL PICTURES, INC. eet, New York = MAT (or Cut) SERVICE (Strike out alternative) Newspaper.. City. .State. Talmadges Now Each Other's Critics Norma and Constance Talmadge have assumed new positions in the world of the silent drama. Heretofore, each has concentrated her efforts on turning out highly entertaining productions. Now, each has become a critic to the other. It may be stated at once that a critic in whose judgment they can place reliance, is of great benefit to any theatrical luminary. No players, either for the screen, the spoken stage, vaudeville, or any other division of the amusement business, can see themselves as they appear to an audience, although there is hardly one who would not give a year of his life in exchange for the ability to do so. Therefore, it is highly important that all artists who wish to advance in public favor have their performances critically scrutinized by some person who has the necessary technical knowledge to detect and correct faulty make-up, gestures, color effects and the thousand and one other details that combine to either make or mar a production. Few persons, though, are qualified to do so in sufficient degree to be of value to an artist and the Talmadge girls are each unusually fortunate in having a sister who can exercise that function for her, a fact which they greatly appreciate. "I am really very lucky in having a sister who is also in the same business," said Miss Norma while working on the screen version of "The Sign on the Door" at her New York studio, "for she is of the greatest assistance to me in the many situations where 1 need a friendly but merciless commentator upon my work. "You see, her style of work and mine are of a different type, which gives each of us a clear viewpoint when it comes to suggestions about the work of the other. My sister is developing a deft, light comedy touch, while my endeavors are directed more toward dramatic interpretation. Outside of our work, however, we are sisters, and, of course, have known each other so long and so intimately that we are thoroughly familiar with the characteristics of each other, which often enables one or the other of us to make a suggestion that a director had not thought of before, or aid him in solving a problem. "Constance has developed an unusual eye for detail, both as to my individual work, the work of the rest of the cast and the production as a whole. That is enough, I sometimes feel, to make her almost competent to direct a production herself if she really had to. She has unusual ability in this direction." "And I try," laughed Miss Talmadge, "to be just as hard on her as she is on me, which effort, I feel and hope, will help us to make still better pictures as time goes on." Wants to Shoot Baby! Charles A. Taylor's enthusiasm ften makes him somewhat abrupt, 'he director of Oliver Morosco's The Half Breed" was looking for baby to photograph in one of the cenes. Walking down a Los Ange;s street he saw just the youngster e wanted, being wheeled by its arents. Taylor dashed forward, exlaiming: "I want to shoot that aby I" using the studio vernacular shoot" for "photograph." Only asty explanations saved him from eing . flattened under the parental rrath. Goody ! Goody ! We're getting real proud of Chare Chaplin. For he repulsed — in a entlcmanly way — a remark that was ust a trifle impertinent. Anyway, we ave it that Charlie and Elinor Glyn i^ict at a recent motion picture ball n the coast. "Deah, Mr. Chaplin," the woman Titer is reported to have said, "I'm eliciously delighted to meet you. Vhy, you're just like other people nd not at all the sort of freak I'd ave imagined you." "I can say the same of you, jjAadame Glyn," responded Chaplin. Uta boy! Tom Sawyer Stuff Roy Stewart, who is playing the male lead opposite Katherine MacDonald in "Her Social Value," a forthcoming Associated First National release, thinks he has figured out why Director Jerome Storms works him so hard on hot days. When the director and leading man were about eight years old they lived in San Diego and were playmates. When Jerry used to call on Roy, the latter would pul! the "Tom Sawyer" gag and young Jerome would work his head off while Roy sat by and laughed up his sleeve. Stewart thinks Storm is getting even. Origin of "Hootch" Learned David Hartford, producer of James Oliver Curwood's thrilling north country tale, "The Golden Snare," declares he has discovered the origin of the word "Hootch." "Hootch is derived from one of the many Indian languages," he says. "It's the Hoochinko, or native rum with a kick like an army mule that the Eskimos distill from sugar and flour and potatoes." "Well, if I lived there," said a New Yorker who listened to Mr. Hartford's explanation, "I'd sign the pledge — and what's more — I'd keep it." Dick Barthelmess Is Now Independent Star Richard Bapfchelmes5_ Richard Barthelmess, who has been featured in many of D. W. Griffith's most successful screen dramas, is now an independent star in his own right. Sitting up on his hospital cot, the popular and handsome Dick recently affixed his signature to the dotted line on a three-year contract under which he heads his own producing company and releases his pictures through Associated First National. The company which will turn out the Barthelmess productions has been capitalized at $1,500,000 and named Inspiration Pictures, Inc. Barthelmess, who underwent a minor operation at the same time that his young and beautiful wife, Mary Hay, had her tonsils removed, has left Flower Hospital, New York, with Mrs. Barthelmess for their summer home at Rye on Long Island Sound. Both are rapidly recuperating. It is expected that Barthelmess will commence work on the first of his independent productions within five weeks. Star Stuff Hope Hampton is still busy starring in "Star Dust," a star story by that star story maker, Fanny Hurst. Love Me, Love My Dog If you love David M. Hartford you must love 105 dogs. He will let you pat them on the head if you pop up in the place where they are being filmed. The dogs appear in James Oliver Curwood's thrilling outdoor yarn, "The Golden Snare," which is being produced on a big scale for Associated First National Pictures, Inc. FILM FLASHES Allen Holubar, creator of "ManWoman-Marriage," one of the "Big Five" Associated First National releases, starring Dorothy Phillips, is deep in the preparation of the script for his next First National vehicle, which is to star the winsome Dorothy. Holubar is now perfecting his organization, preparing his script and making ready to start "shooting" early in June. He has not yet announced the title of his next film, but it is to be based on an original story alive with human interest. The producer is again to be assisted by Harold Bucquet, who acted in the same capacity in the making of "Man-Woman-Marriage." Charles Ray, who has returned from a vacation to the Grand Canyon, following the completion of "The Barnstormer," his latest First National release, is back on the job with a promise of something new for his next production. Ray never plays the same type of story twice and his next picture is to be based on a theme entirely different from his last productions. Charles A. Taylor, who adapted and directed "The Half Breed," the first Oliver Morosco picture for First National release, wrote his first play when Morosco was a youngster in knee pants working in his brother's theatre in San Francisco as an usher. Taylor, while working all day with a railroad construction gang in the Mo j ave desert, spent his nights looking at the stars and dreaming his play. He called it "His Brother's Crime." With the savings from his railroad work, Taylor went to San Francisco, where the play was produced, Taylor himself playing the role of the hero. That was the beginning of the friendship between Taylor and Morosco that has remained unbroken all these years. Minister Plans Film Wedding Dr. J. Whitcomb Brougher, noted Los Angeles clergyman, became art director and general stage supervisor at the Louis B. Mayer studios one day recently when he served as advisory director in the filming of an elaborate wedding scene for "Restitution," a John M. Stahl production to be presented by Mr. Mayer as a First National attraction. Through the generous assistance of Dr. Brougher, Mr. Stahl was enabled to combine beauty and unusual effects with an impressive ceremony that was correct in every detail. Cattle Do Mob Scene Two thousand "actors" were added the other day to the climax scene of Oliver Morosco's "The Half Breed." They were range cattle and did a "mob scene" that is expected to be a genuine thriller.