Motion Picture Magazine (Feb-Jul 1919)

The war is over, the boys are home, and every one is happy. Happy because the awful carnage and slaughter has ceased. Happy for the sake of hum a n i t y , democracy and civilization. We're happy, too. But no one has considered the terrible trials and suffering the movie fans have been forced to go thru. Here's some of the reasons they're glad war is over : The movie spy can now be laid on the shelf. The producers will have to stop making "Kaiser" films. Griffith will have to give us something new instead of palming off his old war stuff under new titles. Frances Marion can now come back and write more scenarios for "Mary." Press-agents will now cease bombarding us with wild tales of "million-dollar Liberty Bond sales," "adopted regiments," "letters from Over There," etc. Robert Warwick will again grace the screen. And Tom Forman. substance for all about. superpicture ! The month's prize for extreme modesty and reserve in publicity goes to •the exploiters of "The Tidal Wave," which is "the most stupendous screen drama in the annals of the motion picture." "The Tidal Wave" is "not a war story, yet gripping with international conflict! Not a love story, yet with romance quivering in every scene ! Not a detective story, yet with mystery and suspense in every situation!" But wait. "Every reel detonates with Now we know what it's Wanted By Fox, a scenario department. By Doug, Anita Loos and John Emerson. By W. S. Hart, badly, something new in the way of a Western story. By Metro, a decent lighting system. By Francis Ford, a barber. Latest "goat" for caustic photoplay critics — Marion Davies, with Fred Stone running a close second. "Did you know," asks the Universal publicity department, "that Violet Mersereau was a society girl, and Crane Wilbur a butcher?" That explains everything perfectly. It had been rumored that they were actors. What Could Be Sweeter? Than Dorothy Gish in "The Hope Chest"? Than Bill Hart in a hard-boiled shirt and full dress suit ? Than the straw hat Charlie Ray wears in "String Beans" ? Than the way he ties Jane Novak's shoe-lace? Than magazine "interviews" written by the star's press agent? Six Things We Would Like to Know Why D. W. Griffith writes his scenarios under an assumed name. Who will play opposite Charlie Chaplin in future. Why "The Midnight Patrol" was presented by Select instead of Paramount. Why Director R. A. Walsh sticks with Fox instead of doing bigger things. How much interest Adolph Zukor will have in the new company to be formed by his ex-aides, Messrs. Abrams and Schulberg. Who is the main factor behind the First National Co. According to report, Earle Williams is being sued by a New York girl for $160,000 for breach of promise. If Earle's affections are worth that much, he must be some Lothario. Shows you never can judge a movie idol from his screen shadow. Why is it that critics of the silent drama expect every photoplay to be a masterpiece, when out of the hundred stage productions presented every year there are only a handful of successes, and tho there are hundreds of novels written each year, only a few become "best sellers" ? We're glad to hear that a man like Henry Ford has entered the movie game, but he'll find that there are more "flivvers" in the film business than the auto industry has ever seen. Spare Us These days of universal peace and happiness, from Jack Holt in goody-goody roles, and Marin Sais in any other, Lillian Walker in "A Grain of Dust," Doug in adaptations like "Arizona" and "He Comes Up Smiling," Toto's comedy, Edith Storey knocking Theda Bara's acting, from magazine covers by Haskell Coffin, Mary Minter's pervading innocence, actresses with names like Tallulah Bankhead, from soaps indorsed by movie stars, photoplays done in natural colors and Elsie Ferguson in vehicles such as "Under the Greenwood Tree," and rich will be the blessing poured upon thee, O Monarchs of the Movies. 61 PA6 f