Motion Picture News (May-Jun 1925)

June 20 , 19 2 5 Player Power Vital Issue In Present Competition Production War Fought With Munitions of Names By Edwin Schallert, Los Angeles Times STARS. Star-making. Star exploitation. These are topics that are absorbing more and more a universal interest in Hollywood. Players — and yet more players. New personalities. Striking and different. That is a big feature of the trend. HoAV many names will be added to the bright list before the year is over? How many will continue to shine permanently in the cinema sky? Two, three, a half dozen? Perhaps even a score or more. The answer is vital, because a keeii phase of current competition in production centers in player power — names and talent, and how to insure more names, more talent for the future. If a company of huge capital were to enter the motion picture field just now they would without doubt find a situation almost unprecedented — obstacles that in their w^ay are of an entirely new kind. Studio space thej^ could doubtless procure or build ; the story problem they could overcome ; the services of young and promising directors are still to be had and as a rule they bring to the films a fresh point of view. The wall that any brand new organization would have to crash through, however, is that which would stand betw^een them and the majority of big player names. Could they, by any chance, obtain the services of the established favorites! That would have to be an outstanding question in their minds. The fiee-laneer with the big reputation is rapidly vanishing from the fieUl. Even Conway Tearle, for long the most inveterate in his complete and absolute independence of term contracts, has been engaged for a series of features by MetroGoldwyn-Mayer. Lewis Stone, Anna Q. Nilsson, Wallace Beerv and others have all lodged safely with one organization or another, either as star or featured player, and the chances of their taking part to any extent in activities outside of this is eonsidei'ed exceedingly slight. Percy Marraont is virtually the only one of the somewhat celebrated group who, at this writing, remains fancy free, and his signing up now seems inevitable. The system of lending plaj^ers, which prevailed so widely about a year or two ago, has been rapidly going out of vog'ue. Companies have on occasion lately attempted to secure a contract player from another organization and found that schedules did not permit such an arrangement. Things move too rapidly; an actor's value is enhanced more by keeping him at Avork in his home studio, it is felt, than by sending him to another unless the feature is very exceptional. Besides it is dangerous for a player to appear too frequently on the screen, as some of the free lancers did. The front presented by the various companies is, under the circumstances, one to be observed and considered. The real battle, if there is to be a competitive war, will be fought to quite an extent with the munitions of names. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer just now presents a bold and very consistent ensemble of personalities. The total number is perhaps greater than that of any company, reaching more than forty, and they do not seem lo be through signing up talent by any means. Primaiy stars on their list include Lillian Gish, Norma Siiearer, John Gilbert, Manon Davies, Ramon Novarro, Bnsrer Kea-on, Lon Chaney, Mae Murray and Jackie Coogan. An excellent line-up. These players will as a rule head the casts of their productions, although some of them will occasionally be used together, as at pro'^ent Chaney and Miss Shearer, in "The Tov/er of Lies." One of the most interesting things about the group is that Miss Shearer and Mr. Gill)ert have made such remarkable progress. They are said to be running a neck-and-neck race for popularity, with Gili)ert leading in some localities, and Miss Shearer in others. Buster Keaton, it may be mentioned, is, according to the latest advices, to continue to release through Metro, and Jackie Coogan, of course, has been signed up for another year. In actual box-office effect the Paramount list is, naturally, very strong. The name of Gloria Swanson is still something to conjure with, although she will have to have a good popular picture very soon to help her hold her favor. Her latest film, "The Coast of Folly," with a background of society life in Palm Beach and Miami, will give her one of her old-time opportunities to wear A'ery smart frocks and gowns, and incidentally she appears in a dual role, as mother and daughter. The picture has been practically completed. More than Gloria, it is a fact that Thomas Meighan needs a good strong starring story. He is one of (ho ablest actors, but the pictures in which he has lately played have not brought out his ability. Popularly, h.' manages to hold \az own exceptionally well. Richard Dix and Pebe Daniels are gaining a little, esi)ecially Dix. Some of his recent advancement has been quite notev/jrthy. Pola Negri is the star, hovv.jver, thai is building toward the biggest future. The striking resource of Paramount's new strength commercially is comedians. They are better foitified than anybody, with Harold Lloyd a sure winner; Douglas MacLean — hitting in high already, and Raymond Griffith — one of the gi-eatest comers in all of moviedom. Lloyd's college picture, which is to be held until the fall, is probaby going to pi-ove the most successful that he has made lately, with the exception of "Grandma's Boy" and "Girl Shy." It may even top "Girl Shy." It is his last under his Pa the contract, and he is preparing for his first Paramount production now. First National naturally holds a big balance of ])ower because of the popularity of Colleen Moore and Corinne Griffith. Colleen is in some respects the most amazing of moviedom's stars. For who, since the heyday of Mabel Normand, can equal her as a clever comedienne? The Milton Sills vogue is still on, and one looks to the future for big things for Dorothy Mackaill, since "Chickie" is a cleanup. Norma Talmadge, with "Graustark," should be once again in her element, while the record of Connie Talmadge during the past few months is putting her farther along than she ever has been before. She's worth a lot of cheering these days is Connie. Everybody will be watching both her and Norma more and more as their association with LTnited Artists approaches — Norma, particularly, very soon, since she has only two more releases with First National, and has lately again been proving her acting ])Owers. I like personally to regard the Warner Brothers line-up because it is such a dio.tinctive and interesting o.ie. Their stars comprise now .Tohn Barryrnnre, first ard foremost, Lowell Sherman, Syd Chaplin, Monte Blue, Irene Rich, with Marie Prevost and Willard Louis occasionally also being featured 'n that caoacity. Alice Calhoun has come to them following the Vitagraph deal — a girl of still unrealized charm and talent. Among their other recent acquisitions are Dolores and Helene Costello, the daughters nf IMaurice Costello — the second generati'>n takiiig cheir step into prominence. With Dorothy Devore. Patsy Ruth Miller, Huntly Gordon, Kenneth Harlan, Matt Moore, Clive Brook and others, this comprises a very well rounded list that should enable them to accomplish results "worth while and also, perhaps, brilliant. I understand, by the way. that Barrymore is on this occasion to play in both a modern and a costume film, to pay in both a modern and a costume film. Universal has been threatened with the loss of Reginald Denny. Denny has found fault with the very low terms of his contract,