Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1919)

August I 6 , I 9 I 9 1475 Monroe Salisbury and company returned the week of July 28th from the Bear Lake region of the San Bernardino mountains, where scenes were taken for " The Divorced Wife," adapted from the Elliott Peake story, " The Altar on Little Thunder," by F. McGrew Willis. Alice Elliott plays opposite Salisbury, and the direction is by Douglas Gerrard. Because of the fact that Lieut. O. L. Locklear, the daring aviator who changes planes in mid-air, has engagements to fill in the east early in August, Director Jacques Jaccard is working his company night and day on the production of " The Winged Trail," for which Jaccard wrote the story. Francelia Billington is the leading woman. Elmo Lincoln, star of the Universal serial, " Elmo the Mighty," is to be the featured player of a six-reel photoplay, " The Beach Comber," by J. G. Hawks, to be directed by Rex Ingram ; while " No Experience Required," a W. Carey Wonderly story, is to be produced by Paul Powell with an allstar cast. Rolling Sturgeon will direct " The Breatli of the Gods," the Sydney McCall novel, which is the first Universal starring vehicle for Tsuru Aoki (Mrs. Sessue Hayakawa). Allen Hohibar is making preparations to begin production of " Ambition " which will star Dorothy Phillips. Holubar is also the author of the story. Marie Walcamp is playing the leading part in "Tempest Cody Sheriff" under the direction of George Holt; Reaves Eason is producing " The Crow " with Hoot Gibson and Mildred Moore in the leading roles, and Pete Morrison and Josephine Hill are playing in " The Return of Striped Shirt Ransome" under Edward Kull's direction. Harry Mann has started to direct and act in a series of eccentric charac ter comedies, the lirst of which ir> titled " Some Job." Florence Turner has just completed the second of her own comedies made under her own direction, titled " The Reward." Eddie Lyons and Lee Moran have completed " The Bunged Up Bungalow." Director Robert Wells is at Colorado Springs filming scenes for "The Ranger of Pike's Peak." Frank Mayo is enjoying a brief vacation after completing " The Brute Breaker " under the direction of Lynn Reynolds, while the scenario is being prepared by Clifford Howard for "Lasca," a western production which Norman Dawb is to direct. Winning four out of five games played in the Photoplayers' League, the Metro studio ball team defeated 1bollvwoo6 Ibokum AUGUST 16, 1919 NEWS MORE NEWS Continued hot ! Ora Carew plays a Ukulele. Welcome to our city, Bill Courtleigh ! The Garson studios are humming with activity. " The Luck of the Irish " is to be filmed by Alan Dwan. Mon. Salisbury reports mosqultos fewer up at Bear Lake. Norman Dawb is going to direct " Lasca " for Universal. From the standing galley — Bill Parsons is in New York again. Hazel Daly is in our midst playing down at the Goldwyn studio. Margery Wilson has moved her powder puff to the Brentwood studios. Monte Katterjohn paid HOKUM a pleasant call this week. Come again Monte. By special delivery post we learn that Tsuru Aoki is again to play in films. Al Selig has invited HOKUM staff to see Bill Farnum wreck a ship down at Balboa bay. Allen Holubar is to realize his ambition, for at least he named his next picture that. And now they add alter Bill Seiter's name — " one of the very best directors in the business." Tod Browning is not Scotch, but nevertheless he directed the making of " A Bonnie Bonnie Lassie." Ruth Stonehouse has been at Metro three weeks, and wild Canaries are eating out of her hand. Bill C. Dowlan finished making one picture one day, and started right in on another the next. Just where RolHn Sturgeon will go to produce " The Breath of the Gods," is an unanswered question. Billie Rhodes is taking a vacation, which in this respect does not mean her contract has expired. Jacques Jaccard says it's true that you can't tell whether you're right side up or not while flying. Jim Kirkwood is back west with his make-up box, and claims to have discarded the megaphone for keeps. ZaSu Pitts, we are told, is as original with her comedy as with her name. But, did ZaSu name herself? " The Eyes of Youth " will have San Francisco exterior scenes, Clara Kimball Young being there this week. We are again informed this week that Flannigan and Edwards, the National's hall room boys, are funny fellows. Tom Ince is building again ! This time, a three stoiry brick building. But it's just to be used as a set. Finis Fox left for a vacation, and came back the next day, he being one of those fellows who Vjves his art. Charley Parrot asks us to say to those oil promoting fellows that he is not in the market for any more stock. The boys, Lyons and Moran, were too busy to call on HOKUM this week, so they sent us a note on perfumed stationery. A certain press agent sends us the line that this is not press agent bunk — Geraldine Farrar has her jewels insured. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Popham Young, governor of an India province, visited the Metro studios this week — if that's news. Nat Spitzer permitted them to break up a baby grand piano for " Angel Kisses," which brands Nat as a regular spendthrift. Hank Otto has turned a blind eye on the barber pole shirts, and is now wearing a royal purple one. It canot be heard. And now we learn there is not a single exterior setting in " Fair and Warmer." And now we know what they mean by that title. Yes, Bill Hart is going to stay with Artcraft another year, and we met a fellow the other day who said he knew it all the time. Marguerite Clark has become quite a baseball fan since Roscoe Arbuckle bought the Vernon Tigers. She loves to watch the coachers. Wally MacDonald ssh'd us this week, and said not to say a word about him playing opposite Marguerite Clark in " A Girl Named Mary." M. P. are the initials of Stalcup who designed fashion settings for " Lombardi, Ltd." Surely his first names are not " motion picture." Brentwood Film Corporation employed the Gold Dust Twins, evidently, for we learn they were out scouring the country for location this week. Well, who is Billy West anyway? After reading all the page and two page announcements, the photoplay ed. ot HOKUM is still in the dark. Bert Lytell is shopping for a lawn mower to use after he gets through with his present part which indicates that he is growing a natural beard. Assistant Directors Ass'n had a jazz ball at the Robert Brunton studio. Thirty fellows played in the band at once. A good time was had by each. Fish stories are so numerous of late, we threaten to punish the reader with an Anglers department. Louise Glaum has learned to bait a hook. Elmo Lincoln, that mighty man of valor who Tarzaned about, has issued a challenge to Jack Dempsey, and we wish him all the luck in the world. Somebody telephoned Henry Lehrman to remain at the studio that a large party was coming down to see him, and an hour later Roscoe Arbuckle rolled in. Our idea of an out-of-date title is " Dizzie Lizzie." The name refers to Gale Henry, and maybe the prohibition law will be repealed by the release date. HOKUM'S wastebasket this week received a great quantity of press copy about the photoplayers' auto race which occurred a month ago. We print the news boys. June Mathis' father walked down the street the other day, and got into a mob scene for a movie, and the scenario-writing daughter is very proud of her actor-father. Someone out Metro way has a mind for figures, and sends us the statistics of the lighting effects which shows there are 4)4 miles ot Mercury tubing at the studio. The latest contract we have heard of is that of Joe Rock and Poison Oak, i. e,, Joe is the contractor, and Oak is the contractee. The Doctor says it won't mar his beauty. Earle Montgomery found an automobile firm who didn't charge for repairs amounting to $400 made on his car, and the funny part of it is that Earle didn't pass out then. May Allison had to weep in a scene the other day, and a small village nearby phoned in that there was a cloud burst. Verification proved that it actually happened. Many leading women are no doubt inquiring as to the effect of Eileen Percy's mash notes of the A, P, story that went out telling of her marriage to Ulrich Bon Bush, Clif. Robertson who casts the Goldwyn pictures is patriotic, if nothing, for only last week he had a special scene put in a play so he could employ returned English soldiers. Steve Clements, world famous knife thrower, is to be seen in the western serial " Lightning Brice," which may or may not indicate that another period of savagery has been discovered. Correctness in detail took another climb last week when a Goldwyn scene required manicure girls, and the prettiest in Los Angeles held the hands ot the Goldwyn leading men. Ken. McGaffey is now a solo flyer at deMille Field after four and a half hours in the air. All of which explains what being a publicity man for three years at the Lasky studio means. Taking the tip from a sign on a house he saw in Hollywood " movies and dogs not wanted," Frankie Lee, the Goldwyn child wonder, put a shingle over his door which reads " birds and dogs allowed." Mark Larkin petitions this publication to have Noah Webster put the work " HOKUM " in his book. Whereupon we say, why put it in Webster's dictionary, when it's already in the Bible of the trade. John Bowers is going to cut up the Pacific with his yacht " Uncas," which is splitting the waves through the Panama now. All this is happening because John made a new contract to stay with Goldwyn another year. We rise to inquire just what the Universal title editor means by " The Eternal Savage " and " The Trembling Hour," meaning thereby that we wish to know how a savage can remain forever that way, and to learn if possible, if the Shimmy has taken effect on Father Time. Press agents are getting entirely too high-browish, viz. ; " no countenance ever reflected more promptly the change from the cry of Le rio Est mort to that of Vive le roi." Come in and explain it, S. P. Trood of Brentwood, for the foreign phrases supplement of our dictionary is not very complete. War Savings Stamps Smith, manager of the Western Vitagraph studios, gave Huntington Lake the O. O. this week, which goes to show that managers, as well as directors and actors, seek vacation on business, and liked it so well he decided Bill Duncan and his company could stay for another month. A petition which is being circulated in our town asking congress to remove the war tax on soda fountain drinks, and which was presented to the editor of HOKUM for his signature, was found to contain the name ol George D. Proctor. Inasmuch as George, the famous scenario writer, is in New York, we have our doubts as to whether the signature is genuine or not. KARGER'S FIVE COMMANDMENTS! 1. Thou shalt build thy settings for the camera's lens, not tor the joy of the eye. 2. Thou shalt make many, many photographic tests of lights, colors, costumes and make-ups. 3. Thou shalt rehearse thy actors without make-up — for greasepaint fazeth the spirit, runneth on the neck, and maketh the actor feel bla. 4. Thou shalt practice each scene until perfect, if it take until week after next. 5. Thou shalt call me in for a dress rehearsal before shooting the final scene. ihe BruHton aggregation by a score of 11 to 6. Lewis pitched for Metro and Kelly for Brunton. Her home in Laurel Canyon was used as the setting for some of the first scenes in which Mme. Alia Nazimova appears in her latest production, which is a picturization of " The Native Doctor of Gaya," the novel by L A. R. Wylc. Script was prepared by Charles Bryant. Many accessories of the fashion world usually seen only in smart metropolitan shops, are being employed in " Lombardi, Ltd." in which Bert Lytell is starring in the screen version of the successful New York stage produciion. For the fashion sets, M. P. .Staulcup, formerly display manager and designer of fashionable establishments in New York, has been employed, while six Parisian models of gowns used in the production, it is said, cost $35,000. Viola Dana is being starred in " Please Get Married," the latest screen adaptation of the successful play being produced by Metro. Antrim Short, the juvenile actor, who supported Mary Pickford in boyish roles in two recent productions, has been engaged as Miss Dana's leading man, while Amos Meyers, formerly Daniel Frohman's technical director, has been employed as technician for " Please Get Married." Operation was begun this week for an overhead steel trolley way more than half a mile long from which are suspended the eighty-nine banks of Cooper-Hewitt mercury lights used at the Metro studios. The system of transporting the lights was installed through the collaboration of Clifford Butler, Metro's general manager ; Walter Grams, chief electrician; Ralph C. Godfrey, chief of construction, and John Fisher, stage manager. An ingenious switching device by which the lights readily can be transferred throughout the various stages so as to illuminate more than fifty thousand square feet of staging, is a feature of the elaborate installation. Finis Fox spent a brief vacation in Yosemite Valley following his completion of the script for " Please Get M arried," a farce by Lewis Allen Browne and James Cullen, being used as the latest Viola Dana vehicle. Col. Jasper E. Brady, head of the Metro department, acted as host to Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Popham Young, governor of the Province of Bdmbay, India,, during the latter's visit to the Metro studio while on a tour of the United Stages. ^cy^r6> and U^kere^ Clara Kimball Young, accompanied by her director, Arthur Parker, and members of her company, were in San Francisco and vicinity the week of July 28th making the first scenes of " Eyes of Youth", the star's forthcoming picture, being produced at the Garson Studios, Inc., of Los Angeles. While the distinguished actress and her associates were in the North, elaborate construction was under way at the studios for the interior scenes. A strong cast has begun work in support of Miss Young, among them being William Courtleigh, Edmund Lowe, formerly leading man for Oliver Morosco and Gareth Hughes. Gale Henry, elongated comedienne of the Model Comedy Company, has