Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1920)

1106 Motion Picture N e 'a Dorothy Dalton of Stage and Screen We also found that distance from New York doesn't seem to have pre\cnted the King Cole Comedies from liaving all the " props " they want for whatever sets they wish to use. Miss Warner was supposed to he sleeping in the coziest kind of a little cozy corner, and there were all sorts of rooms in other parts of the studio waiting for their turn to be used. So watch out for some unusually funny " funnv pictures " in the near future. — 1/. ./. This beautiful residence is Nazimova's home at Laurel Canyon, sonic miles from Los Angeles. Within its idalls the brilliant Russian star seeks seclusion and rest after her day's zvork at the Metro studios Making King Cole Comics THE Motion Picture Producing Company of America had remodelled a studio somewiicrc on Staten Island. That nuich we knew, and being interested in studios, we contemplated a visit for several months. Finally our opportunity arrived, and we w'ere invited to go to see Sammy Burns and Marion Warner at work on one of the forthcoming King Cole Comedies, in whiclr Mr. Burns is directing and starring. We started for the studio in question. After two hours on subways and ferries and trains, we decided that Mr. Burns will never have to worry about securing one of those efficient doorkeepers who almost keep the stars themselves out of their own studios. We feel sure that if an extra succeeds in finding that studio, Mr. Bunis will give him a job as a detective in his next production. We have always considered Flatbush remote and Fort Lee inaccessible, but we recommend Dongan Hills to anyone looking for rest and quiet far removed from lights and excitement of Broadway. We found Mr. Burns and Miss Warlier extremely busy with an important scene in which a Inist of Napoleon would subsequently fade into the figure of Miss Warner's sweetheart, so that the action had to be timed and placed very carefully. Mr. Burns' patience seemed endless, and he worked with absolute concentration and thoroughness. Miss Warner was equally serious and anxious to have her slightest movements right. The act that impressed us most was the infinite care and serious labor tliat go into just a few feet of film that are run ofT on the screen in less than a minute. During that minute the action must serve its purpose by bringing a hearty laugh from the audience, who probably wonder, if they think about it at all, " Do they get paid for doing that?" Often the action that looks the easiest and the quickest, is that over which the most sincere efTort and hardest work has been spent. It really isn't easy to make bits of humor from a typewritten script look perfectiv „ uut. ■ jumvi^-ij , • 1 » I ' Some back. It is owned by Mabel Cloud, ineous and accidental. ^ho is appearing with Constance Talmadge Doris Kenyon, who has lemporaril) deserted the screen for the stage production of "The Girl in the Limousine," claims the honor of ha\ing two books dedicated to her by FuUerton Waldo, writer and one of the editors of the Philadelphia Ledger. The first is a little book of sonne:s, ten in number, which Miss Kenyon declares exquisite in quality and sentiment. The second is written around Mr. Waldo's experience in Labrador where he spent last summer with Dr. Grenfell, the explorer. In his review of Dr. Kenyon's collection of verse, "The Harvest Home", to which his daughter contributed nine poems, Mr. W aldo says that Miss Kenyon has a candor of expression fine and true — the candor of such a girl as Lorna Doone must ha\ e been — or a Shakespearian heroine. I'M not doing a single thing outside the studio and theatre but sleeping, hut I'm going to make up for all this work next summer. If you only knew the marvelous summer I'm planning!" Dorothy Dalton's eyes glistened, her \oice was full of enthusiasm, and she looked so buoyant and happy that no one would ever have guessed that she was working from 10 A.M. to 12 P.M. every day in the week except Sunday, and every week in the year from September till, presuifiably, next May. How she does it, and keeps those famous dimples of hers, we don't know, but she still has the i dimples, and they're even more attractive off the screen than they are on it. W'e happened to find her discussing a scene with her director, Harley Knowles, at the studio, something about the set didn't please Mr. Knowles exactly, and while she waited we seized the opportunity for a little that. As every fan knows, Miss Dalton is playing the principal role in the spectacular production of " Aphrodite " at the Century theatre, and at the same time is keeping up with her regular schedule of film work. Just now the screen story on which she is at work is one of Sir James M. Barrie's, " Half an Hour," and it will be her first production under Famous Players-Lasky management. F"amous. •by the way, assures us that, in spite of many facetious suggestions for different titles, such as " Thirty Minutes " and " One Twenty-fourth of a Day,'" " Half an Hour " will be released under its own name and the original story will be followed closely. " Tell us about the wonderful summer," we urged, while we admired .Miss Dalton's superb sable coat, blue sequins over l)lack satin showing slightly between its opening, and tiny brown satin toque with a magnificent brown bird of paradise standing straight up in front. " What do >ou do when you do what \ i)u please ? " we concluded. ■■ Out-of-door sports,'" she exclaimed. " I like them much better than parties and dinners and dances. I should like to take a house on Long Island with a beach all my own, and l)uy the fastest motor boat that"s made, and Oh — um ! '' (We wish we could transcribe the tones of her voice, for Dorothy Dalton says far more hy modulation than inere words can tell. ) ■' I don't care much about yachts,"' she w cut on. ■■ I want a speed boat — and I want a fast one I I want a horse, too," she added. " and an open car to drive myself. Oh, I do hope I can have at least six weeks in which to do all that some tiine ! " " How do you like your venture, into the theatrical world?" we inquired. ■' I lore it." she responded with the emphasis that she puts upon ever\tliing she sa> s, '' but there's a terrible sense of responsibilit.\' that goes with stage work, that one doesn't have in pictures. I'm always worried for fear I might not be there when my call comes for me to go on the stage, and if it should ever happen that I weren't, well, I can't imagine what they would do. It's too frightful to think about. You see. if m> car gets caught in the traffic on my way to the studio, it isi a vital matter, but if I should go out dinner, and a tire should blow out ji as I was returning for an evening pc formance — I don't make any dinn engagements, that's all," she finish' laughingly. Just here we discovered that M Knowles was looking for his star, at we turned away with an impression < a very ambitious, enthusiastic, ene getic girl, with tremendous vitality, keen love of life and an intense desi: to experience all the thrills and all tl sensations that life has to offer; wil a complete realization that nothing worth having that isn't worth worldc for. —.1/. /. On Sunday last there was a douh wedding at five o'clock at the litti church at 139th street and 7th avenU' which was of great interest to all th members of the Marion Davies coir pany. The brides were Miss Hele Miller and Miss Rita Cherry, an their respective bridegrooms wer Chaddie Graham and James Sweene> Chaddie started his professional caree at the Biograph under Griffith, ha since been with Metro and Madam Petrova. and is now with Interna tional, bringing with him eight year; experience as property man. Durin; the entire eight years he and Jimm; worked together, and the final proo of their friendship was given whei they told their future wives that the; would even like to be married together So the church was beautifully dcco rated with chrysanthemums, and Mis Davies signified her approval by at tending the ceremony. "The Market Place for Players — The Professional Section's Pages." A new picture of Barbara Castleton now enlisted under the Coldwyn banner