The Moving Picture Weekly (1917-1919)

4 THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY— Van Loan Has Much to Answer for Priscilla Dean and Wheeler Oakman, who is also Friend Husband AH, ROMANCE. QF course H. H. Van Loan had no thought, when he wrote "The Virgin of Stamboul" as the first starring venture of Priscilla Dean under her new contract with Universal, that he was going to start so much. But Van, as he is called by all who know him, has always been a starter. He was a publicity man, and that is merely another word for starter. Then he started the first moving picture syndicate. He also started another generation of Van Loans. But Van Loan did not know that the Universal would put six months time, a half million dollars and almost half of the gigantic resourses and space of Universal City into "The Virgin of Stamboul." And neither did he know that he was going to start a romance for Priscilla. But that is just what he has gone and done and of course he is responsible. This romance business might not have become known just now had the bride's face not been so familiar and well advertised. For she and Wheeler Oakman, who plays the leading role opposite her in the big production, quietly slipped over to Reno and were married. But — they did not try to do it under their screen names. Their own looked innocent enough of notoriety or motion picture fame. But the daughter of the manager of the local theatre saw them and the cat was out of the bag. Yes, Priscilla Dean is a bride. AUTHOR, AUTHOR VAN LOAN "pHE stars, who have a great deal to do with the success of a motion picture, are heralded far and wide in the public prints; the directors, who have a great deal more to do with the success of a production, are written about occasionally; but the author, who is primarily responsible for the photodrama, is seldom ever mentioned, except in a perfunctory way. H. H. Van Loan, who wrote "The Vir Tod Browning: "So you're the author?" Van Loan: "Yes, I came over to see what you did to my story." gin of Stamboul," which was made into a spectacular photodrama by Universal, starring Priscilla Dean and directed by Tod Browning, is probably the best known writer of screen stories in America. Mr. Van Loan has written more "sure fire" successes for the silent drama than any other author who devotes his talent exclusively to the films. Universal takes an unusual interest in H. H. Van Loan, for he served as publicity manager for the world's film capital for three years. Van Loan is a New York state man, and a graduate of Yale preparatory and Columbia University. In 1914, he wrote the first motion picture column in a New York newspaper. It was called "Flashes in the Screen" and appeared in the New York Globe and in 200 other leading newspapers throughout the country. He served as foreign correspondent for the New York American, was a feature writer on the New York World and wrote two novels, "The Cross of Shame" and "The Crimson Iris" before devoting his attention to writing for the screen. There is scarcely a cinema star today who has not appeared in a Van Loan story, and the author believes that "The Virgin of Stamboul" will be his most notable contribution to the screen. He visits Universal City every few days, confers with Tod Browning, the director, regarding the cutting of the film, sits in the projection room as the various scenes are thrown on the silver sheet and acts entirely unlike a seasoned author with scores of successful creations to his credit. It was in the month of August that Tod Browning shouted "Camera!" for the first time on the production of "The Virgin of Stamboul," the Universal — super-production starring Priscilla Dean; and the new year of 1920 had already been ushered in before the same director gave his final order: "Cut!" on the last scene of this superb photodrama. (Continued on page 35) So Browning shows H. H. the wardness of the film and Van a great success. true insays it's