The Moving picture world (June 1921)

522 MOVING PICTURE WORLD June 4, 1921 Gladys Walton Working Under Kohlmar Direction Gladys Walton, Universal's youngest star, has begun work on her seventh starring production at Universal City. Her current ve- hicle is "Christine of the Youn!? Heart," from the novel by Louise H. Clancy. It is interesting to note that, whereas the majority of her pro- ductions have been directed by Har- ry Harris, whose success with her has been extremely gratifying, her current production will be under the direcction of Lee Kohlmar. Mr. Kohlmar is one of the best known character actors on the American stage. Some- years ago he decided to devote his talents to the screen, and since that time has been working at Universal City un- der the personal observation of Mr. Laemmle in preparation for the big work, which the president of the Universal is not ready to announce. Mr. Kohlmar was co-starred in the first big picture in which Gladys Walton appeared, "The Secret Gift." Since that time he has been given charge of a number of two-reel Western dramatic productions with signal success. Convict Says Ray Films Teach "The Joy of Winning Cleanly" Discuss Feature of French Films Here Mme. Valentine Petit Ferret, the wife of Leonce Ferret, the well known French director, who is now abroad, gave a dinner last week in honor of two of her countrynjen. Max Linder, the» popular screen comedian, and Abel Gance, pro- ducer of "J'Accuse." .\mong the film notables who were guests, were Emil Chautard and Henri Roussel, the French mo- tion picture magnate, who is at present in New York. The future of French films in this country formed a large part of the conversation at the gather- ing and methods and means for enhancing and fostering the motion picture entente cordiale between the United States and France were discussed. Mme. Ferret stated that her hus- band had completed two features during his stay abroad, but that it had not yet been determined whether he would make his next picture in France or this country. From behind prison walls has come a remarkable tribute to the value of motion pictures in non- theatrical fields, and, in particu- lar, their opportunities to per- form a lasting service for good among the inmates of American prisons. John C. Ragland, general man- ager of Arthur S. Kane Pictures Corporation, has received a letter from Louis Victor Eytinge, a "lifer" in the Arizona state peni- tentiary, who already has served twelve years of his sentence. The letter contains much information not only for persons concerned with prison welfare work but also everyone interested in the possibilities of the film as a force in education and in character im- provement. The writer avows that it was written because of his desire to give credit to Charles Ray, whose picture he regards of greatest possible value. "Eytinge, I have learned from other sources, is a most extra- ordinary prisoner," said Mr. Rag- land. "Although constantly in confinement he is editor of a na- tional magazine devoted to adver- tising and sales promotion and another published for retail gro- cers, and contributes regularly to several business magazines. He has charge of the preparation of entertainment programs in the Arizona prison and is in corre- spondence with men entrusted with similar work in other pris- ons throughout the country. Through this interchange of re- ports he has gained an under- standing of conditions which is unique. "Let me quote a few lines which he has written : 'Before the other- wise blind eyes of a hundred thousand shut-ins motion pic- tures spread the panorama of the World. They do more than en- tertain. They enlighten and edu- Marshall Neilan Signs Donn Byrne Marshall Neilan has closed nego- tiations with Donn Byrne, the famous author, for the picturization of the well-known novel, "The Stranger's Banquet." In collaboration with Mr. Neilan, the noted author will rewrite his story for picturization, bringing it up to date with the idea 9f making it a daring story of conditions that exist in this country at the present time. Although it is expected that the film will be considered in the light of a miich-needed American propaganda, it is stated that the story in no way becomes a preach- ment, offering a beautiful romance of modern times. cate, and all three elements are vitally essential to any prison that attempts to turn out prisoners better men than when they were sentenced.' "Eytinge, however, does not re- gard all pictures as fitted for pris- on consumption. He draws a sharp distinction between the film that is goody-goody and the one that, while clever and entertain- ing, teaches a strong lesson. Therefore, what he says of Mr. Ray and his pictures is particu- larly gratifying to us. "'Our men,' writes Eytinge, 'will not accept the picture that forces its preaching but I can make them radiate a lesson for days after days when it is gently worked into the motif of a Ray picture. My reports, as gathered from reliable, thinking inmates of a dozen of the better prisons, in- dicate that Charles Ray and his pictures are decidedly the general favorites. For dependable value most inmate entertainment man- agers prefer them. There has never been a questionable act, a doubtful flash of lingeries in the Ray stories. Instead, has come the breath of new-mown hay and of apple orchards—a sincere sim- plicity, a sermon in the sweetness of living. '■ 'Every Ray picture, prac- tically, is a sermon in the seren- ity of life, in the sweetness of .normalcy, in the joy of trying and of winning cleanly. They are Dr. Crane sermonettes per- sonified. The men know when they hear that a Ray picture is slated that they're going to for- get their troubles, and in the forgetting they're going to laugh, and amid their laughter they're going to absorb a sermon, one that is trebly resultful because it is assimilated through the eye, not droned into one's reluctant ears.'" A TEXSE MOMEXr In "The Sign on the Door." a First Xational release starring Norma Talmadze Fitzgerald Believes Public Likes Pictures Made Outdoors Dallas Fitzgerald, engaged in di- recting Viola Dana in "The Match Breaker," the Metro star's newest picture, is one of the few motion picture directors, it is said, who pre- fer working out of doors under the sun rather than under the arti- ficial lights in an enclosed stage, where most pictures are made. "A majority of the population of the United States resides in cities," said Mr. Fitzgerald in explaining his policy of taking every scene in the open wherever possible. "As a result, I think people prefer seeing a picture, if it is good, which has many pretty exteriors rather than one with artificial interior beauty." Another one of the many reasons advanced by Mr. Fitzgerald for his preference for the outdoors is the fact that actors and actresses are more natural outside than when under the studio lights, where they are boxed in on all sides. Mr. Fitzgerald is very enthusi- astic over "The Match Breaker," one of his reasons being that prac- tically all of the action of this Meta White story takes place at a sum- mer resort. As a result, he expects to spend at least three weeks at Coronada, California, \vhere most of the picture will be enacted. "Now Or Never" Makes Big Hit Harold Lloyd is said to register one more Broadway success to his credit with the showing of "Now or Never" at the Capitol Theatre dur- ing the past week. The picture went over big with the public, it is stated, and was hailed as one of the best of the Associated Exhibitors star's productions. It is the first of his Associated comedies to be played on Broadway and will be soon followed by "Among Those Present." Lloyd's New York success in "Now or Never" comes at the con- clusion of a long list of first run bookings throughout the country. New York Girl Wins Mayer $500 Prize Louis B. .Mayer last week paid $SCO to Gertrude Elizabeth Klein, a 19-ycar-old stenographer in New York, as the author of the best 300- word essay in the contest which the Mayer Productions conducted as part of the exploitation of "The In- ferior Sex." starring Mildred Harris and distributed by Associated First National. That the check was dated l-'riday, May 13, made no differ- ence to the recipient. She said it was the luckiest day of her life. Apparently, Miss Klein proved to the satisfaction of the judges in the contest that man is the "inferior sex,' for her essay, one of more than 10,000 submitted to the Mayer offices, was a brief for the cause of woman. She went on the hy- pothesis that "beauty is the justifi- catioii for living;" that "woman is beauty" and "all man's toilings are but evidences of the longing of his soul to mirror her perfection." The decision to award the prize to Miss Klein was reached, in the words of the presiding judge, be- cause her article was "not only the best written, but it presents the most logical arguments." Aside from the fact that fem- inism has scored another famous victory, the "Inferior Sex" contest, in the estimation of Mr. Mayer, established the fact that women are more keenly interested in pictures than are man, as the women con- testants outnumbered the men 8 to 1. O'Brien Making "Clay Dollars" With one of his late productions, "The Last Door," just released and another finished and ready for dis- tribution the latter part of June, Eugene O'Brien, popular Selznick star, began work on another pro- duction at the Selznick Fort Lee studios Friday, May 20. The new production is entitled "Clay Dollars" and is from a story by Lewis Allen Browne. George Archainbaud is directing.