The Moving picture world (January 1922)

January 21, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 289 he was striving to do something significant in the promotion of a better grade of pictures—principally regarding the underlying themes. Witness "The Sin Flood," which he probably chose in his line of duty for Goldwyn. We were invited to meet Bern at luncheon the qther day, and personal contact with man more than carried out our former convictions regard- ing his ambitions in picture produc- tion. To hear him speak, which he does in a quiet, restrained manner that carries absolute conviction, of what he intends doing in the way of selecting scenarios or promoting the writing of them by the best people stamps him as utterly sincere about the improvement of pictures along the lines of better basic ma- terial and a closer alignment with significant literature. And at the same time he has one eye on the box office, as it were, and is out to prove that what for want of a better designation may be called literary art may be projected on the screen and at the same time accomplish the rather important factor of making money. Bern has vision. He also has artistic preception. And he is young, with the courage of youth. But his courage to do things away from the beaten track is tempered with business sense, which precludes him doing impractical things or going too fast. He is a demon for im- provement. And thereby hangs the tale. * * ♦ A letter that explains itself comes to hand : Dear Toucher: The first thing I did after the Export and Import Film Company engaged me to handle "The Jungle Goddress" campaign, was to have an actual count made of the animals in Col. Selig's Zoo. I thereupon an- nounced (truthfully) that 470 wild animals were available for use in the serial. Someone now pops up and says they are using 1,500 in an American- made picture. As Selig has the largest collection of wild animals in the United States, I was surprised by this statement and immediately investigated. I am sorry to say that Col. Selig cannot boast of 1,489 flees in his collection and that his figure of 470 jungle beasts must therefore stand undefended. JOE WEIL. * * * Another touching bit of corres- pondence that should be published is : "Dear Toucher: "They advertise 'Ten Nights in a Barroom' in 'eight stupendous reels.' That's the hell of prohibition. In the g. o. days you could put in one night and get at least 26 reels out of it—all of them stupendous. "Yours for truth in adv. "BILL." "P. S. See where W. Wilson, well-known man about Washington, D. C, whom the White Housing shortage hit last March, has at last broken the silence. It took Bennie Schulberg to accomplish that which all the press syndicates and pub- lishers of the country failed to do. And the only publicity Bennie prom- ised was a full-page in M. P. W. Mr. Wilson's first public utterance smce last March 4 was to the effect that his "favorite screen star is Katherine MacDonald, a stately and statuesque beauty." "P. S. No. 2. Talk about these dynamic directors who edit and title productions interview exchange managers and plan for 1922, 23, 24, 25 and 26, while on the way from Los Angeles and New York—Paul C. Hinz was in New York all last week doing those Bigger and Better things for which he is noted and still found time to run out and cover Chicago and the Middle West for M. P. W. Until another county is heard from that record ought to stand for Personal Touch. "P. S. No. 3. Of course we appreciate your modesty, but don't you think Universal gave Marie Prevost's picture the title, 'Don't personal appearances in theatres through the East for the past two months, completed her tour in time to spend the holidays at her Holly- wood home. Miss Williams is the wife of Charles Eyton, general man- ager of Paramount's West Coast studios. Herbert Waterous returns, at the Strand Theatre this week, to what may be called the concert stage. Mr. Waterous chose to render at this return "On the Road to Mandalay." We are of the growing conviction that "On the Road to Mandalay" is becoming to moving picture theatres what the "William Tell' overture is to the vaudeville stage or Dvorak's BETTY COMPSON Appears as a ballet dancer in her next Paramount picture, "Green Temptation," a William D. Taylor production Get Personal," so that you could feature it in Personal Touch? "B." * * * Discovered! An exhibitor in the Middle West ivho said he thought a three sheet ims bedding. * * * Louis J. Nalpas, the French pro- ducer, is in New York. * ♦ * E. H. Goldstein, of Universal, has returned from California. * * * Kathlyn Williams, popular Para- mount actress, who has been making "Humoresque" is to the violin re- cital program. This is the third time we have iieard it in two weeks. But it is the first time in our life that we ever heard the words except "Where the best is like the worst." Mr. Water- ous' diction and annunciation should be studied by all those who contem- plate rendering the selection in the future. Rachel (Jrothers' stage success, "Nice People," has been purchased by Famous-Lasky, and William C. DeMille will direct the adaptation. Harry Buxbaum, of Famous- Lasky, has returned from up-state. . * * * H€lerie Chadwick lost some val- uable jewels the other day, but the Goldwyn publicity department was afraid it would sound like a fake story, so it decided to say nothing about it. * * * It most certainly was a wise move. Imagine the bouquet of raspberries that would be handed Lynde Denig if he had sent the story out, true or not. * * * No, it is not so that Walter Hill said he was not going to see "The Orphans of the Storm" for a couple of zvecks because he thought by then the actors would be more familiar with their roles and give smoother performances. * * * We have just received a letter from Max Doolittle, lately arrived in Cleveland to handle Famous- Lasky exploitation matters. It is mostly personal stuff, but one item of news is that E. C. Jensen, R-C Pictures' Corporation special repre- sentative, is in town this week in- stalling J. P. Reilly, former manager of Realart, Cleveland, as manager of the Cleveland branch of R-C Pic- tures, succeeding Mr. Johnson, re- signed, * * * "It has been called to my atten- tion," writes F. P. A. to Heywood Brown in the New York World, "that in your article in a morning newspaper you award Mr. Torrgnce the heavyweight bloodcurdling cham- pionship of the season. How about a movie field day? I iva'nt to enter Douglas Fairbanks for the standing broad grin, Pola Negri for the Pole vault, and Gloria Swanson for. the running high blood pressure.?/ * * * .,■ (v^e^J Mabel Taliaferro has been- signed by the Loew Theatres, and will open a personal appearance tour in iL6ew's State, Newark, January 23. * * ^ "Even in India, we received a shock when we read in the American trade papers that the Nevir York censors ordered the cutting out of scenes from the Pathe News Weekly of a public bathing carnival, that was a public event watched by the public, performed in public—a real topical'—and how on earth its trans- lation to the screen could offend is beyond us to understand," writes a friend from Bombay. * * t When our own Epes Winthrop Sargent was wedging himself out of the new Cameo Theatre one even- ing this week, he had difficulty in putting on his large overcoat. While he was struggling in the back of the auditorium an usher came up to him and with a few deft twists helped Sargent _ encase himself. E. W. S. says it is a record as far as he is concerned. He states that it is years since an usher helped him with his coat, and says that other houses would do well to make their men act as courteous as the young gentleman at the Cameo. * * * Colleen Moore is driving her own car from her home to the Goldwyn studios these days, because her chauffeur has resigned. Her chauffeur resigned because his wife inherited $20,000.