The Moving picture world (May 1922)

May 27, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 395 NOTED TRA VELER RErURNS FROM IMPORT A N T TRIP Irving Lesser was in Washington recently for various reasons ever be good that must have music to put it over. If a picture does not hold your interest in absolute silence it's a bum picture. Music may help a picture but it's a poor thing that has to rely on the score to put it over. And the man evidently did not realize that the picture might be shown in theatres where the music is so bad that it would ruin a great feature if such a thing was possible. So it couldn't be such a good picture after all. When we saw the picture in the projection room we were immediately struck by its inferiority, and we will admit that it was rotten in a projection room. However, we maintain that it would not hold interest anywhere. And this goes for all poor pictures. + * * O. S. Cole, of the Lyric Film Exchange, Manila, P. I., is on his way to this country. * * * Karl Kitchen has commenced a series of articles entitled, "Mirrors of Hollywood," for the New York World Magazine Section. The first of the series, published last Sunday, is "Week-pjiding With Doug and Mary." * * ♦ Another inventor promises "talkinii pictures." Edison worked that out long ago and then discovered that audiences attend to the talking for silent dramas. * * * June 4 is the date set for the annual Friars Frolic at the Manhattan Opera House. William Collier is in charge of the entertainment and George Dougherty is handling the business affairs of the I^'rolic. Tickets will be scaled from $5 down. * * * Leah Baird, Ince star, is in the hospital recovering from a serious operation. She will be out in two or three weeks. * ♦ * Sada Cowan, the scenarist, is now working in Germany. She has written an original story for E. F. A. T. Hayes Hunter is in town from the coast. * * * Mae Busch and Richard Dix have sailed for London to play the leading roles in "The Christian." * * * The movie bargain counter offers "Old Wives for New." Don't get hurt in the crush. * * * Al Christie and Harry D. Edwards sailed last week for Europe on a vacation trip. * * * J. G. Wainwright, of the firm of J. G. & R. B. Wainwright, sailed from London for New York May 10, and is bringing with him a large number of European productions to dispose of in this country and Canada. These include two French pictures : "La Verite," a Henri Roussell picture, featuring Emmy Glyn, and "Margot," featuring Gina Palerme, and "The Valley of Ngumba," a six-reel picture, starring Nora Swinburne and the famous Hagenbeck wild animals ; "The White Desert," a Norwegian story, featuring Dorinea Shirley, and "Rasmussen Expedition to the Polar Regions." * * * The honor of making all arrangements for the filming of Princess Mary's wedding presents has fallen on an American producer in the person of Denison Clift. Clift will be remembered as a scenarist and director for the Fox Company, who has recently achieved widespread fame in England and on the Continent. By His Majesty's express desire, a film record of the presents has been made through the Dean of Windsor, and for the first time on record motion picture cameras have been allowed within the sacred precincts of St. James' Palace. Clift was given every facility he required for the making of this world film — a film which will be handed down from generation to generation as a wonderful record of one of the outstanding events in the history of the British Empire — the marriage of a Princess of Royal blood to a commoner. Before the film is seen by the public, it is to be exhibited at His Majesty's express desire at the Palace. After His Majesty's approval has been granted, copies of this historical record will then be distributed to the four corners of the globe. The ultimate profits on this world film will be devoted to the restoration of the Chapel Royal at Windsor. * * * One of our able operatives in Los Angeles has made a survey of existing conditions and his report is interesting. According to existing schedules tlie studio city seems to be quite busy with 130 companies at work, employing approximately 20,000 persons. Here is how the units are distributed: Universal, 18; Fox, IS; Lasky, 11; United, 10; Balboa, 5; Roach and Century, 4, and Ince, Robertson-Cole, Mayer, Fine Arts, Vitagraph and Goldwyn, 3 ; the rest being single or in pairs. Including director, cast, cameramen, assistants, scenarists and writers, electricians, artificers and property men, office forces, laboratory men, editors, various artists and miscellaneous workers, each company represents about 100 per sons. This makes the total of 13,000, and with the additional 7,000 including actors, extras, and others depending directly upon the film plants, brings the grand total up to 20,000. This is a rather conservative estimate, so one may readily understand that although production did slacken, it is today approaching normal, and more units are expected to start soon. * * * The Criterion Theatre seems to be running to lost souls. The previous picture was "Reported Missing," while the current attraction is none other them "Missing Husbands." * * ♦ The New York Times Book Review announces the vanguard of Summer fiction and includes the following titles in its list : "The Longest Journey," by E. M. Forster; "A Man of Purpose," by Donald Richberg ; "Barbara Justice," by Diana Patrick; "AftergloWj" by Edith Thompson; "Homeland," by Margaret Hill McCarter; "At the Cross Roads," by Harriet T. Comstock ; "Plaster Saints," by Frederick Arnold Kummer ; "Pirate's Hope," by Francis Lynde ; "Then Came MolHe," by Harriet V. C. Ogden; "The Love Chase," by Felix Grendon ; "Margie Wins the Game," by John V. A. Weaver; "The Yellow Poppy," by D. K. Broster ; "Frank of Freedom Hill," by Samuel A. Derieux; "Hidden Gold," by Wilder Anthony; "Copper Streak 'Trail," by Eugene Manlove Rhodes ; "Free Range Lanning," by George Owen Baxter, and "Rogues of the North," by Albert M. Treynor. How long will it be before these titles appear on the screen? * * * Arthur E. MacHugh, for a long time "praise agent" for Arthur Hammerstein's attractions, has been engaged as press representative of Selig-Kalem Features, Inc. This new concern, which links two familiar names, is making a series of twelve two-reel subjects, based on famous songs and paintings. Pathe will release the output at a rate of one a month. In addition to supplying the stories, Arthur Maude will supervise the direction. Maude is recalled as author of "The Beggar Maid," "The Bashful Suitor" and "The Young Painter." The leading roles in the Selig-Kalem subjects will be played by Georges Renavent and Doris Coram. J. C. Haydon is the director and the photography is in charge of Lucien Tainguy. "The Song of the Lark" is the title otthe first picture. * * * Long before movie sub-titles were read aloud a Russian proverb declared : "Vou can-not sew buttons on your neighbor's mouth." * * * One of the evening newspapers stated in its "Factograms" column that the principal products of California "are oranges, lemons, hay, walnuts, grapes, peaches, dairy products, potatoes, barley, eggs, chickens, plums, prunes, apples, sugar beets, dry beans, wheat and cotton." In rebuttal Edward L. Klein adds : "Yeh, and pitcher stars, movie directors and Hollywood hoakum. But its principal product is good, Helen Lynch, N eilanr'player in "Her Man," practices her dancing steps by radio between scenes. Mickey has installed a radio outfit on his studio stage for the diversion of the players clean entertainment for the American millions." * * * A remarkably fine pianist made his American debut at the Strand Theatre this week. His name is Alex Chernyoff, and with our usual, uncanny deductive powers we hazard a guess that he is a Russian. He rendered the Verdi Liszt "Rigoletto Paraphrase," displaying that he is an artist of the first water. * * * J. J. McCarthy sails for Europe May 20. * * * Mae Murray had a birthday last week. The day would have passed without any singular occurrence as far as Mae was concerned, for the popular film star is daily wrapped up in the making of her newest picture, "Broadway Rose," but the "boys" around the West Fortyfourth street studio sprang a little surprise that touched Miss Murray beyond measure. Robert Z. Leonard, Mae's husband ; Robert Ross, Leonard's assistant ; Production Manager R. G. Edwards, OIlie Marsh, chief camera man, as well as every man identified with any part of the studio work and the Murray production, evinced keen personal delight in helping frame the surprise. When Miss Murray walked on the set for her daily afternoon work before the camera, she was confronted by an astounding and most pleasing sight. A specially decorated table, bearing flowers, presents, liquid libation and a beautiful cake adorned with candles, greeted her while the "boys" grouped in front of the table applauded the star. Miss Murray received some handsome and expensive gifts, a huge basket of roses being among the floral tributes. * * ♦ J. A. Steinson, formerly of the St. Louis Vitagraph exchange, has assumed the management of the Chicago Vitagraph exchange, recently made vacant by the resignation of William C. Brimmer.