The Moving picture world (November 1923-December 1923)

252 MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 10, 1923 Charles Ray Achieves Ambition of His Career CHARLES RAY In producing "The Courtship of Myles Standish," the most ambitious effort of his career, Charles Ray satisfied a life-long ambition. "I have had my heart set on just such a venture as this for a long time," he confided shortly before the premiere of this super-production, " and I am getting immense satisfaction out of the prospect of giving the public a picture it will remember longer than anything else I ever attempted." No longer as a barefoot boy does Charles Ray appear on the screen, deeply as he endeared him self to the public in that very human and appealing characterization. He has attained full stature as the central figures in one of the colossal productions of all time. In "The Courtship of Myles Standish" Mr. Ray has entered the limited realm of independent producer-stars who are seeking to draw from the art of the silver sheet the highest expression of its powers. Based on Longfellow's epic poem, in which America's first love story is told in the legend of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, it unfolds a thrilling chapter of American history, the Great Adventure of the Pilgrim Fathers. The picture might aptly be titled, "The Founding of America." "The Courtship" took Los Angeles by storm at its world premiere in Grauman's Million Dollar Theatre, Los Angeles. The house was packed to capacity, the audience gave audible demonstration of its pleasure, and crowds continued to besiege the boxoffice at all subsequent showings. "When you see the brilliant and dramatic film which Charles Ray has constructed out of the old Longfellow poem you will stand amazed," declared Florence Lawrence in the San Francisco Examiner. "It will thrill every spectator. You will like Ray in his new characterization." "There is plenty of suspense," wrote L. B. Fowler in the Daily News. It is most thrilling. Don't miss this production. Don't pass it up." The greatest thriller in the picture is the series of sea storm scenes, showing how the plucky little Mayflower was all but lashed to pieces in her memorable voyage to an unknown land. Such realistic scenes, declare the reviewers, never before were shown. The Mayflower, by the way, is an exact replica of the original, save that it is of steel construction, and represents a cost of $64,000. This "set" the most expensive of its dimensions ever built, is such a remarkable work of art that patriotic societies have urged that it be purchased and placed in a Los Angeles city park as a permanent memorial. From seventy to 100 men were employed for eleven weeks in this single construction. "The Courtship of Myles Standish" is many-sided in that it makes a stirring appeal to every element of the picture-loving public. Its entertainment lure has been thoroughly attested by the newspaper and magazine reviewers. Fred Niblo, one of the most able and best known of picture directors, declared in a telegram to Arthur S. Kane that "In story, production, action, direction, it surpasses anything else in recent years." As a literary, historical cr educational document of value it probably has never been approached. Delegates to the con vention in California of the National Educational Association, after witnessing a preview, acclaimed it the greatest educational work ever produced in film, and students of New England colonial history declare it shows' the beginnings of America as they have never been revealed elsewhere, either on the printed page or on the silver sheet. And to the chorus of approval from students is added the testimony of the everyday picture-going layman, who finds in it a series of amazing thrills which arouse the enthusiasm of every onlooker. Frederic Sullivan, who had proved his genius in earlier offerings, directed the production. Announcement that Charles Ray Production, Inc. had decided to make a number of super-productions, all of which would be placed with Associated Exhibitors lor distribution, was one of the important news events of the past year in picture circles. Production work on "The Courtship of Myles Standish" was then well under way, and enough was known of the prodigiousness of the enterprise to give assurance that Associated had captured the picture prize of the last twelvemonths. This was confirmed with the picture's premiere, in Los Angeles, a few weeks ago. The original announcement then proved of secondary importance only to the presentation of the production itself. Douglas MacLean's Popularity on the Increase The recent rapid rise of Douglas MacLean as a young comedian of considerable ability and deep appeal has been so marked as to attract the almost universal attention of picture-goers. He caused somewhat of a sensation in "23 Hours Leave," and there was yet wider recognition of his sterling worth when he achieved an even greater success in "The Hottentot." The announcement a few months ago, therefore, that he had organized his own company and tvas about to start independent production was greeted with enthusiasm, the public recognizing the broader opportunity to develop his ideas and give expression to his talents. Almost simultaneously came the news, likewise welcomed, that the young star had enlisted under .the banner of Associated Exhibitors. Accompanying these announcements was the information that Mr. MacLean's productions would be big comedy specials of the type of "The Hottentot," picturizations of successful plays or well known stories by noted authors. To this policy the young actor has adhered, his first independent production being a screened version of the Broadway musical comedy hit, "Going Up," and his second, now under way, being adapted from the equally popular stage success, "The Yankee Consul." What Mr. MacLean has ac complished with "Going Up" is perhaps best attested by Frank Craven, star in the stage production, who, having seen the screen offering declared: "I want to tell you how thoroughly I enjoyed my preview of 'Going Up.' All the old laughs and situations were there and your additions to the comedy as we played it really add." The story concerns the young author of a book about flying who is forced through a chain of comic circumstances actually to make a flight, though he has never been in an airplane. The high point of the stage drama was reached where the young author was up in the air, risking his life in a 'plane which he didn't know how to bring back to earth. Stage craftsmanship proved incapable of showing the aviator up among the clouds, trying to control his machine — side-slipping, whirling into spinning nose-dives and breath-taking loops. In the screen version, on the other hand, Douglas MacLean is shown braving the dizzy heights of thin air, making a thousand hair-breadth escapes in a series of aerial manoeuvers which leave the spectator dazed with excitement. Thus, in his first production he not only has proved himself a star of the first magnitude but has gone far to win a decisive victory for the silent drama in the long controversy over the respective merits of stage and screen productions. The Free Press, of Detroit, where the MacLean picture recently closed a highly successful run in the Madison Theatre, declared : "Going Up" is one of the most delightful of recent pictures and will endear this clever young actor-producer to screen producers everywhere." John H. Kunsky, the Madison's owner, added even more enthusiastic praise, inspired in part by tremendously gratifying box-office report. In New York "Going Up" enjoyed a remarkable run and blase Broadway was demonstrative in its approval. "The laughter almost drowns out the work of the musicians," wrote the reviewer of the New York Times. " 'Going Up' is a better picture than it ever was a play or musical comedy," said Harriette Underbill in the Tribune, and Robert E. Sherwood, picture critic of the New York Herald and of Life described Mr. MacLean as "one of the few adroit farceurs of the silent drama. He is suave, graceful and well-finished in his methods, he can get along comfortably without the aid of obvious gags. He is excellent all the way through." Jack Partington wired to J. S. Woody from San Francisco: " 'Going Up' is far better than 'The Hottentot' or '23J4 Hours Leave.' It gave us one of the most successful weeks, artistically and financially, in the Granada's his tory. You have a winner." From Pittsburgh, Kansas City, every city and town, indeed, in which "Going Up" has shown, have come equally demonstrative experssions of approval — all of them affording convincing evidence that Douglas MacLean made the tenstrike of his life when he struck out as his own producer. Mr. MacLean's selection for his second production, that other well knockout musical comedy, "The Yankee Consul," will be remembered as the vehicle which brought fame to Raymond Hitchcock. DOUGLAS MacLEAN