Paramount Pep (1923)

PARAMOUNT PEP 13 De Mille’s Scouts Looking for Western “Holy Land” To find a “Holy Land” in America has been the job assigned to aides of Cecil B. De Mille whose next production will be a film version of “The Ten Commandments.” While it is probable that Mr. De Mille will make a portion of his story actually in Palestine, because of the difficulty of transportation the largest scenes will be taken in this country. Assistant Director Tate, Cinematographers Bert Glennon and Edward S. Curtis with their aides, Pev Marley and Fred Westerburg, have scoured every desert inch of western America to find land similar to that in the vicinity of Mt. Sinai and the Red Sea. California, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, all have been covered with care. The search has stopped at the Great Divide because nowhere through the East are there the great wastes of sandy country that still exist West of the Mississippi. On the desert section picked as most resembling the Holy Land, Mr. De Mille will film spectacular Biblical episodes which will be cut in to the modern story Jeanie Macpherson has evolved to interpret the Decalogue. ^ -4 My Kingdom for a Horse Motion picture directors have their troubles. If it isn’t one thing it is another. When Wesley Ruggles, who is directing Agnes Ayres in “The Heart Raider,” called for two horses while on location in Palm Beach, Florida, he discovered that there was one town, at least, in the United States that didn’t have a single horse. Only automobiles are used in this resort where millionaires and politicians do their winter playing. It was necessary to go several miles in the country before two horses could be found to draw the chariot for a bit of symbolism which will appear in the picture. Wi Tony Numbered as one of the regular fellows in our organization is our own Tony Moreno, one of the featured players in “The Heart Raider,” now being made at our Long Island Studio. At noon hour you will find Tony down with the rest of the boys with his light jacket and pipe and in five minutes you will find him spick and span in evening clothes on the set. A regular fellow is Tony Moreno this Tony Moreno. Laskyville Villains No. 7 — Ed. Lewis Take a good look at the above gentleman, because some day it may come in handy to you to be able to clap him on the back and say, “Howdy, Ed. Great picture of you in PEP," and before Mr. Ed Lewis has time to collect his thoughts enough to wonder where you’re from and what your business is, you can have pushed aside the little swinging gate and have succeeded in entering the sacred portals of “Laskyville.” We give you our word that Mr. Lewis is one of the best of gate-keepers. You can’t get away with any “I work at this and that office in these or those city” stuff, but you have to let him know that you’re acquainted with what’s going on, and of course if he finds that you’re reading PEP — well, just watch his double speed for letting you in to spend at least one glorious day with all the leading citizens and nice people at Laskyville. Also, watch for Mr. Lewis when “Hollywood” comes out. That’s why he’s such a James Cruze booster! Folks will soon begin to realize that villains at Lasky ville can do more than one thing well. Some time get him to tell you about James Cruze’s "Coupe,'' which opens this week at Mr. Sid Grauman’s Hollywood Theatre. M. BROOKS. Ernest Torrence Signed for Featured Roles Jesse L. Lasky announced Thursday at Hollywood that Ernest Torrence, who has made such a hit as Bill Jackson in James Cruze’s production, “The Covered Wagon,” by Emerson Hough, had been signed to play featured roles in a group of our pictures. Torrence’s first picture will be Emerson Hough’s story, “North of 36,” now running serially in the “Saturday Evening Post.” In this he will play the role of Bill Nabours, foreman of the Del Sol ranch. The picture will be a George Melford production and the other featured players will be Jacqueline Logan and Noah Beery. When “North of 36” was purchased from Emerson Hough, the author, who had already seen “The Covered Wagon,” asked specifically that Torrence be given the role of Bill Nabours in the picture version. Other productions in which Torrence is to be featured will be announced later.