Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1925)

those famed lily-white hands in the films, evidently isn't so successful when it comes to everyday life. Right off Broadway comes word that Lillian's latest affair of the heart — the romance with George Jean Nathan — has been nipped in the bud. When Mr. Nathan resigned from the editorial staff of the American Mercury, recently, he admitted he was going to devote all his writing talents to scenarios for Lillian, with whom he was then seen constantly. -\n engagement? Mr. Nathan admitted that, too, at a party Miss Gish and he at And a closeup of Lillian in a bridal veil seemed the next sequence. But Lillian came to HoUvAvood to make " La Boheme" with Jack Gilbert. And now Jlr. Nathan is dramatic critic for a New York newspaper. Where are the scenarios and where is the engagement? .'\pparently this is Lillian's third romance to go up in smoke — the third revolt of Dame Romance against the subjection under which fair Lillian has held her on the screen. First reports linked Lillian's name with D. W. Griffith. Then there was the Charles Duel affair, which ended in court. MRS. DOUGLAS MACLEAN, had a most harrowing and at the same time the most laughable experience while she was building their new home in Beverly Hills. Faith MacLean, who is a mighty talented person herself, had planned her house with the greatest care. She kept a scrap book for months before they started to build and cut things from the various art and household magazines, and she and the architect worked long and patiently to get certain effects. Especially was she proud of the charming, old wrought-iron fixtures in her drawing room. They had been made by a workman of renown, and looked, so Faith thought, as though they had been there a thousand years, which was just what she wanted. One afternoon after the house was nearly completed, she went away, leaving a painter finishing up some wood-work in her bathroom. When she returned next morning, he had carefully enameled all her lovely old fixtures. And beaming at her, he said, "Those old fixtures looked so shabby and I had a little paint left, so I brightened 'em up for you." Faith collapsed, and it took two weeks to remove the damage done to both the fixtures and her nervous system. THE opening of "The Merrj Widow " at tlie new Embassy Theater in New York was conducted something on the order of a debutante party. There was a receiving line at the door, which is unusual in a movie theater where the only member of the reception committee generally does aU the receiving at the box-office. Anyway, Gloria Gould, managing directress of the theater, headed the line and welcomed her society friends, many of whom turned out to honor her professional debut on Broadway. JUST before the opening of the Embassy, Gloria Gould gave a tea to the press in one of those charming little "back yards" that are hidden between New York's skyscrapers. Some of the reporters were surprised to discover that the little girl who was once the baby of the William Wallace Reid has his picture taken for a very important event. He's wearing his first long trousers. The son of the never-forgotten "Wallie" is now ready to fight anyone who calls him "little boy." Note the collegiate belt ital shoe buckle is introduced by Katherine Bennett, sister of Enid. Framed by brilliants is the picture of the Only Man. She won't say who he is. What would happen if a girl wore pictures of two different men on her buckles? great family who lived at Georgian Court i .i democratic person. But, after all, why n.it? Gloria ought to feel at home in the movie ] n nfession. Her mother was Edith Kingston. o:i f a popular actress, and Gloria has an inhcrii* '! taste for the stage. She has also inherited h .: , . of the energy of the Goulds who built up ; :i immense fortune only to lose it in lawsuit?, i .wise marriages and family squabbles. TT is to be hoped that Metro-Goldwyn wil! -l-mediately rush to a cable office and per-u, Mr. George Bernard Shaw to part with the filn, rights to "Arms and the JIan." And, at tlusame time, Metro-Goldwyn might hook tinrights to "'The Chocolate Soldier," the muti> 1 comedy version of the same story. After ■ eluding such little formalities, the horii playing in the first Shaw comedy to rea. ! screen should be handed over to Mr. .!■ Gilbert, because he is the one and only pcr^oll to do justice to it. ■pVERY time we see him, Mickey -'-^Neilan is pulling a "natural" or a "niftie" or perpetrating a practical joke on some innocent bystander — like hitting a policeman over the head with an automobUe, for instance — but there — enough of that — I promised Mickey I wouldn't tell that Here's one I can tell, however, for Mickey's proud of this one. Neilan had sent his location man miles away from everywhere and everything, way up into northern California. He needed snow, mountains of it, for a picture he was shooting, so he sent the location man out to find it, and mentioned a certain spot he had once worked in. No news from the location man for several days, and then a wire: "Worst bUzzard in years. Can't get anyone to go in with me. Trails completely wiped out and thermometer dropping every second. ■What shall I do?" And back flashed Mickey's answer over the wires: "Put on your heavy underwear." AND while we're talking of jMickey Neilan, here's another one he isn't a bit ashamed of. Mickey lives in the west wing of a very fashionable hotel, where he and his wife, Blanche Sweet, have a charming suite. Mickey is quite musical and frequently has been known, when returning home as late as two or three in the morning, to drop down on the piano stool and entertain Blanche, incidentally himself, with the latest song hits before retiring. Mickey says he has some very narrowminded neighbors in the hotel — or rather has had. And not infrequently have they complained about his nocturnal serenades. Then Mickey hears from the management about it later in the day. It was quite a wait before Neilan's chance came. It was when the big tremblor knocked down a part of Santa Barbara, in fact, and the quake w-as none too gently felt in Los Angeles. It occurred shortly after six o'clock one morning and while the big hotel in which Mickey lives was stiU rocking, he had the manager of the place on the phone. "Say," shouts Mickey, "what kind of a dump is this j'ou run. Someone is rocking this whole hotel. Make 'em stop. I want to sleep." I WENT over to see Harold Lloyd the other day and was delighted to see another celebrated comedian there by chance. My favorite [ CONTI-N-TED ON P.^GE 8 2 ]