Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1926)

Volume XXXI The 1\[ational (juide to ^Motion Pictures Number One PHOTOPLAY December, 1926 Speaking of Pictures By James R. Quirk DOUG FAIRBANKS arrived at his studio the other morning, in his usual good health. An hour later, with Joseph Schenck, head of United Artists, I encountered him staggering across a lot, a dazed look in his eyes. "My God, Doug, what's the matter?" exclaimed Joe. "Has anything happened to Mary? Speak, man, speak!" Doug said nothing, but handed him a letter. It was from an exhibitor, enclosing a check, explaining that he had made so much money on a week's engagement of "The Black Pirate" that his conscience troubled him because he had bought the picture too cheap. T\ THEN we got out of earshot, Schenck warned me vv not to go up against Doug in a business deal. He's poison to California real estate men even, and they are tough birds. Joe told me of an exhibitor who, four years ago, brought his entire family to Los Angeles to spend the winter. He paid all his expenses from the profits he made on showing one of Doug's pictures for two weeks in his theaters. "That poor exhibitor made the mistake of telling Doug," said Schenck. "The man has never been back to spend another vacation. After that Doug charged him such prices that he couldn't take his family on a trolley ride on profits. "That Doug is a smart fellow. When he begins to look childlike and prattle about business, Mary yells for everyone to run for cover and Chaplin dashes down town to see that the half million he keeps in the form of cash in a safety deposit vault is safe." pRODUCTIONbouquets this month go to Fred Niblo, * for "The Temptress," and to Samuel Goldwyn, for "The Winning of Barbara Worth." Put them both down in your engagement book. When I say that the former is Niblo's finest accomplishment I am not forgetting " Ben-Hur." For anyone who could spend four million dollars producing the world's greatest natural motion picture story and fail to get a thrilling chariot race out of it, should be expelled from the Directors' Club without a dissenting vote. TF it were only for one thing in the whole picture, Niblo ■^deserves credit for it. He didn't change the Argentine engineer hero to a blond American. That will do more to generate good will toward the United States than all the Pan American congresses ever held. For this he should be given the Croix de Cinema by our South American sister republic. It was a direct violation of the accepted standards of bad taste on which so many foreign pictures are patterned. r^ RETA GARBO, the slim princess of the Scandi^-*navian colony of Hollywood, put over a new kind of vampire under his subtle direction, even if she had to use artificial eyelashes to do it, and Tony Moreno made the most of the best acting part he has ever had. It was gratifying to see Tony eat up a good role when they finally gave him a chance. Tony, like many other good actors, has been slipped a sour lot of parts for years, and if "The Temptress" serves no other purpose than to make Metro-Goldwyn wake up to what a splendid actor he is and what a lovable screen personality he has, it would have pleased A S for Garbo, the luscious Swedish blonde has had ■* *-more good breaks in one year than any of our talented American girls ever got. First, "The Torrent," and then this. They tell me she is complaining because they do not cast her in sympathetic roles. For the love of Thomas Alva Edison, gal, in "The Temptress" you got the best break since Blanche Sweet got "Anna Christie." When you learn to speak English, inquire how many beautiful and clever girls have been absolutely ruined by playing good women without ever a chance to show how bad they could be. Some actresses would give a year's salary if they could once be permitted to play a hell-raising, double-crossing, censor-teaser for six reels. """THERE are exceptions, of course. Lillian Gish con■*• tinues to demonstrate that virtue can be its own reward to the tune of six thousand bucks every week. Even as Hester Prynne in "The Scarlet Letter," she proves conclusively that babies are brought by storks. I'd pay triple admission to see her play Madame Bovary. In the last twelve years she has been saved just in the nick of time from the brutal attacks of 4,000 German soldiers, 2,000 border ruffians, and 999 conscienceless men about town. Some day I hope the American hero breaks a leg and fails to [ continued on page 94 ] 27