Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1927)

Hobart Henley says it with flowers. This floral typewriter was presented to Marion Davies when she started work on "Tillie the Toiler," a comedy glorifying the American stenographer. Henley is the director Rudy's brother, says by way of refutation, "I think Rudolph would have communicated with his own brother if he had any message to send from the other side." But, of course, there is always the chance that the astral switchboard operator got the wires crossed. Neither Pola Negri nor Guglielmi have heard of George Wehner, the medium who transmitted the messages, and Pola thinks the subject is too sacred, anyway, to be commercialized. ■'c& JALITY STREET" will probably be the Marion Davies , picture. King \"idor's next will be "The Mob," a story of a white collar man. John Gilbert says he wants to play the leading role. He insists he has a white collar. THE new Paramount Theater in New York is now doing business at 44th Street and Seventh Avenue. And what business! This enormous theater is the largest in the world — at the present writing. It is not only a show house but a museum, with vast rooms and promenades filled with all sorts of treasures gathered from every corner of the globe. The opening was a great occasion; every notable in New York managed to be there. The program began late and lasted until all hours of the morning. You know how such things are. Mayor Walker made an amusing speech. He reminded that audience that three hundred years ago, the island of Manhattan had been bought from the Indians for twenty-four dollars. " And," said the Mayor, " today you couldn't rent a shelf in this building for that price. " THE two most interesting persons at the opening were Thomas A. Edison and Adolph Zukor. Edison was coaxed from New Jersey for the occasion and sat in a loge box. When the audience greeted him with a wave of applause, Mrs. Edison was obliged to tell him that he was receiving an ovation. The inventor is almost totally deaf. But when he finally stood up and bowed, he looked as pleased as a child. As for Mr. Zukor, he was quite overcome by the success of the opening. Even in a business of almost fantastic successes, Mr. 46 In "Sunya," Gloria Swanson is introducing some new faces to the screen. And here is a profile view of one of the newcomers — John Boles, in a scene with Miss Swanson. Mr. Boles was singing in musical comedy when Gloria convinced him that silence is sometimes golden Zukor's career is incredible. The enormous theater stands as a monument to the industry, vision and courage of this immigrant boy. .\nd so the Paramount Theater is one of the buildings in New York that really means something in the life of the city. Its beauty stands as a sort of permanent justification for the existence of Ellis Island. 'T^HE Paramount Theater was barely completed in time ■*■ for the big opening. One hour before the audience arrived, carpenters were still busy removing scaffolding. "At half past seven," announced Eugene Kelcey Allen, Broadway's wise-cracker, "somebody threw a handful of fish in the gold-fish bowl and then opened the doors." THE other day a little old lady sat in one of the loge seats at the Paramount Theater. 'To the audience she was just somebody's grandma. In reality she was Mrs. Jesse Lasky's great-grandmother, who had made a trip from Boston just to see the theater. She is ninety-one, but she wouldn't let her great-granddaughter send her car to the theater for her. She likes New York ta.xis, she says. GR.\XT WITHERS announced his engagement to Alberta \ aughn, and Mrs. Grant Withers, his former wife, announced that she was going to take steps to collect the S300 back alimony he owed her before any wedding bells pealed out. .Mberta denied they were to be married, but that didn't change Inez Wither's mind regarding the alimony and she went to see her attorney. It was one of those young impetuous marriages, that of the Withers, and Mrs. Withers secured a recent divorce. Grant and Alberta are really very fond of each other. I shouldn't be surprised if there would be an early wedding. THE marriage of Dorothy Mackaill and Lothar Mendes gave everyone a lot to talk about. Mendes was directing Dorothy in "The Song of the Dragon'' when suddenly First National informed him that he would be replaced by Joe Boyle. As soon as Dorothy learned that the megaphone had been snatched from Lothar's hands, she announced her intention of marrying him, pronlo. Which she did, with romantic speed. Dorothy spent her honeymoon at the studio, working in the picture so suddenly deprived of Lothar's direction. And after a few brief weeks of married life, Lothar went to Hollywood, to