Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1922)

Also of Florence Vidor, wno now has her own company and is to release her own pictures through the Associated Exhibitors. Not so bad ! EVERYBODY in Hollywood is looking very cheerful and merry these days. The business is picking up. Every studio lot is showing signs of renewed activity — in fact, it has been a long time since production was at such a height and future plans so promising. Goldwyn, under its new executives, is planning all sorts of work for the near future. Maurice Tourneur is to direct "The Christian" and both Marshall Neilan and Allan Holubar have been signed to make big feature productions. Famous-Players Lasky are working every star and company on the lot. DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS is in the midst of his great spectacle film, "Robin Hood," with Allan Dwan behind the megaphone; and Mary Pickford has started production of "Tess." Both Norma and Constance Talmadge recently began work at the United Artists studio. Harold Lloyd is making a new comedy to follow "Grandma's Boy." Universal is working at top capacity, with Priscilla Dean, Marie Prcvost, and a number of other stars, all working daily. A large number of small independent companies are also busy. Charlie Chaplin is making a new comedy and Edna Purviance has started her first starring vehicle. William Fox, as usual, has a lot of people working. Nothing ever seems to affect them much, but they are concentrating upon "The Village Blacksmith" — a big special to follow "Over the Hill." So, altogether, it's quite like old times in Hollywood these days. Everyone is happy. AN actor who is attracting considerable metropolitan attention right now is Louis Wolheim. Critics and the higher brows are endorsing his acting as "The Hairy Ape," in Eugene O'Neill's new play of that name. It isn't generally recalled that Wolheim has been, for a long time, a figure in the pastels. He was the horrifying executioner in "Orphans of the Storm," terrorizing poor Abe Budin was working in a butcher shop when a director discovered him as a fine typefcr the Jewish butcher in "Hungry Hearts," a Goldwyn Special Production. In six weeks, he set himself up as a proprietor of a little department store in Boyle Heights, outside Los Angeles Lillian Gish. He was a member of the cast of "Conceit" and also supports John Barrymore in "Sherlock Holmes." Wolheim is probably the ugliest man ever to make the stage and screen his profession. He is an ex-college professor. His nose was smashed in a football game some years ago. It was mending when a playful friend, thinking it was a joke, smashed it again. Hence the hideous effect which now earns for Wolheim, combined with his genuine talents, fame and fortune. Incidentally, he's a regular fellow, a welleducated gentleman, and a respected member of "the profession." Here's an old lime "still" from the days when you thought a scene like this was about as gripping as real life, out there in the Great Open Spaces where Men are Men. It was about ten years ago when George Melford, now a director for Lasky, was a Kalem player. He's shown registering western ennui NITA NALDI, the black-haired beauty who is playing the vamp in Rodolph Valentino's production, "Blood and Sand," wears a wedding ring. When Fred Niblo, directing, asked her to take it off for her love scenes with Ruddy, Nita shook her head. "Never take it off," she said. "My, aren't you sentimental," said Ruddy. "I didn't know you were married. You must feel pretty strongly about it never to take your wedding ring off." "Oh, it isn't that," said Miss Naldi. "I'm not married any more. It's just a reminder— like a piece of string, you know. Keeps me from forgetting what a darn fool a woman can be. I'm impulsive and I might go and do it again." MARY McLAREN has followed in the footsteps of numerous other screen stars and given up the screen for the stage. She is appearing as leading woman for a Baltimore stock company. MR. AND MRS. CECIL DE MILLE have a new adopted daughter. Her name is Katherine Lester de Mille and she is ten years old. Mrs. de Mille found the child, who is a beautiful little blonde, in an industrial home of which she is a director. Her father was a Canadian soldier, killed at Vimy Ridge, and her mother died shortly after of grief. The de Milles believe the little girl is very talented. This is the second child adopted by the Lasky director general, a boy, seven years old now, being the first. They also have one daughter of their own, Cecelia. ANOTHER titled Englishwoman is to appear before the camera. Lady Cynthia Mosley, daughter of Lord Curzon, Britain's Foreign Secretary, is soon to make her film debut. She will make a picture with Mrs. H. B. Irving, for propaganda purposes for the Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship, in other words: suffrage. But it is said that 61