Picture Play Magazine (Jul - Dec 1929)

Hollywood Higk Ligkts 53 era, and including even more detailed measurements of arms, ankles, and legs. Now it's the chorus girl of the movies who enjoys this popular broadcasting of her charms. Hollywood's typical chorus girl is discovered to have the following attributes: height, 5 feet 3 inches; weight. 108 pounds; age, 19 years; hair, bobbed and light brown; eyes, blue. No mention is made of the dimensions of biceps and calves, for the reason that the mere beauty of these is not so valuable. The film chorus is a dancing chorus, and athletic Terpsichorean performances rentier the minor details of shapeliness somewhat less important than they were in the good old days, when it was plastic pulchritude alone that counted. It is further disclosed that the typical chorus girl is ordinarily born in the Middle West, lives with her family, and does not adopt an assumed name on the screen. The one-hundred-per-cent typical girl is said to be Maxine Cantway, under contract to First National. The attractions of one hundred and seven girls furnished the basis of the decision, in which Miss Cantway won out. If Georgiana, Loretta Young's little sister, is as nice as Loretta is when she grows up, she'll beautify Picture Play's cover, too. That's a promise! The Sisters of William. All the talent in the Haines family is not confined to William, familiarly known as Bill, or Billy. He has two sisters, who are also bent on taking at least a fling at the movies. One is Ami and the other is Lillian, and they are both younger than their brother. Perhaps you can catch a glimpse of them in "Navy Blues" when that production is released, although the parts they play will be small. The girls, who are from Staunton, Virginia, have been paying a summer visit to the star of their family. Talkies Smile on Doris. Little by little Doris Hill is fighting her way up the trail to fame, and talkies are bringing her more good luck than silents did. She started in a bit as a flower girl in "Interference," and is now doing her first genuine "The Children." "The Studio Murder Mystery" helped a little, new picture, adapted from the Edith Wharton promises to be the most auspicious yet. Fredric is the male lead. lead in but the novel. March Opposed to "Junior." Raymond Hackett will never be happy until he changes the name of his youngster, born a month or two ago. In a weak moment, he consented to the boy's being called Raymond, Jr., largely through the persuasions of his attractive wife, Myra Hampton. Now he wants to renege on the agreement. "James, George, John — anything but Raymond would do," he exclaimed. "I think it's the height of vanity, though, for a man to permit his son to be named after himself." We suspect, though, that the youngster's mother, who is very devoted to her husband, is going to rule in this case, despite all paternal objections and expostulations. Buddy's Stock Goes Up. Charles Rogers is a smart young financier, and if this seems astonishing news, just consider what lkachieved in Chicago during bis personal appearan there. Charlie sang and also played some instrumental numbers during the run of his film, I Harmony," and made a most amazing bit. While he was on this detached service from the studio bis salary went right on as usual. Also he received an amount equal to that stipend from the theater. Then, when he became homesick, and asked if he couldn't return to I [ollywood, the Chicago people wouldn't let him go, and offered to double what they were paying him, if he would stay. Buddy now has made up his mind that he can be a business man any time he finds it necessary to leave the screen, and he also contends that homesickness is one of the most profitable maladies he knows. Greta, the Mute. Again will Greta Carbo be a silent star. And why should she stop' Her pictures seem to be record bits. despite that she does not talk. When she made "TinSingle Standard," it was announced that this would be followed by the audible "Anna Christie." Instead. the company interposed another mute production, directed by the Belgian, Jacques Feyder. Somehow this decision appears to be very well gauged. Greta's elusive charm might vanish were her voice heard. In any event, it had better be good. Others Goldenly Silent. Only a scant half a dozen or so of prominent players are on the silent list to-day. Besides Greta, there are Lon Chancy. Renee Adoree, Dolores del Rio. Charlie Chaplin, and Nils Asther. They are all popular. The majority, even Chaplin, would probably speak with an accent. So too would Ramon Novarro, who is making his first dialogue feature. While Ramon has never spoken lines, his voice was heard in "The Pagan," because, contrary to rumors that a double sang, he did carol "The Pagan Love Soik Asther had a few words to say in "The Holly Revue," but these were eliminated. It was not deemed propitious for him to make a talkie debut in a feature of this sort. Chaplin is apparently unalterably opposed to talk, but if be ever decided to take the leap, what a marvelous burlesque he could do on the vocal films of to-day. Those who know Charlie as a drawing-room entertainer realizethat his mimicry is not limited to pantomime. H< clever, too, with his travesties of the spoken word. Griffith's Magnum Opus. With no small solemnity are preparations being made for D. W. Griffith's entrance into the talkies. His • picture will be the life story <-i Abraham Lincoln. It will be the sort of picture, we are assured, that he Continued on page 100