Picture-Play Magazine (Jul - Dec 1929)

Hollywood Higk Lights »;; ity among the bystanders, and made even Stepin himself laugh. Western Ways Live On. Noah Beery's long career in melodramas has not been for naught. He proved this with Spartan vigor in defending a piece of his property from invasion by aqueduct builders. Noah took the law into his own hands, h'gosh. and posted an army on the terrain, to oppose all inroads, but as it happened, there weren't any. The army consisted of four cow-punchers, and they, as well as Beery, had their pictures taken and printed in the newspapers, aiming and cocking their rifles ready to do battle. The names of Beery's cohorts added even more color to the event. They were Bob Edwards, Bob Warren, "Curley" Riviere, and Al Slaughter. The last seems to us notably menacing. The reason for Beery's objection to the aqueduct was that he didn't consider the price stipulated as payment for the right-of-way high enough: He resorted therefore to the good old Western method of preventing infringement. Will and Irene Reunited. The reunion of Will Rogers and Irene Rich, in "They Had to See Paris," takes one back fully ten years in the movies. At that time Miss Rich was regularly Rogers' leading woman, and appeared with him in "Jubilo." one of his most interesting efforts of that period. Irene has since been up to the heights of stardom. A few years ago she was one of the screen's big favorites. To-day she is hesitant as to whether she will continue in pictures, or divide time between the stage and vaudeville. Maybe — who knows — the renewal of her association with Rogers is the beginning of a new phase of her success. Art Takes Its Toll. Charlie Chaplin is for art at all costs, even at midnight, and despite cold water. He and Henry Clive, the artist, who, it seems, was a little less arty than Chaplin, came to the parting of the ways simply on this account. They were tremendously good friends before that. Chaplin was making scenes for "Bright Lights," in which he was supposed to flounder around in the studio pool, and Clive was called upon to do some floundering with him. Clive decided that because of the temperature of the water in the deep hours of night, his health wouldn't permit it. Then Charlie delivered an ultimatum, and Clive decreed that the challenge was wholly uninviting. There is one actor happier as a result of the little difference. His name is Harry Myers. Ruth Hobbles Valorously. Henceforward Ruth Roland will dive through the waves, rather than jump over them. She has made that a rule, because of a recent catastrophe. May McAvoy and Maurice J. Cleary face the sweet music of cheering onlookers as they leave the scene of their wedding. Ruth broke a toe, and had to hobble around on crutches for about a month. It was all because she didn't want to get her hair wet while bathing. She did the wave jumping, instead of tunneling, to avoid this, and the result was that she came down too hard on a sharp rock. The broken toe was a consequence. Also, because of the injury, Ruth fell in the water, her hair was nicely doused, and the new marcel she was trying to protect rendered unrecognisable. She managed exceptionally well on crutches, for we saw her at the theater several times, and at May McAvoy's wedding. And she was very willing to 1r' photographed by the news camera men, at the marital function, even though crippled. Charlie Murray Resumes. Charlie Murray stepped out of pictures, and Stepped into vaudeville nearly a year ago, but the films have won him hack again. He is doing a tworeelcr for Christie. Murray for a time was a topnotcher in feature productions, lie played for First National. Difficulties in obtaining proper stories for him were said to have interfered with his pri igT( [Continued on page 92]