Picture Play Magazine (Sep 1925 - Feb 1926)

72 Hollywood High Lights and Frances Howard, his new bride, made her debut as a very charming Hollywood hostess. Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pick lord, Norma Talmadge, Rudolph Valentino, Marion Davies, and others were among the guests, which included a very select group of the most prominent in filmdom. Producers have been casting hopeful eyes at Miss Howard as a leading woman, especially since her work in "The Shock Punch" with Richard Dix was well received on the Coast. She is regarded as very gracious and lovely by all who know her, and is considered a very attractive screen type, but so far she has not seemed very anxious to continue her professional career. Mr. Goldwyn is now aligned with the United Artists' organization, and his production of "Stella Dallas" is to be released by them instead of by First National, as originally anticipated. A New Foreign Beauty. Without doubt, much may be prophesied for the forthcoming appearance of Vilma Banky, whom Mr. Goldwyn discovered while he was abroad. She is a Hungarian actress, of whom we have previously made mention, and her first screen work available for American inspection will be in "The Dark Angel," opposite Ronald Colman. We were greatly attracted to her when we met her on the set shortly after this production had commenced. Her beauty is of the transparent and spiritual sort that should bring a new note of refinement. She is very gracious and composed, despite that she suffers the handicap of knowing comparatively little English, and consequently might naturally feel ill at ease in the presence of strangers. Moreover, she has a talent and a personality that can easily be distinguished as very flowerlike and sensitive. The star she most suggests, although she is not of the same type of personality, is Lillian Gish. Here is Theda Bara as she will be seen in "The Unchastened Woman. " glorious night" in the Culver City hoosgow. At least Mickey will probably refer to it as "one glorious night" when he some day decides to write his memoirs. Mae's New Enthusiasm. At a garden party given at the residence of Ernst Lubitsch, we caught a glimpse of Mae Murray, and found her radiating enthusiasm over the prospect of going to Europe to play in a picture with the Ufa Company. What with difficulties during the making of "The Merry Widow," and the break-up of her marriage with Robert Z. Leonard, Miss Murray has been having her share of tribulations, and she is looking forward quite thrilled to the inspiration of a new' environment. It appears that her ability as an actress is more highly rated abroad than it is in this country, where the public still clings to her achievements as a dancer, and rather consistently refuses to regard seriously her aspirations to perform in the more serious dramatic roles. She has tried several times to break away from the jazzy sort of pictures with which she has been identified, but her first big chance to do this will come with this foreign engagement. Thereafter, she says, it is a matter of doubt with her whether she will continue in pictures, or go back to the stage. Her salary while she is abroad will far exceed that of any other American film player who has played in a foreign picture, and incidentally she has received very high compliments for her acting in a letter from Emil Tannings, who starred in "The Last Laugh." Mae will make "The Masked Bride" for MetroGoldwyn before her departure. Famous "Follies" dancers who come to the pictures hereafter had better watch their steps, because the newest evolution in the instance of Ann Pennington is more The Fox film company is producing Peggy Versus Mickey. Everybody appears to be amazingly enthusiastic over the personality that Peggy Hopkins Joyce is reflecting in her first picture, "Skyrocket." Peggy offered many surprises while she was in Hollywood, but none more unexpected than that she films well. Those who have seen the rushes compare her with Ethel Clayton. One of the restrictions imposed on her during her sojourn in the West was that no effort should be made sensationally to exploit her. As a consequence she lived like a recluse and doubtless found the experience of movie stardom rather boring. Some Hollywood stars were reported to have snubbed her upon a previous visit but they didn't have a chance this time because she so seldom went anywhere. Marshall Neilan, her director, however, didn't allow the excitement incident to the making of the "Skyrocket" picture to languish entirely. When all else fails,' Mickey can be depended upon to spring a sensation, and this time he did it by arguing too ferociously with a pair of constables, following a collision with a telegraph pole, while motoring. As a result of which, he spent "one than startling. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and she has been cast as Little Eva! Optimistic Pola. Pola Negri's encounter with the customs officials aroused a great deal of comment in Hollywood, but she has apparently come through the experience with colors flying quite brightly. She paid up like a good sport, at least, when the government demanded $57,000 from her in the event that she desired the jewelry, belonging to her, which, it was alleged, had been smuggled into this country. Pola is more content than we have ever seen her and she doesn't care now when she returns to Europe. Her mother is on her way from Poland to join her at her home in Beverly Hills, which is causing Pola to be particularly joyous these days. As for romance — oh, well, Pola is completely absorbed in her career again, because she feels very hopeful that she is entering on a new phase with her production, "Flower of the Night," based on the Joseph Hergesheimer story, which Paul Bern is directing. She has just completed furnishing her lovely home in Beverly, just one door from the Lubitschs', and it is one