Picture Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1926)

Hollywood High Lights Clicking off the latest news and gossip of the star-bedecked camera metropolis, including a preview impression of "Ben-Hur." By Edwin and Elza Schallert 71 WHAT has come over Charlie Chaplin ? What will his next stunt be? Is it marriage that has suddenly transformed his wonted moodiness, and brought back the gayety that used to be so characteristic of him ? Or what is it ? Hollywood has cause to ask these questions. For a new Charlie has been emerging during the past few months, and all the film world has had occasion to take note of the fact. First of all, in a social way. Though he has frequently been the life of the party at many and various private gatherings, he has seldom exhibited in public his talents as a clever drawing-room entertainer. He has never been renowned as a speechmaker, and seldom as a wit. Usually, he has avoided anything but a somewhat superior dignity — a few words briefly, tersely, and sometimes quite sardonically, spoken at premieres and other gala assemblages of the picture folk. But — at a big public celebration recently held at the Writer's Club in honor of Doug and Mary, prior to their departure for Europe, Charlie caused a sensation by jumping up onto the table and doing a couple of impromptu charades— one of them decidedly spicy in character. And — at a testimonial dinner for Sid Grauman, famed theater manager, which was attended by film producers, actors, and even some 'civic leaders, he made a burlesque speech that was a knock-out — one of the hits of the evening. More exciting still was the fact that he and his closest friend, Doug, had a hot tilt in the newspapers over the then impending — but now off — merger between United Artists and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Doug, in a published interview, had referred to Charlie as a "kicker," because he opposed going into the deal, and Charlie came back the next clay with a snappy retort that Doug was a ''jumper" — because he wanted United Artists, which has always been the king-pin independent organization, so called, to align itself with the other organization. Evidently, too, Charlie's judgment about the transaction carried a good deal of weight, because it was shortly after that that the negotiations fell through. Charlie was also quite affable recently, though discreetly noncommittal, about the report that the stork is again hovering over his household. There seems little doubt that this is true. Chariot Bird, Paramount player, displays a recent fad— fur garters. This pair, made of thirty-two ermine tails, is valued at three hundred dollars. However, any kind of fur can be used. They are especially effective for use while dancing the Charleston. Which makes things even more interesting for those who are trying to analyze his sudden change of demeanor, not to say of character. Opposed to Marrying Actors. Soon the girls of Hollywood will have to set about forming a brand new club, and the only name we can think of at the moment that would be appropriate is, Independent Order of Young Ladies Opposed to Marrying Actors. Which is long but accurate. Dorothy Mackaill was one of the first to come out with a pronunciamento against . the custom, and not long ago Norma Shearer very diplomatically confided to us that she believed it was not just the wisest plan, while Renee Adoree said that it was a decidedly bad idea, admitting,, however, that one can never speak definitely for the future. The three girls have a wide variety of viewpoints on other things, which makes their unanimity on this one score all the more striking. The truth is that they really have no objection to marrying into the profession, so far as any particular individual is concerned with whom they might be seen publicly. They just deem it dangerous to a happy union for two people to have professional ambitions. Always a good, argument so long as it lasts. Renee, of course, is the only one who speaks from experience. She was married to Tom Moore, but the divorce is now complete. "We are still the best of friends," she says. And you can add that, if you like, to the list of famous last words in Hollywood. All Want to Be Warfields. If you see the elderly character actors suddenly beginning to cultivate a funny set of mannerisms — such as sticking their tongues in their cheeks, growing wateryeyed on the least provocation, brushing their hair, when they have an}-, in a very definite pompadour instead of with a part, and otherwise altering their personalities — there's a reason ! And it's a big one from a professional point of view. Virtually every old-time trouper in the films who thinks he has the least chance, is anxious to get a whack at one of the roles in the films being made from the plays of David Warfield. These include "The Music Master," "The Auctioneer." "The Return of Peter Grimm," "The Grand Army Man," and others which have been purchased by Fox. The Warfield tricks of ex