Picture Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1926)

Advertising Section An English Fan's Selections. Which were the best films of 1925? As a lot of the bigger films have not yet come my way, I am giving what a big English Sunday paper, The Weekly Dispatch, considers the best. 1. "Ypres." The most inspired production. (This is an English film, probably unknown to Americans.) 2. "Charley's Aunt." The most successful. 3. "Greed." Strongest drama. 4. "Don Q." Finest romance. 5. "The Gold Rush." Funniest film. 6. "Forbidden Paradise." Wittiest film. 7. "The Last Laugh." Most original. 8. "Beggar on Horseback." Cleverest. 9. "The Unholy Three." Best melodrama. 10. "The Lost World." Best adventure film. 11. "Romola." Grandest. 12. "Quo Vadis." Grandest. 13. "Peter Pan." The prettiest fantasy. 14. "Little Dorrit." The best adaptation of a novel. It will be noticed that there are ten American films to one English, one German, one Italian, and one Swedish. What do Americans think of this list? Lapis Lazuli. "The Green," Fairfield, Buxton, Derbyshire, England. No Such Luck. Oh, say, you "Former Extra Girl" of Colmas, California, thanks for passing over that thrill ! I really mean that kiss you so unexpectedly got from Richard Dix. I assure you that I was just about as thrilled by reading about that kiss as you were in receiving it. Dog-gone it, I ain't ever had such luck! Teddy Kunkel, 1009 East One Hundred and Seventyfourth Street, New York City. Enough to Make Them Gasp! There have been many interesting articles in your magazine, and I, for one, have been enjoying them for several years. But the article about what the players read, in the February issue, is worth more to the players and to the industry, and to the country in general, than a dozen of the others. Why? Because thousands of misguided people think that all the movie folk are silly and shallow. I hear it every day. And to tell them that movie folk go to church and read solid books is to be called — silently if not out loud — a liar. That article ought to be run in the leading dailies of the country and in a number of the popular magazines. The people need to know some things about our movie folk that are really worth while. We all know now that they have legs, pretty legs ; that they wear underwear ; that they love, marry, and divorce. The country has had enough of that. And I hope the publicity men will concoct some better method to advertise their stars. I was particularly interested in the statements by Milton Sills and by PoU Negri. Think of a movie star, a foreigner at that, having five thousand books ! That is quite enough to make some of our conservative intellectuals who make addresses on Washington's Birthday, and at the Parents and Teachers Association, and at the Book Club, gasp! Joseph J. Enloe. Rock Hill, S. C. Gloria on Location. Every one realizes that the beautiful Gloria Swanson is a versatile actress, but how many know that she is expert at rifle shooting? Recently, while at Pinehurst, North Carolina, making scenes for a new picture, she won the ladies' weekly rifleshooting contest with lots of stiff compe tition, and even the marquis— her husband — could not beat her in a match. I failed to see Lawrence Gray, who was her leading man, but when I saw the muchphotographed husband of Miss Swanson in the barber shop, I wondered why he did not accept the job of leading man for his wife. He is certainly handsome enough. Helen of Troy. Box 85, Bessemer City, N. C. Praise for an Extra. While everybody is writing words of praise about the stars, I want to send a wee bouquet to Rosalind Byrnne. She is only an extra girl, but I always look for her in every picture ! Her name is never mentioned in casts, and I only found out her name by accident when King Vidor selected eight types of flappers for a certain magazine. Rosalind was the tall girl with the sleek bob who grabbed Harold Lloyd's suspenders in "The Freshman," thinking her garter had broken. Remember the dance scenes? This is my only chance to get a few words to Rosalind, and I want her to know that I think she is beautiful. I like her youthfulness and grave sincerity combined. To me she is always adorable and very charming. I wish her much success ! Lucile Carlson. 206 East Main Street, Detroit, Minn. Two Opinions on "The Midshipman." May I, as a hardened critic, darn some of your valuable space for a few words about Ramon Novarro's much-condemned film, "The Midshipman?" I hastened to the first performance at the Tivoli — London's largest cinema — to see for myself if Novarro really had gone the way of most stars nowadays, the way that goes down with a bump. I am afraid that I agree with all the nasty things the critics said about the production and the supporting cast, but as to Novarro, no. I do not say that his performance was up to his usual standard, but I do say that he's the gamest little sport that ever appeared on the screen. Am I the first one to realize that he was about as comfortably cast as would have been Percy Marmont as Scaramonche or Thomas Meighan as Motauri? Yet Ramon went right in and, as always, gave us of his best and one more proof of his neverending versatility. I regret the fact that the story gave him no opportunity to display his dramatic genius — but then we've all seen what he can do, in that direction — and yet it was rather fun to see the "naughty schoolboy" quality — always thinly veiled until now — come out into the light, and the "kid" Novarro enjoy himself, as did the audience, which laughed far more at his comedy than at Buster Keaton in "Go West," showing on the same bill. Stick it, Ramon, even if the critics did have a "down" on you ! Some people understand. We don't want any more films like "The Midshipman," because we agree with you that you should never need to set up as a serious rival to Harold Lloyd. But we cannot feel sorry at having been given the opportunity of seeing, that if you ever did want to, you darn well could. Mary Lytton. Care of Wyndham's Theater, Leicester Square, London, W. C, England. Aviation! T\0 you love adventure? Do you want to make bigf *r money? Although aviation is still in its infancy there is a crying demand for men with courage, nerve, and self-reliance — ambitious men who are looking for a new field. For those who qualify there will be thousands of highly paid jobs. Amazing Opportunity in the Airplane Industry Yes, as yet, aviation is in its infancy, but now is the time to get in. In the automobile industry and in the moving picture business hundreds of men Fascinating — Oaring — Big Paying Prepare Now for One. of These Positions Aeronautical Instructor $60 to S150 per week Aeronautical Engineer $100 to $3O0 per week Aeronautical Contractor Enormous profits Aeroplane Repairman i 60 to $75 per week Aeroplane P'echanicr.ni $40 to $60 per week Aeroplane Inspector $50 to $75 per week Aeroplane Salesman $5OO0 per year and up Aeroplane Assembler $40 to $65 per week Aeroplane Builder $75 to $200 per week Ramon Novarro did his finest work in "The Midshipman," and I would like to see him on the screen more frequently in pictures as good as that. Novarro would fit fine in a good snappy college picture, and I hope his producers will put him in pictures of this nature and keep him there. Herbert Jurgens. 4717 Pensacola Avenue, Chicago, 111. got rich by getting in at thestart. They madetheir success before others woke up. Think how much aviation has progressed in the last few years. Commercial air lines have already proved themselves successful both in Europe and America. Great men predict that in the near future there will be airfreight lines — organizations as large as our railroads are today. AVIATION IS NEW. It clamors for every young man. Be an Aviation Expert-* $50 to $100 a week The study of aviation is as fascinating as the actual work. Only one hour of spare time a day at home and we teach you the basic training. You will find every lesson packed full of interest. Student S. F. McNaughton, Chicago, says, "Your lessons are like a romance, and what is more, after one reading the student gets a thorough understanding." Men who have had actual experience guide you carefully through your training. They select the lessons, lectures, blueprints, and bulletins. Once you start you can't get enough of it. Here are some real jobs. Which one do you want? 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