Picture-Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1926)

9-4 Hollywood High Lights Continued from page 71 She asserted that the contract was terminated about a year ago, although it did not expire until last fall. Magnificent Competitors. They must be rivals now ! The title of Jack Gilbert's next picture is "Bardelys, the Magnificent," and of Ramon Novarro's, "Bellamy, the Magnificent," and they both, of course, play the title roles. Jack's feature is a story of swashbuckling adventure, adapted from the novel by Rafael Sabatini, and Novarro's is an adaptation of an English play, written around a Don Jitanlike character, who demolishes feminine hearts with a sort of ironical gallantry. The pictures are both going to be pretentious affairs. Modern Sheiks Dethroned. And speaking of Don J nan reminds us that each and every fan may as well be prepared to be overwhelmed with the bacchanalian orgy of beauty that will be disclosed to the film-going world when John Barrymore's production of "Don Juan" comes to the screen. It is not scheduled for release — except in some of the larger cities, we believe — until the end of the year. But it is an achievement that will be worth a lot of anticipating, no matter how far off its arrival may be. It is the one picture in which Barrymore remains consistently youthful and handsome — at least, in the playing of the main character of the story. There is a prologue, however, in which he plays Don Juan's father, where he is made up with the dark beard of a Spanish grandee, but even in this, he resembles a Velasquez portrait. During his entire Don Juan por: trayal, he appears in a blond wig, which serves to bring out to a flattering degree his resemblance to Apollo. These prophecies and comments are inspired by the fact that we actually got a glimpse of "Don Juan" at a pre' view at one of the neighborhood theaters. And outside of "Ben-Hur," "The Big Parade," and one or two others, we have never known any film to be greeted with such a gasp of delight as greeted this one when the title was flashed on the screen, to the delight of the audience. Sorrow for Favored Star. We heard with a great deal of sadness of the death of Marie Prevost's mother in a motor accident which occurred some weeks ago in New Mexico, and though we have not had a chance to see Marie before writing these lines, we know how deeply she must be stricken. The accident also nearly resulted in the death of Vera Steadman, the comedy player, who was driving the auto that was wrecked, and of Al Christie, who was accompanying the party for a short portion of the journey. The accident was due to the unexpected breaking of one of the wheels of the machine. Jazzy Wedding Jingles. In behalf of brighter reflections, it may be just as well for us to mention right here that marriages and romances continue to keep refreshingly in the foreground. We have already told about the mating of William Boyd and Elinor Fair. And now, Robert Z. Leonard, the director, Mae Murray's ex-husband, and Gertrude Olmstead have announced their engagement. To the accompaniment of a jazz band at a railroad station, Leonard placed a huge diamond ring on the finger of his fiancee. We also must mention, among the newlyweds, Lowell Sherman and Pauline Garon, who were married in New York ; Louise Glaum and Zachary M. Harris, the director ; and Marion Harlan, who has announced that she is leaving the screen, now that she is the wife of Walter Kennedy. Kennedy's father is owner of a large hotel at Mineral Springs, Indiana. Epics Becoming a Luxury. Filming epics is becoming a costly diversion ! It will be, anyway, if all the people who file million-dollar suits against the producing companies every time one is picturized ever collect. About a year or so ago, Paramount had a lawsuit leveled at them as a result of "The Covered Wagon." The daughter of the real Jim Bridger, the character played by Tully Marshall, objected to the fact that her father was made to seem somewhat inebriate, and careless in his associations with Indian squaws. The court, by the way, ruled in favor of the company, holding that different decades have different standards of proper and improper conduct, and that the old pioneer had not been libeled. Now, Paramount again has been attacked for another million, but this time they are charged with plagiarism. The story about which the fuss is being made is "The Pony Express." Because of the constant likelihood of having to defend such suits, most of the companies have stopped even considering the purchase of unsolicited stories. Their only chance to be safe from such attacks is to adapt stories that have been published or acted, or which have been written by seme well-known professional writer. Bouquets for Leatrice. Leatrice Joy's appearance in a stage play, recently, was a gala event for the film colony. She appeared in a big emotional part in a play that was given at a little art theater in Los Angeles. This playhouse has never perhaps drawn such a dressed-up audience in its history. People generally slip down to these art-theater performances in their everyday attire. A play with Leatrice Joy, however, was different. The colony always don their gayest garb, whenever they are going to greet one of their own members in a stage venture. There is nothing, in fact, that means quite so much to all of them. The reason is that, in every film star's heart, there lurks a love for the stage that never seems to lessen. And in seeing some other film star on the stage the} are probably only gratifying a wish that they too may some day have the chance to make such an appearance. In a few years, it may be predicted, many of the favorites of the movie fans may be playing quite regularly on the boards in Los Angeles. Legitimate theaters are being built in increasing numbers, and more and more are the picture players taking part in performances. Lionel Barrymore and Bert Lytell, among the more prominent, have appeared recently, and Ruth Roland, and others frequently go on brief tours in vaudeville. Leatrice was overjoyed over her chance, as she had not played since she was in stock some years ago in San Diego. Her voice was unusual in its richness, and she played a very trying role in a drama that was somewhat gloomy, according to the best foreign traditions. Robert Ames, the C. B. De Mille leading man, shared with Miss Joy in the acting honors. Return to Silence. Even the lure of the stage can't keep a good actor away from pictures. , H. B. Warner, who was starred several seasons ago, is the latest to return, and is successively to he seen in "Whispering Smith" and "Silence." Wrarner has done practically nothing in the films during the past few years, except the lead in Gloria Swanson's "Zaza." He is in California indefinitely this trip, having brought his family West and settled in a home of his own. Continued on page 96