Picture-Play Magazine (Sep 1928 - Feb 1929)

64 Hollywood High Lights Circle Theater. McKee was not in attendance, but Kathleen won a big hand when she was brought on the stage after the evening's performance, which had included the dull and stupid "Fazil." We met Kathleen during the intermission, and had to profess we hardly knew her, it was so long since we had seen her in a picture. "Heavens, have a heart ! I haven't grown as old as all that, have I ?" Kathleen exclaimed, with her delightfully peppery accent. We noticed that she received congratulations from everybody present, indicative of her personal popularity. War's Alarms Abate. The unbelievable has happened. Dolores del Rio and Lupe Velez met, talked, and were photographed together — and, strangely enough, there were no casualties ! These two girls look so much alike that some people have chosen to nominate them rivals, and that is far from the surest way to induce two players to become friendly. Naturally Dolores is far more famous than Lupe, and can afford to be gracious. And it is said that she extended the hand of greeting more than befittingly, when they were first introduced to each other. The occasion of their encounter was a Spanish celebration, with which they were both identified. Lupe sang and danced, which she does exceptionally well, and Dolores gave an impromptu talk, in her native language. Lupe, the Irrepressible. Lupe still affords no end of mirth for everybody. She is always up to some new trick that sets the studio agog. Before she learned English as well as she knows it now, she was an endless joy to prop men. They had fun teaching her slang, and, incidentally, a few rather lively expressions somewhat than slang. The studio executives became rather excited about this, because Lupe, in her innocence, used the expressions at rather inauspicious times, occasionally when visitors were on the set. Finally one of the executives called her into his office to give her some kindly advice about it. Lupe listened and was duly contrite and understanding. Then she started out of the studio, and accidentally tripped over the stronger rug. ''Oh, bing-bing," she said, before she realized it. She looked up shyly at the studio executive, and a bit shamefacedly. But though he tried hard to conceal a smile, he was unable to, and Lupe exclaimed triumphantly : "You see, I bad girl, but even you laugh at me ! You not so good yourself !" Lupe, by the way, has had as her escort to various functions lately none other than George Jessel, who is starring in Tiffany-Stahl pictures. We should mention, too, that she scored an enormous success not long ago, when she appeared on the stage at the United Artists Theater. Her singing and impersonations were compared with those of Raquel Meller. Not Up on Classic Art. Al Jolson always entertains us, and he invariably vouchsafes some clever bit of patter. No, George O'Brien is not playing the role of Little Jack Horner, who for no reason cried, "What a good boy am — he is just throw 'ng out personality for everybody 's good. "These girls in Hollywood are smart," said Al, "they're smart as can be. Just the other day there was one of these fellows — an art director, very much on the up-and-up, very — oh, very highbrow. He was out on the set, and his eyes rested: — rested, that's the word — on one of those very, very beautiful girls, and he went up to her and he said: " 'Do you know, my dear, do you know what you remind me of ? Why,' he said, 'you remind me of an old Rembrandt.' " 'Well,' she answered, 'dog-gone it, you're not so young yourself !' " All in the Family, Anyway. Norma Shearer and Mary Astor are now related — only it's by marriage! You see, it's this way. Some months ago, Mary espoused a scenarist and supervisor by the name of Kenneth Hawks, and just recently Norma's sister, Mrs. Athole Ward, was wed to Hawks' brother, Howard. We don't know just what relationship that creates between Norma and Mary, but there must be some sort. Norma Shearer was matron of honor for her sister. Douglas Shearer, her I brother, Howard Hawks, and another brother of the bridegroom, were best men. Norma's sister was divorced from her first husband, and has been living in Hollywood for more than a year. Fan Mail Competition. The fan mail score grows more and more interesting from month to month, because of the quick rise of certain newer stars. Clara Bow reputedly still leads the field, with a total of nearly thirty-four thousand letters a month. Billie Dove is now reported to be high on the list, with approximately twenty thousand. Buddy Rogers is one of the oncoming favorites, with a total of nearly the same number, by actual count. He is now supposed to be ahead of even Jack Gilbert. This all reveals a remarkable change from a few years ago, when Rudolph Valentino, then the reigning favorite, was happy, with twelve thousand five hundred. The amount of mail received by stars has increased enormously in a few years. We thought movies weren't doing so well lately, but this demonstrates the contrary. Another Vamp Divine. We hear the most enthusiastic comments about Mary Duncan's portrayal of a vamp[ish role in "The Four Devil's," the F. W. Murnau picture. Miss Duncan, we should say, is not one of the "devils," they all being acrobats. She acts, instead, as the seductress who casts her lure over Charles Morton, one of the members of this happy professional family, much to the discomfiture of Janet Gaynor. The film will be both spectacular and tragic. Miss Gaynor and Morton are both killed, in a fall from a trapeze, at the finish. It occurs because Janet happens to see her rival in the circus audience. There is something both peculiarly elusive and peculiarly ecstatic about Miss Duncan. She is a stage actress,