Picture Play Magazine (Sep 1928 - Feb 1929)

Over the Teacups 33 and work had to be called off for the rest of the day. "Ruth Taylor will burst into speech for the first time in 'The Canary Murder Case,' and she is more terrified than she was when she was chosen for Lorelei, and emerged from obscurity overnight. Laura La Plante is so busy getting ready for 'Show Boat' that she has simply dropped out of sight. But Laura shouldn't worry. She had an offer to go on the stage two years ago, so her voice must be all right. "Practically the only stars who haven't announced talking pictures are Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, and probably they will catch the fever before they get well under way with their new productions. And that reminds me, I suppose you have heard that Fairbanks has borrowed Dorothy Revier from Columbia for the wicked-siren role of his new picture. Dorothy has been working night and day to finish a picture at Columbia in time to start with him. "Working nights is only to -be expected of girls who are working in sound pictures. Atmospheric conditions are supposed to be better then for recording." Fanny had been talking so intently that she hadn't even noticed the mob of tourists who were crowding in at the door of Montmartre, demanding to -know if there were any stars there, before they committed themselves to being paying guests. "Poor darlings," Fanny remarked patronizingly, when at length she did notice them, "their chances of seeing film stars in person are getting more remote every day. It used to be hard enough to get in a studio to visit, but now it is practically impossible. The sound-recording apparatus is so sensitive that simply no one who isn't actually engaged in making the picture is allowed around nowadays. "But at least the tourists who were here last week saw one mammoth party that they will never forget. The Wasps — otherwise the Women's Association of Screen Publicists — gave a tremendous party at the LJnited Artists studio, and over a thousand people came. It was a bridge party, fashion show, and reception, to raise funds for the Crippled Children's Fund, and practically^ every young girl in pictures acted as hostess at one of the bridge tables. Such an outburst of organdie-andlace creations you never have seen. Sally Blane succeeded in looking distinctive, by coming right from the studio in riding habit and make-up. The affair was so huge, that it was something of a blow to the visitors who had expected to spend a quiet afternoon confiding to Mary Pickford that she was their favorite star, but, after all, it did give them a chance to get at least a fleeting glimpse of dozens of players. "One woman there — who, alas, is unknown to me — will always be my ideal. One of the press agents had been piloting Esther Ralston and Eva von Berne around all afternoon, introducing them at the various tables. Photo by Spun Edna Murphy's most dramatic scene in "My Man will not appear on the screen. Talking pictures are bringing Gladys Brockwell back to eminence. The second time she paused by my heroine's table and started introducing them, the lady remarked wearily, 'Yes, we're all thoroughly impressed now by who they are; possibly they would like to know who we are.' And thereupon she introduced Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Jones, and Mrs. Doakes, or whoever they were. "I'll probably never find out who she was, but there will be moments at every Hollywood party when I am going to wish that she was with me. With a sudden and characteristic change of subject Fanny said, "It's months since I've seen or heard of Anna Q. Nilsson — not since she met with an accident while horseback riding, though I've been told she is almost completely recovered. But I don't imagine her convalescence has been helped by having two splendid roles given to another star after she had expected to play them." Fanny looked mysterious. "No, I won't tell you what parts they were, because one just couldn't help making comparisons, and that wouldn't be quite fair. Fanny steadfastly refused to divulge any of this secret information, and thereby broke a record.