Picture Play Magazine (Oct-Nov 1915)

William, Charlie is so far ahead in popularity that you can't mention the others in the same breath. How long will it last? We don't know, but as long as it does his shadow will hide all the others. Speaking of Kalem, Alice Joyce has left. Tom Moore has left. Anna Neilsen has left. Guy Coombs has left. Who's left? Harry LaPearl. the famous circus clown, and originator of the MinA brand of comedies, has been signed up by the Federal Film Company's comedy director to play in all their comedies. Harry is a trick acrobat, and was producing clown for the New York Hippodrome for two years prior to his picture work. William S. Hart and his famous horse certainly made a clean-up in the Mutual feature, "Pinto Ben." Besides playing the lead in this picture. Hart directed it, and the scenario was taken from the poem, "Pinto Ben," by Hart. Outside of this he didn't have a thing to do with the picture. Charley Ray writes that he has been trying to get rid of his famous tan for the last two weeks, but with no success. He states that he seems to be getting more brown. He doesn't need to put any grease paint on his face these days, powder being sufficient to register his manly beauty on the screen. Haven't seen an} notices this week stating that such and such a star bought a new twelve-cylinder Collapsible. What on earth is the matter with their press agents? They must have suffered a severe relapse this week. The Deer brand, releasing dramas on the Associated program, is starring the former Pathe leading lady, Lillian Wiggins, in their films. Lillian is one of our best little actresses, and she is proving a big asset to the Associated service. The Banner brand of films, featuring the three-hundred-and-fifty-pound beauty. Bill Stinger, are also good drawing cards. With Anna Little playing leads, American should put out some excellent pictures featuring this clever and attractive actress. It will be remembered that Anna played the leading role opposite Herbert Rawlinson in "The Black Box,"' and has also appeared to good advantage in many other features. The American company certainly made a master stroke when they signed her up. Although Mutual has added several new companies to their program, they cannot come up to the standard of the PICTURE-PLAY WEEKLY New York Motion Picture Corporation, and the Majestic-Reliance companies, which are now enjoying themselves in the folds of the Triangle Film Corporation. The Cub comedies are supposed to be taking the place of Keystone. They may be taking their place, all right, but they certainly are not filling it. Safety first. This is only a rumor. Chester (Walrus) Conklin writes to let me know that he is still in the land of the living. Chester has been awarded a vacation at the Keystone studios, and has hiked over to see the fair in Frisco. Chester says that there are some doings over there, but that he doesn't understand what it is all about, which makes it all the more interesting to him. Syd Chaplin, brother of the famous Charlie, is accompanying Chester, and incidentally acting in the role of explainer, guide, et cetera. Emotional Bessie Barriscale has been assigned another one of those parts such as in "The Cup of Life," which have made her so famous. She declares that she has to cry at ten different times during this picture, and she hopes to better the record for weeping of Enid Markey. They still continue to knock Charlie Chaplin, and the knockers still are the first to go and see him caper about, and are still the first that laugh at his funny antics, and still they knock. Dame Rumor has it that another program is about to enter the field. It may be so. but I doubt it. If the program does arrive, but I am afraid its existence will be short-lived. There are four big programs now that are supplying . the every want of the exhibitor — namely, General, Associated, Mutual, and Universal. A fifth one would not stand much chance with these four to buck. Things are running in great order down at the Vitagraph plant these days, and every one of their large staff of directors is hard at work. Mary Anderson, who was sent out to the Western company to bolster it up, writes that she is enjoying herself immensely, and is only a little bit homesick. Just wait until she has been there a little while ! I bet little Mary will be some homesick maiden. I was surprised when I saw Richard Stanton the other night in a Kay-Bee film. In fact, I wondered if it really was Richard Stanton that I was gazing upon. My, how he has aged in the last four months. Four months ago he was 27 playing dashing young juvenile parts, but I am afraid that it will not be so any more. Richard's forehead is a mass of deep wrinkles that grease paint cannot hide, and they show prominently in the film. I guess the worries of directing have caused his manly brow to become furrowed. Bessie Barriscale, the leading lady of Tom Ince's forces, was given a short vacation by her director, and just as she was about enjoying herself along comes a telegram telling her to return at once to start work on another big feature. "Coises !" says Bessie; and I don't blame her a bit. Vitagraph had another one of those Pop Lubins the other day, in which fifty of the Vitagraph staff received their walking papers. Gue,ss J. Stuart Blacton is after better pictures. Pearl White has been showing the natives of Ithaca a new one-piece bathing suit. One of the said natives declares that he used spyglasses, but could not see anything of the said one piece, and Pearl was only wading in shallow water at the time. I wonder what Kalem's idea is of not featuring Tom Moore in the pictures which he plays opposite Marguerite Courtot? He is a grand box-office attraction, and even if he has left them they should put his name prominently on their posters. Several people were hurt out at Inceville the other day while they were filming a railroad wreck. Several of the spectators, and extras waiting to be called on*the scene, got too near to the scene of the head-on collision, and several were severely hurt by flying fragments of steel. Tom Ince has announced that he will direct the Billie Burke picture himself. I guess Tom is figuring that after giving Billie that fat little sum for appearing in his pictures, he is taking no chances. Next week ! Oh, how I dread it ! But I will not be alone to blame, for I am going to ask several of the "wimmen" stars, who, in their opinion, are the five best-dressed actresses in pictures, and from their answers I will make up my list. Who hath woe, and sorrow and wounds without cause? Verily, those who act in movie slapstick comedy ! — Exchange. And how about the spectators of them ?