Picture Show (Oct 1920 - Apr 1921)

ricture Show, April 9lli, 1921. 17 The Girl Who Rao Away. SHE was Miss Jessie Winter. So great JESSIE WINTER. was hor desire to adopt the stage as a profession that, to further this objoet, she ran away from school. Naturally, there was consternation and horror in her family ; but later, when Jessie Winter's great talent was revealed to the world, her parents became as keen on her career as the little school-girl herself. Part of Her Life. JESSIE WINTER made a great hit when she played in " The Case of Lady Camber " with the late H. B. Irving. As the nurse, ehe made a charming study of a very difficult role ; and the zest this clever actress throws into her stage work — work which is certainly . a part of her life, because it is the very breath of her existence — she has given to screenplaying. The greatest Ideal production up to date has certainly been " The Diamond Necklace," and in this film Jessie Winter gives an amazingly fine performance. At the trade show the unfolding of the story was watched with breathless interest. At the conclusion there was the one . unanimous verdict, " Very fine ! " A New World. AFTER my experience of this picture," says Jessie Winter, " I am more than ever keen on films. One day we were all working very hard at a strong emotional scene, and I knew instinctively that it could not have been done better on the stage. One had that subtle, confident sort of feeling that ft was good. But the screen is not so sympathetic to the artist as an audience. It is far more exacting, and when the scene wa> shown on the screen, the emotign we expected to find was ' missing ; and, of course, it was taken all over again until it satisfied the producer, Dennison Clift. A Glorious Part. OF course, I had a glorious part.,'' Jessie Winter went on, " commencing with supreme girlish happiness, and then the gradual descent into poverty and martyrdom under the influence of one great error and one destroying human weakness." The story of " The Diamond Necklace " is so very simple, so very true to life ; the young wife on small means, longing to look her very best, the temptation to borrow from a friend that glittering bauble that would add to her beauty *' just for one night," and just for one night's freedom from petty cares, the clysium of a new life, the laughter, music, warmth of the great gay world, and then tragedy — but tragedy revealing love in its sublime self-sacrificing heights. Versatile and Charming. J ESSIE WINTER has played in comedy, drama, variety, farce, and pantomime. She has also played with Sir Herbert Tree, and has many memories of poor " H. B." — as " Harry " Irving was affectionately known. What a boundless passion he had for crime stories, and what a gift of humour ! One of Miss Winter's favourite parts was in " The Law Divine." She has also played Little Emily in " David Copperfield," and 1 expect, befdre these words are in print, she will once again be playing lead in a new production on the legitimate stage. Milton Rosmer at his Best. THAT is saying much, is it not ? But it is no ^exaggeration, as my readers will agree, later when " The Diamond Necklace " is released. I will let you know the date later on. Miltoflr Rosmer soon fell a victim to the charms of Dennison Clift, the producer of " The Diamond Necklace." " After the first scene we did together,"' Milton Rosmer told me recently, " I recognised the touch of a man who could get the best out of me, and he made the statement that I was the most responsive artist he had ever worked with, and that, whatever he asked, lie knew I could give it to him, and a bit over." A Flattering Ofifer. DENNISON CLIFT made a very flattering offer to Milton Rosmer to go to America, but before the picture was over Mr. Clift had arranged to do ft series of pictures for the Idea), and he requested that Mr. Rosmer should be secured for his star in that series. Dennison Clift. THIS is the famous producer of " The Diamond Necklace. I had a tremendously interesting talk with him the other morning. He told me heaps of things I didn't know, or perhaps didn't realise, one of which was the great art of " film cutting." " The cutter," he told me, " must preserve all the dramatic situations. He must know drama. If a girl came to me and discussed the problev.i of a career, I'd advise her to learn the tricks of film-cutting, to work with a producer and learn the art. One of the most famous film-cutters in America is a girl. She used to be cutter to Griffith's ; 1 learnt from her the art of cutting. An Accident That Became a Success " /"\N one occasion," Dennison Clift went on \_y to say, " there was an explosion scene, two and a half feet of film. By an accident the manipulator got the film upsidedown, and when it was shown it was one of the marvels of the picture ; it was so vividly realistic." Scenes of great dramatic effect are accentuated at times by reversing them. The thing in cutting is to preserve all the dramatic qualities of the scenario and production. Of course. Dennison Clift is now hard at work on a new Ideal masterpiece, entitled " Demos." I will let you know something about it shortly. MAURICE ELVEY. M Elimination of Sensation. [AURICE ELVEY, whose photograph appears on this page, and who is the producer of " The Tavern Knight," believes in the elimination of sensation in films. " I aim at pictorial beauty," he says, " for there is no limit of time or space. 1 was the pioneer of costume films, and every one had a tremendous success. England has a fine chance in film production : no one in the world can wear the clothes of his ancestors like an Englishman ! " H1 Mary Anderson's Nephew. [E plays Master Kenneth in 'Tavern Knight," and plays it in a masterly fashion. His name is Laurence Anderson. "T went on the stage in 1910 with Lewis Waller in ' Bardelys the Magnificent,' " Laurence Anderson told me one day. " I ' walked on' at twenty-four shillings a week, and took a combined room in Tottenham Court Road at seven -and-sixpence a week, and on my second night the gentleman in the next room was murdered ! " Not Wisely But Too Well." THE gentleman in point happened to be a Moslem. He used to leave his door open and pray on his mat. An Irishman living in the building used to ' pull his leg,' ' not wisely but too well.' One night, as the Irishman was on his way to bed, the Moslem suddenly appeared with a dagger. Result, the end of the Irishman, and I said ' good-bye ' to my rooms ! The Tribulations of Young Artist. I' WENT on ' in ' The Butterfly on the Wheel,' " Laurence Anderson confessed, with his humorous smile. " As a matter of fact, the divorce-court scene was so long that my bit had to be cut out ; so then I sat as a reporter in the court and jotted down notes. After this adventure, 1 went with Jimmy Welch and rehearsed a play called ' Billy.' On the first night I arrived at the stage-door to find the bills blued over and two weeks' salary awaiting fox me in the rack ! " The Turn of the Wheel. THEN luck began to smile on this splendid young artist, and he has played with Cyril Maude at the Adelphi, where he took leads in plays produced by Maurice Elvey. It was at the Adelphi that Laurence first met this well-known producer. He understudied Owen Nares in " The House of Peril " and in " The Cinderella Man." JESSIE WINTER and MILTON ROSMER in Diamond Necklace." The His Film Work. ND pictures "? " You were delightful in ' Innocent,' " I declared. " And what of ' Tavern Knight ' ? " . " Maurice Elvey, at first, hardly thought I was the type for Master Kenneth," said Mr. Anderson, " as it ired a bigger man. I decided that it Padld be a good idea to use cotton-wool to e£fe my cheeks out and give me a full-faced ct. I nearly swallowed the wool one day, but otherwise it was quite successful." Edith Nepean.