Lady of the Pavements (United Artists) (1929)

More Advance News GRIFFITH EXPLAINS LONG SKIRT VOGUE There must have been a strong desire, sixty years ago, to make wives safe for the aristocracy—or the aristocracy safe for wives. The premise for this is based on the discovery made by D. W. Griffith while filming “Lady of the Pavements”, the current attraction at the .theatre, that hooped court dresses such as those worn by Jetta Goudal and Lupe Valez in the picture were in¬ tended more as a protection against the peering eyes of uncivil cavaliers ■en as a safeguard against the elements. While the dictates of fashion and puritan modesty may have had something to do with the skirts’ popularity, Griffith holds to the be¬ lief that a more selfish motive can be ascribed. “In the period of the story-the France of sixty years ago—hooped skirts as a whole were becoming passe because of the discomfort they caused and the rebirth of reason among women. “Yet the male aristocracy persis¬ ted in forcing it on their women according to contemporary satirical thrusts, for the sole reason that they were afraid the young gallants of the court would see their legs.** A further perusal of contempor¬ ary literature revealed, Griffith de- -- clares, that there was, perhaps, good cause why the nobles should have adopted their attitude; their women, it appears, were beginning to won¬ der about the joys of a freed femin¬ ism. “Lady of the Pavements*’ is the most recent production by the man who made “The Birth of a Nation,’’ “Intolerance** and “Way Down East.” The story tells of a great love born of a rejected woman’s hate and has been treated by Direc¬ tor Griffith in an entirely modern¬ istic style. William Boyd, with George Faw¬ cett, Albert Conti, William Bake- well, Henry Armetta and the « isses Goudal and Velez are in the st. - Mexican Good-Will Cyclists Guests of Lupe Velez A delegation of eight motorcycle cops from Mexico City who are on a good-will tour of the United States stopped for several hours at the United Artists studio recently to converse with Lupe Velez, their countrywoman, who is playing and singing in D. W. Griffith’s “Lady of the Pavements,”.at the .theatre. The squad brought a summons with them in the name of their gov¬ ernment commanding Lupe to ap¬ pear in Mexico City in person or on the screen within six months’ time. Lupe says she must obey. The officers explained that the vivacious young Mexican actress was an idol in their country through her work on the screen. Others in <the cast of “Lady of the /Pavements” are William Boyd, Jetta Goudal, George Fawcett, Albert Conti and William Bakewell. GRIFFITH PEOPLES ACTORS TO ACHIEV MAMMOTH Director Uses Spectacular Backgrounds to Create Moods in Latest The Hollywood extras’ delight—a crowded ballroom scene-is one of the spectacular scenes in D. W. Grif¬ fith’s “Lady of the Pavements,” which is booked to open at the. .theatre next. Three hundred atmosphere play¬ ers, decked out in the gaily flam¬ boyant costumes of Napoleon the Third’s court — with bustles, hoops and breeches—appear in this color¬ ful sequence. Griffith, who revels in spectacular displays, has made this scene a mem¬ orable one because in it he uses, for the first time a “mob” for its psy¬ chological effect on the actions of his leading players. The story is a vivid drama of the struggle of two women for the love of a man. Set in a background of Napoleon’s brilliant, though decad¬ ent court, with its intrigues of pas¬ sion and state, it has proven itself one of the really great pictures of the year. William Boyd carries off the lead¬ ing role as a dashing young attache of the German embassy in Paris, with Jetta Goudal and Lupe Velez struggling for possession of him. George Fawcett, Albert Conti, Wil¬ liam Bakewell and Henry Armetta complete the cast. “Lady of the Pavements,” tb~ new D. W. Griffith production, will be shown at the. theatre on. . William Boyd, Jetta Goudal. Lupe Velez. George Fawcett, Albert Conti and William Bakewell are in leading roles. The picture is one of the most spectacular of Griffith’s career. From the suspenseful setting of a notorious cafe the story plunges deep in the dazzling splendor of Europe’s most colorful court. Boyd is in the role of Erich von Arnim of the German embassy; Miss Goudal portrays Simone, mis¬ tress of Napoleon the Third; Miss Velez is cast as a cafe singer; Faw¬ cett is chief of the German embassy, while Conti personates the French Chamberlain. Lupe Velez Star Material Declares George Fawcett That Lupe Velez has promise of being one of the foremost actresses, is the firm conviction of George Fawcett, playing with the sensation¬ al Mexican star in “Lady of the Pavements” the new D. W. Griffith production at the . theatre. “A natural ability, coupled with a wonderful aptitude, ambition, keen intelligence are Lupe’s,” says the actor. Fawcett, who is strong for clever youth found the fiery Lupe a joy to work with. William Boyd, Jetta Goudal, Albert Conti, William Bakewell and Henry Arm¬ etta complete the cast of the picture. SET WITH 300 EFFECT FOR NEW FILM il^Nnmanransv willIam boyd^lupe velez> i^D.WGRJFFIT H'j LADY OF THE PAVEMENTS* 7 —One Col. Scene (Mat 5c; Cut 30 c) Jetta Goudal Mystery Woman of Film Center As inscrutable as a Sphinx; aloof and silent, shunning alike the clam¬ orous praises of friends and the criticisms of rivals - that is Jetta Goudal. The French “cocktail of emotion,” appearing in D. W. Grif¬ fith’s “Lady of the Pavements,” th*. current attraction at the. theatre. The motion picture profession has yet to solve the mystery of this enigmatic actress who, paradoxical as it may seem, is the best known and the least known of all the noted stars of the screen. Jetta Goudal shuns society. What she does after her day’s work is over, nobody knows, except that she retires to that mysterious something that lies vaguely beyond her stout front door; and what she does with her spare time is nobody’s business, and because it is nobody’s business so many persons are in'ter- ted. So far as is known, the French actress has a complete monopoly in Hollywood on the mystery business, which is her reason for being so mysterious about it. If she should let out that secret, she says, there would be a thousand motion picture stars who would copy after her and become very able enigmas them¬ selves. Jetta works very hard while on the set and at night she goes home, as all good stars do. What she does there is nobody’s business but her own, and there comes the rub and the reputation for being a woman of mystery, which isn’t such a bad reputation after all. William Boyd, Lupe Velez, George Fawcett, Albert Conti, William Bake¬ well and Henry Armetta are cast in this United Artists special. JETTA GOUDAL IS CUSTOMS EXPERT Jetta Goudal has realized the greatest and most lasting ambition of her career—a chance to act for D. W. Griffith. The star was placed under con¬ tract by the noted director for one of the three most important roles in “Lady of the Pavements,” Griffith’s sensational new production running at the . theatre. Ever since "The Birth of a Nation,” which she saw in France, Miss Goudal has wanted to play in a Griffith romance, but not until the present time did the famous direc¬ tor have a characterization suitable to her exotic personality. In “Lady of the Pavements” the French star is assigned one of the most vivid and colorful roles of her varied career on the screen—a Parisian demi-mondaine of the Napoleonic court of 1870. Miss Goudal, who is somewhat of an authority on modes and customs of the period was of considerable aid to Griffith in working out many technical details of the production. The picture attains epical quali¬ ties and is presented on the United Artists program as a Griffith special. The decadence of Napoleon the Third’s riotous court; the affairs of nobles; the intrigues of the diplo¬ matic corps and a series of color¬ ful dances by Lupe Velez, the per¬ sonable Mexican player who scaled the movie heights with her dynam¬ ic characterization opposite “Doug¬ las Fairbanks as the Gaucho.” William Boyd appears in a highly romantic role in this picture. Others in the cast are George Fawcett, Albert Conti, William Bakewell and Henry Armetta. One Scene Nets Cameraman ^1000—Cheap Says Griffith D. W. Griffith is by no means a spendthrift, yet he insists that one of the most economical expenditures made on “Lady of the Pavements,” the current attraction at the. theatre, was giving Ned Mann a thousand dollars for a single scene. Mann, who is an “effects direc¬ tor,” otherwise known as a trick cameraman, worked eighteen solid hours and ran his film through a special camera thirty-six times to make a sequence seventy-five feet in length. The result is a startling piece of camera work that is destined to rival the close-up, the flash-back and soft-focus photography-all Griffith discoveries. The cost of the sequence, includ¬ ing salaries of stars, electrical cur¬ rent and rental on “properties,’’was in excess of fifteen thousand dol¬ lars. William Boyd, Jetta Goudal, Lupe Velez, George Fawcett, Albert Con¬ ti, William Bakewell and Henry Ar¬ metta are in the cast of “Lady of the Pavements,” a story laid in the period of Napoleon the Third.