Sparrows (United Artists) (1926)

SPECIAL STORIES From The South American Jungles, He Calmly Surveyed The Swamp Scenes In “Sparrows,” Star’s Newest Photoplay, Ever Keeping An Eye On Zorro, The Dog (Suggested Sunday Feature) By George H. Thomas Technical Men Make Movie History in Prepara¬ tion For Miss Pickford’s New Screen Triumph, “Sparrows,” A Beautiful Mixture Of Comedy And Melodrama (Suggested for Sunday advance feature) From the jungle wastes of a strange land came Joe. He is a native of South America. In the dim recesses of his moss-covered trees, far from civiliza¬ tion, jazz and movies, Rolls Royces and radios are unknown. But Joe came to Hollywood—modern and blase Hollywood. All day long he sits in the heart of Movieland—in fact right in the throne room of the Queen of this strange land of make believe. Joe is Mary Pickford’s macaw, given to her by her mother. As gorgeous as the most lavish movie set ever designed are Joe’s feathers of green and blue and yellow. And as wise as Solomon he appears, there on his perch in Mary’s bungalow or in the huge cage on the studio lawn. . For several years Joe has cast his weather eye over the multitudinous ac¬ tivities of the busy Pickford-Fairbanks studio. Prior to that he was an hon¬ ored guest at l?ickfair, in the Beverly Hills. Joe has seen the huge towers of Robin Hood rise—'and fall. He beheld Dor¬ othy Vernon ride her spirited charger down the steep steps of Haddon Hall. Rosita danced her sweetest for him. The magic carpet of The Thief of Bag¬ dad fairly brushed his feathers as it swept past. And Little Annie Rooney was wooed by her sweetheart, another Joe, just around the corner. Joe’s eyes behold sights that many would give a fortune to see. His home is inside the studio gates where scores of the curious, denied admittance, peak with curiosity, where the rubber-neck wagons pause while they spieler impres¬ sively : “The studio of Mary Pickfcrd and Douglas Fairbanks.” Yet Joe is the same carefree bird that arrived from South America soon after the war. He is no more or less blase, sociable or egotistical after a col¬ lege course in higher movie mathematics. A movie studio is a place of eternal activity and din and confusion. It is about as quiet and restful as a news¬ paper city room on election night, or the stock exchange during a drive on stocks. On the Pickford-Fairbanks lot this activity centers about Miss Pickford’s English bungalow. It’s the beehive ^ the Queen bee, and here Joe holds fcrth. Picture makers, who are sunnosed to t> essentially artistic, are denied the quiet and repose usually accorded others wm do creative work. This is true even in the case of famous stars, and Mary Pickford is no exception to the ruV. No one knows this better than Joe, but Joe never tells the secrets he knows. He merely looks wise and perhaps shouts “Git” to Zorro, Mary’s dog. Perhaps Mary is working on “Spar¬ rows” her latest story. She is in the beautiful living room of her bungalow, surrounded by her staff and scenario writers. Everyone is trying to concen¬ trate on a rather stubborn situation, hard to analyze and to meet, but in the meantime— There is a business conference in the dining room a few feet away with much talking and confusion. A heavy fleet of material trucks are thundering up and down the driveway raising clouds of dust. Workmen are pounding on the con¬ struction of a new set, nearby. Two hundred wild “Pirates” working in Douglas Fairbanks’ picture, are whooping it up on a set close at hand, music is playing and men are madly shouting through megaphones. An amateur track meet is in progress on the lawn, the shouts of the contest¬ ants coming in through the open win¬ dows. There is always athletic activity about this lot. In an office adjoinine Miss Pickford’s secretary is waiting with a stack of cor¬ respondence. The wardrobe mistress would like to submit a few samples. The studio manager has some prob¬ lems that are waiting. Two or three important visitors are waiting for a con¬ ference. And so, ‘ in this "maelstrom of sounds the conference continues, for the com¬ pany is waiting and shooting must be resumed in an hour. When the picture reaches the screen the audience will say: “That’s a great story. It shows care¬ ful attention to detail, and much thought, preparation and concentration.” But Jde, the macaw, sits calmly on his perch in the midst of the din, his thoughts probably reverting to the wastes of the jungle birthplace he left so long ago. He merely cocks an eye over the while outfit and shouts to the dog Zorro: “Git! Git!! Git!!” MOVIE BABY SOON BECOMES STUDIO PET Infant In Mary Pickford’* “Sparrow” Soon Wins Hearts Of All In New Photoplay. “The movies” have been the ruina- ion of yet another person if the re- narks of little Mary Louise Miller’s arents can be believed. Mary Louise is the adorable baby appearing this week with Mary Pickford in her latest ihotoplay “Sparrows” which is being hown at . Though a veteran “trouper” until she became the pet of the Pickford lot. Mary Louise was an unusually good baby and demanded but little attention. According to William Beaudine, who directed the picture, although Mary Louise is but eighteen months old, she .s one of the cleverest babies he has ever directed. She laughs to order, cries to order and has an uncanny sense for dramatic effects, without ever sacrificing one vhit of her charming “babyness.” Con¬ sequently it was not strange that every member of the production crew vied for the honor, of nursemaiding her and '.o there was * small wonder that Mary Louise learned to wield a royal scepter ind exact tribute. Her loyal subjects refused to admit that she was in the least spoiled but if rumors be true—the end of the picture saw parental discipline loom menac¬ ingly. The Pickford-Fairbanks studio in Hollywood, famous as the birthplace of a dozen screen masterpieces and a “lot” where real film pioneering is done, has again produced a picture that will make screen history in more ways than one. The picture is Mary Pickford’s “Sparrows” made for United Artists Corporation release, which comes to “Sparrows” is the story of a baby farm in the swamp country. The low¬ lands of the South offer an opportunity for magnificent photigraphy and start¬ ling scenic effects. The Pickford tech¬ nical staff took the fullest advantage of this, and as a result “Sparrows” is going to be one of the most discussed pic¬ tures of the season. This is not alone because of its gripping story, irresisti¬ ble comedy and marvelous dramatic se¬ quences, but also because of the sheer beauty of the sets, the lighting effects and the locations portrayed on the screen. Add to these the talent of Mary Pick- ford in child roles, and the work of as clever a bunch of children as ever CHILD STARS LIKE GOINGJJN LOCATION Mary Pickford Hates It, But Youngsters In Her Company Enjoy It Hugely. “Location” spells grief to Mary Pickford, cinema star, who dreads the ordeal because of the curious crowds who manage to discover her presence as if by magic and who in their eager- nness to see their favorite often em¬ barrass the shy little star. But to the children who work with ler in the picture, it means a glorious icnic for there are boxes of delicious unch and, of course, no school to other with on that day. Then, too, here is usually a long ride in big com- ortable busses and finally, thrilled rowds of onlookers to make of it a tala affair. During the filming of “Sparrows” dary Pickford’s latest photoplay show- ng at the . this week, little Camilla Johnson and Florence Rogan h wo of the youthful members of the cast wished that more of the picture might be filmed on “location.” A beau¬ tiful home in Pasadena was borrowed for a few days’ shooting and on the second day the two little girls were thrilled to be entertained at luncheon at one of the exclusive Oak Knoll homes by a new found friend. Each treasures a quaint little imported doll as a sou¬ venir of the occasion. MOVIE ACTOR IS 350 YEARS OF AGE He should be able to remember the signing of the Declaration of Indepen¬ dence well, and no doubt was on speak¬ ing terms with Ben Franklin, another philospher well known during Bill’s young manhood. The silent actor hopes to remain in "d in a single picture, and “Spar¬ rows” offers much promise to the¬ atregoers. Technically, “Sparrows” presented problems seldom faced by motion pic¬ ture producers, but Miss Pickford was not at all dismayed at the prospect. First of all, an entire swamp had to )e built on the Pickford lot For more -easons than one it was impossible to -ake certain scenes with small chil¬ dren in a real swamp at an isolated spot. the swamp that was constructed overs four acres and is exactly true o nature, even to the animal life in he waters and trees. Thousands of ’ollars were spent in converting a level ot, only a stone’s throw away from '^nta Mnn’ca Boulevard, into a boggy waste, teeming with frogs, turtles, fish, -oilywogs and alligators. Next, farm buildings were erected on a small island in the swamp. These were built of new lumber and aged by a special process, until they appear to be a century old. CHILD FILM STAR DUCKSMOVIE KISS Tut Monty O’Grady Was Not So Bashful With Mary Pick¬ ford’s Offered Salute. Monty O’Grady is one of the ragged little children seen with Mary Pickford in “Sparrows”, her newest United Ar¬ tists Corporation release, coming to Except for small parts in a few comedies, Monty had not played much in pictures prior to being chosen for the “Sparrows” cast. But he proved to be a remarkable little actor, and his part was made more important as the story progressed, as a result. At the close of the picture Moniy appears in his rags, while all the other children are dressed up. But he was rewarded just the same. When he entered the scene Miss Pickford took him in her arms and gave him a hearty smack on the cheek. Monty rehearsed the scene with a little girl who was also a member of the company. When it came to the smack episode, he ducked his head and blushed. But when the picture was taken Monty did not duck his head for Miss Pickford. He took the “smack” with evident enjoyment,—and who can blame the little tad? pictures for at least 500 years more, and expects to see great progress in the in¬ dustry in that time. There is an actor in Mary Pickford’s “Sparrows,” now at . who is 350 years old. His name is Bill, and he’s one of the alligators shown in the swamp sequences. Bill is old enough to have played extra in the studios at St. Augustine, Florida, late in the fifteenth century, if there had been rtudios there then.