Tess of the Storm Country (United Artists) (1922)

Special Feature Advance and During Run Stories Mary Pickford Back in Rags That Led to Riches Will be Seen in Tattered Garb in a New and Her Own Production of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a 1922 Version of One of Her Early Screen Triumphs Sees Mary Pick ford’s New *Tess ’ as Picture Sensa tion Edwin S. Porter Who Directed Famous Star in First “Tess of the Storm Country,” Tells of Photoplay Making Eight Years Ago, When Original Film Was Made Mary Pickford as the Tess of tat¬ tered raiment in the memorable “Tess of the Storm Country” is back again. America’s Sweetheart has re¬ enacted the role which made her famous eight years ago and presents the world’s theatre-goers with a most elaborate revival of a photoplay which bids fair never to die. Once more this most popular of all screen stars wears the rags which led to such great riches for her, and it is foregone conclusion her enterprise ^n restoring her most cherished char¬ acterization to the silver-sheet consti¬ tutes a veritable gift to present-day devotees to the cinema and to pos¬ terity as well. When Miss Pickford first essayed this role before the motion picture camera nearly a decade ago, she was recognized as a sta’r in her own right, but no one could possibly fore¬ see the heights to which she would rise as the result of a single dramatic effort. Within a few weeks aftefr this initial version of Grace Miller White's popular novel was released. Miss Pickford was proclaimed the foremost exponent of the silent drama and from that time until the present she has been the undisputed queen supreme of the screen. More¬ over, one of the. effects has been most monetary; this film triumph of years bygone placed her firmly on the high road to much wealth and there has never been the slightest lull in the applause which her each succeeding picture elicits throughout the civilized world. There were two outstanding rea¬ sons which actuated Miss Pickford in producing a new and her own “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists release coming next . to the ... Theatre. One was the persistent demand of tens of thousands of motion picture fans and editorial urging of the press; the other was her desire to give her most loved character a chance for even longer life through the advantages of the countless im¬ provements available in the film- making industry now. “This restoring of ‘Tess of the Storm Country’ to her place in the cinema sun is the realization of a rather fond ambition of mine, be¬ cause I regard her. as the most vitally important character I ever portrayed on the screen,” Miss Pick¬ ford says. “I enjoyed every minute I was togged -out in her rags, be¬ cause I love the beautiful spirit which survives all her wretchedness and misfortunes; the spirit which inspires her to do such -humanly noble acts in behalf of the right with so little consideration of self-sacrifices in¬ volved in the deeds.” NEW MARY PICKFORD “TESS” A GREAT HIT “OUR MARY” CHARMS IN HER NEW “TESS” 4 Taxing Capacity of the. Theatre at Every Showing, the Management Reports Favorite Artist in Favorite Photo¬ play the Rare Combination at.Theatre Mary Pickford in her new “Tess of the Storm Country” has taken this city by storm! Devotees to this star particular and the cinema in gen¬ eral have been taxing the capacity of the ..... Theatre at every performance since the opening on . There is no doubt as to the wisdom and good judgment of Miss Pickford in selecting this tri¬ umph of the past as worthy material for the making of a still greater film. She has written an important chapter into screen history in the manner in which she has produced this picture for a second time in her brilliant career and, if it is true she essayed this revival with the idea of creating a classic which would live in posterity, there is every indication she has insured herself adequate suc¬ cess in the ambition. It is. confidently predicted by most of the best versed critics that this 1922 model of “Tess of the Storm Country” is going to be a popular attraction for decades to come and that future generations are sure to cherish the memory of this great artist through her sterling histrionic work in this one production. Never before have local theatre¬ goers shown such favoritism for Mary Pickford as they have thus far this week at the .. Theatre, where this illustrious star is appear¬ ing in her new screen version of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists release. It is truly a. combination of a fav¬ orite artist in a favorite play and the amusement-seekers of this city are displaying a marked avidity in em¬ bracing the opportunity offered for genuine diversion of a rare variety. Few photoplay classics have ever elicited such unstinted and universal applause as this one and if Miss Pickford could only look in on the capacity audience at any perform¬ ance here, she would undoubtedly feel highly complimented, for she would see her art wielding a power¬ ful influence in lightening the cares of the masses of people. Judging from the initial _ popularity of this release, it is destined to enjoy many rims at various houses and times in this section, and it deserves this success. “I cannot see how Mary Pickford’s own and strictly new production of that famous screen classic, ‘Tess of the Storm Country,’ can help being the photoplay sensation of the year. Every one of the millions who saw her in the original production made eight years ago is certain to want to see it again as produced under the marvellous ad¬ vantages and improvements in present- day motion picture making, and an en¬ tirely new generation of picture-goers has grown up since the first ‘Tess of the Storm Country' was made.” Thus spoke Edwin S. Porter, who eight years ago directed Miss Pickford in the first “Tess of the Storm Coun¬ try,” and incidentally served also as the cameraman, and who, today, is head of the biggest concerns manufac¬ turing projection machines. “Despite the fact that the ‘Tess’ of 1914 was a really good picture from a producing standpoint, and was con¬ sidered about as nearly as a motion picture could be,” said Mr. Porter, “the opportunities for Miss Pickford im¬ proving on the original are simply tre¬ mendous. The first ‘Tess’ was a good picture as pictures were then made, but it would never stand up under the test of present-day methods and stand¬ ards. “Miss Pickford and I made ‘Tess’ under conditions that were anything but ideal. In December, 1913, we left New York for California. Miss Pick¬ ford had just come from the hospital and I felt I was just about to go into one—it was just at the time when I was organizing Famous Players, and that was a good deal of a strain. “Arriving in California we found that out there nearly all the good screen playes were tied up, so at first we made a picture called ‘Hearts Adrift’ which had only characters in it for the first five of the six reels. In February we decided to start work on ‘Tess of the Storm Country.’ We didn’t have million dollar studios in those days. All we had was a raised platform, a camera, and a wonderful story and star. The only other two players I remember were Dave Hart¬ ford and Harold Lockwood. Hart¬ ford played the role of Tess's father, and Lockwood, the role of hero. “Being from New York, we did not particularly please the picture colony out there. One of the reasons was be¬ cause I took scenes nearly every day. You see, until then directors always had contended it was impossible to take a scene unless the sun was di¬ rectly behind them, and it was some¬ what of a shock to them to see some¬ one else taking scenes on all kinds of days—cloudy and clear, alike. By their method, you see, .they would work only about five days out of fifteen, and then go out and cover the camera with a piece of dirty muslin to get cloud effects. “We had no artificial lights at all in the days of the first ‘Tess.’ If we wanted a spot or a back-light we’d use a mirror with the sun. This is on phase of picture making where the new Tess’ should show a tremendous im¬ provement. We had only about three interiors, but when these were shown on the screen in the finished picture they produced a huge sensation. Imag¬ ine making interiors that way today— and without dozens of sunlight arcs to help out! “There was a little fishing Tillage down coast inhabited by Russian and JapaneM fishermen which we used for the setting of the story. It really was quite ideal for this story, but of course the one Miss Pickford con¬ structed for her new *Tess’ was a vast im¬ provement. I coudn’t find a suitable lake anywhere, so we used the Pacific Ocean for the water scenes. “The first ‘Te^s’ we finished in four weeks, and it cost between $13,000 and $14,000. I made it originally for six reels, but received word from New York that it had to be cut down to five, on the then generally accepted theory that nobody would sit through a pic¬ ture for longer than that. • It was like cutting off my right hand to touch that picture, and I always have believed that in six reels It would have been about fifty per cent, better. You see, I was both director and cameraman, and took exactly what I needed— no more, am less. “Miss Pickford made her own version df ‘Tess’ under about as ideal conditions as can be imagined. She knew exactly what she wanted, and what was even more important, could get it, without being hampered by any¬ body. “And all phases of moton picture making have advanced so much since then I Lighting, direction, sets, continuity, acting— it all has been revolutionized! However, I personally don’t see how Miss Pickford is going to im¬ prove on her interpretation of the role. T* me, she was just about perfect as the Wonder¬ ful child, Tess. “In no spirit of boasting I must say that I believe that picture did as much for Mary Pickford as. anything else. More people taw ‘Tess* at that time than ever saw any other picture. They would go and see it over and over again, and I cannot see how this new version can help being the photoplay sensation of the year. Everyone who saw it before cer¬ tainly will want to see it again, and an en¬ tirely new generation of picture-goers has grown up since then who will want to see this new ‘Tess.’ 1 certainly wish every suc¬ cess possible' to Mary Pickford and ‘Teas.’ " CAMERAS THEN AND NOW If the film business is now in its infancy, where was it in 1886 when W. H. Davis was a movie camera¬ man? “At that .time,” says Mr. Davis, “I was living in Orange, N. J„ not far from- Thomas Edison’s labora¬ tory. . Being a photographer, I be¬ came interested in the motion picture camera which Mr. Edison was then experimenting with. Quite different was the camera of that day and age from the elaborate mechanism of today with its battery of lenses. The machine used then was just a square box with a lens in the front and a crank at the side. It held a hundred feet of film. If I had been a little more patient, I might be working behind the camera today instead of in front of it. But after a few trials with this contrivance of Mr. Edison’s, I decided that the motion picture camera had no future.” Mr. Davis is appearing in the role of a fisherman with Mary Pickford in her new version of “Tess of the Storm Country,” from Grace Miller White’s story, a United Artists re¬ lease coming to the . Theatre next.