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

Feature Stories of Interest to Your Public ACTOR SEES CHURCH BECOMING TOLERANT Forrest Robinson on Stage and Screen Forty-seven Years Cites Remarkable Instance It is interesting to note how acute religious prejudice has toned down to a more human tolerance in the last four decades and how the stage has been a barometer by which the descent could be gauged. Forrest Robinson, who has been a promi¬ nent actor for forty-seven years, cites an impressive example of how offi¬ cials and the public alike have be¬ come more temperate in their atti¬ tude towards theatricals since the initial days of this present genera¬ tion. Mr. Robinson recalls the only at¬ tempt ever made to produce “The Passion Play” in America. This was in 1878 at San Francisco, and Robin¬ son played the role of Caiphus, the high priest. James O’Neill essayed to interpret the character of the Christus. From the moment the first announcement of the enterprise \yas made, there was an unmistakable re¬ bellion among certain religious de¬ nominations, but in spite of this storm cloud, the promoters went ahead and presented the Bible play for three weeks. But at the conclusion of the third week, the animosity of the opponents and the defense of the proponents had become so bitter that open phy¬ sical hostilities ensued and the Board of Aldermen passed an ordi¬ nance stopping the play. “Members of opposing religious groups became so incensed over the controversy the presentation of this play aroused that fisticuffs were ac¬ tually resorted to and several per¬ sons were painfully injured,” Mr. ^Robinson declares. “In short, the uncontrollable bias rampant in those days amounted to a spirit of revenge and the stage was the chief target.” More than four decades since the 'Frisco fiasco, the presentation of a similar theatrical event, called “The Pilgrimage Play” or “The Life of Christ,” was received with general acclaim in Hollywood, where mem¬ bers of every religious sect are nu¬ merous and there was not the slight¬ est semblance of opposition. “If the same thing had been at¬ tempted forty years ago, it would have precipitated even bloodshed, and thus is improvement in human reason recognizable,” Mr. Robinson points out. Mr. Robinson has recently for¬ saken the stage to devote his time to motion pictures. He has the im¬ portant role of Daddy Skinner in Mary Pickford’s new version of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists release booked for next . at the . Theatre, and his artistic work before the camera is so excellent that it is certain film producers will keep him busy for the remainder of his illustrious career. DON’T QUARREL CLUB TO CURB DIVORCE Screen Player Organizes Unique Society to Prevent Family Altercations David Torrence, who plays an im¬ portant part in support of Mary Pickford in her new version of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists release coming to the. 7 heatre next .has organ¬ ized what he calls the “Don’t-Quar- el Club,” the purpose of which is to promote domestic comity and thus lessen the number of divorces. All the. charter members are photoplayers residing in the Hollywood film col¬ ony. Although Mr. Torrence plays the role of a disturber of the peace in Miss Pickford’s picture, he is in private life a zealous worker in be¬ half of preventing misunderstandings. His idea in launching the “Don’t- Quarrel Club” is to especially en¬ courage married couples in the dra¬ matic profession to avoid family rows and he provided a non-fussing pledge from each member. This pledge is printed in bold-face type on the face of the membership cards and the following excerpt from it is impressive: “.and I do hereby pledge that I shall keep faith with the wishes of Providence and the wel¬ fare of humanity by refraining from entering any altercation.” Mr. Torrence’s chief hobby is working . for peace and harmony among his fellows in screenland. He believes a nationalizing of such a movement as his Don’t Quarrel Club will deprive the divorce courts of a large percentage of their cases. MARY PICKFORD'S CANARIES Mary Pickford, star and producer of the new production of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists release coming next . to the . Theatre, has a family of canary birds. She started out with one pair of canaries which she temporarily housed in her office in the administration building, at the Pickford-Fairbanks Studios, Holly¬ wood, intending to install them in the reception room of her bungalow when it was complete. Then one morning she reached her studio to find that Mr. and Mrs. Canary had four children. This fam¬ ily quickly grew up and Miss Pick¬ ford had to order another cage. A short time later she had to order still a larger cage. “And the last time I investigated,” she said, “I had enough birds to sup¬ ply twice as many rooms as I have in the bungalow. Now I’m afraid to take another census.” Before ever coming to America, Jean Hersholt, the noted director- actor, was starred in fanjous plays by Ibsen, Strindberg and Tolstoi for twelve consecutive years in the Scandinavian countries.’ He is now appearing with Mary Pickford in “Tess of the Storm Country,” at the . Theatre. THE NEW TESS HAS TAME CROW AS PET Mary Pickford Makes Change in Own “Tess of the Storm Country” Production When “Tess of the Storm Coun¬ try” first was produced eight years ago, the heroine of this epochal mo¬ tion picture, as played by Mary Pick¬ ford, had as her pet a rabbit and in the course of the action of the story, the villain, in a. moment of jealous madness killed it. In the 1922 version of this cele¬ brated photoplay—re-creation of the first magnitude—Miss Pickford has changed Tess’s partiality from the rabbit to a big black crow, and upon the orders of the star, the scenarist has denied the villain the pleasure of killing it. This particular alteration in this episode of the narrative was due to the progress which has been made in film-making in the last few years and the higher ideals of the stars. In the first place, it is deemed too much cruelty to dumb animals to even pretend they are killed in pic¬ tures and in the second place, Miss Pickford cannot see that any ad¬ vantage is gained by such procedure. Therefore, “Br’er Crow” gets through the length and the breadth of the celluloid drama without, having its power of “cawing” diminished one iota. While upon this subject, it is ap¬ propriate to call attention to the splendid work this crow does as a result of it becoming exceedingly fond of America’s sweetheart. For the sake of insuring the permanent re¬ tention of the bird, it was planned to clip its wings and thus deprive it. of its ability to fly. However, Miss Pickford put her foot down on even this, branding it as inhumane. Ac¬ cordingly, she took the feathered creature in hand and proceeded to ingratiate herself with it and to teach it manners as well as the wisdom of remaining loyal. As a consequence, the crow soon became so attached to the illustrious star that no one could drive it away from her. And, when the picture was finished and it, came time for a parting of ways of the company, the crow re¬ fused positively to go, clinging to Miss Pickford with irresistible ten¬ acity. The upshot of it all was, said crow got a permanent home at the star’s home, where it is spending the remainder of its life "cawing” voci¬ ferously for all the attention it can get. Miss Pickford’s new version of “Tess of the Storm Country” is coming next .. to the. Theatre under a United Artists re¬ lease. The magnificent rug which adorns the.grand parlor “set” in Mary Pick¬ ford’s new “Tess of the Storm Coun¬ try,” a United Artists release coming next ... to the . Theatre, is perhaps the largest floor covering of its kind in this country. It is a Chinese rug, which measures eighteen by nineteen feet, a size sel¬ dom attempted by Mongolian manu¬ facturers. It is of a size and shape which fits few rooms. It was made to order for an oil operator living in Pasadena and who had to dispose of it on account of financial reverses. ZORRO GETS A SHOCK During the filming of one of the interior scenes of Mary Pickford’s 1922 production of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists release booked for next . at the . Theatre and made at the Pickford-Fairbanks Studios at Hollywood, Zorro, Miss Pickford’s wire-haired terrier, was wandering in and out of the “set” on a snooping expedition. He was exceedingly in¬ quisitive on this day and there was no nook or corner he did not invade. Inevitably, in all this unusual meand¬ ering he had to go too far. The lamps arranged around the "set” had just been turned on and the cam¬ eramen had started to crank their cameras as Miss Pickford and several members of her supporting cast were enacting an important scene. Zorro evinced an interest in an ad¬ jacent switch-board upon observing an electrician push in a switch. Bold¬ ly the canine trotted over to the de¬ vice and after scrutinizing it to his heart’s content, turned to go. In making this turn his tail came in contact with the switch in such a way as to cause a short circuit and to send many shocking waves of electricity through his body. There was a piercing yelp and a leap so high that the momentum of it .sent Zorro right onto the “set” within camera range. The scene was inter¬ rupted and Miss Pickford hastened to give aid to the victim of the shock. 'Afterward it was suggested to her that in view of Zorro’s. habit of loitering around the studios, it might be a good idea to attach an insulation to his tail to spare him from further shocks. SOME REAL “OLD CROW” Every center of great activity must have its wag and the Pickford-Fair¬ banks Studios at Hollywood constitute no exception as witnesseth the follow¬ ing episode which would be deleted from any moving picture.in these day* of concentrated censorship: An electrician of facetious turn of mind was on the job assisting the il¬ lumination director while Mary Pick¬ ford was makin her new production of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists release coming next .to the . Theatre. He felt the call of laughter and went out of his way to create cause for it. Hence he whispered confidentially into the ears of numerous fellow-employes a secret relative to an alleged discov¬ ery. This discovery, according to the fellow’s solemn declarations, had to do with the hidign place of some highly valued Old Crow, the intimation being the class of stuff Mr. Volstead could be expected to endorse. On »the appointed day at the hour specified at least twenty workmen stealthily made their way to the se¬ cluded corner with keen anticipations, and, when they got there, one after another, each was revealed to the others as most foolish. Yes, there was some Old Crow, just as promised, but —it was a jet-black bird, trying to sleep in a cage. It was the bird Miss Pickford used in several scenes in “Tess of the Storm Country.”