Screenland (Apr-Sep 1924)

Reissues, False Alarms, the Editorials By Griffith Goes to Italy ARRANGEMENTS have been made /-\ for D. W. Griffith to produce in Xll Italy under Italian management a series of pictures among which are numbered Faust, The Last Days of Pompeii, and The Quest of the Holy Grail. One million dollars capital is put at his disposal. The object of the enterprise is not so much the making of profit as the rehabilitation of the motion picture industry of Italy which was so badly crippled during the war. It seems to us a lamentable fact that the father of the American screenplay should have been first forced to leave Hollywood, the home of his early triumphs, for lack of proper backing and should be now about to abandon the "series" of American historical films which he so valiantly undertook in order to carry abroad the genius which American business enterprise has failed to recognize. Ingram Quits A NOTHER director who threatens to /-\ quit the commercialism of the New A )\ World for the paternalism of the Old is Rex Ingram, who . is preparing to give up his job and go to Tunis to live. "I do not like motion pictures," Mr. Ingram is credited with saying, "so why should I direct them?" Strange sentiments these, from the youngster who five years ago walked the streets of Hollywood in a frayed out uniform pleading with the studios to give him a chance. Famous Players Show Annual Profit F FAMOUS PLAYERS has issued a financial statement for 1923 which shows clearly the advantages of the homemade product. While other companies, gallivanting around the globe in search of new locations, have succeeded only in putting dangerous ideas into the heads of their actors and directors, Famous, in its Hollywood and Long Island studios, has been grinding steadily at it, rolling up an operating profit for 1923 of $4,605,784.93. Here is food for thought. 16 Re-Issues ^HE open season for the re-issuing of old Valentino pictures under new titles is now on. We have warned our readers before of this practice of releasing old prints which feature present day stars who in these films played only bits. Valentino is one of the worst sufferers in this regard. His rise to fame was gradual and during his lean years he played in many films. All of these discarded negatives are now being carefully gathered up, re-edited to feature him as strongly as possible and offered for sale to the small theatres against the time when Valentino's return and the releasing of his first new feature picture will make of value any film that bears his name. An amusing example comes to mind of one producer who owned a print featuring a woman star with Rudolph Valentino appearing only for a flash in one of the cafe scenes. The producer, however, contrived to cut the film in such a way that in response to the applause of the spectators, the little cafe dancer was obliged to give an encore. And sure enough, in the new reissued version of the film that portion of the picture is run off twice and Valentino does two dances that are exactly alike! The Soldier's Choice j\ Y what standard do you think these choices were arrived at? They are — )) according to the Exhibitors' Herald — the result of a campaign to determine the most popular star in the Sixth Corps Area, U. S. Army: Mae Murray 5, 000 Viola Dana 4,820 Shirley Mason 4,002 Claire Windsor 3>994 Lois Wilson 3>54-0 Agnes Ayres 3,oo^ Many stars on this list are conspicuous by their absence. Those listed are, without exception, very estimable and entertaining young ladies. But where, according to the soldier's choice, are the artistes of the screenplay? Where is Pola Negri, where is Gloria Swanson, where is Norma Talmadge? The answer, oh Sixth Corps Area, we crave to know!