Screenland (Dec 1927-Apr 1928)

100 SCREENLAND WINTER NIGHTS Are StayAt-H ome Nights . . . and good reading is the key to a comfortable enjoyable evening . . . and Real Life Stories assures hours of thrilling, romantic reading enjoyment Get your copy at Newstands or the Send $1 . for a fwe^months" subscription, prepaid, postal delivery. Real Life Stories, Dept. S, 49 W. 45th St., N. Y. C. I enclose $1. for which please send me five months' issues of your magazine. Name Address City State » Screen NeWS— Continued from page 6 goodness, normal, interesting American femme. However, she may do another vamp soon, if Herbert Brenon decides to write in a part for her in his next for United Artists, Laugh, Clown, Laugh. It isn't settled yet. Monte Blue hasn't changed a bit! We used to know him when he worked for Griffith — quite some time ago as times go in the movies. He played Danton in D. W.'s Orphans of the Storm, you recall. And before that he was a sort of actorman-of-all-work around D. W.'s studio — since Intolerance days. But Monte was always earnest, always hard-working. No job has ever been too small for him to tackle — or too big, either. Now his jobs are getting bigger and better. He's been a full-fledged star for several years, and his drawing-power is steadily increasing. We're glad of. it, because in these days of swift success and, sometimes, just as quick failure, we need a few like Monte. He likes his work; he likes his company — Warner Brothers— he likes the parts they give him to play. Satisfied, and sincere — that's Mr. Blue. Tommy Meighan has been here. No, not in New York, but in Great Neck, Long Island. Tommy is a real country-boy, as country goes around this town. His place at Great Neck is a neat little farm-house with private bathing-beach and fixings. Meighan spends practically all his time out there while in the east, playing golf. When he does come in to town to see a show or do business, he always catches an early train back to the island. Thomas Meighan may seem indifferent to you in his pictures these days. Sometimes it seems that he walks through them. But just give him a good story — one he can believe in — and watch the change. That's what he wants more than anything — a good story. He admits he needs it. We wouldn't be surprised to hear of his signing with another company one of these days. But of course he has a few more films to make under his Paramount contract. 'Mable Normand Presents Lew Cody' — that's the way an act was billed at the Palace vaudeville theatre on Broadway. Lew wise-cracks also to the effect that he brings greetings from 'the luckiest girl in the world' — lucky, says Lew, because she married me. Cody is a capital kidder; he has a suave, easy line on the stage, and we're not surprised to hear that he is considering an offer to star in a new play. Mabel came east to see her husband — a Mabel who looks more like the fresh, vivacious Mabel of Sennett days than we have seen for a long time. She's still pert, and pretty; her great big eyes still snap, her wit still sparkles. Some day she'll make her screen come-back, see if she doesn't. Right now she is thinking of going into vaudeville. The Codys are a gay, debonair team; they remind us of that old vaudeville act billed as That Klassy Kare-free Couple. Mr. and Mrs. Buster Keaton were in town. Seems funny to call them that. They look just like a couple of kids. Natalie Keaton — the youngest Talmadge-that-was, and still is, for once a Talmadge, always one — is a little bit of a thing; a miniature edition of her famous sister Norma. You'd never guess she's the pr5ud mother of two bouncing boys. Buster is a shy, quiet chap with a rich vein of real humor. That frozen face is for screen purposes only. We sat near the Keatons in a theatre one night and Buster nearly laughed himself out of his seat over the antics of a brother comedian. It takes a comedian to appreciate another one's gags. For instance, all the funny fellows of the screen are enthusiastic about each other's work. Buster thinks Johnny Hines is funny, while Johnny roars at Buster and at Harry Langdon and Harold Lloyd. And of course they all howl at Chaplin. * # * Connie Talmadge came back from Europe with a brand-new divorce. Whenever Connie comes to town, things liven up. When you watch her on the screen, you don't see the half of it. Really, she's ten times more vivacious, more impish, more fascinating. There's a luxury and a glitter about her: in her hotel suite there is always an atmosphere of subdued excitement. She's the soubrette deluxe of the movies. And she is probably the most feted and admired of all the movie queens. The ex-Mrs. Alastair Mcintosh is heart-whole and fancy-free now: but we don't mind telling you that Buster Collier was in town at the same time. What? Oh. he was just doing a vaudeville turn with his dad, William Collier, Sr. That's all. $ $ $ There's an exotic lady in the movies named Rosa Rudami. An Italian, discovered by Cecil De Mille. She has ravenblack tresses reaching below her knees, languorous eyes, and an intriguing accent. The latter doesn't show on the screen but the hair and eyes do. She's no longer with De Mille but she'll soon be making a new picture, as well as a stage appearance in a new play, she tells us. Anyway, she made the Algonquin sit up and take notice. * * * George Bancroft, the star of Underworld, is now on top of the world. He's one of the few stars to have several pictures playing on Broadway simultaneously, so he had to come east to see for himself. There's nothing rough or uncouth about Mr. Bancroft 'in person." He was as much at home in George's dining room at the 'Gonk' as any member of the intelligentsia. And why not? * * * Virginia Valli was in town for a vacation— just in time to see herself on the screen at the Roxy in East Side, West Side. Virginia went to see her picture, all by herself. She paid to get in, and nobody paid any attention to her — except, of course, on the screen. She says she is never recognized— and when she is, she is mistaken for somebody else! That's an Irishism, and Virginia has a right to it, because her real name is Sweeney. She has often been addressed as 'Miss Vidor' or 'Miss Talmadge.' (Norma.) Somebody suggested that the reason she's never recognized is because she didn't have an ermine coat. So on this trip east she remedied that. Just the same, we've seen fans rush up to her in theatres and ask her for her autograph, and not seem in the least surprised to discover that it was Virginia Valli. She's just about the favorite film star up in Portland, Maine. She went up there to be a judge in a beauty contest to select 'Miss Maine,' and came close to being chosen herself. Those Duncan Sisters, Rosetta and Vivian, have given up a trip to England to