Screenland (Dec 1927-Apr 1928)

PAYS BIG MONEY SCREENLAND star in Topsy and Eva over there — the the musical comedy version — in favor of California and a new motion picture.. Vivian's engagement to Nils Asther, the handsome new leading man seems very definitely 'on.' Nils' work keeps him in California, which may have influenced the Duncans' decision. Anyway, everybody's glad. Lillian Gish, in town for a vacation, has been doing the Broadway first-nights in company with George Jean Nathan, the crit' ic, so consistently these days that all those engagement rumors have popped up again. Lillian says 'no,' of course. Fans who have followed the fortunes of the Gish family will be glad to hear that Mrs. Gish, who has been seriously ill for some time, is now on the road to recovery. Lillian's picture plans are still indefinite, chiefly because she has still two more releases coming under her contract with M-G-M: The Wind and The Enemy. She worked so hard for the past year or two that she feels she has earned a rest; and time enough to sign a new contract when she feels like getting into harness again. The Wind, incidentally, is one of the few films that Miss Gish has ever made for which she has a word of praise. She worked harder in this picture than she did evtn in Way Down East. The physical hardships endured by the company were no joke, what with sand, and wind machines, and heat. So when Lillian says 'I'm pleased with it.' you know it must be good. Billie Dove came east at a half hour's notice. She was packing her husband's trunk for his trip to Washington, D. C. for conference with government officials about his forthcoming special "Big Guns," for Universal, when both of them suddenly realised they couldn't stand the separation. Billie got in touch with the studio and begged for a leave of absence. Nobody can refuse her anything, so schedules were switched and she hopped on the train at the very last minute, regardless of the fact that she had no time to pack any trunks for herself. And what an excuse to indulge in a shopping orgy when she arrived! Walking up Fifth Avenue with Billie Dove was like participating in a queen's triumphal procession. It looked as if all the movie fans in town had gathered to cheer her. Every time she went shopping she was followed by bevies of excited girls, and if you think all movie stars are hardboiled, you should have seen Billie blush! The presence of the pretty picture star in the audience at the first night of the Ziegfeld Follies made that always thrilling event even more exciting than usual. She left town a little girl who had won some notice as one of the most beautiful of Mr. Ziegf eld's many beautiful decorations. She returned a movie star, with a reputation as a good actress and a great box-office bet. They say that in a year or two Miss Dove will be second to none as a feminine drawing-card. In private life, however, she's very much Mrs. Irvin Willat. She's really a devoted, old-fashioned wife, and proud of it. Some day, the Willats hope to work together again for the films. You remember the Zane Grey westerns they made together, notably "Wanderer of the Waste land." ^ Although he's a big-time director, and she's a rapidly rising star, they remain, outside the studio, just a nice, young married couple. And in these days, what higher praise is there? There aren't many beauties who remain unspoiled and retain their sense of humor. Maybe that's why everybody, including Mr. Willat, is rooting for Billie Dove. An interesting new series is now in production at the Cosmopolitan Studio in New York. It is the Rainbow series of six two-reel productions, made entirely in color. Lars Moen, a former writer on movie subjects, is the director-producer. Mr. Moen studied German camera methods during a recent sojourn abroad, and brought back many ideas of value in developing this unique new series. Edna Murphy came on from California to play the leading role; she was chosen for her beautiful blonde coloring. Others in the cast are Mabel Swor, Follies beauty, and Walter Tennyson, promising juvenile who will also be seen in the William Boyd picture filmed at West Point. Leila Hyams became Mrs. Phil Berg at a wedding at Sherry's on Park Avenue, New York early in November. The little blonde Warner star had a real wedding — a hundred-year-old wedding veil, and all the trimmings. She has known her husband five years — in fact, it's a sort of childhood romance, for Leila is only twenty and he's just five years older. Mr. Berg is the son of a wealthy New York apartment builder, but he has gone into business for himself in Hollywood as a casting agent. His wife is not one of his clients. Her own manager is a woman. But Mr. Berg is exceedingly proud of her just the same! Leila Hyams is a very beautiful blonde, with none of the traditional affectation of a former 'child star.' She, instead, resembles a young lady fresh from a smart finishingschool — but not so very fresh. She used to play in vaudeville with her parents, the well-known team of Hyams and Mclntyre. She says she played 'dead bodies and 'offstage voices.' When she first tried her luck in pictures, no one knew she was around. She did extra work and bits; and then finally got the part in Summer Bachelors which started her on the road to fame. Now she has a five-year contract with Warner Brothers, and has lately been co-starring with Monte Blue. Johnny Hines, whose leading lady she was in White Pants Willie, calls her a second Corinne Griffith. She has much the same patrician quality. What's Doing in Times Square Continued from page 10 special famous picture. copy of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel with illustrations from the One woman had three volumes under her arm and each of her two companions had one. There was the excited, eager look of the huntress on her face, and as I passed she was sending one of her companions back for still another copy. Avarice, it seems, is still with us. For the rest there was Tea for Three at the Capitol with Lew Cody, Aileen Pringle and Tom Moore; Two Arabian Knights at the Rivoli with Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton and then there was My Best Girl at the Rialto with the girl who is and ever will be the Sweetheart of America and Queen of the Screen— Mary Piekford. GET READY QUICKLY FOR A BETTER JOB Many Earn $4*000 to $15,000 Yearly! 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