Hid •v Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/pictureshowannuaOOamal Corinne Griffith, " The Lady in Ermine," proves a shawl and a fan are just as becoming. Corinne is one of the long-established stars whose popularity shows no signs of declining and beauty no signs of fading. - Picture Show Annual 9 rkey Ktpt~ thcMouies Francis X. Bushman as Messala, the villain of the piece, and Ramon Novarro, the hero, in " Ben Hut." PICTURESQUE PERSONALITIES OF THE PICTURES—PAST AND PRESENT ALTHOUGH the cinema as we know it now—and by that I mean plays made by moving pictures—is only about eighteen years old (for it was in the Wallace spring of 1908 that D. W. Griffith started to direct for Reid, the old Biograph), its short history is packed with whose death romance and tragedy. robbed the screen ofa boyish charm Picture plays there had been before Griffith came on and breezy cheer the scene. The first movie that could really be called iness that have a picture play was " The Soldier's Courtship," made by never been replaced. an Englishman, Robert W. Paul, on the roof of the Alhambra Theatre in 18% ; but it was in the Biograph Studio that the real start was made with the film play. Here Mary Pickford started her screen career, to be followed later by Lillian and Dorothy Gish, and the three Talmadge sisters. Natalie Talmadge did not take as kindly to film acting as did her sisters, and when Norma and Constance had made a name and the family had gone from New York to Hollywood Natalie went into the business side of the films and held some big positions before she retired on her marriage with Buster Keaton. Most of the actors and actresses in the first pictures directed by D. W. Griffith are unknown to present-day picturegoers, but among them were Owen Moore and Mack Sennett and Flora Finch. B 10 Picture Show Annual Maurice Costello with his wife and daughters Dolores and Helene. A photograph taken when he was a popular screen hero. In circle: Theda Bara. the fnost famous oj the old-time vamps. Left: Pearl White in a scene Bill Hart " Plunder," from one of the on the many serials in which she warpath. made her name. It is a hard matter to say who was actually the first At popular film " hero," but the distinction most probably belongs to Maurice Costello or Francis X. Bushman. Francis X. Bushman was the strong man hero in a physical sense. A man of magnificent physique, he looked the part and his type appealed to picture-goers for a con- siderable time. Maurice Costello was more of the drawing- room type of " hero," and he and his land reigned " unchallenged till the juvenile hero," so admirably played by the late Wally Reid, took the affections of film-goers. " With regard to Western heroes," there is no ques- tion that Broncho Billy was the first popular star. He had quite a successful reign, not only in America, but in this countrv, and I have never been able to find out why he left the pictures. Writing from memory, I think Bill Hart must have been the next popular Western " hero." Bill introduced quite a distinct character to the screen, that of the Good- Bad Man, and in his day he had one of the strongest Picture Show Annual 11 12 Picture Show Annual fallowings of any picture-player. His success was Chosen for the part because of his still-wonderful thoroughly deserved, for not only was Bill Hart a fine physique, Bushman took the acting honours, and in the " " actor, but the stories in which he appeared when at the language of the films, stole the picture from Ramon top of his career were among the best ever screened. Novarro, the hero. Hart's decline in popularity is one of the mysteries of The Serials the- movies. It cannot have been due to the public To Pearl White goes the honour of being the first getting tired of Western pictures, for these are still popular serial queen, and one might almost say she was popular, though the story of the average Western, and also the last, for though many other women followed the acting in it, is far below the standard set by Bill Hart. in the steps of this beautiful stunt star, none of them But whatever the cause, Bill Hart's stock sank, and the ever captured the public as Pearl had done. One screen lost one of its richest characters. reason for this was that the serial lost its hold on the He staged a come-back but failed to regain his hold public. There was a time when it was the strongest on the public. There is no mystery why the come- feature in a picture programme, and entire families back failed. Hart's "Wild Bill Hickok " was a bad used to make a weekly or twice-weekly visit to the picture. It was too subtle for the screen, too long- cinema to follow the fortunes of the hero and heroine winded or prosy, whereas Bill's big successes had always in the serial. Probably one of the best-remembered of " a powerful but simple theme. Pearl White's serials was The Exploits of Elaine," and AJ1 the same, Bill Hart was a great figure in the history what exploits they were. of the films, and he certainly did his share in keeping That they were amazingly improbable did not diminish the movies moving. the interest of the picture-goer of the time, in fact they Writing of screen come-backs reminds me that probably added to that interest. The serial still lives, but it is the most successful was that of Francis X. Bushman, as no longer the drawing card it was, and its box-office Messala, the proud Roman villain in " Ben Hur." attraction now lies with the hero, not the heroine. Louise Fazenia does a little amateur valeting for William V. Mong. Noah Beery's career of screen villainy has been so highly successful that there is little hope of him reforming. Lon Chanty, who changes his appear ance with every film, as he appea " the role of Fagin in Oliver Twist.' 13 Picture Show Annual 14 Picture Show Annual Walter Hiers, with one eye on the weather, safeguards his straw hat by carrying a brolly. But in the hey-day of her fame, Pearl White was understanding of human nature and a love for the exceedingly popular in many countries, and she may people is Mabel s greatest asset, and she is also a natural claim that she was one who kept the movies moving. comedienne, seeing fun in situations when others might not have noticed the comic element. There can be no doubt that she would have Comedians and Comediennes made a big name on the music-hall stage, for she Under this head I think we may safely place Charlie had a way of telling a story that was really great. Chaplin and Mabel Normand as being the first really I shall never forget how she held a gathering of popular favourites. Pressmen on her first visit to London, just telling Charlie is a screen figure that will ever be remem- stories of the film studios. Mabel was a member of bered in the history of the pictures. Starting in pure the old Biograph company, but like Charlie, she made slapstick comedy he soon made such a name that he was her first big hit with Mack Sennett in slapstick comedy. able to strike out on his own and give us something And, also like Charlie, she was never equalled in her entirely different—the wistful, comic, yet romantic little own line. man, down-trodden and pushed aside by the world, yet A comedienne of quite a different type, but a real always finding consolation in his dreams and occasionally artist, is Dorothy Gish. When she first played under the getting his own back on his persecutors by some impish banner of Griffith there were many who thought she trick. Charlie was, and always will be, the comedian was a much better artist than her sister Lillian. It is " " who could not be imitated, though hundreds tried it on hard to judge between a temperamental heroine like stage as well as screen. Lillian and a roguish romp like Dorothy ; but I have As for Mabel Normand, she has never been surpassed always held the opinion that Dorothy is the better in her own line. I always regard her as the Marie actress, for she has not only a real gift for comedy, but Lloyd of the screen, and there was much in common she is also capable of depicting pathos and even between Mabel and the great Marie. An intense tragedy. Picture Show Annual 15 It is a big step to go from Dorothy Gish to Zasu Pitts, and I scarcely know why I take it, except that I have always held the belief that one day Zasu will prove she is a great comedienne (writing some considerable time before the date of publication of this Annual, I have a feeling that she may have accom- plished what I am now predicting, but, in any case, she has the makings of a really fine comedienne). She has already given to the screen many wonderful studies of a comic character, but she has never shown us that real comedy which I feel sure she could do.