The Motion Picture Director (Jul-Dec 1925)

MOTION PICTURE

DECEMBER 25 CENTS

WILLIAM A. SEITER

JOHN BARRYMORE in ‘‘The Sea Beast

Articles by JUNE MATHIS - PAULINE FREDERICK - AL CHRISTIE - MARGARET ETTINGER

Stories about GEORGE MELFORD - WM. SEITER - HAL ROACH - WARNER BROS. - WILLIAM DE MILLE I am Life and Death . . . Love and Hate

. . . Heartbreak and Happiness. My voice is

the voice of nations, my soul is the soul of ten million men.

1 am the joyous laughter of the girls of France, the mirth of men who died smiling,

the gay murmurings of lovers . . . and the sad

whisper of Flanders’ poppy fields.

I am the thunder of guns whose message spells destruction, the merry sound of popping

corks, the heady music of love - songs . . . and the funeral march played for soldiers.

I am the shining mirage of glory, the black muck of the trenches, the white heat of

battle, the bitter gray of pain - racked dawns

. . . and the softly - tinted rainbow of love.

I am Pain, I am Terror, I am Romance, 1 am made of blood and tears and heroism and happiness.

I am the story that will never die while

men have tongues to tell it.

I am

Such is the tribute paid to King Vidor, the director, John Gilbert, tbe star, and Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer, the producers, by William N. Counselman, the noted author, after seeing tbe supreme masterpiece of all time. Presented with Sid Grauman’s Mighty Prologue with 150 People on the Stage Sunday Seat Sale at WURLITZER’S, 814 So. Bdwy, or Egyptian Theater, HOlIy 2131 me MOTION PICTURE

Volume 2 Number 5

Bernard A. Holway Managing Editor Editor Business Manager CONTENTS

William SEITER {Photo by Melbourne spurr) Cover

Rubber Stamp Pictures .... . Robert Vignola 4 In the Director’s Chair J. Stuart Blackton 5

John Barrymore in “The Sea Beast” . . . Fred Applegate 6 Screen Personalities 10 The Four Warners and Bennie Zeidman 16

Behind THE Camera FOR William DeMille . . L . Guy Wilky 20 Sally, Irene and Mary Margaret Ettinger 22

School Days in Movieland Sam B . Jacobson 28 The Man ON THE Cover ...... Tom Engler 29

Symbolism in THE Silent Drama . . ... June Mathis 31

Seeing America First in Australia . . . Pauline Frederick 33

Faces and Fancies From the Films . 35 George Melford Goes to Alaska .... Whitney Williams 36

Hal Roach’s Revolution ... . Arthur 0 . Hagerman 38 On Location in a Steel Mill ...... Billy Leyser 39

Shooting Irons for Shooting Stars . ... Val J. Oldshu 42 Directors Honor King Vidor Pete Smith 44

Selling Pictures With Pictures . . ... Al Christie 45 Angle Shots 47 Wampas Doings 50 Wasp Whisperings 51

The Barnstormer (Conclusion) . .... Frank Cooley 52

The Night Bride (Part VI) ... . . Frederic Chapin 55

What the Directors Are Doing . . 60 Medals and the Man 61

It Can Be Done—But . . Sylvano Balboni 62 California Women Discuss Pictures 64

Director Publishing Corporation, Published monthly by The 1925 N. Wilcox Ave., Hollywood, California. J. Stuart Blackton, president and editor; Frank Cooley, secretary-treasurer; Richmond Wharton, business manager; Tim Crowley, professional advertising, Blan- chard, Nichols and Coleman; general advertising representatives, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle. Single copies 25 cents, yearly subscription, $2.50. Entered as second class matter, October 1, 1925, at the postofEce in Los Angeles, California under the act of March 3, 1879. PRINTED IN U.S.A. THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

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I know You know Everybody knows

It Pays to Publicize

Let’s talk it over/

GEORGE LANDY PUBLICITY EXPLOITATION 6683 Sunset Boulevard HEmpstead 2893 SUITE 3 / —

THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR Decern

Rubber Stamp Pictures

By Robert Vignola

\ responsible for good because the motion picture is just a repetition of the same old stories. “The producer,” m Y / answers the Meanwhile “The Last Laugh” is on the ex- X /I / man with the money who manu- change shelves, losing money for its owner. And / 1/ factures and sells them. the man who could make an equally interesting Y “The actor,” answers players and snapshot of life is trying to make Westerns! public. The public shops for its books, its magazines, its ^Vho is responsible for bad pictures? plays, its music— for every form of entertainment

“The director,” answer producer, pla 5'er and pub- but its pictures. It still goes, in large part, to the lic, in chorus. nearest theater, or the one with the cleverest pub-

And there you have a story. licity man, or the one with the most comfortable

Here is the way a photoplay is made today: seats and most imposing lobby, or the one with the

The story is purchased from a popular play- best music. It doesn’t buy its motion pictures with wright or author; rewritten at the suggestion of the same fine perspicacity that it buys its plays or the producer; put into script form. The sets are its literature. The man who wants to read Mencken built, the lighting is arranged, the cast is chosen or Cabell won’t buy a volume of Harold Bell and then the director is called in to make the pic- Wright just because he can get it in a more impos- ture according to preconceived notions, with sug- ing store. The woman who wants to hear a phil- gestions from everyone on the lot from producer to harmonic orchestra doesn’t go to hear a jazz band office boy. because it plays in a more convenient auditorium.

Tire motion picture director of today has lost his If the picture-going public would exercise the individuality in great part. He is compelled to same discrimination they would rapidly find better barter his soul for a job. films on the market. There are many men direct-

And the public is to blame. ing pictures today who are pulling at the leash,

It will patronize novelty in any other art, or anxious to exert themselves in the improvement of business, than that of the motion picture. It will the motion picture, anxious to show the public what shout its encouragement to the pioneer in literature, can be done with this new art. But they can get painting or playwriting. If an unknown playwright no encouragement. in New England gets a work of his produced in an The director is at the mercy of the producer, who abandoned barn in one of New York’s back alleys paj^s him his salary and provides him with the cast he can be assured that it will be on Broadway and and equipment needed to make a picture. The his name will ring round the world if the play producer is at the mercy of the theater-owner who shows genius. If a poet has something to say worth buys his pictures. And the theater-owner will not while, his lines may first be printed in a weekly buy a type of picture which has not already had the paper in St. Louis, but soon after they will be read stamp of public approval. Give him Westerns after in a book available in Kokomo and London. “The Covered Wagon,” Bible pictures after “Ben

The public demands that its bookstores, its the- Hur,” costume pictures after “Robin Hood” and he aters, its art galleries bring it what it wants. It is happy. allows its motion picture theater owners to choose Let the public show a curiosity as to what can its own entertainment fare. “The Covered Wagon” be done with the motion picture. Let it flock to is a success. It makes money for the exhibitor. So theaters showing the original, novel things which it

he books all the . Western he can find. And the says it wants and keep away from the theaters show- public, which still in great part goes “to see a pic- ing the lurid picture of moth-eaten plot and the ture,” keeps on filling his theater and complaining future of screen entertainment will be solved. : '

192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 5

the Director's Chair

The Open Door

N SEPTEMBER, 1922, upon the invitation of Will H. At a recent meeting of the motion picture department of the Hays, sixty-two national organizations—educational, recrea- Los Angeles district of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, I tional, religious, civic and near governmental—delegated rep- this phase of the situation was forcibly illustrated in the brief resentatives to the formation of a single national committee which talks made to the assembled women by representatives of the should undertake the reflection of public opinion on the broad motion picture industry. Sol Lesser summed up the situation subject of Better Pictures. This reflection of public opinion was very aptly when he said conceived as being interpreted by the views of the individual “You are our co-partners in this and your part of the job is members of this committee and the organizations which they not only to make the better pictures pay, but to elevate the, taste, of represented. These views were passed on to the producers as the public—to awaken civic consciousness. If the-public wyilLnot constructive aids for the development of screen plays which should come to our pictures no matter how good they may be, the'reican , conform to expressed wishes of the people. be little use in making them.” Mr. Lesser cited several instances Out of this committee’s action grew “The Open Door” with where productions were endorsed and sponsored by the women’s its motto, “The Public Be Pleased.” clubs but to the showings of which very few members of those ,

The functioning of the committee received but little publicity organizations attended. and recognition of its existence was slow in coming. But then, M rs. Wallace Reid touched on another phase of the situation any educational movement is usually slow in gaining recognition, when, in discussing pictures suitable for children, she said, .‘.‘Y,0.u.,. its progress invariably being measured in direct proportion to its in library "and would not think of turning your child loose a great ; ability to establish good faith. saying to him, read anything you wish. You must choose the The organized work of the public relations committee has had pictures for your children and should. not expect the industry to do its effect, however, and national organizations with member- it for you.” ships mounting into the thousands, as well as single individuals Passing resolutions endorsing some pictures and condemning representing only themselves, have stepped through the “Open others will not bring about the desired result. Only in the same Door” and have registered their opinions on the subject of better proportion that the theatre-going public will assume their respqn-' pictures. ^ sibility can the producer recognize their right to a voice in the, But one important thought has been overlooked by the 40,000,- production of the entertainment they pay to see. ' 000 theatre patrons who are reported to attend the 18,000 theatres Viewed from any angle, it is a big thing an epochal thing—' of this country every week. — this opening of the door by the producers and their saying in The “Open Door” swings both ways. If it obligates the pro- effect: “Express yourselves freely and as often as you wish, and ducer of motion pictures to the acceptance of the voice of the so long as you are fair in your demands and sincere in your opin- people, it also imposes upon the theatre patron the obligation of ions, we shall be glad to work with you in the development of acquainting himself with the problems of the producer and giving American motion pictures for the benefit of all who see them.” constructive thought to their solution. Without this co-operation It is the responsibility of every man and woman who looks to the “Open Door” cannot become truly effective, and may even the motion picture theatre for entertainment, recreation and in- automatically swing closed because of the indifference of the public. struction, to play a part in building to that goal. If you sincerely It is that not enough national committees be appointed to in- want better pictures, work for better pictures, and attend the quire into what may be done, or to work with the producers. It pictures that typify the films you want. is not enough that the national organizations, the women’s clubs, of Motion Picture Director are endeavoring to the Parent-Teachers’ Associations and similar bodies pass resolu- We The meet you half way. are striving to effect that better under- tions endorsing this picture, condemning that and favoring in We standing between those and those see motion broad, sweeping phrases the development of “better pictures.” who make who pictures which will help to bring about the result desired. One There is an individual responsibility that must be met if the way in which you can help us is in writing freely and frankly, ambitions of those who are earnestly and sincerely concerned with us expressing views. the men and women who constitute the American theatre-going your public owe it to themselves to do their part. The door is open. Will you enter? 6 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

T IS a peculiar attribute of the I screen that it frequently affords to those who have followed the speaking stage and have risen to great heights in the spoken drama, opportunities for expression hitherto denied them. In the heart of every great actor there burns the desire some day to portray some great part or to appear in a character completely at variance with stage roles which have hitherto been theirs. Such an opportunity has been afforded John Barrymore in the Warner Brothers classic, “The Sea Beast.” In this virile production of the sea and of the old whaling days of 1840 his Titan soul has found expression he has long craved and and in his delineation of the character elemental, something carefree of Ahab Ceeley he has found the gay, something fulfillment of a magnihcent dream. and frank and genuine It has long been Barrymore’s in which he could have full desire to portray a real he-man play for the talent that is character, for Barrymore is essen- his. tially a man’s man. While he has For years it has been Barry- risen to the pinnacle of fame in more’s ambition to translate Her- his chosen profession, as the draw- man IVIehille’s splendid old novel of ing room hero, as the polite, pos- the American whaling industry, “Moby turing beau and as the delicate, Dick,” into pictures. Bess Meredyth’s piffling, aristocratic dandy, adaptation of that story as the scenario he has hated such roles with for “The Sea Beast” has afforded him manifold intensity and has the opportunity he has desired and as a longed for something raw result production of this picture has been with him a work of love.

H is enthusiasm and inspiration so completely permeated the rest of the company during the filming of the story that even the grip carpenter, with in- stinctive uneasiness, felt himself being swayed by an unwonted thrill of enthusiasm and covered up by remarking to an electrician, “It’s just another picture, George.” But he knew it wasn’t 192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 1

but always when the time and so did his auditors. It is the culminating masterpiece of a part of the star. There was a double for this.” In the long glarious life work. came, “I’ll do this. I don’t need anybody ran up the Ahab Ceeley, the blithe and ardent lover, the intrepid har- shots as well as the close-ups it was Barrymore who slid the mainstays, pooner, the game sportsman, the rustic gentleman, is Barrymore’s ratlines, stood watch in the crow’s nest, down by best loved character, the favorite child among his many great was knocked out of the speeding whaleboat, or was deluged quarter-deck. 1 he creations. No studied affectation here. Just a salty young New tons of sea water as a wave swept over the veneration and in some England sailor-man of 1840, full of life and love and laughter, respect of the company progressed to love, clothing, cramped from a hardy. God-fearing, self-respecting, sea-faring family. cases actual worship as despite chills, drenched quarters, cracked ribs, infected rope The story begins in old New Bedford with its windy streets and comfortless dressing into the icy ocean, Barrymore of neat, frugal, weather-beaten dwellings and its clean salt smell, burns on arms and legs, and plunges from which, on hoard the three-masted schooner “The Three persisted in being his own stunt man. Brothers,” Ahab and his brother Derek (George O’Hara) are twenty feet below the sea shipping for he story of how he went down dragged down by the sounding whale a whaling T surface Avith the boat leaped before its nose had cruise of a Avhen all the stunt daredevils in it had overturned boat, year or two. dipped beneath the water, came up under the Hoaa’ did There fought his way out, and gasped AA’ith his first breath, year in studio lore. Ahab bade it look?” Avill live for many a Ellis, “was his hand, still his betroth- “The last 1 sarv of Jack,” said John ed ( Dolores acting.” the peerless gem of Costello) a Then there is quaint and beautiful Java, land made for love. glad fare- all the seas, with its exotic tropical gardens, a and well for Here the betrothed meet for a brief, sAveet space of delicate eager quest of “Moby she and her then Ahab is gone again in missionary He finds father were him only to shortly de- him, parting for lose and is ter- the island r i b in- of Java jured1 y where a 1 1 would meet t h r o u g h Derek’s un- again in a few months. realized And then treadle r y . begins the Maimed , typical in terrific whaler’s agon y of life. In soul and those days body, his w haling s u per-

n s i t i e was at its se V prime, and mind play- had been ed upon by his perfidi- develo p e d into a fine art. Although hunting, killing and rendering the ous brother and rival, lie gives up all hopes of Esther and con- centrates his great hugest of creatures into oil to fill the lamps of the world was powers on the destruction of “Moby Dick.” acquires the captaincy of then one of the principal industries of New England, it was still He “The Pequod,” and his bitter, malig- the most perilous and excitiiig of sports, the most exacting of nant, feverish energy m.akes of it a hellship in Avhich only the stamin, steady nerve, lightning action and constant courage. devil’s OAvn creAV Avill ship. The accident Avhich had cost him his great love perverts his it'^'T^HE SEA BEAST” covers every phase of the strange and pride, ambition, and fair gifts of mind and body into deadly poison, i adventurous lives of the whalers, the training school in distilling in his ingroAvn thoughts a breAV of malice Avhich he which was laid the foundation for the valorous exploits of the speAvs forth upon a world he hates. American marine in the Revolution, the War of 1812 and otlier In one cliaracteristic scene Avhich Avould grip and tAvist the affairs of glory and honor which commanded renown and respect emotions of a stone idol, he struggles Avith the spinning Avheel for the American flag on all the seven seas. from Avhich a roaring billoAV has just Avashed the steersman over- With marvelous fidelity and interest are reproduced the scenes board. The storm of Avind and rain beats past him, tugging of life aboard ship, the weeks of fair weather and lazy inactivity furiously at his sodden seaman’s clothing. His peg leg slips and seasoned with yarning, horseplay, and preparation for the final for a moment the Avheel escapes his grasp like a struggling fiend. chase the prayers for success the dangerous passages, and days The ship SAverves into the trough of the enormous seas as he ; ; and nights of man-breaking hardship and toil, during the great quickly catches himself and a mountainous billoAV SAA’eeps over it, storms; the final sighting of the whales; the breathless, straining completely obliterating him for a long moment. He emerges pursuit in the eight-oared boat, the planting of the iron in the Avaving his free fist and liurling curse after curse at the raging quivering flesh of the huge mammal, the long weary fight before night. His cap is gone, his sodden, gray-streaked hair Avhips in the killing, often ending in tragedy—men playing a great fish clammy strings about his aAvful face. He laughs a laugh of twenty times the size of their cockle-shell of a boat—the cutting maniacal scorn and triumph at the impotent fury of the elements. up and drying out, the reeking blubber on the ship’s decks the In this terrific conflict his soul finds relief from its racking grief. ; triumphal entry into port laden deep with the precious casks of This is one of the great dramatic scenes—poAverful, gripping, oil; the glad greeting of dear ones, or the debauching spree in intense, a crashing crescendo of Avild, flaming emotions and strain- the grog-shops and sailors’ roosts. ing elements.

All this called for much strenuous and dangerous action on the Then there is the hurricane, like nothing ever seen before upon 8 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December the screen, the ^\’recking by a monstrous rvaterspout of “I'he and three mates, one to a boat, the captain remaining on the ship. Juno,” the ship on which the broken-hearted Esther and her In ‘‘Moby Dick,” Herman Melville says of the harpooner; fatlier are returning in company with the execrable Derek to ‘‘Now it needs a strong, nervous arm to strike the first iron into

New England, and the final accounting of the two brothers. the fish for often in what is called long dart, the heavy imple- ; a This great tale, an epic of American sea life in its most virile ment has to be flung to the distance of twenty or thirty feet. But and vigorous period, is Barrymore’s supreme contribution to the however prolonged and exhausting the chase, the harpooner is classics. It has given him the finest opportunity for the expression expected to pull his meanwhile to the uttermost indeed, he oar ; of his great spirit and the exercise of the limitless versatility of is expected to set an example of superhuman activity to the rest, his incomparable not only by in- dramatic powers credible rowing of any role he but by repeated has ever created loud and intrepid on stage or exclamations. No screen. wonder that some ‘‘The Sea of them actually Beast’’ is not burst their blood only a great Bar- vessels in the rymore picture, boat.” it is in e v e r y Th is is the sort truth a scree n of character that classic. In addi- B a r rymore tion to the mar- creates, vivid, in- velous opportu- tense.

nity it affords the Season after star for the real- season the great ization of cher- winged ships

ished dreams, it braved the perils affords compara- of Arctic seas, tive opportunitv bearing on their for a new star decks the best just rising above and the worst of the horizon. As America’s man- Esther Wiscasset, hood. Whaling Dolores Costello ships and whal- is the sweet, ing men pushed charming maid of into the far un- the early forties, known corners of

' p 1 a 3 i n g up to the earth, brav- Barrymore’s he- ing all weather roic qualities and all danger to throughout the follow Avherever production. the whale might From this lead. Here was daughter of that engendered that celebrated screen dogged determi- actor — Maurice nation, ready in- Costello — much genuity, and un- ma\' confidently failing sportsman-

be expected, ship which is the promise of which foundation of has been given in modern America. ‘‘1 he Sea Beast.” It was rugged, George O’Hara, eventful life, full

as the perfidious of ever - present brother of the danger and sud- hero, is immense- den death. Crew- ly realistic in his killing captains

V i 1 1 a i n y and ruled with the true to type. closed fist and be- John Barrymore, as Ahab laying pin. Ships T N ‘‘The Sea fought each other J. Beast” has for disputed been created wbat in truth may be considered an epic of the sea quarry. A few turned pirate or smuggler but in the main the and of the men who followed the whales over the seven seas. And officers and men of the whaling fleet were upright, hard-working, through it runs the story of Moby Dick, the wise old grand- and honest. daddy of all whales, victor in many an encounter with human foe. A particularly colorful spot in the picture is the grand ball in In this vivid, realistic depiction of whaling life, John Barry- the quaintly and curiously half-European, half-Javanese palace of more’s characterization of Ahab Ceelev stands out dominantly. the Dutch governor-general. The approach through the garden This was not Ahab’s first whaling voyage. Already he had with the long fountain in the center and the soft, mellow lights won the coveted honor and danger of harpooner or “boatsteerer.” of the Chinese lanters is particularly delightful. The ‘‘boatsteerers” were picked men, of whom there were usually The ballroom was a gala kaleidoscope with the officials in their three to a vessel with the rank of petty officers under the captain bright-hued and decorative uniforms and their ladies, veritable DIRECTOR 9 19 2 5 THE MOTION PICTURE

the unfortunate Ahab, to leave him maimed for life. pyramids of lacy ruffled, feminine loveliness dancing the graceful down upon and Ahab, crippled for life, in terrific agony redowa and the sprightly Berlin polka. Moby Dick escaped body, his sensitive mind played upon by the perfidy of Strange to occidental eyes are the crooked tortuous streets or of soul and and rival, gave up all hopes of Esther and devoted the Javanese seaport town teeming with life, a queer intermin- his brother life the destruction of mad old whale. gling of native and European fashions, customs, buildings, con- his to achievement, Millard Webb, a vigorous veyances and people. Street venders vied with little hole-in-the- With this directorial turned thirty, has projected himself from the wall shops almost in the street filled with food, queer confections, young man just into the exclusive inner and miscellaneous curios and nick-nacks from all over the worid. ranks of the promising young directors circle of the mas- At one place one ter craftsmen. sees a native wmman haggling H is rise has been h n o e n- with a squatty p e m ally rapid for al- dealer over a though he string of dried has been in the pic- cutleflsh. At the ture next stall a pret- business ty European girl since 1915, it is only in in fluffled hoop the last skirts and poke seas o n that he has possessed the bonnet is pricing cabinets from megaphone. His China. career lias been Mutual enjoy- that of extra, ment of these lead, assistant di- strange and inter- rector, adapter, esting experiences co-author, scenar- ist, CO - director, and then Ahab is gone again in ea- and director. ger quest of Bess Meredyth, Moby Dick the who so success- , great white fully accom- whale, the demon plished the diffi- and the quarry cult task of of all brave adapting “Moby whaling men. Dick’’ to the Out upon the screen, has clean blue tropic achieved one of seas again, a fair, the most enviable warm w i n d out positions in tbe of a cloudless picture world. bowl of blue Besides the “Sea pushing them on Beast’’ she has to toward Moby her credit a Dick and destiny. splendid string of On a lazy day artistic and when the crew financial success-

were sprawling es, among which about the deck, are “The Red came the cautious Lily,” “Strangers but exultant cry of the Night,” from the lookout, and finally “Don “She blo-o-o-ws Juan,” the next Thirty degrees Barrymore opus on the port now in produc- bow! It’s Moby tion on Warner’s Dick!’’ Vitagraph lot.

At last ! Moby An account of Dick, tbe boat- the picture would smasher, the be incomplete in- man - killer, the deed without mad whale. The mention of the crew made a artistic cinemato- wild dash for their boats, each one eager to have the honor of graphy of Byron Haskins. He is another youngster who has planting the first iron. Ahab’s crew with their eager, muffled grown up with pictures and although he had just risen from a oars reached the huge mammal first, the iron was planted. A long and wasting illness he strove with a creative fire and tire- shudder and a gasp like a geyser spouting, then the heavy line lessness which would have done credit to a man of much stronger

leaped taut with a singing whine as it burned through the smok- and more robust constitution. ing groove in the bow. Now all held fast as with a jerk the boat In “Moby Dick” Herman Melville created a novel that has follow'ed. But this was the Berserk whale, and as Ahab and found wide favor. In “The Sea Beast” Warner Brothers have Derek changed places according to whaling usage Derek bumped created a screen masterpiece which may confidently be predicted against him. In a moment he was in the water. Moby Dick to achieve the same wide popularity. At the first advance showing was completing a wide circle. Suddenly he turned back, charging given the production the finished picture exceeded all expectations. 10 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

Photo by Warner Bros.

Kenneth Harlan, although under contract to Warner Brothers, where he has just completed a featured role in “The Fighting Edge,” will next appear under the F.B.O. banner as featured lead in “King of the Turf,” returning to Warner Brothers upon the completion of that engagement. 1925 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 11

Photo by Warner Bros.

Marie Prevost, having just completed the feminine lead in Warner Brothers’ “His Jazz Bride,’’ is now being featured by that same organization in “Other Women’s Husbands,’’ in which she appears opposite Monty Blue and Huntley Gordon. 12 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

Photo by Ruth Harriet Louise

As Mrs. Dugan in Edmund Goulding’s adaptation of “Sally, Irene and Mary,” Kate Price has again scored with her unfailing regularity when cast in roles which allow her full play for her genuine characterizations. DIRECTOR 13 192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE

Photo by Ruth Harriet T/Ouire

After many years of sterling characterizations on stage and screen, Tom O’Brien’s masterly portrayal of the corporal in “The Big Parade’’ has elevated him to the foremost ranks of character leading men. 14 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

Photo by Witzel

Johnny Harron has celebrated the conclusion of his first year as a Warner Brothers’ contract star by completing the featured role in J. Stuart Blackton’s “The Bride of the Storm,” adapted from “Maryland, My Maryland.” 19 2 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 15

Photo by Melbourne Spurr

Laura La Plante, who has just completed a brilliant characterization of “Honey” in Bill Seiter’s production of “Skinner’s Dress Suit,” is one of whom great things are expected during the coming year. Her next picture will be “Poker Faces,” opposite Edward Everett Horton. 16 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

Off Screen The Four and B Zeid

Albert Warner

case they had to do without chairs, but in those primitive pioneer days, chairs were merely incidental as one reel running twelve minutes, and an illustrated song requiring three constituted a performance. One reel contained several complete stories. When the show was over the audience of You’re as luelcome two hundred or less filed quickly out as-

as the floivers in sisted by a burly usher. As soon as the May, audience was out the next filed in, many being “repeaters.” When things were go- J ad I love you in ing well there was a performance every the same old way. twenty minutes—so many a day that they didn’t bother to keep track of them. So well did the Bijou succeed with a seating capacity of ninety-eight that they ittle twelve-year-old Jack opened the Cascade. L Warner warbled from a corner of the stage of the Jack 1904 the four brothers old Dome Picture Palace in N entered the Warner I Youngstown, Ohio, to the tinny distributing arena with the Duquesne accompaniment of a tired pianist Amusement and Supply Company of Pitts- as appropriately sentimental, hec- burgh, Pa., and Norfolk, Va. This flour- tic-hued pastoral chromos were ished and expanded until in 1910 the Gen- flashed upon the screen. It was just eral Film Company, a syndicate of the then leading twenty-one years ago that Jack, youngest of entertainment in which they were all producers caught the D.A.S. in a of the famous Warner quintet began his destined to play such important parts. corner and pinched it into a bargain sale. career as a public entertainer by singing The next theatrical venture of the War- Undaunted the four joined forces with illustrated ballads at the little theatre that ner family involved all four boys. That the Film Sales Company, of Pittsburgh, now forms the lobby of the big, new, mo- was in 1903 and since then their fortunes just entering tlie field against General dern Dome Theatre seating two thousand and histories have been so intermingled that Films, but after a shortlived and florid people recently added to the Warner chain. they really become one, an admirable tri- splurge it also passed into the rapacious Although he had made such a promising bute to their good breeding and the sterling maw of the moving picture limbo. After start in the theatrical profession, he was qualities of their brotherly relations. one such adventure the average person fated to first follow the siren songs of In Newcastle, Pa., they leased a store would have let the infant industry severely other callings, taking flyers in several un- building, furnished it with rented chairs alone, and even the stickers would have prosaic enterprises before answering that from a local mortuary, put up a sign, wavered after two, but the Warners, still of the shadow-screen. Despite the fact “Bijou, 5c Always,” and began a thriving four, were more enthusiastic about the fu- that he is the youngest of the Warners, show business. ture of the new industry than ever and Jack was the first to venture into the field Of course when the undertaker had a they were determined no matter how fre- 1925 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 17

Personalities Warners ennxe

man m

Sam Warner

tion was recommenced in a small way at the old Astra studio in Glendale.

OST of the present Bennie department heads Zeidman were then recruited at a time when a department consisted of hardly more than one man, an instance of the War- ner judgment and the other qual- Harry ities that could inspire such loy- Warner alty. Before he went to the war “Doc” Solomon, head of the property and transportation departments, was a salesman at the Warner exchange in San Francisco. He quit a good job as a ranch foreman to become a department head, the office force and inci- reels. Two reels was too long. The dentally the janitor, the office boy, and al- Warners couldn’t give them away, and so most the night watchman. they went down to defeat again trying to Murphy, “The quent the disappointments to become a sig- teach the exhibitors what they were soon Today, Frank Wop,” electricians nificant part of it. to find out by sad experience. It was at rules an iron hand over the and So in 1911 they began operations in this time that they inaugurated the now a $500,000 electrical equipment including: New \ork with a new idea, that of longer universal use for picture exploitation of the 500-Watt broadcasting station of KF feature films. Besides buying and selling colored lithographs which first appeared in WB, the only broadcasting station operated pictures to the open trade, Warner Fea- three, six, and eight sheet sizes. by a moving picture studio. In 1919 he tures manufactured and distributed the The intervening period was filled with was borrowing lighting equipment from first feature length films of from two to exchange work then the Warner clan theatre acquaintances to be used in comedies six reels. This innovation came years be- sounded their piebroch and after a war featuring Al. St. John. fore its time and so it suffered the fate of council of all four brothers prepared to re- Louis Geib started in 1918 with Warner most pioneers, martyrdom. Exhibitors new their assault upon the stronghold of Bros, as technical director. That is still were afraid of pictures longer than two the movie industry. Accordingly produc- his title but the job has changed some since 18 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

Warner Brothers’ West Coast Studio as seen from the air, showing in the foreground the new main stage and in the middle distance the original stage around which the new structures have been built.

then. In those days Mr. Geib designed “old stage” was constructed and each suc- the production of the forty pictures of the the sets, helped build them, dress them, ceeding year has seen another stage or ma- 1925-26 schedule at Warner Bros. West paint them, keep them clean, and then jor building erected, until now it is com- Coast and Vitagraph Studios. They have helped tear them down. In his own words pletely built up. It is one of the busiest completed a most successful year keeping he did a little of everything and he was in Hollywood and is proudly pointed to the schedule moving at a rate that has set the only man in his department. In 1922 as the model lot of the movie city, con- a record in promptness, smoothness, and he planned and built Stage Number One taining everything necessary to picture pro- steadiness of delivery for other producers of the Warner Studios, at that time the duction including the newest and finest lab- to aim at. largest in the world, approximately 325 by oratories. Recently when Warners ab- 145 feet. It was there that the Wampas sorbed the Vitagraph Company of America, EVERAL years after little Jack War- held their second annual frolic as the dedi- the nineteen acre Vitagraph Studio lot S ner at the age of twelve began singing catory exercises. Then a thousand people where John Barrymore is now creating illustrated ballads in Youngstown, young were assembled on it at that time. Do7i Juan, was added. Bennie Zeidman at the age of thirteen was intoning in suave and dulcet tones, “Lubin When these first efforts met with suc- Warner Bros, re-entered the production studios. Mr. Carewe? Just a moment cess the present Warner Bros. Pictures was field in 1917 with a new ideal. In 1922 please. Yes sir. Mr. Harry Meyers to incorporated in New York. This fourth when well on the way toward the estab- see Mr. Carr. Just a moment please. attempt to break into the movies proved lishment of a lively and world-wide system Office. Mr. John Ince to see Mr. Arthur to be the charm. They began at once of e.xchanges they began its realization in Johnson.” production of increasingly lengthy feature Warner Bros. Classics of the Screen, a Seventeen years ago this enthusiastic dramas and comedies. Then they made yearly program exclusively composed of big little boy with the nerve and ambition of their master move. They bought the screen feature productions. The first season there a Napoleon walked out of the fifth grade of rights and filmed Ambassador Gerard’s, were seven, the ne.xt eighteen, the next a Philadelphia grammar school and plunged “My Four Years in Germany.” It was twenty-six, and this last season forty. These with zest into his chosen vocation, mo- released at the psychological moment. Its are adaptations to the screen by competent tion pictures. He made a very modest immense popularity set the company sub- directors, and proven scenarists of the fam- beginning at the old Lubin Studios in stantially on its feet and gained for it a ous fiction classics of modern authors. Such Philadelphia as an office boy at four dol- host of faithful friends and patrons. books as Sinclair Lewis’ “Mainstreet,” and lars a week. He was not long satisfied “Babbit,” and Charles Norris’ “Brass,” with this, however, and threatened to quit ACK and Sam Warner, by their talents translated to the screen not only vindicated if a raise was not forthcoming. had quite naturally by this time gravi- their producer’s acumen and foresight but J As four dollars a week was top-notch tated toward the production end of the introduced a new idea into motion picture pay for office boys at that time the manage- firm as Harry and A1 had toward the busi- production which has since been widely ment saw nothing for it but to find a higher ness and financial office and the distributing followed. paid job for Bennie, and so he was In- departments. Early in the present year when Warner stalled by special arrangement with H. A. In 1918 Jack moved the nucleus of a Bros, started their theatre interests, Sam D’Arcy, who died recently but was then production organization which now num- took over these exhibiting activities and publicity director and author of “The bers on an average of seven hundred per- consequently Jack found himself facing Face on the Bar-room Floor,” as a switch- sons with a payroll of $150,000 a week to alone a program larger by fourteen pic- board operator in the publicity department the present thirteen acre Sunset Boulevard tures than that of the year before. After at the munificent salary of seven dollars a site in the very heart of the moving picture careful consideration Bennie Zeidman was week. Here he quickly learned the habits capital. In the early part of 1920 the selected as associate with Jack Warner in of the genus, press-agent and was soon — ,

192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 19

handling on the side the publicity accounts In 1921 at the age of 26 years—half of stage successes to the screen but to advise of eight screen luminaries at five dollars them spent in the picture business, he began in production matters. each, which increased his earnings to the to draw rapidly down upon his objective Almost three years ago Warners brought enormous sum of forty-seven dollars a production, when he forever deserted the Ernst Lubitsch, great director, to their week. At this time William Carr, Mary haunts of the press agent and became Mary Hollywood Studios where he has exercised Carr’s husband was director-general of Pickford’s production manager. After a an enormous influence on photo-dramatic Lubin. year in this capacity he gratified his am- technique through his production for them In the early part of 1915 one of the bition of becoming an independent producer of The Marriage Circle, Three W omen, Lubin companies started around the world by making seven successful pictures. In Kiss Me Again, and Oscar Wilde’s Lady under the leadership of Romaine Fielding. 1924 a tempting offer from Universal If indernere^s Fan. When they reached Phoenix, Arizona, the gained his acceptance and he remained In the early part of 1925 the Warners funds very conveniently for Bennie, gave there in a high executive position until his brought into their organization that pio- out. Conveniently because he would prob- affiliation last January with Warner Bros. neer producer, J. Stuart Blackton, founder ably have deserted anyway when he reached At the age of thirty, just seventeen years of Vitagraph and from the earliest days of Los Angeles. He was California-mad and after his first job as a switch-board boy, the films actively associated with the pro- D. W. Griffith, who was then producing Bennie Zeidman occupies one of the most duction of worth while pictures. Commo- at the Triangle-Fine Arts, formerly the important executive positions in the entire dore Blackton, as he is affectionately known old Reliance-Majestic Studio, was his removing picture world. His career is an will produce four pictures a year, to be ligion. Mr. Zeidman foresaw with a pro- object lesson in steadfastness and tenacity known as J. Stuart Blackton productions phetic eye the future of Southern California of purpose for he has never once wavered and to be released in the Warner Brothers not only as the picture-producing center, in his devotion to his chosen work. Classics of the Screen. Commodore Black- but as the pleasure-Mecca of the world. In summing up this revelation of the ton has just completed the filming of The Bride careers of the executives of the Warner of the Storm adapted by Marian rrived in Los Angeles he imme- organization mention should be made of the Constance Blackton from James Francis Dsv yer’s A diately joined the Griffith publicity success of the Warner ideal of Classics Colliers JTeekly story, Maryland ]\Iy Maryland. forces under the directorship of William of the Screen. In its furtherance they E. Keefe, and was virtually head of the have not only drawn on the modern novel William Beaudine, who was loaned to the Pickford department during the time his chief was but on the play as well. After years of Mary Company to direct two pictures for Mary Pickford, has completed road-showing the Griffith masterpieces. By solicitation by motion picture producers it wo rk on Little this time a successful star of the legitimate was Warner Bros, who finally induced Annie Rooney and Scraps for Miss Pickford stage named Fairbanks had established him- David Belasco, dean of American produc- and has returned to Warner Bros, where he is self as the screen idol of millions of fans. ers not only to allow the translation of his engaged in preparing for his next Fretting under the yoke of corporate con- contribution to the Classics. trol he finally declared his independence Although the schedule of forty pictures and with him went Bennie Zeidman in for the season of 1925-1926 is the capacity of personal press repre- rapidly near- sentative. ing completion, and although there has been no definite From 1916 to 1921 Mr. Zeidman announcement of the program for the season of 1926-1927, there continued very effectively to keep the will be no lull in the the Fairbanks name and the production activities at the Warner Bros. Fairbanks exploits before the West Coast studios. Work on six big eyes of an appreciative specials is scheduled to start immediately world by wild west ro- upon the completion of IIP the present program. In fact deos exhibiting the fin- actual shooting on the first of these, est talent to be had, a John Barrymore’s D on Juan, is already well under way. baseball ' game between I Fairbanks and Billy F.W.A.

- Sunday, p i c ' tures and stor- { ies of the fa- iifXecutive omces ot Warner Brothers’ Stu H dios mous Pickord- facing on Sunset Boulevard with thi twin masts of KFWB, the only exclusively Fairb a n k s - ’ j 2 motion picture broadcasting station in thl

Chaplin trio, . : }, country, flanking the main entrance. and similar • *1

big calibre tl -4 ' / “stunts.” ; / V

I — —

20 T U E MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

EGIS TERING the psychological qualities of a director's genius on celluloid, getting just the right shading, the proper balance betiveen high lights and loiv lights, translating onto the film the underlying spirit of the story and the director's conception of its treatment—these are some of the problems lohicli must be met and solved by the cinematographer. Upon him de- volves a responsibility commensurable xvith that of an artist zvorking in oils or in stone, for no matter hoiv much feeling is expressed by the principals and members of the cast, no matter hoiv much artistry is dez’eloped by the director in his treat ment of theme or scene, unless feeling and artistry are adequately caught by the camera and registered for all time on the film ivith the same appreciation of artistic qualities their value is utterly lost. L. Guy If’ilky, zvho tells here of his experiences as cinematographer for lUilliam DeMille, shares with that director the artistic honors accorded defMille productions.

HLRE is no set form of cinematography. Perhaps T that is why it has earned the right to be termed an “art”. To attempt to standardize it strictly would deprive it of its expression, and it would soon become rigid and inflex- ible, slow to progress, rather than being tbe extremely facile medium that it is today.

Any effort to classify or designate the various standards of cinematography, is, therefore, extremely difficult, outside of in- dicating, in the most general way, the kind of photography that is used for the outstanding types of motion picture direction. William Demille in his famous crouch immediately in front of the camera 'Pile cinematographer who has a theme when directing a scene, where he can see the scene exactly as viewed by the crank. L. Guy Wilky is at the crank. of rousing action with which to work costume stuff, with plenty of sword-play and back grounds of castles, and the like possesses the opportunity to blossom forth with kind of motion photography which, tery of “trick” cinematography and who matography than by referring to the pro- if properly done, must command the atten- has continued to be an active member of ductions of William deMille, with whom, tion of even the casual layman. He has, the American Society of Cinematograph- if the personal mention may be pardoned, it has been said aptly, a “photographic pic- ers. I'he work of the comedy cinemato- he has been associated for the past six ture to work with. He is enabled to con- grapher, in short, is such that it, too, stands years during which time he has been chief jure results whicb are as spectacular in out for recognition to all those who view cinematographer on the twenty-five pro- their own way as are the direction and ac- motion pictures. ductions tion which they help so much in “putting which Mr. deMille has produced across”. Between the foregoing two extremes for Famous Players-Lasky. then, there lies a field of cinematography On the other extreme, we encounter As is readily recognized, IVIr. deMille’s the highest that could comedy cinematography, replete with “spec- wherein compliment productions have not been of tbe swash- ial effects”, necessary in aiding and be paid to the cinematographers, who are buckling action sort nor have been-, abetting ; they the spontaneous registering of the endless giving forth their efforts in it, is that their on the other hand, of the strictly comedy array of “gags” on which the average short work, in a given production, is scarcely type. Hence there was no call for the two comedy thrives. Strangely enough, this “noticeable.” By that is not meant that extreme “types” of cinematography as have branch of cinematography has proved the its the cinematography fulfills mission in been heretofore mentioned. Far from it training ground for cinematographers who such instances by being inferior or mereh’ this director’s touch, required a treatment have later been retained to utilize their passable no means it must, on the —by ; all of its own, and it was in this direction knowledge in putting the intricate action other hand, be just as conducive of attain- that the writer immediately bent his ef- of some of the greatest dramatic producing the end of action and story that the forts as soon as he became associated with tions on the screen—as witness Fred W. director has in view. Jackman, who, though now a director and Mr. deMille. a member of tbe Motion Picture Directors The writer knows of no better means For the purposes of this article, Mr. A.ssociation, is still acclaimed for his mas- whereby to identify this sort of cine- deMille might be referred to as a “psy- 192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 21

is otherwise he isn’t. then he successful ; If he thinks exclusively cinematographic,

then there is apt to result that “jarring” which Mr. deMille has so endeavored to avoid in his productions.

If the writer were able to suggest a Behind the formula—what kind of light to use and where to place it, what sort of lens to use and how to expose it, and so on—he would only be establishing an equation, the correct anstver of which would be that after all

cinematography is standard. Ho’vi'’ever, it isn’t. Therefore, knowing what the de

Mille “idea” is, the cinematographer must Camera literally sense the best manner in which to handle the photographing of any one

given scene. Mind you, it is not said that he gropes about wuldly for ideas. If for artists have souls and if cinematographers are artists, then it might be ventured that

the camera artist’s soul is susceptible to inspiration when he endeavors to crystalize some scene in this subtle kind of direction. But behind that inspiration there must be thorough and basic knowledge, not only of the fundamentals of cinematography but William of the working methods of the director whose “style” is universally heralded 'wherever motion pictures are sho'^vn. For instance, in Mr. deMille’s “Grum- py”, the theme revolved about Theodore Roberts in the role of a grandfather. There was a great deal of grouchiness about the De Mille characterization, although it radiated its share of humor in the aggregate. The cinematography for this production may be said to follow the lines of something definite and sharp, to use a technical designa-

By L. Guy Wilky tion. It is severe and conventional, whereas that of “Midsummer Madness”, a production made by Mr. deMille some six years ago, struck the chord of softness, of moonlight, and of the romance of youth.

That of “Only 38”, wffiile it had to fit in -with a decided love theme, called for something less vague and more mature.

chological” director. His action is not ex- It must be admitted that there is no I'he lighting and the exposures had to be pressed via the medium of violent action. hard and fast cinematographic rule for conducive of something more substantial, If the keynote may be struck at all, his direction such as Mr. deMiile’s. As had more sophisticated. Then we come to story is told by suggestion—subtly, as the been said heretofore, this matter of motion cinematography pro- “The Fast Set.” The — critics seem to agree. Now, then, if Mr. photography is difficult of standardization. perly was light and airy “fast”, as it were.

deMille’s direction is subtle, his cinema- Then how, it may be •well asked, may Mr. There could be no sombreness about it, tography must be all that, and more. Above deMille’s direction be exemplified in cine- such as in the stark “Grumpy” and, more

all, it must be unobtrusive. The bold, matography, if that direction is recognized recently, “The Splendid Crime”, just com- hard effects cannot be gone into. They as being distinctive in its own right? To pleted. The latter production called for

might jar with the story, rather than work- such a query it must be answered, that the an atmosphere that is gloomy, with long

ing along with it. That is the point that cinematographer who would be successful shadows and thin rays of lights. There

the writer reasoned out at the beginning of in the portrayal of direction such as that of is much action in semi-darkness. There is his association with Mr. deMille; the diag- Mr. deMille must, basically, view the en- the extinguishing of all lights but that nosis proved correct and is only more em- tire production exactly from the perspective coming from the lamp on a table in the

phasized at each script reading which Mr. himself. must put him- of a room then that too is of the director He center part ;

deMille holds with all the members of his self “in the director’s shoes”. His viewpoint put out with a resulting darkness that is

cast and staff at the beginning of each is that of the cinematographer, to be sure; to be pierced by a flashlight. And so it is production, at which time he tells the story but not exclusively so. He must, briefly, that we arrive at a treatment in cinema- of the picture in his own words with look at the matter from a dual promontory tography that represents the other extreme recommendations to the cinematographer as —from that of the director and the cine- from something breezy and rollicking as

to “key” in which the cinematography is matographer both. If he can put on the that in Barrie’s “What Every Woman to be struck. celluloid what the director has in mind, Knows” which Mr. deMille produced. 22 THE M 0 T I O N PICTURE DIRECTOR December How Sal

Girls oj' The T)2hnties — Sally, Ire^te and Mary 19 2 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 23

Jimmie Dugan Brought ly, Irene and

Mary Edmund Goulding The Man JVho to Hollywood Discovered Jimmie

By Margaret Ettinger

N selecting stage plays or books for adaptation to the screen, fully said that Jimmie Dugan is responsible for Goulding’s adapt- very often it is some one bit of action, some dynamic episode, ing the play to the screen. I some dramatic situation or some intriguing character that Around this one character he wove an entirely new story, re- first attracts attention and points to the screen possibilities of such taining such of the essential qualities of the stage play as fitted the a play or book. Sometimes perhaps it is the title, but there must re-focusing the story and introducing new characterization, new be something back of the title, some determining factor that stamps incidents, new situations and new crises; broadening, vitalizing, play or story as possessing screen possibilities. photodramatizing the story with Jimmie Dugan as the initial focal And very often when the play or book has been acquired for point. In the adaptation have been retained, in addition to the photo-dramatization it is found that in order to make an effective character of Jimmie Dugan, the original title and the names of picture the whole story may have to be completely revamped, the three girls in the title roles. Characterizations of the three twisted around and what amounts to practically a complete new girls have been completely changed to suit the new motivation of plot woven around the characters, situations or episodes which the story, additional characters have been introduced to vitalize first attracted attention. In this refocusing of interest, the ap- the action and to develop that higher degree of realism which is propriateness of the original title is frequently lost and for this, or the perquisite of the screen. other reasons, a new title more thoroughly suited to the revamped It is quite one thing to keep the interest of an audience centered story, is selected. upon three girls when the play is presented on the limited area of All of which bears more or less directly upon Edmund Gould- the spoken stage, and quite another to keep a screen optionee in- ing’s selection of the stage play Sally, Irene and Mary for adap- terested in the lives and actions of three girls, particularly girls of tation to the screen. such widely different types as Sally, Irene and Mary, at the same It was neither Sally, Irene nor Mary who focused Goulding’s time insuring a smoothly flowing continuity and sequence. In the attention when he first saw the play, but, interestingly enough, screen version of Sally, Irene and Mary, Edmund Goulding has the character of Jimmie Dugan. Jimmie Dugan fascinated Ed- accomplished a herculean task and has followed clearly and con- mund Goulding. The screen possibilities in that character were cisely the lives of these three girls. Each is outstanding and so interesting and held so much of promise that it may be truth- interesting. Each is individual and has been established as a 24 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

Photo by Ruth Harriet Louise

Constance Bennett as “Sally”

distinct entity. Throughout the action of the story the girls move ance of any one star and becomes the main feature of the pro- smoothly and interestingly as situations develop into crises and duction. Here is an instance, where in ail verity the “play is the crises swell to the crashing crescendo of the climax. thing.”

Jimmie Dugan is the hero of the story, but can hardly be said An interesting sidelight on this phase of the screen version is to constitute the star role. Nor do any of the three girls merit found in the fact that if the scenes in which the three girls appear in their characterizations such designation. Sally, Irene and were to be measured, it would be found that footage has been Mary, as a matter of fact, is one of those stories best described as so evenly divided between them that there would be only a few being an “all-star” production. The story transcends the import- feet discrepancy between the space given to each character. 192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 25

Plioto by Ruth Harriet Louise

Joan Crawford as “Irene”

The background of the story is the theatre. The three girls Irene is sweet and sentimental, and her characterization is aptly are members of the cast of the rollicking musical show “The summarized in the comment that she is the daughter of Officer

Dainties.” O’Dare. She is the premiere dancer with “The Dainties” and is the world to Sally is the gold-digger type of show girl, living in luxury in an enamored of an artist chap, a blase man of whom apartment “on the drive,” supported by Marcus Morton, a finan- women are merely passing fancies. For a time his interest and of cial wizard, club man and man about town. Sally is cold and attentions have focused upon the wholesomeness and youth self centered. She is interested only in herself and in holding the Irene. Then his interest fades and he passes on to another. love of Morton because of what that love brings to her. Interest in the character of Irene is increased by the adoration R

26 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECT O Deccir.Licr

Photo by Rutli Harriet Louise

Sally O’Neill as “Mary”

of a ct)lle^e kid—a weak 3’outli who has more money than sense so with characters thoroughly established complications develop and who trails her around doggedly. when Marcus Morton in following through with his attentions to Sally inevitably meets Mary at the theatre. While Sally has Mary is the simple Irish kid, and is just herself. dazzled with her glitter, the sweet wholesomeness of Mary at- Sh e and her mother live in a tenement. Across the way lives tracts, and conflict enters with Sally doing all in her power to di- Jimmie Dugan and his mother. Inevitably Jimmie and IMary vert Morton’s attentions back to herself. This situation climaxes are sweethearts. when Morton declares his love for IV'Iary and Irene elopes with

It is axiomatic that there can be no drama r\ ithout conflict and the college youth. 192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 27

Photo by Melbourne Spurr

William Haines as “Jimmie Dugan”

But Jimmie Dugan—well he is Jimmie Dugan, lovable, inter- Bennett, Irene by Joan Crawford and Mary by Sally O’Neill. esting and appealing, and Mary refuses to be dazzled by Marcus The lovable Jimmie Dugan bas changed not a whit in being Morton’s wealth. transported to the screen and is played by William Haines.

Throughout the picture are bits of comedy and contrasting Morton is cleverly characterized by Henry Kolker; the artist ones of pathos that are little classical gems in themselves, indi- chap is portrayed by Douglas Gilmore; Ray Howard plays the col- cative of Goulding’s masterly treatment. lege youth; Kate Price, Jimmie’s mother; Aggie Herring, Mrs. In the M-G-M production of Sally, Irene and Mary from the O’Brien; Lillian Elliott, Mrs. O’Dare, Sam De Grass, Officer adaptation by Edmund Goulding, Sally is portrayed by Constance O'Dare and Edna Mae Cooper, Maggie. 2b THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December School Days In

iJhCovieland

By Sam B. Jacobson

A corner in the completely equipped school room at Universal City, where Mrs. West presides as a regular schoolma’am.

H E question, “What about the T schooling of children in the movies?” has often been asked. There seems to be an impression that once a child enters

the gates of a studio, all instruction is laid by the board in the frantic efforts of gold- grabbing producers to capitalize on the child’s more or less histrionic ability.

It is not generally known that there is a drastic state law in California which provides for the education of movie children.

Not a moment of the child’s tuition is lost. Competent teachers are provided by the School Board. These instructors usually have a permanent place in large studios, where children are used practically all-year round. And those studios which only require the services of minors occasionally, At the Hal Roach Studios the school atmosphere is more informal and “Our have instructors provided for them by the Gang” finds it as much fun to get their lessons as to work in comedies. day. Several hours a day are devoted to schooling. No matter what the exigencies of the scene in which the children are sup- attention. They are promoted or “left their greater contact with their elders.

posed to appear, the teacher has final super- back” exactly as their fellows in the out- When companies go on location, if there \ision over the matter of instruction and side world. are children along, teachers accompany

all production, as far as the children are It is a fact that children who come under them, no matter what the distance. There concerned, ceases. the supervision of instruction on the lot are instances of units traveling as far as 'Ehe regular primary, grammar and high are, as a rule, much brighter than those not H awaii or Cuba with an instructor as part

school curriculum is the standard. Lessons in the cinema world. This is due mainly of the official personnel. are given according to the corresponding to their receiving more individual instruc- Universal is one of the great producing grade of the child in the public schools and tion on account of classes being smaller and companies that has devoted considerable at-

papers are marked with the same care and partly, no doubt, to their precocity and (Cnntinued on Page 6-1) ^ ;

19 2 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 29

Bill Seiter

The Man On the Cover

By Tom Eng/er

T was a lead at the Griffith studio op- men, there is a real scarcity of directors those on the inside claim that JJ hat Hap- I posite Loretta Blake in a two-reel who could develop the full gelastic possi- pened To Jones and Skinner’s Dress Suit drama, in which he wore the uniform bilities of the tremendously popular com- yet to be released wdll mark the highest of a Royal Northwest Mounted policeman, edy-drama vehicles in which Reginald marks of their respective careers. that gave Bill Seiter his first real part. Denny has been starring for Universal. H owever, before taking up the mega- This seems to everyone now to have been The Fast U orker was the first of these, phone, Seiter, in collaboration with another a role ideally suited to Seiter’s fine phy- and it established a high mark for sure- man who is now also a noted director, had sique and bearing. Perhaps, however, the fire snappy comedy. Following this hit. made an important contribution to the

cameraman on the two-reel drama had just Bill equalled it with The Teaser in which mewding infant industry of the films. He been enticed from his work on the laundry Laura La Plante has risen to her greatest and Sidney Franklin invented the position route to turn out this picture, and didn’t heights as a comedienne, and w'hich has of “assistant camera-man”. Today no do right by our Bill. At any rate, it all proven to be one of the biggest box office cinematographer is wdthout his assistant to happens for the best, for Mr. Seiter came lug the heavy cameras from point to point, wu'nners of the year. With the starting out of the projection room in which he saw to hold the slate and perform like chores; of Bill’s second year w-ith Universal, his himself as a member of the “Royal but in those days the cameraman “carried association wuth Reginald Denny wuas re- Mounted’’—resolved that his work in the his owm”—and the “boxes” w’ere heavier newed, and it is this association of star and cinema field was to be that of a director! then than nowx H owever. Bill has no regrets, and the director w'hich is proving one of the finest It wasn’t an eagerness for exercise that picture-going public should have none, for things in pictures. They began wuth drove these tw’o budding geniuses to get while there are plenty of handsome leading Ji here ITas If wffiich registered a hit, but themselves appointed to do the heavy w'ork

I ; —

30 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

it was because, armed with their commis- standing that he was soon to be allowed Thomas H. Ince that he sent for Seiter, sions as “assistants to the camera-man,” to direct. and put him to work as director of Ince they could get past the gateman early each So he became an actor “in stock” productions. Under Ince, Seiter won his morn,—and thus be right under the di- which meant that he didn’t have to wear spurs, and did work which brought him rector’s eye as he was thinking over the out shoe-leather traipsing over Hollywood, opportunities to direct, at other studios, work he would do,—and the people he Edendale, and Boyle Heights looking for such pictures as The Beautiful and Dam- would need,—that day. That, by the way, daily jobs. However, being “in stock” in ned, The Little Church Around the Cor- was the only remuneration they received those days wasn’t what it is now. For ner, and Daddies. the privilege of getting in through the gate example, when Norma Talmadge made her Bill Seiter has no pet theories, either at the Selig studio, where this coup was put debut in Hollywood as a National star, and about directing pictures, or about life. He over. William Seiter was assigned to play her is the practical man rather than theorist Even at that time, you see, there was juvenile lead in The Captivating Mary or dreamer. Horrever, he does believe keen competition for that a training in every “acting” job comedy is one of in the movies. Al- the firmest bases in though most of the the foundation of extras at that time success in motion did not have the \'i- pictures — whether sion to see what the as actor or director. pictures were to be- It was along the come, it was a fas- path which was cinating and usually about the same time an easy way to earn being traversed by three, five or, occa- Gloria Swanson, sionally, seven dol- Betty C o m s o n p , lars. So Bill and Marie P r e v t o s , his buddies did not Phyllis Haver and overlook any bets. others : namely, On days that there from comedy to was no work at the drama, that Bill Selig studio, he Seiter struggled for would hurry over to years toward his Sennett’s at Eden- chance to direct dale, and play a dramatic pictures. Keystone cop, fall- Perhaps the other ing off patrol wag- requisite strongly ons and telephone e.xemplified by Sei- poles and risking his ter is resolution and neck with the best an unwavering pur- of them. pose. It must have Every so often, taken that to stand slack times would the gaff in the days not only an acting prin- of adversity, because fall upon the studios, just as they do now. Carstairs, he was Bill had a home, “back During one of the worst of these, Seiter cipal—but the assistant director as well. east,” where he could, any day, have the early gone and lived in slept for three nights on the cushioned rear He was expected to get to studio ease. He is of a substan- then tial seat of a big automobile, with the laprobe in the morning, put on his make-up, New York Dutch family of fine social if standing and for coverlet, in a garage where the night enroll the extra people, any were work- attainments. He had a fine military watchman was a kindly disposed old darky. ing, and report to Director Bruce Mitchell academy training, in accordance all well, if it was. Later, be- with the ideals of his father, lieu- He even, on the last two days of this fam- that was — who was tenant-colonel of the ine period, borrowed fifty cents a day, or, tween his own scenes, he made out the pay famous Twelfth New York regiment the rather, accepted the proffered loan, from checks for these same extra people, and dis- during Spanish-Ameri- tributed them. the end of the day, he can war. Bill had a good art education, the same man of color, using fifteen of it At finished too (his father one of for a shine or a shave, on alternate days, paid off the people that had and was the leading the chinaware and glass importers of this and the rest for food, before presenting helped lay out next day’s work. The country) yet he chose the rocky road himself in his usual debonair manner, at rest of the time, the aspiring young actor- to motion picture fame rather than the golf links of the studio, and asking for a job, which, director had to himself. the Siwanoy Club at Mount Vernon, of on the morning of the third day, he got. Finally, he persuaded them to let him w'hich his father was president, or the Be sure that the night-watchman’s loan direct, and made his debut directing “Smi- bridle paths of Central Park. was the first one paid back out of his check. ling Billy” Parsons in a series of two-reel

However, it was what he had learned comedies. He was next assigned to di- his first op- rect Carter DeHaven in a series which about acting that brought him Ernest Vajda, famous Hungarian play- Parsons was producing. Bill had his “hand portunity in the field toward which he right, has arrived in Hollywood in con- in” by that time, and the comedies proved now turned his efforts. When the late nection with his contract to write original so successful that they landed DeHaven a “Smiling Billy” Parsons became the power stories exclusively for Famous Players- hig contract, and Seiter a real dramatic in the National Eilm Corporation, he re- Lasky Corporation. directorship, of The Kentucky Colonel. membered a demonstration he had seen of During the making of this feature, Mr. He is the adr ance guard of the group of ambitioti young Seiter’s and intelligence, Parsons, who had sponsored Seiter’s eleva- world-noted foreign playwrights signed by and put him to work, under contract. To tion to the director’s chair, died, but the Paramount to write for the screen. accept this offer. Bill had to go back to his picture, itself, confirmed the producer’s Mr. Vajda had four plays simultaneous- acting, but it was with the distinct under- judgment, when it so interested the late ly on Broadway last season. 19 2 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 31 Symbolism

In the Silent Drama

A Ne)p Application of an Old Principle

By June Mathis

The Character of the old Scissors Grinder as used by June Mathis in Vienese Medley — Below, Miss Mathis at her desk at First National.

ymbolism in art is as old as art tive. While it has been artistic, the ele- ness of frequent lapses of time, which has S itself. In painting and in sculpture ment of realism has been so utterly lacking always been such a problem in photodrama, it has long played an important part. that the effect was destroyed. Allegorical by the introduction of an allegory of Father Its development in motion pictures, how- symbolism in most instances conflicts so Time. Time as it is most universally sym- ever, has been retarded by the element of directly with the realism of the screen bolized in the person of an aged man in realism which is so dominantly the keynote drama that it is much more inclined to flowing robes and bearing a scythe over of the cinema. provoke ridicule than to stir one’s emotions his shoulder, marched majestically across And yet I am thoroughly convinced that to a sympathetic conception of the ideal the screen. A little later another lapse in the Eighth Art the use of symbolic depicted. of time was denoted and again the same characters is even more effective than in I have in mind an instance in which one figure stalked across the screen to be greeted the other arts. of our foremost producers endeavored to with scattered snickers. When he appeared We have found that the use of alle- achieve a particularly striking effect and for the fourth and fifth times the snickers gorical symbolism has rarely proved effec- at the same time get around the awkward- developed into amused laughter and the 32 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

effectiveness of this form of symbolism was grinder whose leering face and disreputable sion and I believe that through the use of completely destroyed. form appears in the background throughout sucli symbolic characters as the scissors d'his instance occurred some years ago, the action. He is not dominant. He is grinder I have accomplished this new but its memory is still fresh in my mind not forced onto the attention of the spec- method and that through such symbolism because of its utter absence of realism. tator, but he is always there. Subtlely he it will be possible to stimulate greater in- One big trouble with the adaptation of begins to convey the symbolism which his terest In motion pictures as well as more the artistry of symbolism to the silent character represents and little by little he effectually to convey the underhing drama has been in the tendency to allow becomes associated in one’s mind with the thoughts of which the action on the screen such symbolism to be e.xtraneous to the personification of evil. And yet, he is just is the visible physical expression. dramatic action of the story, and to lay one of the characters in the story, one of undue stress upon the symbolic character, the background incidents. “Fhe Viennese Aledley” which Vliss d'bis, I think, is often apt to be the case In contrast to the use of symbolism to Alathis has used as basis of illustration, when the technique of one art is translated heighten the effect of a single scene and to gives every promise of being one of the most to another. notable contributions Miss Griffith has always impressed Mathis had made to the screen. me as a master of symbolism in In many ways it is comparable THE STJR-MJKEKS to little touches which are sym- her masterly achievement in bolic of incidental emotions and By Edwin G. Hitchcock her screening of “The Four bear directly upon the specibc Horsemen.” scene in which they appear. Unlike “The Four God, in all Ins (/lor\ made the earth; Horse- Such symbolism is effective and men,” however, “The Viennese realism lie dolled it up and then gave Adam birth; adds a subtle touch of Medley” is a vivid, throbbing, to the particular scene in which A babbling brook to ripple by pulsating drama of the psycho- it is used. And little things to please the eye. logical effects of war upon humanity, rather than a story of

it pre-war U'r it is my belief that He scattered here and there the seeds conditions leading up in- to the hysteria B is entirely feasible to of war Itself. For plants and fl oncers and udieat and u'eeds: troduce symbolism and sym- But like “The Four H orse- II e made the rugged mountains rise bolic characters into the silent men” it has offered many opin skies. drama in such a way that mo- And painted planets the portunities for symbolic treat- tivating emotions may be sym- ment in such a way that the bolized throughout the action lie dipped Ills hands in crystal lakes use of symbolic characters without intrusion achieve a very distinctive effect of the story And chopped the snow in little flakes; upon realism to the extent that, without in any manner inter- Created birds to chirp at dau'n fering like the reference I have made with the realism of the gave them trees to perch upon. to Father Time, they lose their And story itself or the vividness of effectiveness through unreality. Its presentation as screen drama. An ambitious writer once And it IS w'hispered now and then brought me a story in which, That God -would not go through again The screen production of ^ “'Fhe with flights of creative fancy, The things He did along the route Viennese Medley” Is an she endeavored to symbolize the adaptation of Edith 6’Shaun- IVithout the best to help Him out. spirit of evil in its conventional essy’s brilliant novel of post- garb. In fact she had several war Austria. Its beginning af- such spirits capering through For when the world was being made fords just a flash of Austria be- the story and on paper they He summoned experts to His aid; fore and during the World seemed to fit extremely well. Took all the IF am pas up on Mars War in order to provide the When 1 asked her if she had necessary contrast for the And let the boys make all the stars! vivid, conceived a flesh and blood mor- throbbing scenes which fol- tal as enacting such roles, if she lowed when Austria, van- had visualized any nationally q u i s h e d and dismembered, known actor whose personality was famil- implant the desired emotional reaction to found herself confronted by the problems iar to every theatre-goer, she threw up her that scene, either through contrast or a of social and psychological reconstruction. hands in despair. It is quite one thing to Griffithesque touch such as the flash of a The story is such a one as could only be think beautiful thoughts, even to inscribe kitten playfully entangling itself in a ball laid In an old-world state where distinc- them on paper, but quite another to trans- of yarn, the old scissors grinder is an in- tions of class have been rigidlv observed for late them to the screen through the agency tegral part of the picture. He fits natur- centuries. As did the story, so does the of mortal man. ally and logically into story and back- picture probe deep into the hearts of hu- In “The Four Horsemen” I had a splen- ground. And yet he is a symbol. In him manity. Vividly, realistically, dramatically did opportunity to develop symbolism in a E\il finds personification and in the asso- it portrays the post war life of Austria and that was entirely in keeping with ciation of ideas his symbolism Is conveyed manner in following the fortunes and misfortunes the spirit of the story. Moreover, the way to the spectator. of the principals are shown, as could be had been effectually paved for symbolism Were I to use a purely allegorical char- depicted in no other way, just wht the war through the wide popularity of the novel. acter to express this thought, I am thor- has meant to Austria and to her people. In “The Viennese Medley” 1 have util- oughly confident that, like Father Time in In “The Viennese Medley” Miss Mathis ized symbolic characters to a much greater the production previously referred to, the has put not only the experience of her degree than in “The Four Horsemen,” and whole force and value of the symbol would years of creating writing for stage and in a manner which 1 am confident will be lost partly through unreality and partly screen, but her whole soul. In the adapta- convey my symbolism more naturally and through its being wliolly extraneous to the more effectually. For instance, as sym- action or interest of the story. tion of Edith O’Shaunessey’s no\’el and the bolic of the spirit of evil that is in man- Because of the kind of a story that “The building of “The Viennese Medley” as a kind, as suggestive of war and strife, I Viennese Medley” is, I have felt it neces- screen production she has realized cher- have developed the figure of an old scissors sary to work out a new method of expres- ished ambitions of vears. 192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 33

Melbourne makes Pauline Frederick’s last night in Australia a gala affair—the audience as Miss Frederick saw it from the stage.

Seeing America First in Australia

he motion picture screen is selling presses me as being predominantly Ameri- the United States to the whole world can in attitude and in social thought. T selling our — customs, our language, Pauline Frederick This economic lesson came home to me our machinery, our architecture, our ap- with especial force because of the particu- parel and, in short, all our products. lar time in which 1 visited the islands. It

This is the outstanding impression which of my cherished dreams, so I was especially was during my tour that the American was indelibly stamped on my mind by the happy when my managers arranged a tour battle fleet, commanded by Admiral Robi- eight months’ tour I have just closed in there in a stage repertoire. Every part of son—a great diplomat as well as a great the Antipodes. Everywdiere I went—not my dream came true several times over! naval leader—came to Australia. Through only in the big cities but even in several Australia is the typical frontier post of the kindness of Governor De Chair and of the small communities in the “back the world, so to speak, of this twentieth the enthusiastic friendship of the Austra- bush”— I could close my eyes to the tropic century and despite its political affiliations lians as a whole, I was privileged to par- ; foliage and, in almost every other respect, with England, despite its large percentage ticipate in numerous functions which com-

imagine myself in an American community. of black population and despite its vast bined the social with the political. Natur-

A visit to Australia has always been one areas of still undeveloped country, it im- ally, the fleet’s visit was the occasion for : ! —

34 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

parades and receptions everywhere our with styles and materials identical with of exactly the same type as we wear in the sailors went. Fortunately my bookings per- those popular in New York and Hollywood United States to meet this demand. mitted me to partake in these affairs in — I even heard much of the same slang The streets of the big cities were lined almost every city in the islands. At all of which many of us regard as individualis- with skyscrapers of the same types as we these functions, the for- tically American! Naturally, I com- have in our own cities. The suburbs were mal speeches and general mented on this condition, and every- dotted with bungalows of tbe so-called trend of conversation where merchants and sales people California type—the same kind of build- invariabl}’ made some told me the same story: Amer- ings which predominate in our pictures comment on the tre- ican-made pictures had sold through the fact that most of them are mendous missionary American products to the made in and around Hollywood. The influence of the Australians windows of department stores are filled American motion I'here is a big English with American merchandise—the easy picture. I re- CO m p a n y, situated in chair and the overstuffed furniture, for ex- member very Liverpool, which practi- ample, have come to Australia with Amer- distinctly a cally dominates the shoe ican pictures. speech made trade in Australia. Un- riiis economic lesson was borne home so by one of the til the Great War, they forcibly to me—just a lay person, so to 1 Austr a 1 i a n naturally sold to the speak—that made it my business to talk cabinet mem- Australians shoes mod- about it to several of the fleet officers, who bers at a re- had come from other climes during their ception to Ad- round-the-world voyage. Every one of miral Robison them told me of repetitions of my own experiences in and h i s of- Australia. The whole world is ficers, which becoming Americanized —- sociologically quoted from an and economically. address made For this, 1 believe, the American picture England’s beloved is almost entirely responsible—certainly it Prince of Wales a bas done more to achieve the present result couple of y'ears ago. In than any other individual factor or combi- this he said nation of factors. “If the United This condition must bring the realiza- States abolished diplo- tion of the tremendous responsibility of all matic and consular ser- Pauline Frederick’s those who are connected with the making vices, kept its ships in admirers in Hono- of the movies. We are not only furnish- harbor and its tourists lulu b e d e c k her ing entertainment to the whole world at home and retired with leis at the con- including many of the even semi-civilized from the world’s mar- clusion of her Ha- nations—we are selling the United States waiian visit. kets, its citizens, its to every people on the globe. This great problems, its to\\'n and responsibility is not a depressing factor,

countryside, its roads, but one which must inspire us inevitably motor cars, counting to make our films ever finer than they are houses and saloons today. The renewed battle for interna- would still be familiar tional supremacy on the screen means much in the uttermost cor- more to the United States than the su-

ners of the world. The film is to America eled exactly according to the English type. premacy of just our own motion picture what the flag was once to Britain. By its During the war American films com- industry. We must make our pictures so means. Uncle Sam may hope some day, if menced to monpolize the Australian screens that we will be proud of this—not only as he be not checked in time, to Americanize and, as the result of what the audiences members of the film world, but—what is !’’ the world saw in the pictures, they raised such a more important—as American citizens! It To quote from my own personal ex- unanimous demand for American styles is a great national opportunity which we

perience, I rode everywhere in the same of footwear that the Liverpool factory had have, and it is up to us to take advantage

make of car 1 have in the States. 1 to change all its machinery and for ten of this most effective medium to spread replenished my wardrobe from time to time years or more it has been turning out shoes American civilization over the whole world.

Cecil DeMille As Producer of Pictures

ITH eight of his promised twelve Volga Boatman,” a dramatic tale of Russia turn in December to prepare for role, pictures finished or under way, Ce- with a cast including William Boyd, Eli- “Eve’s Leaves.” Paul Sloane will direct W cil DeMille again slips within the nor Fair, Jetta Goudal, Julia Faye and this production; been adapted by Elmer spotlight. Theodore Kosloff. Harris.

DeMille’s debut as an independent pro- Jeanie Macpherson is superintending the The last production on the 1924-25 ducer brought many conjectures. Some script for Rod LaRocque’s next, “Red schedule is “Bachelor Brides,” starring Dice,” the story said the DeMille studio would never turn from by Octavius Roy Rod LaRocque, and directed by Alan Cohen. Beulah Marie DIx has adapted Hale. On the stage this was a lively a wheel. With the passing of eight “Silence,” with crook drama by Max Mar- comedy. months, however, DeMille has completed cin. Rupert Julian will direct with H. B. Next year, under the new consolidation his studio organization and to all appear- Warner featured. Warner starred in the of the DeMille and Metropolitan pro- ances has permanently added the title “pro- sensationally successful New York presen- ducing forces, production at the DeMille ducer” to his former name as “director.” tation. studio will be doubled, announcements DeMille himself is now directing “The Leatrice Joy, now vacationing, will re- state. 192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 35

Leatrice Joy receives some expert instruc- Colleen Moore as she’ll be seen T| tion for her in her new play, “Irene.” m new bob.

Priscilla Dean’s new bob starts at the conservative point but may j| finish as boyish I I

Laska Winters prays to the gods Rod LaRocque is as Indian as of the North a moment from they make them in “Braveheart.” — “Rocking Moon.” ! ,

36 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

John Bowers and Luke Cosgrove George Mel Goes to

his is the tale of a man who went forth in search Tof the Land of the Midnight Sun and found—the Sun

And what sunshine it was! This man obtained photographic effects more mar\elous than any of which even the land of eternal sunshine can boast. This isn’t slap at California either. Merely a statement of fact. So in his quest this adrenturer, this seeker after sun- light, sailed away northward on a big boat—and a large company journeyed with him. For eight days and eight nights they sailed the waters of the Inside Passage, bound for Alaska, till Juneau was reached —and their objective.

The man was George Melford, his company the members of the cast of Rocki/iff Moon, the filmization of Barrett Willoughby’s novel. With the action laid in Alaska, on a huge blue fox farm, Metropolitan Pictures, who are producing the vehicle, resolved that it would be decidedly worthwhile for the entire company to film the story in its exact locale—hence, the raison d’etre of the trip. “As we left Seattle, reports that we would see nothing but rain when we arrived at our destination considerably dampened our spirits,” Melford says. “But not for long. We bad not been out a day before we were as jolly a crew as ever roved the bounding main—and it was not caused by liquid stimu- lants, either. Ratber, tbe smootbness of our passage, tbe congen- ialness of all on board and the extreme beauty of the panorama that continually stretched before our eyes made the trip one not easily forgotten. “Previous to our arrival, it had rained a steady downpour for ALA several weeks. The gods were kind to us, however, for the “It is interesting to note that the government will grant land storms passed away soon after we landed we had about 20 days free of charge to anyone desirous of starting a fox farm. Poses- of clear shooting. sion of several pairs of foxes is necessary, though, and the party “To our surprise we discovered that days slightly foggy were or parties must agree to keep the property as a fox farm and not vastly superior for our purpose to those on which the sun shone attempt to make other uses of it. its brightest. This may be attributed to the peculiar atmospheric “ Rockinc/ Moon, 1 believe, is the first picture of any magnitude conditions of that latitude and particularly to that portion of the ever to have been made wliose exteriors have all been filmed in coast. It may be added, too, that more actual shooting hours are Alaska. The first version of The Spoilers is a possible exception. available than in and about Southern California, due, of course, to tbe northernness of the clime and the greater length of time Then, of course, there was The Checkackos but that was a the sun is above the horizon. comparatively small company. Why it is that producers have

“We made our headquarters at Goddard Hot Springs, a num- not before this invaded our northern territory is more than I can ber of miles above Juneau. Seven miles farther was the Island understand. It is beautiful beyond compare, with a glorious on which the fox farm was located, and to this we journeyed combination of land, sea and sky blending together in a vista not daily in small launches. to be duplicated. 192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 37

By Whitney Williams and Eugene Pallette, were gone from Hol- lywood approximately five weeks—on one of the most interesting location trips on

record. And, strangely enough, it was ascertained that Alaskans are little different from Californians and lowans and New Yorkers, in respect to evincing a desire to appear in pictures. Melford had the en- ford tire northern country from which to choose his types and atmosphere—and he is emphatic in declaring of their screen ability and apparent ease. Not in years had he received such whole- hearted co-operation as that evidenced by the inhabitants of Juneau and Sitka, Mel- ford assures. The people resent seeing Alaska misrepresented in the so-called Alas- kan pictures and gave both Melford and his company a vociferous welcome. Their slightest wish was gratified, in recognition of the entry of producers into Alaska. Then, too, the people feel that the production will exploit in an unparalleled manner the wonders and natural beauty of Alaska and serve to give the outside world an insight to the conditions that exist, the problems to be solved and the great possibilities of the country. They realize, however, that this picture will be merely an introduction to the real Alaska. It would not be at all surprising that in the near future finances were raised by the territory’s capitalists for further trips to their country, as much to stimulate travel as to bring in business men.

Rockliffe Fellows and Lilyan Tashman in a scene on location near Sitka, Alaska, during the filming of “Rocking Moon.”

“An illustration of how little people know of Alaska is found in the story of a postmaster in a small settlement in Canadian Alaska. He received a missive from the United States government, demanding a regular report from him once a month or the postoffice would be taken away. The postmaster answered the letter by explaining that he was forced to report to Ottawa, the Canadian government.

“This same lack of knowledge, no doubt, is responsible for the neglect of one of the finest locations in the world. The average temperature of Juneau and Sitka and the neighboring country in winter is 30 degrees above zero—in summer it is 50. And while the rainfall is tremendous there are certain periods of the

year when the shooting is ideal. Fortunately, we struck it right.” Melford and his company, which included Lilyan Tashman, John Bowers, Laska Winters, Rockliffe Fellows, Luke Cosgrave 38 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 1925

Stars ofthe Drama to By Arthur ^ Hagerman Shine in a Setting of Comedy in Hal Roach’s Revolution

OIMETHING startling has hap- standard artists would not play in S pened in the motion picture busi- comedies. The advent of the above ness and nrofessional eyes are fo- mentioned players and the prospect of cused upon Hal Roach, watching every more is ample refutation. They are going move the young producer makes in his new in. Professional critics are silenced. The campaign to get every big feature player advantages pointed out by Mr. Roach to to appear in short length comedies. each star interviewed were wider distribution, each comedy having a sales possi- Three months ago people in Hollywood bility of double the number of theaters said that he couldn’t do it that comedies ; played by the average big feature; the fact less than feature length were indelibly that the finest circuits of theaters in the stamped, in the eyes of public and theater United States play the new Roach managers alike, as “fillers;” and that big comedies, and the fact that each big star feature players would lose prestige if they in the industry can make one appearance played in comedies. in short comedies “between pictures.” 7'oday he has working in his Culver J'he last point is one of paramount City studios, or under contract to appear importance. Alany a big star or featured there, such people as Theda Bara, the player of high reputation has been ruined screen’s most famous portrayer of vampire eventually in style of acting by playing roles, Lionel Barrymore of America’s most the same sort of roles too long without famous theatrical family, Mildred Harris variation. Heavy emotional performances (formerly Mrs. Chaplin,) Eileen Percy, in a long succession are not conducive to Gertrude Astor, Stuart Holmes and feeding that one particular quality known others. The regular Hal Roach line-up as “versatility.” Lionel Barrymore, for of stars and featured players in comedies example, a very fine dramatic actor in the includes the seven youngsters of “Our opinion of practically all leading critics, Gang,” Charley Chase, Clyde Cook, will finish his performance in a current Glenn Tryson, Tyler Brooke, Katherine big feature and then go to Hal Roach’s Grant, Martha Sleeper, Jimmie Finlay- and play a clever “situation comedy” role. son and “Husky” Hanes. He declares that the relaxation involved “Some important name in the film in playing this role will be equivalent to a world will be added to this list of new- vacation, yet will give him new ideas and comers every week or two,” said Roach in new angles of technique for future per- an int-ervipw about the recent arrivals and formances in features. This opinion, their work on the lot. “There is no one coming from one actor of unquestionable in the film industry whom we are not like- skill, supports Mr. Roach’s contention. ly to approach in regard to making Theda Bara will make one comedy for comedies.” Roach during the early part of December, The dominating motive behind Mr. finishing before Christmas. She believes the will Roach’s plan is the fact that screen audiences who see her In the comedies have never occupied their proper performance will Include a greater number position as the one film product of the of high class houses than would be in- widest and most general popularity. volved in the release of an average special While great names have been established feature. in the literary world with short stories and No comedy producer has attempted brief bits of humorous writing, Maupas- what Hal Roach is doing, for the simple sant, (). Henry, Irvin Cobb, etc., film reason that not one of them has believed comedies have been bought and exploited It possible to convince the public, the ex- by exhibitors on the cheapest basis, simph’ hibitorc and th“ big stars themselves that as “fillers” for a program which features the idea is reasonable. And when someone other things. Now, with the new con- asks Mr. Roach why he doesn’t make features of six or seven reels instead of the tract by which the Keith circuit of Theda Bara will make one comedy in De- famous vaudeville houses plays one Hal cember, finishing before Christmas. two reel features,— he counters with Roach comedy every week, and with other another (luestion “Why didn’t (). Henry large circuits paying more attention to players into comedies and willingly accord write full length novels?” The answer comedies than ever before, Mr. Roach be- the “short features” a high rank. is that more people will read a short story, lieves that all exhibitors and the general But many Hollywood people said ‘A ou ten to one, than will read a novel—and no public will welcome the advent of famous can’t do it,” and declared that feature one ever has claimed it can not be as good. 19 25 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 39 On Location in a

By Billy l^yser

TAMES HOGAN,” read the bit of meeting all kinds of situations but here was film it would be to make our scenes ac pasteboard which Taylor Allder- something entirely different. So far as he tually on the ground. I “1 dice’s secretary laid on his desk one knew, it had never been done before, except “Now here’s our plan,” he went on, morning in September. in the making of an occasional educational realize of course that production is an im- “Hmmm, what does he want?” film, but this man didn’t look as though he portant factor with you and I believe that “I don’t know. He looks something like were concerned in making just the short it will be entirely possible for us to work an actor and says he’s from Hollywood. length educational subject. this thing out in such a manner as to avoid

Something to do with the movies, I imag- “What kind of a picture?’ he asked. any interference with the actual work of ine. He wouldn’t tell me what it was.” “What we call a feature production, Mr. the plant or any interruption of its acti\’ity.

“All right, send him in.” Allderdice. I have brought a company of 1 have worked out a careful schedule of

The vice-president of the National Tube players, including the principals and im- operation and if it meets with your ap- Company leaned back in bis chair and portant members of the cast, cameramen proval I believe that we can plan things in looked out upon the smoke-filled sky-line of and the necessary crew to handle the me- such a manner that they will be mutually McKeesport idly wondering what connec- chanical end, across the continent to pic- satisfactory to the National Tube Company tion there might be between the steel mills turize in its actual locale Herschell S. and Metropolitan Pictures Corporation. of Pennsylvania and the moving picture in- Hall’s Saturday Evening Post story Steel For a half hour Hogan outlined the se- dustry of California. Preferred. The plant of the National Tube quences to be shot in the National Tube He turned back to his desk as his secre- Company seems to be the one best suited to Company plant, sketching briefly the ac- tary ushered in a sun-tanned chap in his the requirements of the story.” tion of each sequence and discussing the early thirties who walked into the office “Hmmmm, I think I recall the story, practical ways of utilizing the activity of with an air of quiet confidence. and if I remember rightly I had the im- the mill to further the story without inter-

“Well, Mr. Hogan, what can I do for pression that the man who wrote it was fering with actual operation of the plant. you?” thoroughly familiar with the inside of a At the end of that time Mr. Allderdice’s “Grant me permission to make a motion steel mill.” interest was thoroughly aroused and at the picture in the steel mills of the National “That was our impression, too,” Hogan conclusion of Hogan’s presentation sat Tube Company,” was the prompt re- replied. “In addition to its splendid dra- quietly studying the situation. joinder. matic qualities it impressed us as being so “Hmmm,” he said finally. “I believe Taylor Allderdice was accustomed to absolutely authentic that the only way to it can be done but before we go ahead I’d 4U T // E M O T I O S PICTURE DIRECTOR December

like to have you outline the entire pro- general offices, the shops and the steel mills explained simply and in every day language position at a meeting of department heads proper. Some thirty-five men around the what he hoped to do and how. which will be held this afternoon.” long table listened with some skepticism He explained that in Steel Preferred has “All right. When will that meeting be and much interest to Hogan’s outline of the been written a vivid romance of the steel held ?” industry and the men en- “Here in this office at 3 gaged in it. He emphasized o’clock.” the fact that no propaganda “I’ll be here.” of any sort was contained either in the original story H E N William Sis- nor in the screen version, strom, general man- W that no elements bearing on ager of Metropolitan Pic- any thing savoring of contro- tures Corporation, handed versy between capital and la- James Hogan the script on bor were considered but that Steel Preferred and in- the whole purpose was the formed him that it would be creation of a strong, virile necessary to photograph the production of strong dra- story in and around the gi- matic power and intense gantic steel industry, he also realism—a story that would handed Hogan a directorial be truly representative of the problem of considerable steel mills, the steel industry magnitude. and the men who are en- Marvels can be effected gaged in it. on studio lots and stages, Pointed, pertinent ques- miracles can be accom- tions were injected from plished in contriving difficult time to time by members of sets and in creating unusual the group and at the conclu- backgrounds, but here was sion of Hogan’s talk he was something that if done right assured of the co-operation presented a problem that of the entire plant, the en- couldn’t be solved in the tire personnel of which was studio. The story itself was placed at his disposal. too big, too crammed with vivid realism to take any he making of the mill chance of muffing it by arti- T sequences of Steel Pre- ficial settings and back- ferred in the plant of the grounds. Herschell Hall’s National Tube Companv is complete familiarity with the first instance in which a the hundreds of ramifying feature production of that qualities which are a part of calibre has been made under the steel industry had en- such circumstances. Secur- abled him to invest his story ing the permission and co- with a realism that inspired operation of the e.xecutives producer and director with of the National Tube Com- the ambition to do justice to pany w'as only the prelim- a really remarkable bit of inary step in the solution of writing. what has been one of the Accordingly but one most interesting problems a course was left to pursue director has had handed to and James Hogan took it. him. Assembling his cast and an It is one thing to make adequate crew of cameramen a picture in the studio where and electricians, he engaged all the time in the world can a special car and entrained be taken in preparing the with his company for Pitts- burgh, with nothing more shot, in rehearsing it and in McKeesport plant of the National Tube Company where stage.” It is definite in mind than that in “setting the “Steel Preferred” was filmed. Walter Long and William quite another thing to enter one of several plants which Boyd in the foreground. had been previously dis- a plant such as the steel cussed as possible locations mills of the National Tube he would find both what he wanted as problem as he had earlier presented it to Company and produce a dramatic picture background and the necessary permission Mr. Allderdice. of the emotional intensities of Steel Pre- to make the picture in that plant. As he had summed the situation up to ferred and at the same time not interfere Six days out of Los Angeles found the himself beforehand, it was a case of speak with the operation of the plant nor inter- company in McKeesport, Pa. A prelimi- to them in their own language, and so, rupt production for even a costly few min- nary analysis of the situation pointed to the while he had spoken more tersely and in utes. For steel mills are chronically be- plant of the National Tube Company as the language of the screen world to Mr. hind in production and time is a dominant the logical location and the following Allderdice, to the gathering of men, from factor. morning Hogan presented himself at the whom he must expect full co-operation if This in itself presented a problem that office of ^'aylor Allderdice. he were to accomplish anything at all, he called for close co-operation betw^een mill At three that afternoon he appeared be- sketched briefly the high lights of story and e.xecutives and director and which was ef- fore the department heads representing the the underlying theme of its plot and then fected more by the exercise of just plain a

19 2 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 41 common sense than through either tact or steel—seven ladle cars filled with glowing, diplomacy. The fact that the picture com- molten metal—were to be destroyed when pany was not held up more than twenty the ladle train turned over spilling its con- minutes during their entire stay and that tents down a hill side. This scene could at no time was the production of the plant be done just once and at first Mr. Allder- interrupted speaks emphatically of the dice and his associates were extremely re- smoothness with which things moved. luctant to destroy so much metal, for once

Adequate lighting was another factor spilled in such a manner it was lost to the that called for careful planning, for of steel mill forever. H owever, his reluctance what value is realism if the picture on the was overcome and this climatic thrill was screen is lacking in definition? Added to shot with a vividness which will probably the problem of shooting “interiors” away never be duplicated. from the concentrated lighting facilities of In every instance scenes were worked the modern motion picture studio there was out carefully in advance down to the min- the problem of counteracting the inevitable utest detail and were discussed from every smoky condition emanating from the mol- angle with the mill superintendent before ten metal. any filming was done. In this way many The lights taken with them from Holly- unusually effective scenes were obtained wood proved insufficient and additional that are truly representative of the actual lighting effects had to be procured from inner of a steel mill. New York in order to get the sharpness of workings modern definition so necessary to motion picture James Hogan has tipped over the cart photography. With these problems satis- and spilled the apples of precedent all over factorily taken care of the work of shoot- the street but in Steel Preferred he has ing the mill sequences proceeded smoothly made a picture in every frame of which is and effectively. packed dramatic interest and realism— Inasmuch as many of the takes had to in shooting the thrilling episode in which production that lives up to the highest be made with conditions just as they found the giant tongs and electrically operated ideals of the motion picture and combines them and without opportunitt" for “stag- crane tower are featured they were par- with entertainment qualities educational at- ing” a scene, the element of chance entered ticularly fortunate in having the soaking tributes of immense value a value that is into much of the work. Fortune was kind, pits—where the steel ingots are reheated ; enhanced by the very fact that they are however, and in practically all of the im- before rolling—filled to capacity thus add- portant scenes conditions proved exactly ing intense realism. subordinate to the dramatic entertainment right for extreme realism. For instance In another instance 235 tons of white-hot of the story.

A rainy day on the North-Pacific Coast 42 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

Providing Shooting Irons jor Shooting Stars

rom the stone bludgeon of the pre- Crockett’s time, have their place near the F historic cave man to the high-powered flint-lock muskets of Le.\ington and Con- By rifle and revolver of today every chap- cord, with the richly ornamented and peter in the development of offensive and culiarly shaped stocked gun of the Moor defensive weapons is graphically shown in and Arabs nearby. Powder horn and flint, Val Oldshu the big arsenal on Universal lot. haversack and belt of tbe period, hang on J. 4'he arsenal and its contents would de- the walls apparently awaiting for the men light the heart of the collector of such of the past to claim them. Indian bows things, hut Universal is collector not from and arrows tell their story of the plains the collector’s point of view. Rather has with wicked-looking Moro bolo and Cuban

it assembled this vast array of every con- machete contributing their chapters to the ceivable kind of weapon because it needs history. them in its business. The arsenal is one At one end of the arsenal stands a cap- of the many sidelines of the industry that tured German machine gun, reminiscent of the public never glimpses. Incidentally, it the world war. Near it is its forerunner, affords a lesson in the progress of civiliza- the famous Gatling gun, which was just tion, for as civilization advanced, man’s as effective in its day as was the machine means of killing man kept step. gun of today. Armor of the Crusades and Blunderbusses of the type that brought of the years following when armor was the Pilgrim Fathers their first Thanksgiv- still in vogue show that after all man has ing turkey, rest in all their ungainliness not advanced so terribly far. In close beside keen-looking hunting rifles and shot- proximity to it are steel-linked vest and guns of the present. There is something armor-plated breast pieces worn by the similar and equally as deadly, considering Germans in the last war, German and the period in which their persuasive pow- American steel helmets, some with jagged ers were at their height, between the stone holes in them, and gas masks of all de- club with its knobby end and the nail- scriptions. studded “potato-masher” of world war The modern guns or rifles run well into days. the hundreds with their important adjunct, Long, lean-barreled, muzzle-loading the bayonet of the period, hanging nearby. rifles of the “Brown Betty” type of Davy Practically every modern war since and ;

43 192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR

Blunderbusses with which the Puritans may have shot the first Thanksgiving turkey lie alongside modern trench helmets, and cheap, nickeled revolvers hang beneath pistols of Revolutionary days.

including the Civil War, may be visualized a splendid collection of handsomely jew- in this wonderful collection. Rifles that eled swords that some time or another did their bit at Bull Run or Gettysburg, flashed at some splendid court function. shot stand in friendly racks near those that It is possible that nowhere outside of a and at each other from French German museum is there such a rare collection of lines in the War of 1870. Rifles from revolvers as that housed beneath the roof Spain, Russia and Greece with tlie old of Universal arsenal. As in the case of

royal coat of arms still on them show the the rifle, the history of the revolver is also advance of the gunmaker’s art, as com- realistically told. There are muzzle-load- pared with the American rifle of Spanish ing revolvers of the flint and steel period War and World War days and the revolvers of the days when “bad men” French, German and Austrian weapon of roamed the West, their stocks knicked with the latter period. the tally of the dead. There are old U.S.

The progress of the bayonet is also Army revolvers, heavy and unwieldy, that pointedly told. 4'he French still cling to have come down from the days of Custer

their long, rapier-like bayonet of today, and hi;-, gallant com.mand. And their ex- while the American army has departed act opposite, the swift-firing automatics of from the three-cornered affair of Civil War the present, are also there in all their glory. times to the knife-shaped trench cleaner Not the least interesting is a vest pocket of the present. revolver of European make. So cleverly

The gentle art of duelling is represented made is it that at first glance it would seem by the whiplike rapiers of the epoch when to be one of those large, heavy, old silver gallant court dandies were ready to fight pocket watches of a day long past. Never- for king, country or a fair face. The theless, its death-dealing qualities are

great two-handed swords of the period of there. Another unique, weapon, is. a fou-r- Richard, the Lion-hearted, and of Charle- barrelled revolver—that is, four barrels magne, seem huge in comparison to even bored in the one. And the modern brass the clumsy cutlasses of pirate days or the knuckler has not been forgotten. The Universal Arsenal supplies shooting unwieldy sabre of the old frontier Amer- In charge of these reminders of war is irons to meet all needs of shooting stars. ican cavalrymen. This section also boasts H arry Lonsdale, chief armorer. 44 T // E M O T I O N PICTURE DIRECTOR Dece tuber

Photo by Milligan As a tribute to his genius in making “The Big Parade,” the greatest picture of the world war that has ever been screened, his fellow directors presented him with a handsome army rifle, gold mounted and beautifully engraved. Presentation was made by William Beaudine, president of the M.P.D.A. Mr. Beaudine is seen at the left. King Vidor at the right. Others in the group are, left to right, Louis B. Mayer, David Howard, Karl Dane, Hobart Bosworth and Tom O’Brien.

Directors Honor Kins: Vidor By Pete Smith

he name of King Voider has been added to the Motion call to New ^'ork to attend the eastern premier of the film at T Picture Directors’ Association list of immortals. the Astor Theater, November 19. At a formal bantjuet Director Vidor was the guest of Practically every film director of importance on the Pacific honor of the association, at their Hollywood clubhouse, where he Coast attended the banquet in Vidor’s honor. was tendered the congratulations of the directors in general for Rarely has any picture received the encomiums that have been the success of his sensational picture. The Big Parade, which showed upon Vidor’s The Big Parade. Blase New York appears he recently directed for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. to have received it with unprecedented enthusiasms. Congratulatory speeches were broadcast by radio and President Lfiiderhill in Herald-Tributie up William Beaudine announced that it was the opinion of the Harriet the Neiv York sums assembled directors that in The Big Parade Vidor had given the attitude of the New York press in her emphatic comment to the screen a history-making photoplay drama that in future “The picture, without question, is the biggest hit New York has generations would be held as a milestone in film progress. ever had. In the four days that the picture has been playing they Other guests of the directors’ association besides Vidor were: have turned away twenty-thousand people and there is standing his assistant, David Howard: his military technical advisor, James room only a half hour before every performance.” Ewens, Louis B. Mayer, head of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer stu- LInquestionably King Vidor has arrived and that little parade of dio; J. Robert Rubin, M-G-M official and two of the players of a few years ago when the camera jammed has proved to have been The Big Parade, Karl Dane and Tom O’Brien. John Gilbert, but the forerunner of a Big Parade that has placed him among star of the picture, was unable to attend owing to his hurried the uncrowned kings of the screen world. 19 2 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 45

A situation still in which both action and impend'ng action are expressed has definite selling value.

Selling Pictures IVith Pictures

or an enterprise that devotes its en- By Al Christie attracted attention but actually demanded tire energies to the making and selling F it through advertising display. It was a of motion pictures, the motion picture part of my job to see that the advertising industry is notorious—with the exhibitor, the man who sells the picture to the public had sufficient pulling power to bring the at least— for its utter disregard of the sell- should be provided with the means for ade- people to the box office and into the theatre. ing value of still pictures as an advertising quately presenting his attraction to his I found then, as now, that the most im- medium for the animated picture on the patrons. portant factor in theatrical advertising was screen. Back in the barnstorming days of 1908 pictures and plenty of them. In those days As a producer actively engaged in the I was connected with a theatrical company pictures were not only scarce but too often making of motion pictures to be sold in the combined role of stage manager, ad- not complimentary to the performance or through the exchange man to the exhibitor vertising director and general of publicity the cast and were largely confined to litho- and by him to the theatre-going public, I —doing in addition any other odd job that graphs, most of which were principally the am very frank in saying that this is a sub- happened along. Among other duties it product of the “artist’s” imagination. ject Avhich has become somewhat of a fetish was my business to see that the town was There was some excuse in those days with me; nor are my views on this question properly plastered with representative for inadequate picture material—an excuse based simply on a theoretic premise that paper, and that the lobby (if any) not only that I cannot conceive as applying today 46 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR T) eceiuber

photography has reached its present when competition, through the use of stills. centrate every effort on getting the sequence stage of development. “My territory was scattered,’’ this chap on the film and consider shooting the still Now before anyone rises with the com- said, “and there was no chance of carting as a necessary evil. ment, “Well, you are a producer of motion an eight-reel special around with me just Unfortunately, directors very often walk pictures, why don’t you set the ball to roll- to preview it to each exhibitor I contacted, off the set to get a drink at the nearest ing by selling Christie films with pictures?’’ and yet I had the firm conviction that if soda fountain when it is time to shoot stills. let me get personal for a bit and say that I could only get a conception of the picture The result is that some of the stuff looks I am trying to do just that thing. before mv exhibitors I could sell them on as though it were directed by the third as- I made a firm resolve back in sistant property man and pho- those days that if the time ever tographed by the fourth assis- arrived when I would be tbe tant electrician. head of a theatrical organiza- Just why the artistic soul of tion, one of my first considera- the director, who will work tions would be good photo- heroically to create a master- charac- graphs—representative piece on celluloid, will balk at ter studies of the individuals in registering the same artistry on the situation stills indica- cast— the negative of an 8x10 still tive big of the of the moments camera, I have never been able story pictures really and which to fathom. And yet what is tangible, concrete advertised— the use of making a picture if material to place in the hands it cannot be sold, or to put it of the men whose job it would perhaps more concretely, why be to market my product. isn’t it plain common sense to At the Christie studios I spend the same amount of time have endeavored to carry out and effort in getting good sell- that resolve and have made a ing stills which may mean the concerted effort to procure from box office success of a produc- the five two-reel comedy com- tion, as is expended in making panies the and several feature the picture itself? I believe companies now at work the that it is and I believe that the kind of stills that I needed so producers and directors who badly in those earlier days, will put just as much enthusi- d’hrough the concerted efforts asm in directing and producing of directors, assistant di- our a still picture as is put into the rectors, cameramen and our making of the production will still department, I am getting be the ones who will get the stills that I believe have genu- cream off the top of the bottle. ine value. I have been much interested 7'wo or three negatives are in the efforts that have been made of every situation, always made in several studios to work with the idea of “Everybody on out a still plot from the orig- tbeir toes!’’ to put over tbe inal script of the story Avith a bebind the picture, not thougbt complete schedule of the stills just to get a certain number of It is just as impractical from the exhibitor’s point of view to to be shot planned in advance. negatives in the box regardless cut off a man’s feet as it would be to cut off his head. In only one or two instances of their adaptability to press that I know of has this proved sheets, posters, lobby cards, out, simply because the director cutouts, display advertising, trade paper it. It so happened that 1 was reasonably or the cameraman, on the set or on loca- layouts and the use of the exchangeman in familiar with the story, even though, as tion, either ignored the schedule or looked selling the picture to the exhibitor. was generally the custom in those days, I upon it as “a lot of bunk,’’ and continued And we have learned the fallacy of hadn’t seen the production. But telling the shooting stills in the same haphazard way. story wasn’t any good. It had to be vis- group pictures—of trying to get everybody One director that I know has adopted in the cast on a single 8x10. That seems ualized. this system and is getting marvelous results to me very much like using bird shot in a “In the early days of my drive for book- both in stills and in trailers. As a conse- shotgun to score a bullseye on a rifle target. ings on that production I made one of my quence his productions are receivung un- Crowds are rarely attractive but a bumor- periodic trips into the New York office usual publicity and advertising, just be- ous or dramatic situation between two or and took advantage of that occasion to in- cause he has provided the “ammunition.”

three players is always interesting and fo- ^'ade the publicity office and round up their He is a director with the selling sense and cuses the attention effectively. And it is complete set of some seventy-five publicity a sense of responsibility to bis producer just as impractical for an exhibitor to at- stills. Armed with these, arranged in and for him I unhesitatingly predict a tempt to make a cutout for his lobby or chronological order, 1 returned to my terri- worthy future. other advertising from a still in which the tory and started a drive on this production,

feet have been cut off as it would be from accompanying my sales talk with a running Following a whirlwind vacation to New one wherein the character’s head had been story of the picture illustrated by stills that York as the aftermath of a year of inten- cut off. brought to the exhibitor a vivid visualiza- sive activity in making adaptations of popu- tion of what the picture actually like. d'he sales value of stills in putting over was lar books for several of the foremost pro- I have always felt that the sales record I the picture with the exhibitor was demon- ducing companies of Hollywood, Eve Un- on that picture was due entirely to strated quite forcibly not long ago in a chat made sell has settled down in her office on the my hac ing these visual aids.’’ with an old-time film salesman who, remi- Fox lot where she is under contract. While niscing on past experiences, related how he Getting good stills, however, calls for in New York Miss Unsell devoted a good chalked up a sales record in New York on the complete co-operation of the production bit of her time to seeing the plays that Fox a big special on which there was heavy staff and too often the tendency is to con- has bought for 1926 screen production. ouse peters, wHo is now star- United Artists) was playing Romeo to my lips. I saw Miss Arthur’s beseeching H ing in Combat, at Universal, believes Julia Arthur’s Juliet. It was the first look fade into one of astonishment. I going on stead- choked on the beer she that he has set a new record for screen night. Rehearsals had been ; forgot her lines stars. ily and everyone was weary. and the famous parting scene became almost In this picture, which is a rugged tale “Also” says Bill Hart, in recalling the reality for me! Thereafter I quenched of the north woods, he has appeared in incident, “it was a very hot night and I my thirst after the show was over. ^ every sequence and in every one of the more had been dying of thirst all evening. For than four hundred scenes in the script. the parting scene, naturally a pit had to R 1 LE S EEDMAN recently sev- The only times he didn’t work were be provided for me to stand up in so that ered her First National contract by when Lynn Reynolds, director, was shoot- my head would come up to Juliet’s window mutual consent and now she has been signed ing closeups of the other char- by the same organization to acters in the scenes in which play a featured role in The Peters appeared in the long bar Cry to be directed by shots. Sylvano Balboni, under the personal Fifty of the roughest, supervision of June Mathis. toughest men in motion pic- All of which goes to ture captivity are working prove that it must have been a very amicable with House Peters in making separation. Combat. Blanche Svv'eet is to be starred In The Far Cry, with And not a woman is pres- Jack Mulhall and Eugenie ent on the set. Men are do- Besserer. ing every bit of the work. To * * * save possible embarrassment, even the script girl has been ILLIAM POWELL, dispensed with and the assis- who is now in Porto tant director to Lynn Rey- Rico disporting himself as a

nolds is doing that work. villain in Aloma of the South Besides the tough charac- Seas, writes that he was ters to play lumber jacks that slated to meet his death in the were taken to the northern jaws of a shark, but as far as “Quit your fooling and ‘Let’s Make Pictures’,” says Director A1 Rogell he is concerned the scene will part of the state when the after a bit of relaxation at Universal City. company left for location a not be taken in the shark-in- month ago, an additional ten fested southern waters. A real backwoodsmen were brought back to and we could properly enact the passionate tragic occurrence which took place upon the studio. leave-taking. Thus, while Juliet was de- the troupe’s arrival was a grim lesson. claiming in her bedchamber alter Romeo’s A young girl wintering at the resort, The story is a typical out-of-doors, he- departure and leaning out to look her last was bathing In water only up to her waist man picture of the type that has made upon him, I in my pit was visible to her when along came a hungry barracuda. See- Peters famous. It is so tough even the while, of course, unseen to the audience. ing her tender fingers he nibbled one. In- film won’t burn. There is a thrill in every thirst becoming unbearable, I had deed, he bit it right off. escort foot. “My Her dashed asked a stage hand to run across the street to her rescue and the fish attacked him, Wanda Hawley, who is the only girl and get me a bottle of beer. Unluckily with the result that the girl’s champion in the picture, plays opposite Peters, while he returned with it just as Juliet was is now In the hospital with badly lacerated others in the cast of this story of the lumber fondly gazing down upon me and what she limbs and the girl is nursing a hand that camps and a forest fire, are Walter Mc- saw almost broke up the show! For the has one finger missing. Grail, C. E. Anderson and Steve Clemento. stage hand had obligingly uncorked the So Bill Powell has decided against hav- * * bottle, the beer was flowing rapidly away ing his film demise in southern waters, *- * * NE spring in Chicago, William S. in the shape of foam and I, forgetting all O Hart (who will soon be seen on the In the wild desire to save the precious fluid The Black Pirate has to date broken screen in his production Tumbleweeds for and quench my thirst, tipped the bottle to three bull fiddles. 48 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

man or a Grand Duke, but he is not the type I want”. Just then an automobile drove into the lot and halted near Schrock and Gade. Without a thought for his fair compan- ion the man at the wheel jummped down leaving the woman to scramble out un- assisted. A wordy argument followed, the Scott S id n e y woman evidently takes an upbraiding her escort for his lack “Angle Shot” of gallantry. at his camera- Gade had seen it all and his eyes glis- man shooting tened. a scene in a “See”, he said to Schrock. “That is the comedy and type of man I want. he has finds both the What just “Angle Shot” done is human, real. It was typical of and the action most men. If that man was an actor I of the scene would take him at once.” amusing. “He is an actor”, returned Schrock, “that’s Pat O’lVIalley”. “But O’Malley has a moustache”, ar- 'HE first year is the hardest” is gued Gade until Schrock explained that 1 I he A what all the wiseacres say, and did have, but only for his part in The Mid- Marp:aret Livingston is soon to find out. night Sun”. No, Miss Pep-and-Personality has not That O’Malley may not be misjudged, slipped on the connuhial ring, but has been here is what really happened. to play one of her engaging vampire signed “^Vhy Pat”, said Airs. O’Malley as, un- roles in The First Year which Frank Bor- aided, she followed her spouse from the zage will direct for the William Fox or- automobile. “A'ou’ve never done this be- ganization. fore. A"ou always help me out”. “S-s-s-h” hissed Pat. “I am only trying WO-GL^N bad men and two-gun to sell myself to S\ end Gade”. sheriffs are not new to Western photo- T And he did, for he got the part in plays, but now comes a two-cigarette di- JTives for Rent. rector, which is somewhat of a novelty even * * -* in motion pictures. N these days when side saddles are Albert Rogell is the director and his I completely out of vogue and riding smoking two cigarettes at one and the same astride has hecome the accustomed thing time was not started as a fad but arose out it is more of a trick to balance one’s self of necessity. Rogell was directing a bar- in a side saddle than one would ordinarily room sequence in Grinning Guns. "Fhe suppose, says Dorothy Donald who has inmates of the bar-room were not puffing recently returned from location at Fort out enough smoke to satisfy Rogell. Some Huachuca with V^ic Shertzinger’s one suggested he use a smoke pot, but the Golden Strain company. director wanted cigarette smoke. Now that it is all over Dorothy admits Removing two of his own particular that she had only been in a side saddle brand, Rogell deftly placed tbem between once before in her life and that was the his lips and danced over the bar-room floor, day before the company left for the Ari- puffing like a two-funnelled steamer. The desired effect was secured and the cameras At the Chil- began clicking. dren’s Hour no * * * matter what other engage- there is reason behind ometimes a ments he may S a man’s seeming impoliteness to his have, Sam wife, according to Pat O’lVIalley. And the Taylor is always to be popular screen star proves it. found with his Recently Svend Gade, who will direct children at the Jf ives for Rent for Luriversal, was look- radio. ing about for a man to play opposite Vir-

ginia Valli. "File character to be filled is that of an author who, lost in his own ideas, sometimes forgot the little polite- nesses demanded by a wife. Gade interviewed several rrell-known players and promptly rejected them. Pistols for Meeting Raymond L. Schrock on the Two. Rudolph lot one day the director confided his trou- Valentino and Stro- bles to Luiiversal’s general manager. Eric von heim in an off ‘‘How about Pat O’Mallet ?” questioned scene shot Schrock. made when von visited ‘‘No, no”, answered Gade. ‘‘O’Malley’s Rudy at the all right as a gangster, a plumber, a sales- United lot. 19 2 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 49 zona, Mexican border, when she spent a RIED OUT. Marguerite De La couple of hours in Griffith Park practic- C Motte admits it. She says she ing assiduously. Consequently the many couldn’t weep if the saddest thing in the compliments which were showered upon world happened to her. her for her marvelous horsemanship were Miss De La Motte has just finished tlie keenly appreciated. Dorothy has been starring role in the Belasco production, riding horses practically ever since she “Fiftli Avenue,” which demanded more could walk and astride of an equine tears tlian any part she has ever played. * * * quadruped she is thoroughly and completely at home. Aside one—well that ational beauty contests are suc- was a different matter but she made good, N cessful in placing tbeir winners on and that’s all that counts in the picture the screen, but according to Albert LeVino, game. many do not ever survive the screen tests. Incidently she let slip an engagement to The camera frequently reverses the deci- play the lead in a Western feature in sion of the judges and as far as screen order to prove to herself and to the world possibilities are concerned the eye of the that she could manage a side saddle just camera is infallible. Many poor pictures as effectively as though riding astride. have been put over by exploiting the name

But, says Dorothy, it is a long ways from of a national beauty, but LeVino contends being as comfortable. that pictures must succeed on the merits of * * * the story rather than advertising a member Edward Earle had no Christmas of the cast. ed a. Sparks wins more golf tree from the time he went on the * matches by default than by his N stage at the age of 16 until Lux came TAGE number four at the Metropoli- achievements with the clubs. Upon into his life. Now he hangs spangles tan studio recently turned back learning that golf was originally a Scottish and candles with mutton chops and S biscuit on a special tree for curious visitors by reason of the odor of game, Sparks makes his appearance on dog Lux every Christmas. the raw fish, which were being used in a the links only when clad in kilts. banquet scene for “Rocking Moon.” Lil- Sparks is a good golfer and his appear- mother. It was the first time he had lian Tashman and John Bowers were the ance in kilts makes him a better one as seen her in thirty years. And from the stars engaged with a group of Indian maid- his opponents usually become so discon- screen she beckoned to him and smiled up- ens in the dining sequence of this Metro- certed and amused at his unusual costume on him. Tears came to his eyes. With politan Pictures Corporation vehicle. and form (golf) that their own game the film run off. Reiser feelingly expressed In order to preserve absolute realism, falls below standard. his deep appreciation to Laemmle for director Melford had real fish set before * * * what the kind-hearted executive had done. Miss Tashman and Bowers. Hot w^eather hirty years of time and thousands and cold storage fish agree for about twen- * * T of miles of snace were bridged ty minutes. After that it’s every man for recently for Simon Reiser through the IRGINIA Valli mixing German with himself and the one wearing the most per- magic of a motion picture, and the V her English, Pat O’Malley struggling fume enjoys the greatest freedom from the thoughtfulness of a man. between Russian and English, and Svend “fish smell.” * -* * Thirty years ago, Simon Reiser bade Gade separating his Danish and English his mother goodbye and left the little vocabulary. Is part of the linguistic potpor- SMALL but very representative town of Laupheim, in Wurtemburg, ri that has developed at Universal. Add to A league of nations could be formed Germany, to seek his fortune in the new that a touch of Hebrew contributed by Nat from the members of the company filming world. Reiser prospered in a certain Carr, and a dash of Austrian dropped In by Three Faces East at the DeMille studio. measure in the land of his adoption. With Albert Conti. Above the din of this mo- Rupert Julian, the director, is Irish, but the years he dreamed of returning home dern tower of Babel, there Is heard now was born In New Zealand. Jetta Goudal, but somehow the dream never came true. and then— one good hearty, bit of American playing the feminine lead, is quite French, Then Reiser came West and in time found slang “Razherries”—coming from some and Clive Brook, filling another important himself employed on the lot at Universal hard-working electrician or cameraman role, was born and raised in merrie old City. His employer was Carl Laemmle, on the set. England. Robert Ames, another member also a native of the little German town. of the cast, is of Scotch extraction and * * In keeping with his annual custom, American birth, the script girl Is Dutch, Laemmle this year visited his birthplace. and among the electricians and property AN’T drink—can’t stage a gruesome In the midst of his homecoming, the men one finds Spain, Mexico, Austria and C fight—can’t show guns! With these president of Universal remembered those Arkansas equally well represented. And things forbidden by the censors, Lynn of his townspeople who were at Universal. not to overlook the studio shine stand, Reynolds, wants to know how he can make He planned a surprise for them on his the flag of Ethiopia has its place on the a fierce, rough he-man picture of the lum- return. He would have a motion picture De Mille lot. Rupert Julian is playing ber camps that will pass the censors. made of the little town and its people. the part of the Kaiser as well as directing This was done and yesterday at Universal * * * Three Faces East at the De Mille Studio. those from' Laupheim were Laemmle’s * * guests at a showing of the film. he film industry is one spot where 4 4T^ EAL kisses may be a matter of im- dignity doesn’t come wfith promotion. the old T As town appeared on the screen J\. pulse, hut screen kisses are a mat- When Kathryn Perry was engaged in the with its familiar scenes, the stillness in ter of feet,” says Theodore Von Eltz, who series of two reel domestic comedies, Fo.x’s the room became tense. The town had not recently completed the leading male role “Helen and Warren’’ group, she was changed much. European towns never in Broadivay Lady at the F. B. O. studios. called Miss Perry. But now that she has do. Then the person of a motherly lady In the love scenes of the production the graduated to the feminine of some 80 or 85 years flashed on the starring role in kisses were measured and timed with the screen. From a corner of the darkened “The First Year,” one of the most coveted aid of a stop watch so that there would room came a half-suppressed gasp. It parts of the year, everybody calls her be no confliction wfith the rulings of the was Reiser. The little old lady was his “Kitty.” board of censors. 50 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR D ecember Wampas Doin’s

RELIMINARY plans for the fifth tunity for the e.xercise of his genious rarely Company, official headquarters for the fro- P annual Wampas Frolic and Ball are afforded. lic have been established at 6162 Holly- well underway and all “Wampas- In tribute to Sid Grauman, as a token wood boulevard, adjoining the Hotel expresses it, land”, as Ham Beall naively of appreciation for what he has done for Regent. is with the excitement that attends agog the industry as a whole and for what he As a departure from the appelation of the planning and development of this event is doing for the Wampas, the organization former years, the thirteen girls selected by which looms so big in the calendar of the is tendering in his honor a testimonial din- the Wampas as offering the most promise and of the movie world of Holly- Wampas ner to be held at the Biltmore hotel, Thurs- and for whom the organization prophecies wood. day evening. December 3. The committee stardom during the year, will be known At the November 9th meeting definite headed by Harry Wilson has worked out as Wampas Stars of 1926. Because of determination of the time and place was what gives promise of being an exception- the extreme care tvith which these girls made with the selec- allv interesting program with many sur- are selected it is difficult at this writing tion of the new prise stunts developing during the evening. to predict wdien def- Shrine auditorium On this occasion brief announcement of inite selection will the general plans for the forthcoming frolic be made and the as the place and the will be made by Joe Jackson, the official 1926 line-up evening of Thurs- pub- after-dinner speaker of the Wampas. licly announced. It day, February 4tb. the organization hand- Heading Wampas is possible that this as the date. The ling the details of the ball is Ray Leek, may Wampas Frolic and occur as a. fea- who, as general manager, will have entire ture of the Grau- Ball will probablv charge of the carrying out of the plans man dinner. be the first public already formulated and who, in addition

h i 1 affair to be held in to his managerial responsibilities, will work W e matters

this, Los Angeles’ in close co-operation with Mr. Grauman. pertaining to the newest auditorium, In the re-appoint- frolic have engrossed which boasts the ment of Ray Leek the attention of the as general manager largest combination theatre and ball room Wampas the past been evidenced in the world. has month, the social side of the bi-w^eekly a development of or- gathering has not been neglected. The In fact the Shrine auditorium offers pe- ganization and rou- November meetings were characterized by culiarly suitable advantages for the staging tine which has been two of the best entertainment programs of such an affair as the Wampas Frolic lacking in the past that have been presented in months. Roy has growm to be. With a ball room ac- and from w h i c h Miller, as chairman of the November 9th commodating comfortably 6000 couples and may reasonably be meeting, presented a scintillating array of a completely appointed theatre rvith excep- expected a greater brilliance, wit and harmony. With George tional stage facilities immediately adjoining, degree of efficiency George Landy Landy functioning as chairman for the affording seating accomodations for 6,800, and an avoidance November 21st meeting a big time pro- the strictly entertainment features of the inevitable “errors” of former years. gram of mirth, music and monology was program may be divorced from the dancing of the the general manager and offered, including Alexander Carr, Herb features with resultant heightening of both As assistant to the title of technical director the Wiedoft’s Cinderella Roof-Brunsrvick Or- comfort and pleasure of patrons. A seat bearing have appointed Bill Newbery. chestra, feature acts from Far West theat- for everyone and every seat reserved is Wampas comer in the ranks of ers (courtesy of Fred Miller and Hal thus insured. Newbery is a new the Wampas but is an old-timer in theatri- Horne) and an important address by a big Many innovations are being planned by cal experience and was formerly manager studio executive. the Wampas for the forthcoming affair, of the Kinema theatre, now^ the Criterion. one of the most significant of which is the Because of his specialized training in theat- fact that Sid Grauman has been persuaded OSEPH Jackson, who is both a pub- presentations he will work in close rical licity playwright, has to lend to the organization the genius of man and a w’ith Grauman in the stag- association Mr. J in latter capacity of his show'manship in staging the entertain- been busy the ing of the entertain- late. He has written a dramatic vehicle ment features of the frolic. ment program. for Frank Keenan, who will enter vaude- Never in the history of the Wampas, as Wampas affair A ville as soon as he returns from a vacation an organization, has there been the op- of such magnitude abroad. It is called “Twilight” and portunity for staging a frolic and ball of as the fifth annual shows the star as a French Colonel during such proportions as are offered by the un- ball frolic and the World war. usual facilities of the Shrine auditorium. would be strange in- Ethel Grey Terry is also rehearsing a The Civic auditorium at San Francisco, a deed without public- playlet from Jackson’s pen. It is named couple of years ago, seemed to be ideally ity and George “Bedlam” and is said to add a new suited to Wampas frolicking and did offer Landy, wdio stepped wrinkle to the Grand Rapids school of what is probably the greatest capacity avail- into the breach last dramaturgy. able on the Pacific coast for such an event. year in similar ca- Jackson has also written an act for But the Shrine auditorium, while offering Bill Newbery pacity, has been ap- Francis X. Bushman, who expects to play less seating capacity, affords other factors pointed publicity houses following the re- of even greater worth in presenting an in- manager of the frolic organization. And the big picture In this play, which teresting program of big-time entertain- the publicity has started. lease of “Ben Hur.” ment. On the stage of mammoth pro- Through the co-operation of Pat Dow- will be produced on an elaborate scale, portions Sid Grauman will have oppor- ling and the courtesy of the Christie Realty Bushman will play a Caesar of Rome. 51 192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR

Wasp Whisperings Superior Quality By A. WASP Is the reason for the success of he Wasps are one year old this month, and following the maxim that T “little girls seen not should be and heard” we have gone quietly about the GOERZ business of building an organization that would prove itself a well-behaved child that might some day be both seen and heard Film Raw Stock with approbation. USE THIS FORMULA A letter from Mabel Lunde, a charter FOR BEST RESULT: member, announces her affiliation with the GOERZ LENS in your camera. Chicago Tribune Radio organization head- GOERZ NEGATIVE RAW ed by the noted columnist R.H.L. Several STOCK in your magazine. of Mabel’s original poems and stories pub- GOERZ POSITIVE RAW STOCK lished in the Chicago Tribune, have met for your prints. with tremendous success over the radio and Sole Distributors as Lun Dee of that paper, she is making a personal appearance tour with other members of the radio group. FISH-SCHURMAN Agnes O’Malley has settled herself in a CORPORATION New York apartment after being thorough- 45 West 45th Street ly lunched and dined by the motion pic- New York City

ture group in New York, and is hard at 1050 Cahuenga Avenue work as assistant editor of Photoplay. Hollywood, Calif. James Quirk wound up the festivities in her honor by a buffet luncheon in his office IN CANADA suite, to the press. Carolyn Wagner, President of the Wasps John A. Chantler & Co. October has been considerable shifting 226 Bay Street, Toronto, Out. about of Wasps. Alvord, chairman, Len Beall and Dorothy Margaret Ettinger and her typewriter Spenseley. have moved from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer On Tuesday, November 17tb, Myrtle Doug’s Cameraman Is Gebhardt was chairman of the club’s guest studios to 1845 Glendale Blvd. where she dinner at Tbe Writers and issued novel World’s Champ is directing publicity activities for Marshall invitations representing the Contents Page Neilan, Blanche Sweet and the Neilan of a fan magazine. Special articles were Henry Sharp, cameraman for Douglas Productions. contributed in the form of speeches by Fairbanks, bas been designated by leading Len Beall, long associated with the Hal Michael Arlen, Pola Negri, Baron Valen- photoplay editors as the best cameraman Roach studios has transferred herself and tine Mandelstamm, Peggy Hamilton, in the motion picture industry. her affections to Warner Brothers (stu- Eliza and Edwin Schallert, Myra Nye, This distinction was conferred upon and dios) while Agnes Kerr Crawford has Walter Frederick Seely, Jack Conley Sharp as the result of a survey by which Hurley. Covers were laid for journeyed to Gotham until after the holi- Harold eminent critics on newspapers and period- forty guests among whom were Agnes days. Fanchon Royer has left her clients icals throughout the United States se- Christine Johnson, Caroline Walker, lected the film productions made during in the capable hands of Daphne Marquette Louise Fazenda and Grace Wilcox Dietz. the past year with the best cinematography. while she has gone vacationing with friend The December meeting dates have been husband. Sharp was the only cameraman whose changed to the first and third Tuesdays work received three mentions. Others The annual election is upon us. The of the month to avoid conflicting with who stood high in the list were Roy Over- nominating committee consists of Adeline Holiday dates. baugh, who photographed “Romola,” James Howe who made “Peter Pan,” and Ernest Schoedsack who was cameraman >) Studios Combine on Lirass. The picture that won the honors for ONSOLIDATION of the DeMille ing pictures in which such well-known Sharp was “Don Q,” Douglas Fairbanks’ and Metropolitan Studios, the two players as Leatrice Joy, Rod LaRocque, last production. C biggest producing units of Producers Priscilla Dean, Lillian Rich, Bowers, John The survey was conducted under the Distributing Corporation, and tbe ap- Marguerite de la Mott, Lilyan Tashman, direction of Foster Goss for the American pointment of William Sistrom as general William Boyd, Vera Reynolds, and Jetta Society of Cinematographers and the re- manager of the combined organizations Goudal will appear. sults were made public in that organiza- is one of the most interesting events to In futherance of the policy of concen- tion’s official bulletin, “The American take place in Hollywood in some time. trating on the personally directed pictures Cinematographer.” Announcement of this change has just Mr. DeMille has appointed Fred Kiev, been made by DeMille. Sistrom, as chief It is predicted that even greater glory heretofore general studio manager, to e.xecutive of the unified organization, will will accrue to Sharp following the re- handle the expenditure of some twenty represent him in the distribution field, lease of the new Fairbanks picture, “The millions of dollars during the season of dividing his time between Los Angeles Black Pirate,” which he is now photo- 1926-1927, which will be used in produc- and New York. graphing in natural color. : —

52 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR Dectniber The Barnstormer By Frank Cooley

Conclusion

thing of the troubles we had encountered in Arizona and Mexico.

Of course I was wild—even wilder when Howe seemed to blame me and claimed that we were ruined. Just then the Eve- ning Star called me on the phone wanting to know if the show was “busted ”. When I shouted “NO!” I was asked if I would please come to their office and give my version of the trouble. I left Howe to stew in his own worries and hurried to The Star office and on my way I passed the Russell and Drew theatre where Jessie Shirley was playing a stock engagement. Standing in front of the theatre were several actors—Frank MacQuary was one of them. Another was the actor who had given the story to the nasty little paper that had printed the mean notice. I

couldn’t contain myself. I called him all the vile names I could think of, hoping he would give me a chance to take a swing at him—but he simply said, “That’s only what you think I am”. Drew, the manager of the Third Avenue Theatre, came out and ordered me away with a threat of arrest. There was nothing for me to do but go so I proceeded to the Star office and told them the truth

they were more than fair and I even profited by the write-up that appeared in the evening paper. Mr. H owe’s fears were not realized, the E expected our season to end with 1 w'as quite chesty to think of following house that evening being thoroughly satis- the Portland engagement but near a show like Ralph Stewart’s and being re- factory but during the show someone intro- if really belonged in that W the end of the week J. P. Howe, ceived as we duced me to a gentleman who asked me manager of the Seattle Theatre, dropped class so when Mr. Howe rang me up the “what I had on” for tomorrow about ten at in to look the show over and liked it well next morning asking me to call on him o’clock. I replied, “Nothing,” thinking he enough to give me two weeks in Seattle, once, causing me to dress in a hurry and was going to take me hunting or some- following Ralph Steward who was doing get right over to his office, my surprise thing, but he replied: “Well, be in Judge “By Right of Sword’’ and other splendid and chagrin can be imagined when Howe Grant’s courtroom at ten in the morning. plays. Howe’s Seattle Theatre was the showed me the little weekly paper that had I have a warrant for your arrest charging best in town and I was rather dubious across the front page you with using language intended to pro- about following a show like Stewart’s, Trouble in Peaceful Valley voke an assault. This fellow Platt expects whose salary list was around eight hundred After a tempestuous voyage through me to take you out right during your show dollars while mine was less than three Oregon and If ’ashington, The Peace- hut I am not going to do it so be sure to hundred dollars, but I had my nerve with ful J'alley Company came to grief last show up at ten in the morning.” me and signed up. A couple of my actors night at Howe's Seattle Theatre, Of course I promised to be there and had made other arrangements as I had a notice thanked him. I stood trial next morning posted a closing notice, but I fortunately and followed with about as mean and succeeded in telling my story before located two good people in Portland where as even one’s enemies would care to read. the prosecuting attorney objected and was we had rehearsed a week and the following It seems that Howe had incurred the sustained by the judge. Sunday in Seattle we opened with “Peace- paper’s enmity by refusing to advertise in ful Valley”, Sol Smith Russell’s old play. a sheet that he did not think would be One witness testified that 1 had called U'he prices were a dollar top and our first profitable to him, and they had succeeded Platt a “so and so”. IV'Iy lawyer put me night’s receipts were something over five in getting a disgruntled actor named Platt on the stand and asked me if I had called hundred dollars. who had worked for me to tell them some- the plaintiff such a name and I denied it. 19 2 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 53

I could do so truthfull}' and thought I was noon and dinner about eleven o’clock at spirit gum would hold good—shorn of my getting on fine but the prosecuting attorney night and I was pretty gaunt by that time finery I resembled a scarecrow that had cross-questioned me asking me the same as we breakfasted light. been through a bad storm. I asked him his question to which I again entered a denial, The company finally got out of Butte reason for holding me. “Gee!” he said, but then he said, “What did you call the but came to final grief at La Grande. I “you might kill him, Frank, he’s out now.” plaintiff?” I looked to my lawyer for sup- had to telegraph my brother for money But I couldn’t agree with him. The man port and he entered an objection which the enough to get back to San Francisco. was over six foot and big enough to kill judge overruled and I had to answer, “I On account of my memory of Butte I me. He needed a lesson as he evidently called him a “so and so.” turned down Mr. Howe’s offer, but finally thought I was an old man and was willing Th is brought a roar from the spectators agreed to play leads and direct the stage to take advangtae of that fact. for what I had called him, while entirely if he would organize a company and assure Later I excused myself to the house car thing only he using different words meant the same entire responsibility. This did, penter, saying I was sorry, —that I usually there was more purple to it. most of the people that had been with me got along nicely with stage hands but that The judge rapped for order—cleared his and the changes he made were distinctly this man gave me no chance. He laughed the throat and said, “While according to law, for the worse. We broke new com- and said, “don’t let it worry you. Air. pany in, in Weratcome and one of I have no right to take into consideration New Cooley, he’s been looking for it for some the circumstances that provoked the defen- his new actors slipped out a few hours time and I guess he got what he wanted.” before our opening. 1 engaged a tall fel- dant to use this language to the plaintiff, I never did like Butte. That is the only low by the name of Lee Morris who was I am going to do so and will take this case reason for this digression from my story. under advisement”. He hesitated, smiled tending bar near the theatre and he proved Well we closed in Butte and on the the and continued, “Still according to law the to be a very good actor. He had to do closing night I received a wire from Har- best he could on short notice but “got by” defendant is plainly guilty and I’ll have to rington Reynolds who now had a company well indeed. proved in fine him the nominal sum of five dollars”. very The show in the Seattle Theatre, offering Mrs. Coo- and finally opened in Butte. The prosecuting attorney jumped up, “And shape we The ley and myself a week engagement in Seat- business was nothing to boast of and we costs, your honor?”—the judge replied, tle to play in “The Shenandoah”. I ac- played only eight weeks. I had no great “No, no costs”. I paid the five, gave Platt cepted and hurried back to Seattle for re- this of a dirty look and left the courtroom. The trouble during time—outside one hearsals. fight with an actor by the name of Franks. two weeks in Seattle netted me about The town was greatly excited as Tracey twelve hundred dollars profit. Howe’s manager insisted upon me fining the Bandit had been seen in one of the my wife, Frank Montgomery’s wife and dance halls—after commandeering a boat E played “The Butterflies” for our an actor named Franks, $2.50 each. in Tacoma and compelling the captain to bill Sire to Franks went wild and asked, “How much take to W second and “From Son” him Seattle. There were all sorts and “Mouth of the Cannon” following. do you get out of this?” I hit him and he of wild stories about him to be heard on Howe was well pleased and wanted me to let me have his cane over the head. 1 was every corner and Saturday mv army de-

go to Butte, Montana, where he had wearing a new derby at the time; just paid serted me, ( I was doing General Sheridan another theatre. I didn’t think well of five dollars for it. The hat was wrecked as well as the heavy) being called to arms Butte. I was stuck there for several weeks and rolled into the footlights—we were by the authorities and ordered to Lake in 189"!—out with Maud Granger doing finally separated. Franks wasn’t hurt Washington to capture the bandit. The “Inherited,” “Fringe of Society” and “Ca- much, a swelling under one eye but he was battle scene was quite tame that perform- mille”. On that occasion I don’t know peeved. Again 1 felt that Butte was un- ance but it didn’t matter much as very few how I would have lived if it hadn’t been lucky for me. came to the show—those who were not for the faro games—at that time gambling out hunting Tracey were waiting to see was licensed in Butte and a gambler there hen two years ago while with “The him brought in. They failed in this hut was the same as any other man. The T Bird of Paradise” I had more bad we did see one dead policeman brought in games were absolutely on the square. I luck there. I was stage manager of the —he got too near Tracey. I believe two pawned my watch—the first prize I had show and while superintending the setting others were wounded. The Sheriff gave ever won boxing—for ten dollars. I played of the second act on the opening night the up in disgust, claiming the crowd of man the the faro table twenty- property man, who was big enough to hunters was so great that they were chas- high card on ;

five cents. Then if I lost that, fifty cents, break me in two, started to abuse me saying in a circle with Tracey right with them.

if I lost again a dollar, then two dollars. ing, “why the don’t you tell us He got away but one night a week later I guess I was lucky as I never had to risk what you want. You have a tongue in a farmer in Eastern Washington shot him over two dollars. I would play until I your head, etc.” He kept it up until I and he bled to death by morning—was won a dollar and then quit. I kept this was foolish enough to remark, “You’ll be found with his suspenders tied abound his up for over a week, when one night the fresh with someone some day that will leg to stop the loss of blood, his gun rest- dealer, who had gotten to know me, said punch you in the nose.” He jumped off the ing on a stump pointing toward the farm- “Say, young fellow, you’ll get a bad deal couch where he had been arranging the er’s house. Here he had waited hoping and go broke.” I laughed saying, “the curtains, and came for me, swinging his the farmer would venture within range cards have been good to me so far; this left hand. I was fortunate enough to beat until loss of blood ended his life. game has kept me eating for a week.” He him to the punch—catching him with a asked me to stand at his side. I did so half hook—and following quickly with my E finished in Seattle, took the boat and he called the first sixteen— cards before right hand, catching him too high to stop W to San Francisco, and started re- they came out of the box “That’s what him entirely, but hard enough to put him hearsing for our next season which opened I could do to you”, he said, but I laughed down. I stepped near ready to finish him in three weeks. My troubles in all the and replied, “But you wouldn’t. The game as soon as he reached his feet, but my assist- years that followed, combined, never

is square.” “I’ll make you a proposition” ant stage manager grabbed me, tearing my equalled one-fourth the hardships that I he said. “Lay off the game and eat with white whiskers off. My long black cape went through the first year and I have me. My boss will think I’m turning for also came off. 1 was made up for He- never been in jail since—no, not even you if he happens to watch us and he wahewa the Hawaiian priest—with long arrested. Though I narrowly missed both don’t think any too well of me now.” white hair and whiskers—black hula dress six years ago. "I'his seemed fair to me and 1 accepted his —long black cape—brown tights— face I was sitting in the office of the Con- terms though it changed my meal hours browned except where the whiskers were tinental Hotel, San Francisco, conversing fearfully. We had breakfast in the after- pasted on—this was left unpainted so the with John Griffith Wray, now a director —

54 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

at the Fox Studio, when we were startled hotel. The big bum got me on my back would come of it, that I had fought with a hy the cry of “Fight”, we ran out into and drove me three times with his right sergeant of the police force—off duty at the F'llis Street to see what it was all about. hand, knocking my head against the paved time—who weighed over two hundred As we reached the sidewalk, we saw a man road so hard that I couldn’t put mv hat pounds, six foot tall, and if he hadn’t been with his coat oft, threatening a grey haired on for several days on account of tiic three so wild, he would have done better with man and a woman, evidently his wife, big lumps that I had fallen heir to Just me. He had had trouble with his girl standing in the doorway of a hotel that then someone kicked him off of me, I and had chased her out of the ‘Lamb’s was at that time vacant. There was a got up and we went at it again, but I Cafe’ knocked her down on the sidewalk, crowd about thirty feet to the right of these guess he was about through and was not hit someone who had tried to interfere and three people and a similar crowd to the doing very well when we were again sepa- then gone crazy, hitting anyone in his path. left. Grift Wray joined the crowd on the rated. I heard his friend say, “I’ll have I never saw this policeman again that I left, but I foolishly ran to the edge of the a car here in a minute and for God’s sake know of, though I understand he knows street directly in front of them. get out of here before we are all arrested.” me, is not the least bit mad, but is rather

Just as I reached there, the man with his Aly opponent stood with his left side to me, amused to think what can happen to a coat oft hit the old man, knocking him wiping the blood from his mouth when a man if he’s careless. against the wall and drew back his right —chauffeur said, “Take a punch at ‘he The day after this trouble I went up the arm to hit the woman calling her a name ”, I said. “No,” he replied. “Go on, he river with Mr. Edwards, as a guest. He but changed his mind and called to the hit you when you w'ere down.” I took was making a picture with Frank Keenan, crowd on his left, “Any of you want his advice. Swinging my friend around we stopped at a river town, Collinsville, some of this?” No one answered, he then with my left hand, I drove my right hand to shoot some scenes. I was standing near called to the crowd on his right, “Any of to his nose as hard as I could, so hard that the pilot house, and the camera was facing \ou care for some?” I felt it clean to my shoulder and my arm the shore to take a scene of people landing. Receiving no reply, he turned to me was lame for a week—something was In spite of the fact that old Keenan knew standing alone in the street. “I guess you wrecked—but there was no more fight in perfectly well that I was not in view of want some, you .” I was wear- him and just then a car drove up and he the camera, the temptation to be funny at ing a nice new light suit and straw hat was taken away. someone else’s expense was too great, he and evidently looked inviting. He came I was a sight. My new hat was lost, cried, “One moment Mr. Edwards,” every- right for me, I couldn’t see why I should my clothes torn, my face bleeding and my thing stopped, Edwards asked “What is it run from him and so stood my ground. eyes closing fast. Just then a policeman Mr. Keenan?” Then Keenan got his When he was near enough I stabbed him came up and took a lot of notes but laugh, he pointed to me and said, “Is ‘Gyp full in the face with my left hand, his didn’t even threaten to arrest me. I was the Blood’ to be in this scene?” He got head flew back, but he came again and I strong for having my friend arrested, I had his laugh, because my face was in an awful drove with my left hand once more but just paid thirty dollars for the light suit shape, and right there I conceived an ad- he turned his head very nicely and my arm and three dollars and fifty cents for the miration for Mr. Keenan—an admiration shot over his left shoulder,—then he al- hat and 1 at least wanted to be reimbursed which later was greatly increased when I most knocked my head off with a left to that extent but I rvas called upon by learned that facetiousness at some one else’s swing. I was headed for the ground when several acquaintances who evidently knew expense was one thing that Mr. Keenan he brought me up standing with a terrific the big fellow well and persuaded me to held in abhorrence. right swing under the jaw. I realized at drop the matter, which I did, and it was In conclusion, I want to say that I think once that I was fooling with someone who six months before 1 could get any of them fighting is terrible and hard on the nose. knew something and proceeded more care- to tell me who my friend rvas. Finally If I had been larger and more imposing fully. Tiny Holmes, who owned a cigar store on looking probably I would never have had We didn’t get very far before a man and the corner of Ellis and Powell, told me, to fight. I don’t think I ever looked for woman, evidently his friends separated us after making me promise that nothing trouble, it just naturally came to me. and got him on the sidewalk. I stood in THE END the street near them, not saying a word but wishing for a chance to try to do better with him. I was not kept waiting long, To Produce Abroad he saw me looking at him and cried, “1 put into effect ideas he has devel- summer, Mr. Eyton spent considerable can whip any on Mason Street, O oped for European film production, time in Europe and made a study of pro- you ” and came for me. T Charles Eyton, for years general ducing in England, France and Germany. This time I feinted with my left hand, manager of the Lasky Studio in Holly- Although several American pictures have he turned his head, I stepped in and hit wood, has been relieved of his duties at his been made abroad, Mr. Eyton was struck him in the mouth with my right hand, then own request and appointed general repre- with the success of Gloria Swanson’s pic- followed with three more full on the mouth sentative of the Paramount Production de- ture, Madame Sans Gene, made in France, and chin, but while he seemed groggy, he partment abroad. and Thomas Meighan’s picture, Irish Luck, was too big and strong for me to stop and “IVlr. Eyton will sail for Europe short- made in Ireland. The handling of these he closed in. I'he crowd prevented me ly,” said Jesse Lasky, “to make arrange- pictures increased his desire to go abroad, keeping away from him and he got me in ments for the filming of certain big pic- and following conference with IMr. Zukor his arms. I knew I was gone, I judged tures and to put into operation ideas re- and myself. Air. Eyton has developed plans him to weigh over two hundred pounds garding the making of pictures abroad. He for the production of pictures in Europe and I could feel muscle everywhere has been in charge of our studio in Holly- which, next season, we expect will bring no fat—even on his stomach, I succeeded practically since its beginning and a new note to the American screen.” in getting his head in chancery and hit wood has shown himself possessor of one of the will pro- him several times when the woman caught Although Mr. Eyton study best producing brains in the business. conditions throughout Europe, he me by the left arm. 1 heard his man ducing years intricate problems of friend say to her, “5[\)u keep out of this,” Through many will devote particular attention to England, production have come before him, and it of the first and I learned afterwards that he tried to PNance and Germany. One is only after many conferences that he has is confer with Barrie draw her away but she held to me and I things he will do to his duties went down, breaking my pants and bruis- persuaded us to relieve him of on the production of an original story Bar- ing my knee so badly that the blood reached to work in Europe. rie is about to write for Betty Bronson, my shoe top by the time I got back to my “As part of a trip around the world last to be produced in London next summer. — —

19 2 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 55 Night Bride By Frederic Chapin

YNTHIA sat alone in her room. In “Stanley Warrington,” she cried ex- breath to her lips in short sobs, the C frantic desperation, she had driven ultantly. Then her shoulders drooped. whimpering kind. her mother, her maid and the No—he hated her—he hated everybody Eventually, she reached the ground with modiste out, and locked her door. She She stood irresolute for a fleeting instant. one last jump. A sharp pain in her ankle was fully dressed in her hridal gown. Her An idea was germinating. stabbed her—but she got up, gathered bouquet lay on the bed. The finishing She might force the issue, desperate dis- herself together and ran—ran just as s!ie touches had been made. eases required desperate remedies—she had in her dream—straight for the Orge’s Glancing at the tiny French clock on could try it—and if she failed, it couldn’t castle. it three her dressing table, she saw was be any worse than it was now. To negotiate the valley by day was minutes to eight. The awful portent of easy, but in the darkness of night, it was Hurrying to her escritoire, she reached it all came to her. She had been drifting like stepping off into a black void. She for a pen and held it poised in mid-air. along—in a sort of stupor—but now lost the footpath, bumped into trees, Whatever it was she would tell them, grim reality confronted her. In a few stumbled over rocks and slipped into mud would be a lie. In that case, it might as moments she would commit herself to bogs. But she would gather herself up, well be a good one, regardless of the con- Walsh’s keeping to love^ and obey. press her lips tightly together and hurry — — sequences. She could feel his pudgy hands fondling on—on towards the beacon of light in The moments were flying, they would her—his flabby lips kissing hers. The the window that seemed to beckon to her, be calling for her directly. The little thought brought her to her feet with a and urge her forward. clock chimed out—the hour had struck. suppressed shriek. Too late now to turn back. She In a sort of spasmodic scrawl, the pen — Came a discreet knock on the door. must forge on and face the issue. flew over the paper. She rang for her — They were there to lead her to her doom. maid, blotted the note and creased it The hour had come for her to cross her inerva entered the hall from the once. Rubicon. By a superhuman effort, she M library. Her husband and the stifled the impulse to leap out the window She scarcely knew what she had written, bridesmaids were in formation, waiting to and run away, somewhere—anywhere. but something told her it had committed escort the bride to the altar. The knock sounded again. With leaden her—irrevocably. That it involved her Addison Walsh and his best man had nothing feet, she crossed to the door, unlocked it good name—her future—meant taken their positions, while the minister to her she just wanted to escape get and jerked it open. The smiling butler — — opened his prayer book. handed her the morning paper, with a awa)^—run from it all, before they could Tlie hall clock chimed a melody in few words regarding an article on the talk to her and sway her. Once her warning, then tolled the hour of eight. front page that might interest her. mother got hold of her, she would cap- Minerva started for the stairs. She She thanked him mechanically, shut itulate—she knew it. would call the bride, everything was in the door and slowly unrolled the paper readiness. he maid knocked and entered with a lackadaisical interest. As the Cynthia’s maid hurried down from breathlessly. She had to run all the heavy type of the caustic headline caught T above, handed Mrs. Stockton a note and way from the kitchen, in answer to her her eye, she suddenly stiffened, her eyes passed out to the garden, to deliver the ring. darting from word to word in hysterical newspaper to Mr. Walsh. disillusionment. “Give that to my mother, please,” When it came to delivering things, she She read as through a mist. The words Cynthia commanded, in well modulated was a prompt little thing. stabbed her one by one. Then she came tones, handing her the note. “See that Cynthia’s mother held the note in her to the end. The paper slithered out of she gets it immediately.” fingers. A premonition—a sharp stab her hand, as if its touch contaminated her. 'File maid nodded eagerly and started near the heart warned her, that she was Her lips twisted in scorn. And this was for the door. about to receive a severe shock. the man who was coming to her that “Just a minute,” Cynthia called. With trembling fingers, she unfolded night; her lover, her mate, her husband. Picking up the newspaper, she gave it a the missive, and read. “What can I do?” she kept repeating twist and thrust it at the girl. “Kindly Dearest mother. to herself, her clenched hands beating hand that to Mr. Walsh—and tell him I kept putting it off—to tell you against her temples. - To bolt now would I have read the article on the front page.” I am married to Stanley Warrington. create gossip, scandal, ridicule and ruin. The maid gone, Cynthia ran to the I am going to him. Forgive me, She could hear her friends laughing, her window, climbed out to the upper porch, Cynthia. mother weeping—and Walsh swearing. gathered her skirts in her arms, like a Everyone would blame her. What was bundle of wash, and scurried to the rail- The butler did a Mack Sennett slide to be done? ing. Here was a rose lattice, built like over the polished floor, and caught her as She went over to the window and a ladder. she started to fall. He managed to drag threw it open. The cool night air soothed Gingerly swinging her foot into space, her over to a settee, dash to the library her feverish brow. she found the top cross piece, tested her door and frantically beckon for Mr. Off across the valley glimmered a weight on it and started downward. The Stockton. light—his light. It seemed to twinkle in rose thorns pricked and scratched her. In alarm, that preoccupied man friendly sympathy this time as if to say, They seemed put there as a trap—to hold answered the summons and found Min- “I wish I could help you.” her back. She fought them with forti- erva, a sobbing, shaking, hysterical wreck. Cynthia’s heart fluttered and almost tude. Her veil caught—she tore it loose. She had just strength enough to hand him stopped beating. The exertion and excitement brought her liis daughter’s note. ”

5b THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

The butler hurried upstairs for her Out of the clouds, Minerva came back Walsh snatched the note from her and smelling salts. to earth. She had a wedding party on read it hastily. He read it again more her hands and while there would be no slowly, and his face crimsoned, When C^mthia’s father finished read- ; until ing the astonishing news, his face relaxed ceremony, there would be a celebration. Minerva thought the blood would spurt into a smile. It was merely a change of bridegrooms. from his eyes. She thought of it, as a train might change “Splendid,” he applauded. “I’m glad “Married,” he muttered hoarsely. engines at a station. she did it.” “Married—and to him. This—this is too “What’s up, I wonder,” Bill asked, much.” Like a bucket of cold water, this atti- — grabbing his dad’s arm. “Look Without another word, he turned and tude on his part, brought her out of her The maid was just handing the bride- went out like a man suddenly taken ill. hysteria. groom a newspaper, and prettily conveying When Minerva had finished her little “John,” she shrieked, “Do you realize Miss Stockton’s message. With a nifty speech, the guests set up a roar of what this means?” little curtsy, she hurried back to the laughter and much handclapping. It was John nodded soberly. Yes—he foresaw house. the unexpected—the denouement of a all the consequences and notwithstand- Walsh hastily unrolled the paper. The ; clever girl. They shouted their congratu- ing, he was glad. audience, who had read the story to a lations. On with the wedding party, man, realized they were in the thick of they would dance to the health of the TANLEY Warrington,” she read the drama. young Ogre and his bride. S from the note. “That’s the queer "Lhey inwardly chuckled. The orchestra struck up a tune, the recluse they call the young Ogre, isn’t it? Walsh stared at the headlines, his eyes chairs were tossed aside pell-mell, and in She did not wait for an answer. “When traveling rapidly down the page. When a twinkling, the guests were whirling did all this happen?—this afternoon, I he had finished, the glaring fact con- to the lilt of jazz. suppose—when she went out. But why fronted him. Someone had spied upon Cal Dobbins and his son, after such a did she let matters go so far with Addi- him and Stanley Warrington had made ,” shock, sought the punch bowl. son? He wall be furious—he will— of him the butt for a vicious jest. She was about to say that he would ruin H is best man took one look at the head “Remember what I said about drinking them, but she caught herself in time. lines. deep of those eyes?” Bill reminded his “Why didn’t she tell me?— I’ll be the “My God,” he gasped, and unconscious- father. Cal nodded. Words were trivial laughing stock of the community—I’ll ly reached for his flask, but caught him- on such an occasion. But he could drink never be able to live this down.” self just in time. a toast. Her husband patiently shook his head. “Up Eros—down Mars,” he said, as “I wouldn’t worry over it, mother,” he he dazed banker was speechless. he raised the glass to his lips. said, reaching for her hand. “Cynthia T It branded him and flung to the “Who’s Eros?” asked Bill. has made her choice, and I believe it is a whole world, the sordid story of his wild “The God of Love.” wise one. He comes of a fine family, I dinner. He understood now, the cause of “All right. I’ll drink to that baby—he believe.” the delay. Cynthia had ditched him at sure works fast.” Fine family? Like some of our greatest the last moment. He had lost her—and The silver of a woman’s laughter stayed generals, Minerva did her quickest think- Stanley Warrington was responsible for their hands. ing when under fire. they beheld With a “you wait it all. Well—be would take care of that Turning, the beautiful here,” she jumped to her feet and hurried t'oung gentleman in due time. Just now, Coltilde Burlingame-Magoun at their into the library. he had Cynthia to think of. Without a elbow. She was sipping a glass of punch The bridesmaids, on the qui vive with word he hurried into the house. with her escort. anxiety, closed in on her with a volley of He almost bumped into Minerva who questions. was coming out. By his manner, she y the time all this had transpired, “Patience, children,” she cried with a knew he had heard. B Cynthia, a bedraggled bride, was strained smile. “Brides are never on “Addison,” she whimpered, “I’m—I’m fumbling with the lock of the castle gate. time.” sorry.” She was still afraid of him, and Her shoes were slimed with a greenish She hurried out with a copy of the Blue half expected him to leap at her like an mud, her veil was a thing of shreds and Book in her hands. enraged animal. her bridal train bristled with cockleburrs. Plumping herself down on the settee, “Where’s Cynthia?” he demanded Her coronet, skewed over one ear, and she feverishly riffled the pages, her be- thickly. “I must see her at once. I can a smudge on her face added a ludicrous ; jeweled finger gliding swiftly down the explain this. ” He waved the crumpled touch to the ensemble, despite the tragedy columns until she reached the Ws. The paper in the air. of the situation. name of Warrington loomed up like a “Explain what?” inquired the puzzled She had defied convention and declared welcome lighthouse to a befogged ship. woman. herself to be the wife of Stanley War- She read aloud to her husband. “This,” he exploded, pointing to his rington. She was about to enter his Slowly, she arose to her feet, tears of indictment. house, in the dead of night, closing the relief in her eyes. IVIinerva breathed convulsively as she doors to the outside world. She knew “John,” she cried, her voice cracking in read the awful tale. What a vile creature. what the world would say to that. But the exuberance of her joy. “Our Cynthia Her heart sang with joy that her baby she wondered what the young Ogre would has married a Warrington—of Baltimore. girl had escaped this vulgar man. do. Why—they are one of the oldest and “It’s that Warrington fellow,” he Well—she was there to find out. He wealthiest families in the country. And shouted in a frenzy. “I’ll kill him for wouldn’t kill her, and stuff her body my son-in-law is the owner of the War- this. But I must see Cynthia.” He started down the drain pipe. Of that she was rington Steamship Company. That for the stairs; but a defiant mother, a sure. means we can travel around the world woman of modern faults, perhaps but The gates opened and in a trice, she was ; for nothing.” strong for the sanctity of the home and pounding upon the iron-ribbed door with Tohn turned away. He felt that the morality of mankind, blocked his the handle of a heavy, bronze knocker. M inerva set too much store by riches. way. Biggies heard the clatter, his wooden H e was thinking of his little girl. Would “Cynthia has left the house,” she in- leg, thump-thumping down the baronial she be happy? He thought so. He was formed him. “You cannot see her. This hall to discover who dared trespass, at glad. letter will explain why.” such an hour, upon their sacred solitude. a• — ” —

19 2 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 57

Boldly, he swung open the door. An just as a gorilla would hold a captive, play the part of my husband for a short appartion confronted him. A girl— native girl. He looked to his master for time—then I could go away—to the city bride—or what was left of a bride pushed instructions. It would be easy to chuck —and get a job—and live in an attic—and in past him. her out now . . . for Cynthia had fainted. support myself. Why”—she fairly ra- “Where is Mr. Warrington? I must “Put her on the couch,” yelled Stanley, diated at the thought. “Later on—^mu speak with him at once?” running over and punching up the pillows. could tell them we had been divorced.” He tried to stop her, reason with her Biggies carried his burden over, and and threaten her, but to no avail. She he young Ogre reeled at this super- dumped it unceremoniously on the divan. gave him a shove worthy of a longshore- T abundance of colossal nerve. “Get some cold water,” shouted the dis- man. He went spinning backwards, land- “Are you crazy?” he shouted. “What traught young man as he straightened her ing against the steel armor of a Plumed would my friends think—what would my out. “Or no—maybe it ought to be Knight standing on a pedestal. The mother say—when they learned the truth ? hot—open the window get some cam- figure wobbled with a loud, clanking — Great Scott— I’d be busy telling lies the phor out of the bathroom—bring some sound ; a heavy lance toppled from the rest of mv life, to make good the one you mustard—or better still, bring my flask.” mailed fist, and hit Biggies a merry clout told.” on the cranium. Biggies flew around in circles, dizzy That was a crusher. Cynthia blindly It knocked him down and out tem- from such a volley of commands. He groped' for fresh ammunition. finally wound up rvith the flask. porarily; but the sight of this mad Ophe- “See here, young lady,” the young man By this time, Cynthia’s eyes were open- lia dashing up the stairs, brought him to went on remorselessly, “You’re in over ing, she managed to sit up. Out of a his feet. 5mur head, and you’d better climb out As keeper of the gates, his trust had haze, it ail came back to her. Looking up, while the climbing is good. Go back been violated. hobbled after her, she saw the two men glaring down at her. He home and ’fess up. I’ll drive you over in breathing strange sounds that evidently “Shall I ring for the police, sir?” sug- my car. Tell them the truth—call it a originated in the forecastle. gested Biggies. He knew that was one prank, a fit of hysteria—anything you like. As a queen bee makes for its hive, Cyn- way they could get rid of her. It’s bound to come out, for tomorrow I thia made for a certain door with unerring Stanley shook his head in the negative. shall certainly deny everything. I w'on’t aim. Without stopping “I can handle her,” he said. “You go to knock, or even be dragged into your matrimonial entangl- rattle the knob, she flung the door open on out ... I want to ask her a few perti- ments. Besides”-—he gave a hard mirth- and stumbled into the room nent questions.” less laugh, “I wouldn’t marry the best wo- Blinded for a moment, by the light, she What? Biggies hestitated—leave him man God every made. They’re a sham paused to get her breath. Then she saw alone with her? — she looked dangerous. and a mockery. It’s the wise man who him .... her husband protem. Stanley motioned for obedience. steers clear of ’em. . .and I’m one of the He stood in his B. V. D.s, his back Reluctantly, the man obeyed, but he left original wise men of the east, believe me.” towards her. swinging the door ajar for reasons of safety. He was a pair he straightened up proudly. of Indian clubs around, his head. The Said Stanley, in a voice a little raised, Cynthia’s funny bone tickled her. She crash of her entrance brought him about “Now then, did I understand you to nearly laughed out loud. The ringing of on one heel. The absence of his glasses say—you told them you were—my wife?” the telephone saved her. handicapped him, but he did see a disrepu- He nearly slipped on the last two words. Warrington picked it table bride—the wreck of a girl—staring It sounded too damned intimate. up, and placed the at him. Cynthia nodded, and wiped the mud receiver to his ear with a gruff, “hello.” The clubs clattered to the floor, as he from her face with what was left of her Immediately he wanted to drop it like made an undignified dive behind a screen, veil. a hot potato. grabbed up a silken dressing gown, put on Her inquisitor regarded her sternly. It was Cynthia’s mother speaking on the his goggles and came out, to boldly con- “Out of ten thousand males in this other end of the wire. Hearing a mellow front this mad person and subdue her. county, you should pick on me with such a baritone voice, Minerva snatched at the “What the devil,” he began crossly. scandalous libel,” he said excoriatingly. opportunity to offer a motherly greeting “Who are you—and what are you doing He was good and angry by now. to her new son-in-law. here ?” Cynthia felt called upon to marshall all “Mr. Warrington—Stanley,” she Then he recognized her. her forces. cooed. “You naughty boy! How you did

Cynthia gulped. Rather coyly she looked up at him. surprise us ! At first we were ve-e-ry an-

She tried to smile, but it was a puny “Is it such a scandalous libel to be gry, but after the first shock, we were attempt at hilarity. spoken of, as my husband?” she asked. delighted. Cynthia is our one ewe lamb “Don’t you know me?” she asked wist- “It is when I’m not married to you,” he and we want her to be happy. While we fully. “I’m — retorted. er liked Mr. Walsh, we are glad you Cynthia—Cynthia Stockton — — I ran away from the wedding— I couldn’t “Well ” she said finally. “I wanted to have usurped the throne. I’m sure you

- .” marry him. I despise him . . spike their guns. If I had just said I are more suited to her, and we are over-

She stopped . . . and started again, didn’t want to marry him, they’d have joyed to think she chose so wisely. The “I told them— I was your wife—that talked me into it. Telling them I was wedding guests are enjoying themselves I was Mrs. Stanley Warrington. Of already married—was a clincher, it stop- you and your wife really ought to be here, course I’m not I lie it ped all argument. I but we understand you wanted your bride —but had to out of So had to choose a ; and so—I told a whopper—and ran away husband—and do it quickly—and I all to yourself—you impatient man. Ev- —and here I am—and I don’t know what thought of you,” She was smiling sweetly. erybody is talking about you—the clever you’re going to do about it—and I don’t “Very generous—and thoughtful,” he way you kept your romance—a secret. They care. Just so I won’t have to go back and observed sarcastically. “But did it ever all speak so nicely of you marry Addison Walsh.” occur to you that I might have something Stanley’s face was crimson. to say about it?” He was forced to steady himself by rest- HE swallowed to get back her Cynthia pouted. ing his disengaged hand upon the table. S breath. Biggies came clumping in as “Yes,” she replied. “I thought you Damn!—this had gone far enough. He’d she swayed and started to fail. Instinc- might be surprised this affair in the bud, right then and —somewhat ; but I nip tively, he reached out and caught her with banked on your chivalry to see me there. an easy motion, hitched her body up until through. You see—everybody thinking “Mrs. Stockton,” he said formally, and it hung limply over his hairy, tattoed arm; we were married— I thought you would with resolution . — ——I”

58 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR D ec ember

Cynthia, sensing his motive, jumped to With a smile of satisfaction, he went to her feet, her face protruding close to his. the door and called Biggies, who bobbed up his position on guard. ANNOUNCEMENT “You may as well know it now as later from on— ” Involuntarily, he took a swift “Fix up the spare room,” he ordered. glance into her blazing eyes. “Miss Stockton will sleep there over the night.” “Go on,” she hissed. “I dare you— Biggies’ jaw dropped. double dare you to squeal on me.” “Ollie” “What?” he cried unbelievingly, “that She had reverted to an expression of her girl—here—under our roof?” childhood days. His master nodded, but he looked away It might have been that—or the dumb SELLERS guiltily. misery, hiding behind her pose of defiance The old man shuddered. It was im- that made him waver. moral and indecent a rank violation of Formerly “ — — er—just a moment,” he said with a Associated ti'itli the precepts of their sworn celibacy. He false cough, and handed her the receiver crossed the hall, switched on the lights and as if it burned him. Universal Film Corporation proceeded to make up the bed. “Yes motlier,” Cynthia spoke in a turtle When he had finished, he notified Stan- and dove voice. “Yes, dear it’s me.” ley, who came to the door and indicated ” — “I whispered Stanley, “It’s I — I, the room opposite to his guest. Triangle Film Corporation “ yes dear, it’s I yes, it was sudden — — She murmured her thanks and left I can’t explain now oh, so happy j'es — — them, the brutes. yes do dear send over lots of clothes, — — “Better make up some sandwiches and a Has Opened send them In the morning, goodness knows pot of coffee,” Warrington suggested to I’ll need them. Yes that was Stan speak- an Exclusive — his man. “She’s had a pretty hard time of ing a nice voice yes I think so good- — — — — it.” night dear and thank you so much — “You goin’ to feed her too?” Biggies asked. Furniture S she hung up the receiver, petulance “Do as I say.” exploded beside her. He polished A “Yes sir.” vigorously. It was a bad sign. his goggles Biggies hurried down stairs, wagging Studio he exclaimed peevishly, his “Surely,” his head In disapproval. glasses again in place. “You don’t intend “Breakers ahead,” he grumbled, “Or I with me I mean, with OnSUNSET BLVD. remaining here— — am a strawberry jellyfish.” in this house over night?” Between Curzon and Stanley us— — Cynthia proceeded to rid herself of her rose Hush flooded Cynthia’s cheeks. A wedding finery. She disdained to take it “You wouldn’t drive me out, would off—she ripped and tore at it, until it asked mildly. She thought a Featuring you?” she came from her In strips. She washed her go well with that line. terrific storm would face and combed out her lustrous hair. The fact,” she dared to say, “As a matter of mirror on the tall boy reflected the trans- fault It was your Decorative and “It’s all your anyway. formation. Cynthia felt well fortified to that made story about the bachelor dinner fight for her good name on the morrow. it hadn’t been for you, Period Furniture me desperate. It “So far, so good,” she sighed. Walsh then I I’d have married Addison — Then came the sandwiches and coffee, wouldn’t be In all this trouble. Draperies passed Into her by a beetle-browed jailer. That sort of knocked him for a loop, She ate ravenously. thunder. He hesi- and stealing Bill Dobbin’s “Good old Ogre,” she breathed grate- tated—and he who hesitates Is lost. fully and glanced about her, curiously. Cynthia struck while the striking was (to be concluded) Upholstered good. She emitted a tiny sob, not a wail or a ary Plckford’s second big screen Furniture shriek just a moist, throaty little sigh, — drama of the year has just been witli the tremulo stop open. M completed. It is “Scraps,” the story “I see nothing wrong in staying here Tailored in Their — of a baby farm in the swamp country. where else can I stay?” sob—sob “I can’t “Scraps” is a thrilling adventure story, go back and tell them there wasn’t any Own Shops — with plenty of the well known PIckford wedding” sob—sob “Think how they comedy. It deals with the unusual ex- would feel after drinking our punch and — periences of a band of small children, eating our chicken sandwiches ” sniff — guided by a ragged little girl of twelve YOU ARE CORDIALLY sniff “Perhaps I could sleep in the barn — through the most amazing incidents and with the rats—In a draft ” sob—sob INVITED TO CALL — adventures. sniff—sniff— “Scraps,” gets its title from the “scraps Out of the corner of her eye, she could of humanity” with wliich it deals, and is see he was melting. said to be a worthy successor to Miss “Oh well,” he said resignedly, “I can Sellers’ Plckford’s “Little Annie Rooney” both of stand it for one night, if you can. But to- which were directed by William Beaudine. morrow, you’ll have to get out. I don’t Furniture Studio want a girl messing about the place. You Miss Pickford will spend several weeks then, when your in directing tbe cutting and titling of 1-23 can have your breakfast, 7617-19-2 Sunset Bind. to make clothes come—out you go. Have I made “Scraps” after which she expects GLadstone 4795 myself clear?” a third picture before leaving for Europe Cynthia wiped her nose on her veil and with her famous husband, Douglas Fair-

nodded. Yes, it was all clear to her. banks. 19 2 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 59 T I T ISN’T POSSIBLE

ij: WITH OUR PRESENT EQUIP- MENT ^ ^ TO DO ALL THE LAUNDRY

^ ^

IN HOLLYWOOD

SO WE’RE SATISFIED

jJ? ^ FOR THE PRESENT

jjt V TO SPECIALIZE

M: * The still man catches Henry MacRae in a bit of off scene action. ON THE SHARE WE GET Veteran Director Production Chief ^ ^ BUT WE WISH TO REMIND enry MacRAE, veteran director making of a James Oliver Curwood story. YOU It was called If he Old Elephant. H and picture expert, has been ap- ^ ^ pointed director-general of produc- acRAE himself, his life and his action at Universal City, according to an- THAT IT’S ALWAYS POSSIBLE M tivities have been done into stories. nouncement by Carl Laemmle, president The late Charles E. Van Loan used him of Universal Pictures Corporation. Jl: « H: as the principal character in a series of He will supervise all matters at the stu- eight interesting stories he wrote around TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE dio, in collaboration with Henry Henig- the movies. Recently the veteran director ^ son, who was recently appointed to the has been dubbed “the commercial director”. position of general manager. The title is his because of the speed with AND IN THE COURSE which he works. When MacRae starts T'ime was when no motion picture direc- ^ ^ ^ tor’s equipment was complete without a a picture the betting around the studio is megaphone and leather puttees, and Henry that he will finish it under the time allowed OF A NATURAL GROWTH MacRae, has been accused of starting the him and below the allotted estimate of ^ Hi fad. Whether film history is correct or cost. not in this respect, records fail to show. The history of “Mac” in pictures is the WE’LL SPECIALIZE Anyway MacRae, or “Mac”, as he is history of the industry itself. He has seen Hi called on the Universal lot, has been direct- it expand from what was considered only ing since directors first directed. a passing fancy to its present' rank of sec- ON THE “LITTLE BIT MORE” Since MacRae first appeared on the lot ond or third in the Nation’s industry. He Hi Hi Hi with megaphone and puttees some have has seen Carl Laemmle develop from a ; corner lot in Hollywood to the largest mo- laid away the megaphone replacing it with FOR AFTER ALL the loud speaker and the field telephone, tion picture studio in the world, 600 acres

Llniversal Hi iii Hi and some have gone in for knickers. Mac- at City. And “Mac” has been Rae has exchanged the puttees for the a part of this development. On no less than occasions he is credited WE’RE SPECIALISTS ANY- knickers, still fondly clings to the mega- two with hav- the phone but is willing to use the loud speaker ing saved studio from destruction by WAY— fire. I he last time earned him a gold or field telephone when the occasion de- Hi Hi Hi mands. medal. It was presented to him— by Uni- versal and bears the inscription “Awarded PROGRESS! Mr. MacRae has seen the motion pic- THAT’S to Henry MacRae by Universal Pictures ture industry grow from the days when Corporation for using the brains God gave stars thought fifty or a hundred dollars a him”. It is one of his most cherished pos- week was big money, down to the present sessions. when a good supporting player scoffs when handed a contract for such a paltry sum. uring the years of MacRae’s con- He has been called “Daddy of the stunts”, D nection with the motion picture in- for to him is attributed the including of dustry, it has naturally fallen to his lot COMMUNITY novelties and daring in the movies. He to start many an aspiring player on the was the first to direct “animal pictures”, road to screen fame. The list of these LAUNDRY and was the first director to supervise the would read like the Screen’s Who’s Who. 60 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

What the Directors Are Doing

larence Brown, who win direct Franklin’s story, “Poker Faces,” Avith Ed- Having achieved a distinct success Avith C Norma Talmadge in “Kiki”, for- Avard Everett Horton in the featured role; his production of “Sally,” A1 Green has sook the United lot for the Aveek and folloAAung this aauII film the Avorld- started AAmrk on “Irene” his current of NoA'ember 23rd and became an honest- famous noA^el, “LTncle Tom’s Cabin.” vehicle starring Colleen Moore. * * * to-goodness neAvspaper reporter on the Los Laura La Plante is to star in “Doubling Angeles Record getting a wealth of first For Lora,” under William A. Seiter’s Robert Z. Leonard, Metro-Goldwyn- hand experience Ardiich he proposes to use direction. Arthur Rosson is finishing his Mayer director, has been loaned to in a story of new'spaper atmosphere. preparatory Avork on “Chip of the Flying Corinne Griffith Productions to direct * •* * LI,” to be Hoot Gibson’s next starring Miss Griffith in “Mile. Modiste,” the As his American directorial debut, Ben- production Albert Rogell aauII direct screen version of Fritzi Scheff’s famous ; jamin Christianson, famous Danish direc Jack Hoxie in “The Tuneful dUrnado,” stage success. It will be released as a tor recently brought to American by Louis and Clifford Smith Avill film a story, as Robert Z. Leonard Production, according B. Mayer, has begun the direction of his yet untitled, starring Art Accord. to the agreement betAveen the two films. OAA’n original story under the AV’orking title “Wives for Rent,” a Svend Gade pro- Immediately on completion of this of “The Light Eternal.” duction featuring Virginia Valli and Pat picture he Avill return to the Metro- * (d’Malley has already started, Avhile Lynn GoldAvyn-Mayer organization to start

Clarence Badger has completed “Hands Reynolds is finishing up House Peters’ Avork on another production under his up”! Raymond Griffith’s newest Para- starring picture, “Combat.” contract there. mount starring picture Leonard recently fin- after approximately ished “Bright Lights” three months of pro- Avith Charles Ray and duction. Pauline Starke in the

^ ^ principal roles, and is

n o Av Av o r k i n on Edward Sloman has g ‘‘Dance Madness,” returned from New Avhich he Avill complete York Avdiere he at- for before tended the premier of M-G-M embarking on the Grif- his latest Universal production, “His fith Production. People.” * * * * * * Thanksgiving Eve When Robert Vig- marked the end of nola has completed the Emmett Flynn’s direc- editing and cutting of torial Avork on “The “Fifth Avenue,” his Palace of Pleasure,” production for Belasco, Avhich portrays the ro- he proposes taking a mantic life of Lola month’s vacation. Montez, and in Avhich * * * Reeves Eason has been especially en- Betty Compson plays Lola, and Edmund Richard Wallace has completed the Hal gaged by Irving d'hallberg to direct the LoAve the fetured male role. Roach comedy, “Furious Future,” featur- filming of the chariot scenes in “Ben The screen adaptation, made by Bradley ing Clyde Cook with Katherine Grant, Hur.” King, is based on the autobiography of the ^ ^ Alartha Sleeper, Jimmie Finlayson and famous dancer and courtesan, Avho, al- Laura Ue Cardi in the supporting roles. though she assumed and Avore a Spanish Harry Edcvards has started production * * * name, Avas really an Irish girl, born in on Harry Langdon’s first feature length Upon completion of the interiors of Limerick. comedy for First National. “The Million Dollar Handicap” now in ^ ^ ^ * * * production at the Metropolitan Studios, Scott Sidney will take his troupe to the In James Cruse’s production of “d"he J. Stuart Blackton has just completed d'anforan track near San Francisco where Mannequin” for Paramount it is reported James Francis DAvyer’s Colliers If^eekly the race track sequences will be shot. that the most beautiful exclusive gOAvn story “Maryland, My Maryland,” the establishment in America Avas constructed screen title of Avhich Avill be The Bride of According to reports from Universal by EdAvard Smith, art director, in colla- the Storm, and is noAV actively engaged in City Edward Sedgewick is spending his boration Avith HoAvard Greer, creator of cutting and editing it preparatory to its spare time at Venice assimilating the mid- Paramount fashions. being previeAved in about tAvo Aveeks. The way atmosphere preparatory to his produc- •sic- screen adaptation Avas made by Marian tion of “d he Frail of the Eiger”, a circus Constance Blackton. In The Bride of the story by Courtney Riley Cooper. William De Alille left HollyvAmod Storm Commodore Blackton brings to the * * if- November 19 for Ncav York Avhere his screen some neAv faces and some faces that Directors on the Universal lot would next production Avill be filmed in the have long been familiar to devotees of the seem to have little time on tlieir hands, Paramount Long Island studio. His silent drama, among these being Julia however, judging from the report of activi- last AA’eek in HollvAvood Avas spent super- SAvayne Gordon and Sheldon LeAA'is. vities sent out by dUm Reed who reports vising the editing of his recently com- that Harry Pollard will direct Edgar pleted picture, ‘“Fhe Splendid Crime.” {Continued on Page 61) -

192 5 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 61

Medals GIVES WINGS and the Man TO YOUR When Left Becomes Right, WORDS Right is Sometimes Wrong

NE of the details attendant upon the production of “The Big Pa- Tom O’Brien in “The Big Parade” O of rade was that drafting men who had experienced actual fighting service to fill the role of officers and doughboys. Of medals to be worn over the left breast, but these one of the outstanding figures is that there is a very definite order in which they of Tom O’Brien, whose interpretation of Let *em ALL hear are worn. In the original photograph used “Bull,” the corporal of “The Three Mus- as an illustration for Robert M. Finch’s keteers,” has received much credible men- article on “The Big Parade,” in the No- tion. vember issue of The Motion Picture Tom O’Brien saw plenty of action dur- Director, Tom O’Brien appeared wearing the World War. He enlisted in the ing his medals as they should be worn, THE navy, serving as ensign on the U.S.S. Wyo- MOST but— POWERFUL ming, and was later transferred to the PORTABLE the to command of Admiral Plunkett in France. Well, layout man has an apology SOUND-CASTING make to Mr. O’Brien, for he is responsible UNIT As a lieutenant, senior grade, he fought in IN a photographic illusion by or- all the principal engagements with the for created THE WEST dering “reverse” in effect heavy naval artillery. He was decorated a cut order to three times for bravery in action and was a balance in page layout and bring the awarded the American Distinguished Ser- illustrations of Tom O’Brien and Karl vice Cross, the French Croix de Guerre Dane into facing positions. Naturally and the French Medal Militaire. when the photograph was reversed, what left right, but, in this particu- Now there is a very positive and definite was became regulation concerning the wearing of med- lar instance, all wrong. als, as well as a right and wrong way, all In the photograph appearing with this of which Tom O’Brien of course knows Mr. O’Brien is shown wearing his medals and follows punctiliously, all photographic as they were worn by him when the picture illusion to the contrary. Not only are was made. WHAT THE DIRECTORS ARE DOING

Edwin Carewe, First National producer- to reports from the Pickford-Fairbanks director, is again in his office at the stu- studios is establishing new laurels for Miss dios. Six weeks in New York were suf- Pickford and is said to have definitely im- ficient to give the executive ample produc- pelled her to her decision “never to grow tion material upon which to bend his ef- up. forts for the coming season. * * » H is initial production will be “Heirs Apparent” and casting will start in the A1 Rogell is directing Jack Hoxie in near future. Carewe has no less than another pair of twin pictures for LTniversal, seven well-known stories that are being despite the fact that this successful young considered for production in series form. director recently resigned from the “U.” First National will release them. Lois At the time of his resignation, Rogell Leeson is working on the script of “Heirs stated that his departure was due to what Apparent” in conjunction with the pro- he felt an absence of opportunity, since ducer. he was confined by the Universal produc- * * tion executives to Western films, when his William Beaudine has returned to War- ambitions were along other lines. At the ner Bros, upon completion of Little Annie insistence of Carl Laemmle, president of Rooney and Scraps, the two productions Universal Pictures Corporation, Rogell The Radio Stores Co., Inc. for which he was loaned to the Mary Pick- temporarily reconsidered his resignation 426 West Eighth Street ford Company, and is now actively engaged and accepted an assignment to direct Jack TUcker 3148 in preparing for his next Warner Brothers Hoxie again. He has already made four picture. Little Annie Rooney, according pictures with this popular Western star. ” "

62 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

It Can be done, But An Interview with Sylvano Balboni hy Harry D. JVilson

the many reasons that have F iiJ DON’T SEE how you can get been advanced in the discussion X away from the fact that climati- O of why Hollywood is the logically and atmospherically Hollywood cal and inevitable center of motion pic- is particularly well, suited to motion ture production, I firmly believe that picture production,” Signor Balboni all been said the answer will when has continued. “Where else in the wor’d one conclu- narrow itself down to the can you produce pictures with greater that Hollywood sive reason—the fact surety that atmospheric conditions will suited in and its environs are ideally be suitable, that seemingly endless days artistic, realistic and every way to the need not be lost because the weather production of the modern economic is unfavorable for exteriors? photoplay. “Let rival communities scoff as they 'Fhus Sylvano Balboni, who has re- will on this subject, the fact stands cently signed a contract as director unassailable that in Hollywood are to for First National and who, as a for- be found nil the ideal conditions which eign director, is certainly in a position go to make the production of pictures to know whereof he speaks, sums up economically and artistically practic- his viewpoints on the subject of Holly- able. Within easy reaching distance wood. are to be found all the essential loca- “Why leave all this for an uncer- tions requisite to the production of al- tain condition? Why make motion most any type of story. And on the pictures anywhere than here in Holly- studio lot can be built any set that may wood ? — be required. “It can be done, but “Here the production of motion pic- He swung around in his chair and tures has become the dominant indus- his hand expressively toward waved try of the community, just as the man- the serrated ridges of the Hollywood V ufacture of automobiles is the domi- hills basking in the brilliant sunshine nant industry of Detroit and steel pre- and sharply etched against the blue of Signor Sylvano Balboni dominates in Pittsburgh. Here a pro- a California sky in the clear crisp air ducer or director has but to lift his of mid-November. life, he was induced to play the role of telephone to be in immediate contact “I can build a set here on the lot that Dante in “Dante’s Divine Comedy’’ for with the source of supply for almost any will represent anything you might suggest, the Psyche Film organization. This was conceivable prop or other accessory that be it a scene in Hongkong or in Madrid; in 1910. he may need. Producing motion pictures I can build you a set of the frozen north or Pasquali, the D. W. Griffith of Italy, is a business in Hollywood, not just an of the tropic seas, and I know that at all next drew his attention and he joined the incidental factor in the community, but the times I can be assured of the cooperative eminent film man as a chemist, later be- central industry around which the business forces of ideal, natural conditions.” coming his chief photographer, and while activity of the community revolves. is in It possible to make pictures Eng- with him filmed such an epic as “The “Nowhere else does this condition exist land, in Italy and in other parts of Europe Last Days of Pompeii.” to the same degree. but I do not see that it is necessary, or, “Italy, for the sake of illustration and In 1922 he came to America. Unable from the viewpoint of American produc- as my own native land, cannot be com- to secure work here, he offered his services tion, practical. pared in any sense as a production field. free and made a picture for an independent “I have participated so far in more And this despite the fact that in Italy the company which gave him his start. Clar- foreign made films than American produc- production of big spectacles first reached ence Brown then engaged him as his cam- its ascendancy when such film achievements tions. I have tried it from every angle eraman on “Don’t Marry for Money.” as Vadis,’ ‘The Last Days of and I am thoroughly satisfied that the ideal ‘Quo Pom- When Brown went to LTiversal, Balboni place in which to make pictures for Ameri- peii,’ ‘Anthony and Cleopatra,’ ‘Julius followed suit. and other big features were can audiences—or for that matter for Caesar’ put And then came “Ben Hur,” his connec- out. Italy does not have the facilities for world audiences— is right here in Holly- tion with John Boyle, who is now his wood. the production of big pictures the American cameraman on “Far Cry,” the trip abroad, way. There is no centralization of activity “Nor am I saying that because I am in and then his meeting with Miss June and of accessory materials as here in Holly- Hollywood. I am in Hollywood because Mathis who wrote the “Ben Hur” script wood, nor the facilities for quick transpor- I believe it—because I know it from my and also the script of “The Viennese Med- tation or doing things expeditiously which own experience.” ley,” on which production Balboni became have become so much a part of American a production authority. life and business activity in any form.

IGNOR BALBONI began his career Following this, his engagement by First “In every way 1 consider Hollywood S in the films as an actor in the early National to direct “Far Cry,” in which ideally suited to the practical, economic days of the cinema in Italy. While study- he handles the pantomimic abilities of production of motion pictures and person- ing chemistry, to which profession it vv'as Blanche Sweet and Jack Alulhall and a ally I am thoroughly content to confine his family’s hope that he would devote his cast of celebrated screen players. my future screen activity to Hollywood.” 1925 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR 63

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SMITH-BARNES CORPORATION 64 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR December

Sol Lesser, addressing a group of moving picture notables at the luncheon given by the California Federation of Women at the Ambassador, November 3. Left to right: Mrs. A. Graham, Motion Picture Representative of California Federa- tion of Women; Fred Niblo, Betty Bronson, Priscilla Dean, Sol Lesser, Alice Calhoun, Ruth Roland, Louis B. Mayer and Elinor Glyn.

California Women Discuss Pictures

HA'F women’s clubs and the motion- Coast representative for Will Hays; Grace Frye, speaking as chairman of picture industry have two distinct Creighton Hale, Sol Lesser, Hal Roach, motion pictures for California, said that T things in common more than any Charles Brabin, Mrs. Elinor Glyn, Theda the only way to make the best pictures pay- other two organizations, was the state- Bara, IVIrs. Wallace Reid, Betty Bronson best—the slogan of the women—is to speak ment of Mrs. Aaron Schless, director for (it being her first public speech), Alice at the box office. Sol Lesser asked for California of the General Federation of Calhoun, who was delightful in her tolerance and understanding for the pic- Women’s Clubs, speaking at the luncheon charming talk; Ruth Roland, Priscilla tures that are made. of the motion-picture department of the Dean, Peggy Hamilton, Mrs. Louis B. ‘A’ou are our co-partners in this,” said Marker, Mathis, Carolyn Wagner, Los Angeles district. These two things June Mr. Lesser, “and your part of the job is Edward M. Earle, Edward M. Kimball are: The intent to make everybody in the not only to make the better pictures pay, world happier and the fact that both are and Jacqueline Logan. but to elevate the taste of the public—to harshly criticized. Mrs. Schloss, who had come from San awaken the civic consciousness. If the The affair was brilliant and successful Francisco to attend the function, went on public will not come to see our pictures, both as to numbers, there being over 1000 to speak of the need of an understanding no matter how good they may be, there guests present, and as to the number of between tbe motion picture industry and can be little use in them.” motion picture celebrities who responded the general federation. “Representing making He to the invitations of the clubwomen. 3,000,000 organized women in the United cited the case of the picture “Boy o’ Mine,” Among those who spoke were: Louis B. States, we believe we can help you and we indorsed and sponsored by women’s clubs,

Mayer, Fred Niblo, Fred Beetson, West want to do it in the wisest way,” she said. to which very few club women went.

SCHOOLDAYS m MOVIELAND - Continued /rsw Page 28 tention and spent much money in its efforts in the advancement made by her pupils. single complaint by an studio against the to improve the scholarship of children ap- Some very prominent actor-lets have at- Law Providing for the Instruction of Chil- pearing in its productions. A special school tended the Universal school. Micky Ben- dren in Motion Pictures. It has been an house has been built, voluntarily, and no nett, Bobby Gordon, Ella Mackenzie, Al- expensive detail, but studios recognize the detail has been overlooked to safeguard the bert Bushalano, Jackie Morgan and many justice of the matter and are co-operating comfort and advancement of its starlets. others ha\’e been in almost daily attendance in every way. Education is a priceless pos- A rest-room, cozily furnished, has been there. Whenever there are street scenes, session and, aside from its value to the in-

provided, with every convenience for the the children are corralled and given their dividual, there Is another side to it, selfish welfare of the children. Mrs. Mary West, daily mete of lessons. Eor six weeks, a perhaps.

the teacher who makes her permanent whole troop of Boy Scouts were given in- I'he day of the “dumb-bell” Is fast wan-

quarters on the LTniversal lot, is a woman struction equivalent to their high school ing. He is becoming a liability. Educa-

of broad experience in the supervision of grades. tion is an asset and movie companies, like children and she reports marked superiority And there has never been recorded a any one else, want assets, not liabilities. EASTMAN NEGATIVE EILM

Now the same price as Eastman Negative Film regular speed.

Just as Eastman Negative Film regular speed is constantly demonstrating that it is unrivaled for quality, so Eastman Negative

Film Super Speed is unrivaled both for quality —andfor speed.

Eastman Film is identiEed in the margin by the black-lettered words “Eastman” and “Kodak”.

EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY ROCHESTER, N. Y. A>

«-r.£ '*o»a«b8r Wtchsii ''oily.ood

Oeaj- S(.,

Prov8d'\7!*'"8 tho ''“'iot " »0>-th race a. ®ceijea. “«/ tiaae o»^er.

7«a. “POOOditlt ‘'‘.® «P8cla’?® “itch, •'It® iioraa. ‘^'’“'lot rac *”' What we sav may P'-oductlo h«v6 ' *CO/lOffly, be accepted by P<=P®Iarav‘'iJ'‘ *i-h, coali, b»H( “ ®®cceea ®» some — to be.

But what the users Wroetor say, should carry ®^Piot Rj weight with all.

Mitchell Camera Corporation Hollywood, California VoL. 2 JULY, 1925 No. 1

A MAGAZINE FOR ALL WHO SEE AND MAKE MOTION PICTURES _

IMPRESSIONS OF REX By FRED JACKMAN An Intimate Close-up of the World's Most Famous Horse FROM MARY PICKFORD TO ALLOSAURUS By Harry O. Hoyt THE BARNSTORMER By Frank L. Cooley STUDIO DEMANDS By C. S. Dunning THE LION COUNTRY By Harold Sharv VERSUS THE SINGLE TAX By E. P. Clark

Stories and Articles hy H. H. VAN LOAN FREDERIC CHAPIN DOROTHY COLLINS and others

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION Reed Williams PRICE, 35 Cents Hollywood, CALIFORNIA PUBLISHED MONTHLY, $3.00 A YEAR New York City, NEW YORK By MOTION PICTURE DIRECTORS HOLDING CORPORATION Fashions for Youth's Social Season dancing to

^Tytusic ‘Divine ROY FOX and His Orchestra

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HOLLYWOOD CALIFORNIA HEmpsted Zlll

WILLIAM BEAUDINE HARRY L. FRANKLIN President Assistant Director HENRY OTTO HAROLD SHAW Technical Director Secretary

w*- The Director

GEORGE L. SARGENT PAUL POWELL Editor Associate Editor

VoL Contents for July 1925 No. I

PAGE

“Rex” ...... ' - Frontispiece

'• In the Director’s Chair George L. Sargent 3 Impressions of Rex ^ " Fred Jackman 6 Principals in an All Star Cast 7 From Mary Pickford to Allosaurus Harry O. Hoyt 8 Studio Demands - - - - - C. S. Dunning 9 The Barnstormer . . . . Fran\ L. Cooley 10

Versus the Single Tax •' ' E. P. Clarl{ 11

The Lion Country . . . . ' Harold Shaw 12 Thundering Silence, a Novel ' H. H. Van Loan 14 Publicity, a La Mode - - - - Dorothy Collins U The Night Bride, Third Installment Frederic Chapin 16

The Director, published monthly by the Motion Picture Directors Holding Corporation, 1925 Wilcox Avenue, Hollywood, California; Roy S. Clements, President; John Ford, Vice-President; George L. Sargent, Secretary-Treasurer. George L. Sargent, Paul Powell, £4/- tor. Subscription: 35 cents per copy, $3 per year in the United States, $5 per year elsewhere. Advertising rates on application. Telephone GRanite 9896.

Entered as second class matter. May 29, 1924, at the postoffice in Los Angeles, California, under the Act of March 3, 1879. THE DIRECTOR

9 THE DIRECTOR Vol. 2, No. I JULY, 1925

Th the Directors Chair

Budgets cause us to wonder really whether the budget is serving the purpose for which it is intended. O you remember those happy days of a dec- May we pause to discuss one incident in particu- ade ago when the majority of us who have lar. At the general conference of the heads of the since made our living in the direction of mo- different departments of a certain studio just prior tion pictures were timidly graduating from the realm to their launching one of those so-called “super-mas- of illusion behind the footlights into an even more terpieces,’’ a working schedule or budget was out- illusive domain behind the camera? Those indeed lined for the benefit of all concerned so that each were salubrious hours, though none the less hectic, might see what was demanded of his department as we experimented with and juggled our ideas to during the progress of the picture. The technical accommodate the demands of camera and screen. department was called upon to supply so much ma- They were particularly happy because we were terial, so many sets and so many workmen, and this not saddled with the horrors of the modern budget work was to be completed in so many days. And system and the present insistent efforts toward eco- thus the round robin went until a complete map of nomic production plus the advent into the studios the production was passed to the director and his of miles of auditors’ and accountants’ cages that are crew. The script called for the construction of a mighty set in which perhaps two or three thousand said to typify “good business.’’ It is perhaps just as well that we were not thus burdened and harassed. extra people were to have worked. Had we been so we are inclined to think that many The Big Set of us who are now shouting “Camera!’’ would have From then on the studio became a veritable bee- become so utterly discouraged with the attention hive of activity until the set in question was finished devoted to expenditure rather than to the excellence to the satisfaction of all concerned. The director of the picture, that we would have stuck out our was allowed a certain number of days, according to tongues, made wry faces, and quit. We were schedule, to complete the scenes to be staged there- idealists seeking to transfer our ideas directly to the in. Then he started work. In a business-like, yet screen without being overcome by the mastodonic leisurely manner, he approached the machine of mathematics. more important scenes first, so that he might have plenty of time to Diference in Costs concentrate later on the massive scenes requiring the Of course we realize that costs in every depart- presence of the larger groups of people. ment of the industry in those days can not compare In one way or another some of his break-a-ways with those current now, and for that reason we do failed to operate; some of his mechanical devices not decry the use of the budget system. We think it refused to live up to the terms of the budget that a good thing and know that the industry and its had been so carefully planned prior to the start of finance would be like a ship lost at sea without it. the picture. Repairs had to be made and sturdier What we do condemn more particularly is its abuse. properties assembled. More powerful lights were confidential Our agent, who is pretty slick in some required. All of this, of course, gobbled up a lot ways, and who- has the habit of meandering about of time which was not in the cards, so that when the the various studios in Hollywood and New York, time came for this director to work out the sequence has reported to us some amazing abuses of this of his mob scenes, he discovered that he was literally budget system. Indeed they are so flagrant that they at the end of the schedule allotted him for this set.

3 !

The Director

Old Man conclusion of which the Mighty One proceeded to He discovered, as did the executives, that that pass to the director his cherished documents with Overhead was running away with the budget There followed a the single command, as he ushered him to the door, had been so carefully prepared. that original con- “Cut that down to twenty-four days.” spirited session of the members of effort was made Other conferences were called by the discouraged ference described above. Every on everybody pres- and utterly disheartened director. It was deemed to place the blame for the delay technical department; necessary to eliminate, because of the dictum of the ent. The director blamed the the director, while Boss the very meat of the picture, and even at that the technical department accused throne had_ noth- only a few days could be dropped from the schedule the chief executive occupying the he was going to working at top speed. ing to do except worry over how were explain to the respectable gentlemen who JVorking Overtime production, but who knew nothing of financing the In order that the final budget could be observed thou- intricacies, that perhaps another hundred its to the letter it is an actual fact that this director was be required before this “super- sand dollars would forced to work his artists for thirty-six consecutive reach an expectant public. masterpiece” would hours, until he himself was assisted from the stage recriminations and counter-com- After all the overcome by sheer exhaustion. When the Boss been disposed of, a new budget was ar- plaints had (who plays golf in the afternoons), saw the picture care of the expenditure of additional ranged to take on the screen, his remarks about the work of the extra hundred thousand. And, t^o time and that director and several members of the cast were not short, the picture was finished; make a long story exactly paeans of praise. On the contrary, he was surprise of the executive and his but much to the afraid that the picture could not be released because, witnessed a preview they discov- bankers when they “for a peppy farce comedy, the actors and actresses the cutter or editor—of the picture had ered that — dragged themselves through certain episodes as if because of its extreme length, to been compelled, they were on their way to a funeral.” entire sequence that caused everyone con- omit the Another grave fallacy of the budget system is so much time, energy, worry and money, and cerned that it forces a company to employ a small army of of the original budget a mere “scrap of had made henchmen so that the tenets of its parchment may paper.” be strictly adhered to. These men are usually agres- Not a Machine sive little fellers whose sole idea in life is to make You know, the sooner we arrive at that point in the other feller miserable, provided, of course that our upward progress when we realize how impos- the other feller is higher up. We usually call this sible it is to throw a lot of ingredients into the ma- class of parasites yes-men. They say Yes to your chine that makes pictures and then stand aside and face, but NO' to the Boss. They are as prolific in say, “Do it in so many working hours,” the steadier their objections to a righteous cause as rabbits are will be our advance. The manufacture of motion in their own sweet way. But they add immeasur- pictures, or rather the vast machine that grinds ably to the overhead. Don’t forget that! They them out, does not in the slightest, resemble the con- eat from your hand at the moment, and whine at crete-mixer you see over there across the street laying your heel at the next. They literally hold the bal- a new roadbed. In the latter, a few cogs, a few ance of power in their hands. And no studio is free wheels, a mixing drum and a formula, are utilized of them. Nor will we be! That is as plain as the in the same process, day in and day out, and a work- nose on your face. Why? Because budgets have ing schedule can thus be maintained governed only bred precisely the opposite of what they are sup- by the capacity of the machine to turn out so many posed to have wrought, when first these vicious cubic feet of concrete hourly. Not so the motion abuses came into vogue. These little fellers who picture, however, because the elements of uncer- used to be company clerks, and who, in a moment tainty in the carrying out of an artistic enterprise of surprised self-admiration discovered the loss of are forever to be contended with, and the time ele- a few dollars in the stipulated curriculum of a pic- ment is an indisputable factor. ture, immediately were installed in a place where We have in mind another picture that was in the Angels could really tread and would if the place making at another studio. The director approached were not so overcrowded. the sanctum sanctoriiyn of the Boss after three solid O Budget! great are the crimes committed in thy weeks of conferences on the working details of the name proposed production. He gleefully placed before And what does it all mean? Is the demand for the eyes of the Monarch of the Studio the completed machine-made product to become so insistent that manuscript with its accompanying budget. His it will stifle all the artistic impulses of our industry? schedule called for thirty-five working days. This, Will the printed page with oodles of carefully com- mind you, was the absolute minimum of time upon piled figures succeed in throttling Old Father Time? which all the high-salaried experts at the heads of Will we become a concrete mixer that can be the various departments had agreed. The con- groomed by day-laborers, thereby losing the per- ference was a matter of a half an hour or so, at the sonality we have so successfully wrought, and the

4 July, 1925

respect of the theatre-going public we have attained to the family fireside, has been overwhelming, and with so much difficulty? Or will we study the de- as a matter of record may we be permitted to reprint mands of each picture with a finer sense of what is a few of these lines published during the last month necessary for all the departments concerned in its or two and chosen at random? making, so that obvious errors as those above de-

Herald (Ky.) : scribed may not be committed? That sort of busi- From the esteemed Lexington ness is not good business operated by good business The Moving Picture Industry is striving to lead all men. It’s rotten business, handled by experts in others in supplanting the slogan ‘‘The Public Be Pleased” policies that were inefficiency. for the old ‘‘Public Be Damned” ascribed to industries in past days. And so, as the days of the calendar wend wearily

by, the director faces a grave problem, as does the From the authoritative Daily News (N. Y.) :

producer. The director faces the complete sub- Lambaste the movies all you like, the film theatre has mergence of his personality—his desire to make done one thing for the American public—bred an appre- something worth while in the round of creative pos- ciation of good music; also provided an opportunity of sibilities— all because of improperly prepared and hearing it. inefficiently governed systems of facts and figures. From the eminent Asheville Citizen (N. C.) : A few directors have survived this crisis. A few Hence, while we urge the movies to rise above the have refused to sell their birthright. These are the people’s weaknesses and faults, it is our business—the men who are making the great pictures of today. Is pulpit’s, the newspaper’s and the public speaker’s—to join it possible that the rest are going to be forced to be- with the movies in making these shortcomings infrequent

come the cogs in the machine that Is to grind motion it all. if not impossible. The movies can’t do pictures into a dust finer than desert sand? The Stevens Point Journal (Wis.) utters producer suffers likewise. His sympathy from first The hrWYi^nt

to last is with the finished picture. That is as It this bit of praise ; should be. He is an executive because he executes Stevens Point always has the best in movies. Possibly the expenditure of other people’s money. But he because we cannot afford in this little community to sup- faces the profound fact that the dollar can never port the most expensive road shows as an every week have; govern the commitment of art. It can only derive proposition, the movies thus become the best we silent drama away beyond the profit from the successful accomplishment of an ar- we have attractions in the average supplied in cities of our size. tistic work. Money and time are synonymous in motion pictures. The director is aware of this if The following apt suggestion appears In the edi- he is cognizant of his tame oats and his wild ones. — torial column of the learned Pawtucket Times Let him be supreme if you have confidence in him. (R. L): Let him tell you what his requirements are. Mister value and merits of good pictures are em- Producer, in the beginning. If you lack that confi- If, then, the phasized before the people, attendance at performances dence, FIRE HIM ! But don’t lick him with an ef- where they are exhibited may be increased and the pro- ficiency system of figures and figure-hounds that com- ducers and managers may be made to believe that it would mit manslaughter on his soul, because in that trounc- films. . . . No be to their interest to select that kind of ing you are going to be spanked harder than he is. moving picture producer or manager will select pictures he believes will not be patronized. Splendid words are these from the delectable What They Think of Us. Dinuha Sentinel (Cal.) : ago in a transcript of an pictures OME time we made There has been a great improvement in motion bad in address given by Mr. Will Hays at a meet- recently and we believe the proportion of good to S other form most any ing of the Motion Picture Directors’ Associa- them right now is greater than in average person today. But the tion, we made mention of the fact that the Hays’ of life as it is lived by the conveyed by many of the office was issuing to more than thirty-three hundred idea that they are still bad is yet This we would say was an injus- newspapers throughout the United States reliable titles chosen for them. and authentic news of the Motion Picture Industry. tice to the pictures themselves. it, is of the The purpose of this propaganda, as we take Seductive language from the siren-like pen to create in the minds of the millions of the readers editor of the Carthage Press (Mo.) ; of these news purveyors an honest feeling that mo- you want good pictures to come to Carthage do not tion pictures were honestly attempting to do some- If it with remain quietly at home and approve of them. Say thing worth while as a community enterprise. that will the admission price. That is the kind of plaudit Organi- sort That this effort on the part of the Hays’ bring more here. Our comment on or criticism of any effectivrness so long zation has borne fruit is evidenced by the many of entertainment will prove of small attendance it will editorial comments on pictures in general from as it IS merely verbal. Translated in everywhere in the country. The opinionated re- have great influence. Why not all of us try the system sponses from even the smallest towns and villages for a time? where the motion picture theatre almost amounts Continued on Page 26 —

The Director IMPRESSIONS OF REX By Fred Jackman

T IS indeed a pity that Anna Sewell, the Rex is not a trained horse. Rex never could belong immortal, of the equally immortal Black to the so-called high school class of trained horses. Beauty, could not have further glorified her- He never could aspire to such graduation honors, self by writing the story of Rex. Words do because his high spirit and his dominant disposition not come to me nor are descriptive phrases would cause him to be thrown out of the kinder- so fluent when I attempt to W'rite my impressions of garten before he ever thought of high school. this thundering animal. The fact that the public His Individuality has taken him to its heart further discourages me Rex hails from Texas and is about seven years of because the illusiveness of Rex’s temperament baffles age. He is of the Morgan stock, which for many description and therefore my task is equally baffling. years has been noted by those who know horses for I have made two pictures with Rex Rex, King of intelligence and enormous endurance capacity. He fnid Horses and Black Cyclone. Both of these pic- was shipped along with many others of his breed tures necessitated our seeking out the wildest sections into the wilds of Colorado, there later to be trained of the country for the background of a wild story for range duty. But Rex refused to be trained ! He for a wild horse. Parts of Colorado, Wyoming, had wild ideas and his sole ambition was to live up and Mexico lend themselves particularly to this New to them. He could out-distance and probably out- sort of work. It would be silly to attempt to pic- swear any horse in his herd—always the born leader. turize Rex, figuratively speaking, in evening clothes, An attempt was made, for the first time, shortly after in spite of the positive regality and imperiousness of his seventh birthday to place shoes on his feet. He his presence. His attitude toward you at all times was lassoed, and by brute force dragged into a black- is one of domination. is a born ruler, and those He smith shop where the operation was to be performed. of you who read these lines and who perhaps have Within a trice, Rex had wrecked the shop, kicked studied reincarnation would require little effort to over the anvil, frightened those who had sought to discern in the depth of his eyes the wisdom of an do him a favor, almost to death, and had scampered olden potentate. Rex is all that his implies. name away to join his companions. None of these new- He is royalty personified. His rule must not be dis- fangled notions would do for Rex! obeyed. the death penalty followed in the Just as Later when the Roach Studios were called upon to wake of those attempted to thwart a Caesar, who seek a wild horse for one of their pictures in which just so the same penalty is exacted if you attempt to the horse was merely incidental to the story, we suc- thwart Rex and disobey the very definite laws that ceeded, after months of intensive search, in locating have become hereditary in the horse kingdom. Rex, and he was transported to the ranch in the False Ideas vicinity of the studio in Culver City. We passed The other evening my cameraman and I happened through many extraordinary experiments when we to be ear-witnesses to a conversation in a downtown first tried to make Rex act. We treated him as we restaurant. The two gentlemen seated at a nearby would any other trained animal by supplying him table became rather heated in a dispute that to me with a trainer whom we relied upon to bring out all was as absurd as it was amusing. One claimed that of Rex’s latent ability. We discovered, however, a Rex was the most highly trained horse he had seen quality in Rex that prohibited any effort on our part in the last decade, that he was even better than those to teach him to act. We discovered that he was a horses we used to see in side-shows of circuses and natural actor, and had the same latent spark of at Coney Island. He argued that it must have taken genius somewhere in his blessed makeup as probably years of effort and patient perseverance to have marked the genius of Sir Henry Irving, or Edwin brought Rex to the standard of perfection whereby Booth. He acted from the heart out, and we found, the animal could be induced to perform so thor- when the picture was assembled, that Rex had stolen oughly well. The other gentleman’s argument was the honors. Rex never did the thing we demanded to the effect that Rex was merely going through a of him, but, on the contrary, he forced us to do the period of training at the hands of a clever motion things he demanded of us. He is the only successful picture director and that the amount of film we did actor-director I have known in the history of the not show on the screen could easily prove Rex’s sins motion picture business. of omission. I listened to their argument as my Human Quality

cameraman gave me a sly wink. Of course these Rex is superbly human. He has his likes and dis- two gentlemen were not aware that I was as well likes quite the same as you and I. While we were acquainted with Rex as I was with my own family. out on location during the filming of Black Cyclone, The point of it is, however, that neither was right. Continued on Page 18 July, 1925

REX THE HERO

REX STANDS GUARD OVER LADY AS SHE QUENCHES HER MORNING THIRST

THE VILLAIN HIMSELF

Principals in an “All Star Cast”

1 The Director FROM MARY PICKFORD TO ALLOSAURUS By Harry O. Hoyt

istort. are told, is the course. Miss Pickford was not , we summation of vehicle—although, of in the experiences of individuals. And it is billed in it but merely called “The Biograph Girl’’ only for this reason that individuals like my- accordance with the anti-publicity policy of tbe pro- self the incidents ducers of that era. I have temerity to narrate I finished directing “The fc==B— within their own careers. About nine months ago According to biological science, there are two Lost JEorld’’— hence the title of these recollections. these pic- stages of life when history becomes important. The In the interval which elapsed between two a space of about sixteen years, dur- first is the adolescent period and the second is semes- tures—covering I have written and directed some cence. We have all been amused by the statement ing which time that the dramatic funda- that “motion pictures are still in their infancy,” but 600 films— I have found we know better, because the films have reached at mentals I learned at college held good all the way least the adolescent stage of their development, and, through. accordingly, it is natural that we who work in the The Dramatic Unities studios should feel the desire for historical informa- The first lesson in dramatic construction always tion about the pictures. The recent publication in points out the necessity of adherence to the classical The Director, for example, of Commodore Black- unities of time, place and action. Their application ton’s charming anecdotal serial, is a specific exam- in most pictures is quite simple to feel and to inter- ple. Even the fan magazines have also recognized polate into the making of the film. It seemed like this the demand for historical information on part quite a task when we came to lay out “The Lost of their readers and have supplied it with various JVorld’’—with its location-range from London to articles which have invariably pleased the public. the mysterious, unexplored plateau buried in the So much for the apologia ! heart of the Amazonian back-forests in Brazil. The Early Experience story is all laid in the present day, but when the My own first experience with pictures came while human characters reach this plateau they are prac- I was a student at Yale, taking my major in litera- tically plunged into the world of eleven million years ture and drama under such masters as Dr. William B. C. Beers and Professor Wm. Lyon Phelps. While at The problem of tying up the whole story was Columbia, at which University I had studied before solved by maintaining the only possible unity which going to New Haven, and also at Yale, I had en- the story suggested: we held the entire picture to- joyed a little success in having verse and fiction pub- gether by animals! We knew that a great part of lished by various magazines. My room-mate was a our story, and perhaps the most interesting section, picture fan and for months had been urging me to would be the footage devoted to the life of these see a movie, but the idea had never appealed to prehistoric beasts. It was essential to lead up to me—we c-an all remember distinctly when motion them gradually so that the audience would accept pictures were held in a very disparaging light, and them when they saw them on the screen. To bring I admit I was one of those who saw them only in this about, we had animals all through the picture. that light. The first interior scene—a London home—shows a On this particular day, however, I finally yielded young girl playing with a huge Persian cat. We to my room-mate’s insistence and we went to one of took some close-ups of the cat playing with a piece the “store shows” in the town and saw a jumpy, of twine; and in these shots the audience could see flickering 200 feet on the screen. The only qualifi- the jerky, awkward movements of the animal in its cation for the interest which it had was that it play—movements which we never think of as being showed moving objects. I was frankly disgusted awkward unless we actually study them. Subse- over the story—or, rather, the lack of it—in the pic- quently, a small monkey was introduced into the ture and said so. My room-mate defended the films story and, as a matter of fact, plays a prominent and said, “You write: why don’t you see if you can part. His movements, too, are all jerky and spas- do better?” The taunt led me to dash off a bit of modic. In addition, we showed scores upon scores a yarn which I mailed to Biograph and, about a of other animals, including such a wide range as par- week later, I received my first movie check. It was rots, alligators, jaguars, sloths, etc., etc. The con- for $5.00—the average pay for a scenario in 1909 sequence was that, by the time we showed upon the —and my “masterpiece” was filmed under the title, screen the allosaurus, the dinosaur and mammoth “The New York Hat.’’ Its only claim to fame was bats, and the other animal life of eleven million years that it served Mary Pickford as her first two-reel Continued on Page 26

8 —

The D irector STUDIO DEMANDS

By C. S. Dunning

general the development of Holly- ROM a standpoint of publicity and more—goes back into advertising, every business man realizes the wood and of the city of which it is a part, Los value of a motion picture plant to a city. Angeles. The eagerness with which nearly any^ city With the studio employees, this makes a yearly surely a sizeable ad- hails the report of prospective movie Inva- payroll of at least $4,000,000, is sufficient proof dition to the wealth of any city, and something for sions- -no matter how Ill-founded— the merchants and business men generally to regard of this. But how many business men and how many city with satisfaction. big motion picture This Is the outstanding Item, as the payroll Is al- officials appreciate the value of a foi in industrial computations. But it is not all concern purely as a business asset consideied, ways factory, by any means. instance, as they would consider a cracker plant? Studios require vast amounts of variegated ma- or a packing house, or an automobile Not many probably. Yet even a cursory survey terials. Many of these are expensive; virtually all of Income to are purchased within the city. of such a plant shows that, as a source favorably with nearly An example Is lumber. The United Studios pay a city, it compares more than of a year for any manufacturing industry that could be named. out an average $200,000 lumber, Take the United Studios, the big independent lot mostly to be used in the construction of sets and independent lot temporary buildings. of Southern California—the biggest with M. The electric light and power bills average in the world, in fact. A little conversation $1,500 his a this in a city where electricity is C. Levee, President, and with R. W. Allison, month—and much plant cheaper than in the municipality. assistant, will §iTe an idea of what such a average paint bill of a year is another item. means to a city. A $20,000 hrst place, Stone and brick must sometimes be in the The United lot, you will learn in the used represents a standing investment of $2,000,000 building of sets, and this combined bill averages land, buildings and property on the lot. Sometimes, $5,000. owing to the vagaries of the business, the property Flowers and trees are often required, and nursery may be greater or less m value, but that is about men and florists get an average of $10,000 per the average. annum. as a The lot covers 27 >4 acres, about as much Looking further down the list of expenditures, you of $500.” big factory. It has a regular pay-roll—exclusive find “Salt, You are puzzled as to what any actors and Including only the regular employees of business can do with $500 worth of salt. Then you the United Studios—of from $20,000 to $40,000 a remember that salt is the only thing which provides week. a good imitation of drifted snow, and you under- There are never less than 350 persons regularly stand. Similarly It Is easy to explain an item of employed, and. In times of large production, which “Paper, $350.” Paper is used for falling snow. covers about half the year, there are from 500 to A larger Item obtrudes. It is “Canvas, $7,200.” 700. Canvas is expensive, and great amounts of it are . . ^ to the used for scenery. To this. It may be only partially fair add Sometimes a thousand dollars salaries of the actors and other employees of the worth is painted, and then scrapped. The scene companies which regularly produce at the United doesn’t suit. In its nature the motion picture busi- Studios. Still, if there was no plant, there would ness must often seem extravagant and wasteful—but Into be no actors, so it is at least worth taking the city gets the benefit. consideration. Here are a few other entries which may give an There are ten companies which produce regu- Idea of the steady outgo which makes a studio val- larly at the United Studios, including the First Na- uable to a city: Lime, $198; cement, $375; copper, tional, Norma and Constance Talmadge, Samuel $1,250; roofing, $740; floor wax, $670; pipe, $452; Goldwyn, M. C. Levee, Frank Lloyd and Rudolph silk, $3,800; fan blowers, $800; ice, $1,200; hose Valentino. The income of some of the stars in- (fire), $350; glass, $1,058; furniture, $200,000, volved Is so well known that it Is scarcely mentioned. and cotton waste, $75. To add up that of all the actors who produce on the Similar Items could be quoted by the yard. The lot during the year would Involve too much Inter- United Studios, it must be understood, leases out its company prying to be practicable. It can be approxi- facilities to independent producers, and gives them mated, however, and, when it is, quite conserva- what they want when they order it, whether it is a

tively, it reaches the staggering figure of $2,000,000 grand piano or a baby carriage. Consequently, its a year. outlay^ is so variegated that it can almost be said At least half of that $2,000,000—and probably there is no line of business it does not patronize. 9 The Director THE BARNSTORMER By Frank L. Cooley

N LOOKING backward and reviewing the no indebtedness. In other words, “if it comes in, many happenings that transpired during the yon get it.” And this was a practice much in vogue first years of my desperate attempt to run at that time, but seldom mentioned to the people in a shoestring into a fortune by means of a your company until out on the road, and business very small theatrical venture, I wonder if a was somewhat awful. man’s confidence in his ability to protect himself I had lived rather frugally the previous season, with his hands does not often involve him in trouble doing considerable of my washing in the room and that a person of diplomatic, rather than athletic seldom paying more than $6 per week for room and skill, might easily avoid. board, and I was leading man and director at $25 My success as an amateur runner and boxer gained a week, with a promise of a bonus of $2.50 a week me a membership in the Olympic Club of San Fran- if I stuck to my job the entire season. cisco—although I was only sixteen and five years I was somewhat dubious about receiving this bo- short of the required age. I won several long-dis- nus, but when we closed the company in April it was tance running championships and profiting by the handed me in a lump and amounted to $95, giving experience I gained by boxing almost daily with Jim me a bank-roll of over $250, but as I was married Corbett, I won the featherweight and later the light- and had a four-year-old daughter, the roll had suf- weight boxing championship of the Coast. fered a shrinkage of over $150 by June. Mr. Corbett became world famous as a boxer, An old actress who was quite interested in my but the footlights beckoned to me, as they later did stage carper—she and I had long since decided that I was destined to take Booth’s place to him, and I became an actor. —gave me $250 In June, 1901, an old theatrical manager named for a half interest in the company. I was so grate- Stechen confided to me that he had a contract with a ful that I had my wife, until then a non-professional, Mr. Pratt, manager of the Phoenix Street Railway adopt her name—Kingsbury—for the stage. At Company, whereby he was to bring a small theatri- that time T. Daniel Frawley had a very pretty and cal company to Phoenix, Arizona, and show in the talented ingenue named Gladys Wallace. Gladys company’s park during the summer. Mr. Pratt was appealed to us, so we made the wife’s theatrical to furnish the pavilion, situated at the end of the nom de plume “Gladys Kingsbury” and our hopes road, lights and water free, and $25 a week bonus. beat high. He would also advance railroad transportation for Our Start fourteen people from San Francisco to Phoenix, and On the morning of June 5, 1901, we assembled was to allow the actors to ride gratis on his street at the Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street, cars to and from the park. San Francisco. Everybody was on time and anxious My Partnership to start for Phoenix. I put the company through Mr. Stechen offered to take me into partnership. the gates and hurried to the baggage room to cheek I saw fame and fortune within my grasp and eagerly the trunks; a fine assortment greeted my ambitious agreed, but when it came to the point where we were gaze. Two of the ladies had nice new ones, covered to put up the money, Mr. Stechen could not produce with tin and decorated with pretty little blue flowers. his share and I balked in my first role—that of One of the actors had a champagne basket, another “JnpelP a canvas sailor’s bag that drew together at the top _ A solution was reached by my paying Stechen $20 with a cord. My dampened ardor was somewhat for the contract and “going it” alone. revived by the baggage man’s announcement that My theatrical experience up to this time had been there was no excess poundage, this in face of the entirely on the stage. The “front of the house,” fact that I had several hundred pounds of adver- or box office, was a closed book to me, so I engaged tising matter in an old Saratoga that my partner, a manager of long experience named Joe. As he Alice Kingsbury, had used when at times John Mc- is no longer living, to know him as Joe will suffice. Cullough, Tom Keene, James O’Neill and Joseph Joe was reputed to be a man of managerial wisdom Wheelock had been her leading men, and David when sober,, but quite the reverse when primed with Belasco had held the prompt book! good liquor. I was not long in learning that the The baggage attended to, I boarded the boat and latter at least was true. Actors were not as well proceeded to look up my managerial adviser. I off twenty-five years ago as they are today, and I found him on the upper deck talking loudly to two experienced no great difficulty in organizing a com- of the ladies who were trying vainly to quiet him. pany, even though the understanding was that if He had several of my scripts wrapped in newspaper the venture was successful salaries were to be paid, under his arm, untied, and with the string trailing but if said venture was unsuccessful there was to be Continued on Page 19

10 July, 1925 VERSUS THE SINGLE TAX By E. P. Clark President Peoples’ Anti-Single Tax League

enry GEORGE, the apostle of Single Tax, uable as Sixth and Olive streets? said that private ownership of land was a City lot values are caused by their location in re- H bold, bare, enormous wrong, like that of chat- lation to the intense business center, and values in- tel slavery. This became his text for all he ever crease or decrease as the business center shifts. The wrote on Progress and Poverty. southwest corner of Seventh street and Broadway If that were true, it would be a great crime to is worth no more today than it was ten years ago, own land, but it is not true, for our government in but the population has doubled in that period and has its wisdom provided the opportunity for every man had no influence whatever on values. who wanted to and was willing to work at farming to The man who buys a city lot, paying for it in the secure a farm, a home, and at a price covering the product of labor, either stock or bonds or coin, does actual cost of surveying and conveyances, and guar- so knowing that the laws of our country will protect anteeing to him its possession and title, and to his him in his title and possession against the world. No heirs and assigns forever. one can take it from him. The land laws of our country have made it the Yet the Single Taxers propose to destroy all value richest, the strongest, the greatest nation on the face by taxing all the value away. If that is not dishon- of the earth. Single Taxers say land values increase est, what would you call it? as the population increases: Therefore land value Henry George, Jr., in the Halls of Congress, belongs to the people, and “We propose to tax it June 10, 1911, was asked by Mr. Raker of Califor- away from the owner.” nia, “Who will get the land when it is sold for taxes? Let’s see. The State will get it, will it not?” The land owner bought the land with money. He Mr. George said: “No, the buyer. Somebody lives in Riverside. He paid $3000 an acre for forty will buy it if it has any value at all. The application acres of orange lands, in 1887. The population of Single Tax should not be a 100 per cent applica- was less than one hundred families. Twenty years tion. It should fall short just enough to leave later the same orange lands could be bought for enough value in the land untaxed to make a basis $2000 an acre, and the population of Riverside city for sales. The basis for sales will become the mar- alone was over 15,000. So land values are not due ket basis for valuation and taxation.

entirely to population. “Now if a man, we will say, who is a speculator, The Single Taxer also says everything we possess a monopolist, or who is land poor, cannot or will not except land is the product of labor and must not pay the tax imposed, he will have his land sold for be taxed, as taxing the product of labor causes pov- taxes and will lose it. The land will go into the erty. hands of a new man. That new man will have to Money is the product of labor and must not be pay the tax. taxed, they say. The man in Riverside paid money “If the value of the land should fall, then the for his land, which was his inalienable right; hence, tax would correspondingly diminish. If the value logically, it cannot be taxed. But the Single Taxer should disappear, then there would be nothing to proposes to tax all that money away; in other words, tax, and the owner would hold his land subject to no confiscate all the value of the land without due proc- tax whatever.” ess of law, where if he had invested his money in He may be a speculator, a large land owner, and bonds or cattle or sheep or manufactures he would able to pay the higher tax, but to the vast multitude pay no tax whatever. of small land and lot owners he proposes to apply Is not that the reasoning of a dishonest mind? the same severe treatment. Land value is not wholly due to population, but He proposes to tax all land until its value reaches quite as much to productivity, to nearness to markets, the vanishing point, and then the new owner can to quality of soil, to climate, and to the kind of hold this land subject to no tax whatever. products. For simon pure dishonesty, can you beat it? He says that city land and lot value is due alone Yet the Single Taxers profess to believe what to population. Henry George said was true, and that Single Tax Let’s see. or land tax only, was right. In Los Angeles twenty years ago lots on Spring First, do you believe it is a bold, bare, enormous street from Third to Temple streets were worth wrong to own your own land or your lot? more than twice their market value today. Yet the Chattel slavery consists of the private ownership population of Los Angeles is five times as great. of a human being, depriving him of the right to his If population only caused lot values, why should life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. He becomes not lots east of Santa Fe avenue near Pico be as val- Continued on Page 19

11 :

The Director THE LION COUNTRY By Harold Shaw

N an article entitled '‘On Meeting a Queen” skin. Was it at the Booby or the Shangani?” that recently appeared under my name in “It was just this side of the Shangani,” replied this magazine, I introduced my readers to Redrupp, as he started away toward the bar for the Colonel Johan Colenbrander, who acted as midday “peg.” my guide and mentor on a trip through My friend then explained that Redrupp was very Southern Rhodesia. As I had a definite objective, sensitive about this particular lion skin, because the it was not difficult to touch upon the high spots and beast had maimed him for life, lacerating his left arrive at the conclusion, but I fear that this article hand and arm so that they were all but useless and must be to a great extent fragmentary, due to the terribly scarred. It seems that this lion had become asked for some of the fact that the Editor has a man-killer and had attacked one of Redrupp’s sidelights that must have occurred while on such boys, and not daring to shoot for fear of killing the a trip. boy, Redrupp had gotten to close quarters and tried Up to the time that I left Bulawayo, which is the to knife him, with the result above mentioned. seat of government for Southern Rhodesia, most of As Johan examined our guns and stowed our am- my traveling in Africa had been done by railway or munition carefully away, Redrupp’s words came back motor car, and had for the most part been confined to me, for it was for the Shangani that we were to such parts of the country as were populated by heading and intended to cross to get to our objective. Boers on their widely scattered farms. It was, then, Having had one terrifying experience with a lion, with no small degree of trepidation that I took my in which my leading man. Captain Jack Bonavita, seat in the wagon (we would call it a “buckboard” had been almost killed in a picture we were making in America), that contained our supplies, bedding in Florida, I had acquired a wholesome dread of the and firearms for a trip of at least one month through so-called “king of beasts.” That lion was caged, what is known to be exceedingly dangerous lion and I was in no personal danger, but here I was country. about to embark on a five-hundred-mile trip through My early boyhood was spent in the Western country that was their natural habitat, and there states, and I had learned to use both rifle and shot- were no cages. I was in the fullest sense of the -word gun with a certain degree of accuracy, but had not a “tender-foot,” and in my heart of hearts I knew handled a gun for perhaps twenty years. So the that if a lion charged me I should be so terror- night before we started, Johan’s careful examina- stricken that I should have dropped my gun. tion of the three rifles and the shotgun that we were The Start to take, gave me a rather creepy sensation in the However, the trip had to be made, so off we region of the spine, owing to the “lion talk” that I started, our vehicle being drawn by ten well-matched had been listening to during the preceding few hours. mules and bearing Johan, myself, “Susie,” Johan’s The Bulawayo Club game little Airdale, and five boys to do the leading, The several fine lion skins that decorated the driving and camp chores. The road was fairly good rooms of the Bulawayo Club, of which I had been for about twenty miles. Then, with each succeeding member, had intrigued me, and made an honorary mile it ceased more and more to be a road, and in answer to my questions, some of the members of finally became merely a “kaffir path” that had ap- the club had given me details of how they had been parently not been traversed by any sort of vehicle acquired. One instinctively knew that these hardy in years. As we got deeper and deeper into the Rhodesians neither lied nor exaggerated. One chap bush, it became necessary for the boys to get out deliberately off switched from the story of his own and either chop or lift away rotten tree trunks that prowess and led me over to the finest specimen of had fallen across the path. Johan had not traveled skin in the club: a lion black-maned skin that meas- this road in many years, and it is still a remarkable ured easily eleven feet from “tip to tip.” My com- and outstanding fact in my mind that his sense of panion then went on to describe the incident that direction failed him only once on the two hundred brought about the presence of this magnificent skin and fifty-mile journey to the Shangani River. Trav- in the club. When about half through his story, an- ersing a country that was new and strange to me in other member walked in and my friend hailed him company with the mighty hunter I knew Johan to with be, the day passed rapidly, and, to me most pleas- “I say, I Redrupp, have been trying to tell Shaw urably. Johan was like all men of his calibre, ex- here where you got this chap,” pointing to the lion tremely reticent in so far as voluntarily exploiting

12 July, 1925

himself. So, it was only by continued questioning disposed of our soiled dishes, full darkness had de- that I was able to elicit the dozens of interesting, scended. The boys had spread our blankets side and in some cases hair-raising, episodes with which by side over the soft, sweet-smelling grass, replen- he entertained me during the entire trip. ished the fire at our feet, and, as we got into pa- First Night in the Open Veldt jamas, Johan hailed the “fire boy” by pointing and While Johan had hunted every kind of big game giving instructions to light the third fire. with which Africa abounds, lions had been his spe- I could restrain my curiosity no longer. As the cialty, so most of his stories had to do with these boy ran with a lighted firebrand from his fire to animals. the unlighted wood-pile, Johan was loading his pipe, Towards late afternoon I noticed Johan fre- and I asked facetiously: “Colonel, what is the third quently looked towards the sun. At about five fire for? To keep the mules warm?” Between o’clock he spoke to the boys, who then hurriedly puffs on his pipe he uttered the one word, “Lions!” urged the mules forward into a faster pace. He It is not my purpose to attempt to write a “sus- planned to outspan (camp) early on this first day pense” tale or a “thriller” for small boys ! En- of our trek as it would be necessary for the boys sconced as I now am in comfortable quarters in the as well as ourselves to become acquainted with the heart of civilization, I recall with a distinct thrill layout of our pack. We had to reach the waterhole the feeling that that one word gave to me on my before sundown as darkness so quickly follows in first night in the open African veldt. these latitudes. After several days in such close contact with the We outspanned at last about three hundred yards only other white man within many miles, Colen- from the waterhole, Susie being the first out of the brander asked me to cut out the “Colonel.” And wagon with many barks and much cavorting, and we became good chums. I called him “Johan” and though she had never been in this neighborhood be- he called me “Harold.” And I can look back with fore, she made as straight as an arrow for the water. gratitude and appreciation to the fact that he was The tired mules had indulged themselves in the lux- a man of sufficiently fine sensibilities not to show that ury of a roll, and I say “luxury” advisedly, as they he in any way noticed my fearsomeness on that to apparently got as much enjoyment out of it as does me memorable night. Kindliness and intelligence a woman when her body is freed from the corsets guided Johan in word and action. He had acted as that have encased it all day. guide to many “rookies” in the past and knew how Johan as Boss, quickly gave his orders; one boy to treat them. to guard against the mules drinking before they We now geared on our veldt-schoens or soft had sufficiently cooled off; another to fetch firewood; leather shoes, over our woolen stockings, put on our another to cut sufficient of the tall dry grass that overcoats over our pajamas; each laid a loaded rifle was to act as our mattresses; the others to unpack at his side, and slipping our legs under the blankets, bedding, cooking utensils and provisions. I had proceeded to smoke and talk. not noticed while performing my ablutions that the “Shaw,” said Johan, “let me enlighten you in the fireboy made three distinct piles of wood in positions matter of the general habits of lions so that your that formed a triangle, the base line of which was sleep won’t be disturbed, and your nerves on edge about fifty yards in length, our wagon being in prac- in the morning.” tically the center of the triangle. A small cook-fire He then explained that if our camp were to be was then lighted with sticks taken from the wood- attacked by anything but a man-eating lion, which pile nearest the wagon, then the cook-boy proceeded usually hunts alone, that it would be attacked only to do his stuff.” Johan spoke to the wood-boy by a pair, “Mr. and Mrs. Leo,” and that they would in Matahele, giving instructions for more wood to only attack in case they had been unable to procure be brought, and quickly, as the sun was going down their natural food of buck or other small deer be- over the horizon. cause drought or bush-fire had driven that class of The smell of sizzling bacon now assailed my nos- animal out of the neighborhood. It is only during trils and whetted my already keen appetite, pre- a period of extreme hunger that a lion becomes suf- paring me for a meal that was more enjoyable than ficiently desperate to attack a human being; the any that I remember before or since. natural exception to this rule being when a human The long canvas community nose-bag was then inadvertently approaches a lair in which a mother stretched between two saplings and the ten mules is rearing her cubs. haltered to it side by side. Another small cook-fire The man-eater is always either decrepit, and was lighted near the second woodpile, and inside therefore unable successfully to pursue his natural the triangle the boys proceeded to dine on their three food, or he is one that has become incapacitated for hundred and sixty-five day menu of “mealie pap” the hunt because of a wound. Unlike the hyena or (cornmeal mush), which they dug from the com- the jackal, the wild lion will eat only his own “kill,” munity pot with their naked fingers. and will not touch meat that has been contaminated The Night by the touch of any other animal. By the time the meal was completed and we had Continued on Page 27

13 The Director THUNDERING SILENCE By H. H. Van Loan

V/hat Has Gone Before Meantime, the Empress of India is approaching San Pedro from the Orient, and among her passengers is Claudia Carlstedt. She is or two years Howard Chapin, an ex-convict, has been taking overcome as she reads a wireless bulletin announcing the death of F the place of John Morgan, Los Angeles banker and clubman, Morgan. When the steamer docks, a derelict boards the ship and in the goes to her cabin. the door, as she stares in business and social world. At midnight, April 8, the She opens and amaze- strange pact expires. Morgan appears at the appointed hour, in ment at the man she exclaims: “John!” With that exclamation the role of a derelict and informs Chapin that he has no desire to she throws herself into the man’s arms. Claudia faints and the return to his former existence. During his wanderings he has found man places her on a divan and revives her. She is confused and the woman he loves and he is going to return to her. Chapin bewildered, for she believes the man is John Morgan. The stranger learns that Mrs. Morgan, who has been on a world voyage, is informs her that Morgan is really dead and that he was murdered returning the next day. He is shown her photograph bv Morgan, the night before. He warns her that she must not go to the Mor- and for the first time in his life his admiration is aroused for one gan residence, and when she asks him for an explanation he calmly of the opposite sex. He now realizes the futility for a continuance tells her that he is Howard Chapin. He adds that they must not be of the deception. He cannot go on with it; he will not deceive her. seen leaving the steamer together, and gives her an address and Chapin has paid every debt left by Morgan when the latter went instructs her to go there immediately and he will join her there away, and has accumulated $150,000 in cash. Morgan learns presently. They are impressed with each other and each is won- where the money is hidden and he takes it. Chapin wants to know dering what role the other is playing in this baffling mystery. Later, what is going to happen to Mrs. Morgan, whereupon Morgan a Japanese gardener finds the body of a slain man along the Ven- informs him that his life is insured for $200,000 and that Morgan tura highway, which is identified by Detective Aulbert as the crook, is better off dead than alive. John Morgan is going to die that “Spider” Kelly. Meanwhile, The Examiner staff is wondering night. happened to Spencer, has strangely dropped out of And, Chapin is Morgan ! Thereupon, Morgan compels what has who Chapin to take a revolver and retire to the den, for the purpose of sight. At the same time, “Big Red” McMahon’s gang have learned committing the suicide of Morgan. Meantime, “Big Red” Mc- of Kellv's death and they believe their chief has carried out his Mahon and his gang of crooks are worried over the prolonged threat to kill Kelly. But, at that moment, “Big Red” enters, and absence of “Spider” Kelly, who has gone out to “pull a job.” A much to the surprise of all, denies any knowledge of the crime. little later the police are called to the Morgan residence to investi- Just then Detective Aulbert enters and asks “Big Red” the name of gate the financier's death, and decide it is a clear case of suicide. the man who killed the crook. “Big Red” professes ignorance, and However, Herbert Spencer, a police reporter on The Examiner, Aulbert is inclined to believe him and is about to leave, when the does not agree with the police theory. The Examiner “scoops” the door suddenly opens and there, to the great surprise of the gang, other papers and Spencer goes out to make a more thorough inves- stand “Spider” Kelly on the threshold. In the meantime, Spencer tigation. “Big Red” and his gang are surprised upon learning of is being held a prisoner in a shack on the outskirts of San Pedro. the death of Morgan, and they are of the opinion that “Spicier” He overpowers the sentry, makes his escape and dashes towards Kelly double-crossed them and made a get-away with the fortune. Los Angeles.

CHAPTER VIII sort of man who would take his own life. Men like him believed in holding on to the very end. That LAUDIA CARLSTEDT didn’t go to the ad- was more than he could say for himself. He had dress on West Sixth Street, which Chapin had stood ready to take his own life, and for practically e given her on a small slip of paper which she left him. This much was learned by Chapin when he no reason. Yes, there was a reason, and a very good one, too. It for her he was willing to give his arrived at the place about an hour later. It was a was life: he had never seen before in his life. small family hotel, and Chapin arrived in a taxicab a woman Silly. yet, she was the most beautiful creature and hurriedly entered and inquired of the clerk if And ever seen. It would have saved her a great anyone had called to see him. He w^as surprised as he had anguish. had never held onto life the clerk shook his head, and he turned around and deal of mental He the great tenacity that some men do. Some leaned against the desk for a moment. This looked with life, are satisfied even to exist. He like defeat. Perhaps something had happened to men love and wasn’t one of them. For years he had merely ex- her? . . . Maybe she had been followed and kid- one long struggle for him: one napped? These and many other thoughts flashed isted. Life had been fight to get somewhere. But, as he through his mind, and he wondered what his next tremendous it over now, he realized that he was usually move should be. He was right up against a stone thought objective. had always been contented wall, and her failure to carry out his instructions without an He seemed to temporarily stump him. just to drift. was proud of the success he had made of John He strolled over and dropped disgustedly into a He for the past two years. Never had he been chair. From the moment the shot was fired that Morgan to such a success for himself. Strange. killed John Morgan, the night before, he believed able make a novel twist this would make for a play or a he was the one individual who could solve this mys- What

motion picture ! An author could make it the basic terious crime. Whv shouldn’t he be the logical one foundation for a corking good story. That’s the to do this? . . . He was the only person who was

authors . . . they don’t write enough there when the crime was committed: the only one trouble with about life. The majority of them write about the who knew it was a cold-blooded murder. The police believed it was a suicide. John Morgan was not the Continued on Page 32

14 July, 1925

PUBLICITY a la Mode By Dorothy Collins

F you stop in front of a magazine rack and look worn and broken, but all in all their days of glance over the many brightly hued cov- use are numbered. Little Glorious Bubble is at present like the brightly painted cars, but ber fu- ers you will find that nine-tenths of them ture seems more secure than most for she has given are motion picture magazines. A portion us some of the most marvelous interpretations it of the make-up of these magazines has to has been our good fortune to see for many a day.” do with pictures and advertisements, the balance And on and on and on. If he had been a dry goods with the prating of the publicity writers. salesman first and a publicity writer second he would The art of publicity writing bears a strong re- have swathed his girl in yards and yards of chiffon semblance to a bake-shop, wherein the pastries with or something like it. But being an ex-hobo, his their real foundation of good cake-batter becomes thoughts went to his early means of transportation submerged in thick layers of icings and whipped box cars. cream. And like all things too sweet, a customer — now and then is taken sick from overdoses. Author’s Personality

Where is the line of demarcation between truth I was present when little Glorious Bubble read and fallacy in the art of publicity writing? How the article. She turned to the ex-hobo publicity writ- are we to know the truth when we see it? Where er and gushed: “Oh—o—-o—o!” long and ecstat- are we to find the good cake-batter that we can eat o o ically. “Oh— — —o ! Your article frightens me without becoming ill? a little, but I do hope I can live up to the lovely Certainly not in the motion picture magazines. things you have written about me.” Some of the They are sticky with sweetness; and a sick public things were true, but most of the article was the men- instead of being allowed the opportunity of getting tal contribution of the publicity writer, who was put- better, finds that the publicity baker is adding more ting himself across bigger and better than he did the and more story cake with the brightly colored frost- little actress who was NOT many of the things said ings to the already groaning rack. And the public of her. Still she is very charming and a real per- is overwhelmed at the thought of trying his diges- sonality. tion powers further. Consequently, Mr. and Mrs. He gave her paint instead of icing, but the effect Public are leaving the ranks of the cake eaters, and was the same, for she was completely camouflaged. are, when the occasion arises, taking what satisfac- When a publicity writer does say something about tion they can out of facts as printed by the news- how Lotta Fun loves to cook, dig in her garden, play papers. with the babies, go to the ball game and make her Actors Are Real own clothes, the public is in doubt whether to believe it or not. They have been fed iced cake so long At least, even if the news be scandal, they have that a plain sponge cake takes on a none too real the impression that the actor or actress involved is appearance and taste. a human being with the same likes and inhibitions Recently I read an interview by one of the fore- as the rest of the mortals of this earth : that they most publicity writers of a well known motion pic- are not gossamer souls floating in another ether re- ture magazine. It was about an actor who lately lieved of earthly tribulations. was elected to stardom, although for years he has Everyone who punches a typewriter for a liveli- been a favorite leading man and a big drawing card. hood, puts into his articles a certain something that The article had to do with everything except the represents himself. One man I know who is an ex- real personality of the man. hobo, became a feature writer for the largest studio in Culver City. Truth in Print One day he was given the name of a certain mo- This man I know personally. I know he has one tion picture star and a few facts as to her meri- of the finest libraries in Hollywood. It is not like torious rise to stardom. That was all. He was a lot of libraries I could mention, either. For the

told to supply the rest or atmosphere we’ll call it books in this particular library have been read, are

for a two-thousand word story. Part of it read thumb-marked, and have the margins written in. something like this (I quote this from memory; it They are in reality the most constant companions

happened nearly three years ago) : of this man. He loves his garden and writes for “The motion picture stars and their satellites re- some of the horticulture magazines. semble nothing so much as a string of box cars.” Some say, “Why the devil put that in? It’s He was an ex-hobo, remember! “Some are newly enough to have him a great actor, he doesn’t have and brightly painted, some are a little faded, others Continued on Page 36

15 —

The Director THE NIGHT BRIDE By Frederic Chapin

Synopsis Preceding of Instalment: Cynthia Stockton’s father was in financial “Get off this car and go chain that damned ani- difficulty. His friend and banker, Addison Walsh, had just come to his mal,” shouted Walsh, furiously. “Any dog allowed rescue to the tune of over a hundred thousand dollars. Walsh to endanger people’s lives on a public highway ought was a millionaire, and usually got what he wanted —and he wanted Cynthia. to be shot.” With Stockton’s wife, Walsh was aces up. She hoped that “Nevertheless, I said you were lucky. For if you Cynthia would marry Walsh, but Cynthia, the belle of the com- had harmed that dog, I’d have killed you.” munity—and heart free—had her own ideas on the subject. Then came Stanley laugh of derision greeted this threat, but an- Warrington and his one-legged ex-sea captain and A servant. Biggies, to take possession of an old castle he has pur- other glance into the steel-blue eyes broke it off cha^sed. Stanley, heir to the Warrington Steamships and fortune had been crossed abruptly. in love, and so he and his “man” left Baltimore] motored to the home town of Cynthia, and opened up his new home,’ Cynthia, a silent witness up to this moment, fear- which the town’s people termed the Ogre’s Castle. Here he expected to devote ing further hostilities, decided to pour oil on the his time to writing. He slung a mean pen. He also hoped to forget the girl whom he had caught in another man’s troubled waters. arms. V’erily, youth was taking itself seriously. “Mr. Walsh was quite justified in being angry,” No’ll', go on ’with the story. . . she said, with conviction. “Of course, no one wants to hurt a fine animal like that intentionally. No doubt, on second thought, he wouldn’t dream of O get to Duxbury, one had to take the high- shooting him. But in order to save the dog’s life, way past the Ogre’s castle. the chauffeur was compelled to endanger ours. You Walsh, freshly shaven and immaculately see that, don’t you—Mr. Mr.— ?” She waited for laundered, his portly form set off to good him to supply the name, but he disdained to do so. advantage in a golf suit of youthful gray, Instead, he focused his eyes upon her with a look sat beside Cynthia in the seat of his expensive open tried the efficacy of her car. of condemnation. Again she The natty chauffeur in front added a smart smile, in her desire to bring him to the point of arbi- touch to the equipage. tration. A slight twist of his mouth caused her to As hate would hav^e it, Stanley Warrington was stiffen a little. Hatred fairly exhumed from him. emerging from his driveway with his dog, just as the What one gives, one gets—and she hated him in Walsh car drew near. Hector, with a yipping yelp return. of defiance, made one streak for the highway, plung- ing Out of her reverie came his voice. madly towards the onrushing monster of pol- “There’s a right and a wrong way of doing things. ished nickel. If the car had struck the dog and killed it, I wouldn’t The chauffeur swerved, but Hector refused to give have blamed anyone. But to deliberately shoot him way. Another swerve, a shriek of grinding brakes would have been plain murder. Better drive on and the car came to an abrupt stop in a ditch, tilted I’ll watch him closely after this.” at a decided angle. He stooped and linked his fingers under the dog’s Undismayed, Hector still vented his spleen at the collar and pulled him aside. The chauffeur, seeing front wheel, as if daring it to do its worst. the affair was over, gently urged the car back to the With a suppressed curse, Walsh, whose face was highway. When they had regained their momentum, an apoplectic purple, reached for the flap of the door Walsh turned to the girl beside him. pocket, jerked out a heavy, blue-nosed revolver and “If I lost my temper, I hope you will forgive me,” took aim at the dog. Cynthia, seeing his purpose, he said contritely. “I was only thinking of you.” screamed, “Don’t,” grasped his arm and deflected It was a master stroke. His words completely his aim. A sharp report smote the air, as the bullet sponged the slate. went whistling through the leaves overhead. “I understand,” she replied in a reassuring tone of In two bounds, Stanley was beside the car. Shout- voice. ing a word of command to Hector, he leaped upon The solicitous man gave an involuntary sigh of re- the running board, wrenched the gun from the irate lief, suggesting they forget the incident and put their minds to the joy of the ride. Cynthia her man’s hand, and sent it spinning a hundred yards nodded into a thicket. desire to comply with his wish; but the vision of a hatless and trembling young man, breathing fire and For a moment there was tense silence. Stanley’s brimstone in defense of his dog, intruded upon her face was colorless as he broke the spell. thoughts the rest of the day. “It’s a lucky thing you didn’t kill my dog,” he rasped, a quiver of rage audible to his voice. Cal drew hard on his wheezing briar and chuckled.

16 July, 1925

“My boy,’’ he said, peering up at the ceiling pen- sively, “I’ve been kicked out, thrown out, shot at and missed. Bulls and bulldogs have yearned for strips of my epidermis. Angry men have chased me with sawed-off shotguns, wild-eyed women have stalked me with bottles of vitriol hidden in their Studio Wardrobe bosoms; and once I was nearly tarred and feathered, but I always came back with a story. Them was Departments Attention the good old days.’’ Ungrammatical perhaps, but expressive. We are maintaining a specialized Bill, in justification, rehearsed and amplified the tale of his reception at the castle. service in our Hollywood Store for “I’ll get the dope on that bird yet,’’ he threatened. the Studios as well as the individ- The memory of a young man calmly chinning uals of the Motion Picture Profes- himself, while he did a marathon to the gates of sion in Exclusive Women’s Gar- the castle, with a long-fanged dog snapping at the seat of his trousers, was not exactly a pleasant one. ments. A shadow in the doorway brought all conversation to a halt. The two men turned synchronously. Through our Central Buying Office There stood the subject of their discourse in the in New York City it is possible for flesh. Outside was the big, cream-colored car. It us to have on hand, for your inspec- must have floated up like a magic carpet. Bill Dobbin’s lower jaw almost dropped out of tion at all times, the latest Parisian place. Models, and the American adapta- Cal, not knowing who the visitor was, got up and tions, besides the selected Models went to the railing that enclosed their sanctum sanc- torum. from the American Courteriers. The stranger swept the place with an appraising glance, finally turning his powerful lenses upon the We will be very glad to make spe- belligerent Bill. individual returned the look That cial prices to the Wardrobe Depart- with compound interest, as recognition kindled and of the Motion Picture Stu- resentment flamed. ments Young Warrington’s stern gaze relaxed, a faint dios, and an appreciable discount to smile playing in the corners of his mouth. the Ladies of the Profession. “Hello,’’ he said, genially. “How’s the sprinter?” This greeting, followed by an infectious laugh, Further, we are glad to send on ap- changed the temperature of Bill’s arteries. “Say!” he exclaimed with a forgiving grin. “I proval at any time a selection of did a hundred yards in ten flat.” models to any studio, subject to a Opening the gate invitingly, he nodded towards photographic test. We ask your sup- Cal. port inasmuch as tve are making “Meet my dad,- the Honorable Cal Dobbins, editor of this here sheet.” special efforts to establish a more in- They shook hands all around, and when they were timate connection with the Alotion seated, the stranger dug from his pocket a well Picture Fraternity. smoked pipe, and fished for his pouch of tobacco. Cal shoved over a can of choice mixture, and soon Call MISS MEALY, STUDIO SERVICE Dept. they were all puffing in perfect accord. That they had failed up to the present moment to learn his name seemed of minor importance to that gentleman. He was busily engaged in polishing United Fashion his glasses with a handkerchief of finest silk. Ad- justing them to his liking, he looked around with Stores, Inc. keen interest. To him the smell of printer’s ink was like the 6716 HOLLYWOOD BLVD. odor of tan bark to a circus performer. HEmpstead 1863 “Want to sell this here sheet?” he asked, without further preamble. Cal never batted an eye. “Hadn’t thought of

Continued on Page 21

17 The Direc tor

IMPRESSIONS OF REX And so it was also in the building up of the story. I had become accustomed, through hours of associa- Continued from Page 7 tion with the animal, to observe his peculiarities, his it was necessary for Rex to take long runs at the whims, his moods, his desires and his natural inclina- head of a herd of wild horses. There were also tions. For instance, I discovered that Rex could steep mountains to be climbed, turns to be made at inopportune times. More difficult than either of these climb a rocky hill faster than any other animal I were his mad dashes toward the camera. In setting have ever seen. He could make almost unbelievable the camera up for such scenes we usually managed sure-footed leaps from one slippery rock to another to have a sufficient number of helpers lined up on in absolute safety. The only thing we had to do then either side so that when Rex was ready to make his was to hunt for a location that would be suitable for dash we could by various cat calls, and boos, and the such a scene, make the scene a part of the story, and waving of our arms, make him realize something of let nature take its course. what a foreground means. He was to stop right Caring For Rex there ! I usually rehearsed him once or twice, and invariably during the rehearsal, as he came dashing Rex’s fondest luxury is carrots. He can get the down the hill, his mane and tail to the wind, 1 could scent of a carrot a mile away, so when we were ready see him slyly pick out an open spot in the sidelines for to shoot a given scene, I would station a man whom an exit. And straight past the camera he would dash Rex liked, into whose pocket I had crowded a bunch like a comet. And on and on would he go out into of fresh carrots, somewhere around the edge of a the wide open spaces, until he had his run out. Later mountain or below a precipice or near the sidelines I outguessed him. I had to, because he had so little of the camera, and Rex would act the scene as if he appreciation of the fact that time is money in the had been rehearsed in it a dozen times. His athletic motion picture business. When I found that he had prowess is evident in both pictures. His strength is chosen a certain exit for his wild run, and I was enormous, and this I believe is due entirely to the ready to take the scene, at his next rush toward the care he receives. He is groomed and exercised with camera he found the hole in the human blockade as much attention as Jack Dempsey receives when he stopped up, and he stopped short, discouraged and is training for a championship battle. Who wouldn’t disappointed. mother an animal like Rex, with the knowledge in Likes and Dislikes the back of your head that he is insured for $50,000? And if a director—or anyone else—concerned in the usually employed cowboys, who were We two men production of a picture starring Rex had one ounce expert with the rope, to follow on these wild Rex of cruelty in his makeup, and attempted to practice trips into the open at the conclusion of a scene or it on Rex, in the first place he would have a battle rehearsal. Rex took a violent dislike to one of them with the horse himself, but, in the second place, there because this was perhaps a bit too rough with man would prey upon his mind always the existence of the horse when they met at the trail’s end. The that life insurance policy. I don’t know what will other man, however, Rex doted upon, because he was happen if we ever touch a whip to any part of Rex’s once gentle and kind. He rarely drew the rope taut body. it had been cast about any section of Rex’s body, or, Because of the excellence of his physical condition, if he did, its tensity was lightened, as this cowboy a scratch or bruise obtained in his mad scramble up started in with a line of wheedling chatter that Rex or down a steep hill means as little to him as a apparently understood; and the remarkable part of slam in the eye means to a well-trained prizefighter, the story is that the human beings in camp had the whereas to you or to me it might cause unbearable same feeling about the two men. Our feeling was suffering. not contagious. We had not gotten it from Rex. Rex is getting used to the camera. He anticipates We simply did not like the one man and we did like an intended action. There is only one command that the other. So that when I say that this is one proof he obeys, and that only occasionally. This command of Rex’s human disposition, you will readily under- is “JJhoa!” So you see what I meant in the begin- stand that many others were forthcoming. ning of my story when I said that he was decidedly It was not a difficult thing to accustom Rex to the not of the high school or equestrian class of horses. sound of the camera for the very silly reason that He is an outcast and a leader all in one. he ignored it in quite the same way that he ignored Before I conclude this article I must touch upon everything in which he was disinterested. Certain his love affair with Lady. His courtship of this mare human beings appealed to him. Others did not. was as interesting to watch as would be the courtship Those that appeal to him he fawns upon. Those he of your own daughter and the man of her choice. dislikes he ignores absolutely. And so, in order to Rex made the first advances, to which Lady de- manipulate him the better, we simply let him choose murred. His grief was most evident. He became the people he desired most keenly for his entourage, sullen, morose and disagreeable, until finally one or the personnel of his company, whether we liked them or not. Continued on Page 26

18 July, 1925

VERSUS THE SINGLE TAX the fostering care of government The only reason advanced is that it tempts people to be dishonest and Continued from Page 71 to cheat in giving in their property lists; therefore a slave against his will. it is wrong to tempt people to do wrong. In other Land does not object to being owned, therefore words, let them be free to enjoy what they would has no feeling of being in bondage; and no wrong gain by dishonesty and cheating. is committed, hence his text is not true. Therefore, That would be a remarkable state of society all that has been said, all arguments of the Single where all dishonest and criminal minded people Tax proponents, necessarily are based upon a false should be permitted to accomplish their desire and premise. he free from punishment. Why do we have taxes at all? To support gov- They say that what Christianity has tried to do ernment. for two thousand years Single Tax would soon ac- Why do we have government? To protect and complish—that is, make men moral and honest. of life, liberty control our right to and enjoyment Single Tax would place the whole burden of all and the pursuit of happiness. taxes on the farmer and lot owner. As a scheme should bear the expense of government? Who for raising revenue it has always failed whenever is protected, life, lib- Every one who and who enjoys tried. erty and the pursuit of happiness, under the opera- As a scheme for destroying land values it is a suc- tion of the government. cess, and when the value is destroyed the support of Let us see. government fails. Every person receives protection against violence Men may live here and enjoy all the privileges of to his person and possessions, hence we need a police liberty and freedom from all enemies to society ciepartment. Does land need the protection of the under the protecting care of the greatest and most police ? benevolent government on the face of the earth. Every property owner needs protection of his Why should we not support our government just buildings effects fire, and personal from hence we as our Constitution provides by every man doing his need firemen an expensive equipment. and share, and paying his tax according to his material Does land need fire protection? possessions and benefits? Our lives and everything we possess need the care, control and protection of a government. Land does not now, nor did land since the world was created, need protection, nor was the care of land any ex- THE BARNSTORMER pense to the government. Continued from Page 10 We have a legislative branch of our government out on the deck behind him. The buttons on his to make the necessary laws for. the protection and clothes were not all in use, and no managerial wis- control of our persons and possessions, the expense dom was apparent either in his conversation or of which is enormous. appearance. I hustled him to the lower deck, ac- We have a judiciary consisting of courts of justice companied by the laughter of the commuters, who that were created for the protection and control of had evidently been enjoying themselves at my ex- our persons and possessions. pense. We have the executive branch, which adminis- Joe was a fighter when drunk. I have often seen ters the laws for the protection and control of our O’Farrell Street, between Powel and Stockton, sud- persons and possessions, the cost of which is enor- denly become deserted by the actors when Joe would mous. heave in sight with a “load” on. On one occasion We have an army and navy, maintained at enor- I saw him thrown out of the Milkmen’s Exchange, mous expense, to protect our homes, our industries, next door to the old Alcazar, by three men, and on our lives and our possessions. Yet in all the fore- landing in the middle of the street, pick up a brick going expenses, the land has no fear of being de- and heave it through the door of the saloon. When stroyed or removed. I got him on the lower deck I called him a few pet The Single Taxer says all material wealth, such names. He ground his teeth and said, “You’re not as improvements, buildings, furnishings, merchan- going to talk to me like that!” I replied, “I zvUl dise, products of all kinds manufactured or grown, talk to you like that, and Oakland is as far as you’re personal belongings, such as clothing, jewelry, going with me!” He wilted, sobered somewhat, money, stocks and bonds, all transportation facilities, begged hard and promised not to drink again as including railroads steamships, all and privately- long as we were out. I let him stay on, but warned owned public utilities, such as electric lighting, gas, him that if I caught him drinking I would drop him, telephone, telegraph, water, heat and power plants no matter where we happened to be. We boarded in fact, — everything of value that actually produces the train at the Oakland Pier and were off. I had earnings and income, must pay no tax. a party ticket for fourteen and, as each member was Yet it is these very things and activities that need requested by the conductor for his fare he would

19 —

The Director

!” proudly answer “Company All went well until tomers contributing but $47. I banked the first two Joe answered “Company The conductor ex- nights’ receipts to make sure we would be able to claimed “WHAT?” I said ‘Company ” from Joe, move out of town somewhere if we had to. In fact, who was still nursing a hatred for the world in gen- I already began to fear my dream of wealth and eral and me in particular. The conductor remarked fame might be due for a shattering, and felt sure of that “it must be some fine aggregation.” Joe re- it when Wednesday evening’s performance only net- sented the inference, but I hurriedly qualified for ted $10. I was about whipped and awaited Thurs- him, made what excuses I could and restored peace. day evening with a sinking feeling. It was Mow- The conductor gave him a check anci passed on. I rey’s duty—he attended to the advance sale—to was disgusted; Joe did look rotten. He growled, bring the tickets and cash from the Drug Store, and and put the check in his pocket. I had advanced him my state of mind can be imagined when he arrived over $30, but none of it had gone on his back. He that evening and carelessly informed me that not a looked like a tramp. I suddenly remembered a lit- ticket had been sold! tle English-flannel suit I haci in grip that brown my Here was our finish. However, I proceeded to cost at a sale at me $5 Smith’s Cash Store on Mar- open the box office and, upon asking Mowrey for ket Street near the Ferry. It was a little small for the tickets, that bright party said easily enough, “Oh, me, but I thought it might fit Joe, who, though about I didn’t put any tickets on sale today. What’s the my W’eight, was a couple of inches shorter. I So use? No one will come to the show tonight!” I the gave Joe suit and made him retire to the men’s was dumfounded. It was hard to realize how any dressing a rather room— small one—and change man could be such a quitter; and right there I took clothes. When he had done so, the change was so upon myself the further duty of marking the re- great that later when the conductor saw him he served seats and placing them on sale. His prophecy again demanded a ticket. I don’t know whether he was not true, for customers began to arrive and in- in earnest, was kidding or but Joe was furious and quire if there was going to be a show or not. Hav- ready to battle again. I quickly explained the ing tried to buy tickets at the Drug Store and being change of clothes to the conductor and told Joe to informed that no seats were on sale, they thought show him the old ones, but he had thrown them the show had “busted,” but seemed pleased that we out of the window. The conductor then demanded were still in business. his check. Joe sullenly stated that he had left it We played to $18 that night, and I was grateful in a pocket of the old suit. The conductor finallv for even that small increase over the night before. gave him another check, and, with harmony again Friday evening jumped to $27, and Saturday eve- restored, we w'ere fairly on our w^ay to Phoenix. ning to $32. We gave no matinees, as the “theatre” The bank roll was something under $35 by this was without sides and we had no way of excluding time, as the company had drawn rather heavily, par- the daylight. Sunday was also “dark.” I had ticularly my advance man, Eddie Mowrey, who had enough money now to pay our hotel bill and $160 gone on a week ahead. I had bought him shoes, over, which went in the bank before the actors could shirt, suit and hat—in all about $40 worth—and draw it. I decided the town was too small to make had given him $7 for expenses on the jump. He one play a week profitable, so for the second week was to go to a hotel in Phoenix and let his bill ride we gave them two “The Lost Paradise,” which until we opened. I don’t think any of us indulged cost me $10 per night royalty, and a new one writ- in the extravagant luxury of a sleeper, and as a re- ten by Charles Cavanaugh of San Francisco, called sult we reached Phoenix a little tired and disheveled. “The Story of Inez.” Everybody went to the Mills Hotel, where our agent The second week’s receipts amounted to $260, but had secured an attractive rate of $5.50 a week for I had to make a payment on the railroad tickets; room and board. A very good hotel it was at that. so after the hotel bill was paid and the actors al- We were not very “well up” in our opening play, lowed to draw a little, there was nothing to go in “The Black Flag,” so we started rehearsing at once. the bank. In fact, I never succeeded in adding any- The heat was severe, but nothing to what we experi- thing to the $160 that I had banked the first week enced later. during our entire stay of six weeks. but, he waited Our opening night, June 11, came at last, and we Joe behaved very well ; he drank, as gave a pretty ragged performance, with no very until he knew I was in bed before starting, I never unusual incident except that Murdock McQuarrie caught him. There was a swimming tank within a shot one of the “convicts” in the leg with a wax hundred feet of the show house where the company wad, and at the next show, for fear he might shoot used to bathe frequently after the show. I couldn’t another, he put his hand over the muzzle of the pis- afford to spend the money, so missed the following tol and burned a nice deep hole in it. For our first incident: Joe landed at the bath-house one night performance the house was filled, but receipts dis- loaded to the guards. Johnnie Torrence, Mrs. Ju- appointing, totaling only $92. The prices were dah’s son, with the idea of sobering Joe up, pushed small—25 cents and 35 cents—and the deadheads him into the tank, clothes and all. He scrambled plentiful. The second night took a drop, the cus- Continued on Page 25

20 July, 1925

BRIDE picked it up and scrutinized the signature. It was THE NIGHT distinctive in design, but from a point of elucida- failed utterly Continued from Page 77 tion, a Greek proof-reader would have in making it out. it,” he said, which was the truth. Seeing his difficulty, the maker of the cheque pro- “What’s it worth?” ceeded to enlighten him. “Ten thousand.” “Give you seven.” “The name is Warrington—Stanley Warring- “Sold.” ton,” he said, apologizing for the illegibility of his “Mortgage ?” penmanship. “Yep.” “Young man,” said Cal in Chautauquan tones, “How much?” “It doesn’t matter how bad a signature looks, it’s “Two.” how good it reads to the teller in the bank.” “Who?” The papers were speedily drawn and signed. “Walsh.” Cocking his feet upon the window sill. Cal leaned chair. “Ha!” The buyer seemed to explode. “Give you back in his five and pay mortgage myself.” “Might I ask, Mr. Warrington,” he inquired, “Suits me,” and the deal was closed. facetiously, “what noble purpose leads you to ac- As Warrington jerked out a fat cheque book and quire this journal of polluted politics?” started to scrawl in the figures. Bill looked at his Now that the paper had changed hands. Cal didn’t dad and mopped his forehead. Cal, the old repro- care how he maligned it. bate, continued to draw on his pipe and sighed, as Stanley’s eyes snapped. if loth to part with his treasure. It was consum- “This fellow Walsh—he’s been a big toad in this mate artistry. Oh, boy—in reality— it was a re- pond long enough. I’ve found out a lot about him prieve from journalistic death. and I’m going to burn some sulphur and fumigate The writer tossed the cheque on the desk. Cal him.”

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21 The Director

Cal’s feet hit the floor with a reverberating bang. “So I’ve observed,” said Stanley. Bill managed to lean against the wall to save himself He proceeded to give them a graphic description from falling for pure joy. It was too good to be of the encounter over the dog. true. This young editorial aspirant was going after “That was Cynthia Stockton with him,” vouch- scalp. evidently Addison Walsh’s Hooray! He safed Bill. “Say! isn’t she a humdinger?” had the sinews of war in abundance, which spelled “Stockton factories?” asked young Warrington. victory at the beginning. Bill nodded. Cal’s big paw shot out and gripped the hand of the young Ulysses vigorously. “She’s sort of engaged to him,” he explained. “Sic semper tyrannis,’’ he exclaimed, in sentorian “Rotten shame—the old geezer is dying on his feet, tones. but her father owes him a lot of money. Guess it’s popull suprema lex esto,’’ quoted Stanley a case of ‘hand over the gal, by heck, or I’ll fore- “Salus ” right back at him. close the mortgage.’ “And in the words of the Gaelic poets,’’ inter- When it came time to quit for the day—Stanley jected a Bill, not to be outdone by all this college had gone long before—Cal and Bill repaired to the stuff, “I hope you knock him for a loop.’’ drug store to celebrate the occasion. At the soda Which made of it a triumvirate unanimous. fountain as they clinked their glasses—one might It was arranged that Cal and Bill remain in think they were drinking a toast in priceless flagons charge on salary. The newcomer would merely dip of wine. his pen in vitriol and supply editorials, proclaiming “Here’s to Stanley Warrington,” said Cal, hold- to the world at large that the Eagle was loosed at ing his glass aloft. “May the magic of his signa- last. And the flap of its pinions would be heard ture guide the destinies of the world.” from the rock-bound coast of Maine to the sun-kissed “And here’s to Cynthia Stockton,” spoke up Bill, shores of Florida. suiting his actions to the words. “I hope Addison It the A stock phrase perhaps, but covered ground. Walsh chokes on a fish bone before he marries her.” The paying of the mortgage in Walsh’s private The two drank copiously. office In the bank took just five minutes. No words As they leaned over the mottled marble of past encounters or friendly discussion of future bar and demanded “two more,” It was plain to be seen they policies. A paper was signed and a cheque given. were already under the influence of the deadly Ice After Stanley had left the office Walsh sat in a cream soda. troubled state of abstracted musing. He felt as if The Warringtons of Baltimore were prominently he had just lost one of his arms. recorded in the Blue Book, a copy of which reposed Calling his secretary, he said, gruffly, “Get me all in the Stockton library. the Information you can about this new depositor,” But to the village of Sterling, a thousand miles handed him the cheque and turned to other matters. away, it meant no more than the Brownes of Chi- In four minutes the dynamic young Mr. War- cago, or the Smythes of Kansas City. rington was back in his office. Cal ceremoniously Jt was the sale of the Ogre’s castle and the ac- offered him the editorial chair, which he accepted quisition of the Daily Eagle that brought the focus with a bashful grin. of attention to this latest of taxpayers. Invita- “Pardner,” said the erstwhile editor, reverting to tions to social affairs and cards to the country the lingo of the west. “We have within the con- club were declined with thanks. Every artifice and wile fines of our safe enough material to keep your was used to smoke the young Ogre from his lair. searchlight on our worthy banker for a year to come. But to no avail. But I don’t mind telling you—you had best go armed, for he pulls a mean gun when riled.” Continued on Page 34-

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23 The Director

ABOUT COSTUMES roof, where parking space is provided during the time your costume is being fitted. NE of the important adjuncts to motion pictures It was interesting to note how our good friend. is that of the costume. Some of the studios in Burns, eulogized the qualities of his Oriental Rug Hollywood have gone to the trouble and expense of collecting a vast array of costumes of different pe- Department, which is the largest west of Chicago, riods. This is particularly true of the Wardrobe and most amazing was his comment on the fact that Departments of Universal and Famous Players. his firm had costumed more than ninety-five per cent Volumes could be written on the inadvisability of of all costume pictures made in Hollywood during following their examples, because of not only the ex- the past ten years. This, of course, was a tremen- pense entailed, but because of the up-keep and care dous task and had to be performed with the greatest required after such purchases have been made. degree of authenticity, which led to the formation of We have long wanted to comment on this phase of the business editorially, for several reasons, but a Research Library, in order that Burns and his for some unaccountable reason we have not been associates might not go wrong in any detail. This

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July, 1925 THE BARNSTORMER Continued from Page 20 To the Members of the Motion out at once and chased Johnnie down the road, but Picture Directors Association tripped, fell, and went to sleep in six inches of fine Arizona dust. I saw him next morning before he ANY of you are familiar with the had a chance to clean up. He was sober, but a sight. course of training which this insti- The brown suit had shrunk until the bottoms of his tution offers in the technique of trousers were higher than his socks; his sleeves were screen-story writing. To those of you who shortened almost to his elbows, and his shirt was are not, we should like to place in your pos- showing below his vest, with mud caked all over him. session, free of all charge or obligation on He was looking for Torrence. Poor Johnnie may your part, our Library of Textbooks on the have meant well, but Joe never forgave him. Tor- technique of the photoplay. rence was a great walker, and although the cars These books form the foundation of the were free to us all, he would nearly always walk to Institute’s one-year course in photoplay au- and from the park. thorship, and compose the following vol-

During the fourth week the heat became unbear- umes : able, the thermometer showing 118 degrees for Fundamentals of Creative Writing three days straight. Even then Johnny walked and By William David Ball won for himself a nice little sunstroke. He died A clear, simple exposition of the fundamentals underlying creative writing, with a concise explanation of their after suffering terribly for several hours. Phoe- The application and use in the creation and construction of nix undertakers are all for business. One, more en- modern fiction. terprising than the rest, called on me long before Technique of the Photoplay Torrence’s death and offered attractive inducements, (Sixth Revised Edition) but of course I refused to bargain for a funeral until By Frederick Paltrier This book not only traces the technique of the photoplay the man in question was dead. hack to the first motion picture ever made, but it traces The women of the company were very kind and the influence of the literature of all ages upon the photo- did all in their power for Johnnie before he died, play, leading up to the latest and best methods of screen- play-writing in vogue today. and after his death they sold tickets for the benefit Reference Scenarios we gave to help bury him. The gamblers were This volume includes the detailed synopses and direc- especially generous and bought tickets in bunches. tors’ working continuities of successful representative I had several good friends on the newspapers, but photoplays, with comprehensive analyses of each. Five produced photoplays, each of a different type, are analyzed nearly lost best one our electrician charged my when for every detail of construction. the top wire on the theatre fence to keep the free Representative Photoplays list out at the benefit. This was done without my Compiled by Scott O’Dell This volume contains the synopses of one hundred and knowledge. Some boys who knew about it dared four photoplays, representing the best productions of the the newspaper man’s son to take hold of the wire, last several years and giving examples of virtually every and without hesitating the boy tried to reach the kind of story that has been presented on the screen. Each story has been carefully analyzed. wire, but, being a little fellow, placed one hand on Author’s Photoplay Manual the water pipe to help him reach, and succeeded. By Frederick Palmer His hand was frightfully burned—so bajly, in fact, In this volume appear the thirty-six dramatic situations as they apply to the photoplay, with their various subdi- that the doctor at first said he would lose the use visions; a studio dictionary covering the terms used in of it. The first I knew of it was when his mother the nomenclature of the studios, as well as chapters on called me on the phone and announced her intention sources of story material, copyright, censorship, etc., etc. of prosecuting me. I hurried to the father and suc- The Institute’s books are uniform in size and ceeded in making a satisfactory explanation, so there handsomely bound. They will make a creditable addition to your studio or private library. was no prosecution. I am glad to be able to say It will afford us a distinct pleasure to send these that the boy did not lose the use of his hand. books to the address indicated in the coupon below. About this time Mowrey came to me asking if I would object to his teaching swimming twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. I consented, Palmer Institute of Authorship, but didn’t care much for the idea. When I went by 6362 Hollywood Boulevard, the bath-house a little later a big sign was in evidence Hollywood, Calif. reading, “Professor Mowrey Will Teach Swim- Please send me, free of charge and without obligation on my part, your Library of ming Here Mon., Wed. and Fri. Evenings and Textbooks on the Technique of the Photoplay. Deliver the books to the following Tues, and Sat. Afternoons.” This was too address much! Mowrey was even then in the water. I Member called him to the edge of the tank and told him he could teach every night and every day, as far as I Address was concerned, for he was through ! He didn’t seem Address Continued on Page 31

25 The Di rector

frogs, but really haven’t so many members as the noise IMPRESSIONS OF REX the indicates. . . . The most successful censorship of

Continued from Page 18 movies is that brought to bear on the box office, and that individual bright day we happened upon Rex and Lady rub- is a matter not of lay but of the reform of the taste and moral standing. Mothers ’who furnish movie bing noses and flicking each other with short sharp money can do a great deal tu’ward it, and all movie fans jerks. Then in a casual sort of way she would place can finish the job. her head over his neck and whinny ever so quietly. It is easy to conclude from the excerpts printed response to this was a quick getaway with Lady His above that the attitude of the country at large has close at his heels. There followed more of this love- changed considerably in its comment on motion pic- making in horse-language, until Lady was over- be wholesome appreciation whelmed by Rex’s ardent attentions. And from that tures. There seems to a time on he cared for her just as any lover cares for of what many producers are trying to give their his sweetheart. Of course, all of this made it very patrons in the way of screen entertainment, and there much easier for us to accomplish some of the almost certainly seems to be a very genuine spirit of help- unthinkable scenes we have been so successful in plac- ful co-operation on the part of the general public. ing on the screen. When Lady took a hand in the This is cause for joy! handling of Rex, generally we had little use for carrots. Now that Rex and his sweetheart have terminated From Mary Pickford to Allosaurus their last starring engagement, it may be interesting Continued from Page 8 to note ( we call this to the attention of all the Censor Boards in the United States, and more especially to ago, the audience was “animal wise.” There had the attention the Hon. JVilt H. Hays), that scan- of been no abrupt transition; we had preserved an “ani- dal was rife while we were in the Northern Colorado mal unity” and that is what holds the picture to- woods. The proof of this is that within the next gether. few weeks Lady will have a little baby. And its It to believe, after seeing the picture, father is known all over the world as a moving pic- is hard that ture actor, who hailed from Texas to come to Hollv- the prehistoric animals occupy only a little over two wood, and take his chance in strutting his stuff. His reels of the 7000 feet in the film. After all, people in people. name is Rex. are primarily interested Audiences, as a rule, want to see the working out of a love story between a man and a girl. We kept these facts in IN THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR mind and secured a superlative cast, even in this picture which we knew w'ould be sure to interest audi- Continued from Page 5 ences because of its novelty and the authenticity re- Verbal chastisement delivered by the paternal sulting from over seven years of continuous research, Texarkana Texarkanian (Ark.): work and nine months of actual filming. The suc- is the The invention of the moving picture is one of the cess of the picture due to keeping of these greatest boons to humanity of the age. It can he made facts in mind. It is not in a boastful spirit, nor one of the most potent factors for good. Will the decent with the idea of claiming the entire credit—because and intelligent public aid it in becoming so? The Texar- readers of The Director know the folly of such kanian ’would be glad to see some signs this in Texar- of claim—but rather because it demonstrates the value kana. of holding fast to these theories that I can reveal Philosophical conclusions of the editor of the eru- the exhibition value which has been placed upon “The' Lost World.’’ It amounts to five million dol- dite Fond Du Lac Commercial (Wis.) : lars—the greatest gross ever laid out for any film JVe are getting good pictures, lots and lots of them, in the entire history of motion pictures! pictures that everyone can see nvithout cringing and veithout shame. If occasionally ’we get one of a different Times Change type there is no use in criticizing the producers or the managers. A baker does not refuse to sell cake because It is a far cry from the exhibition value of “The

bread is better for his customers. The picture producers New York Hat’’ to “The Lost World,” but the

are merchants ; they ’will stock up on ’whatever goods changes in technique, mechanical progress and all their trade demands. the rest of the wonderful improvements which have occurred in these sixteen years, are all relatively Profound comments anent censorship from the unimportant. learned Fairfield Ledger-Journal (la.) : Today, as in 1909, pictures have one purpose: to In a ’way a good deal of dishonest pretension to author- tell the story entertainingly. The fulfilling of this ity and public opinion is assumed by these organizations function has always had certain fundamental laws, ’which take on a high sounding name, strike an attitude of whether it was in the days of the classical drama„ virtue, and call loudly for the support of the people. They make loud noises that sound like a S’wamp full of bull- Continued on Page 30 26 July, 1925

LION COUNTRY posely remained “upwind,” the mule must run into THE the very jaws of its mate. Continued from Page 13 Above the trees the full moon rose into a sky in Having gorged on a fresh kill, the lion never re- which the stars of the Southern Cross and its sister drought, or were at turns to it except in the case of extreme constellations gleamed like diamonds. We case he knows thousand fire, as mentioned before. And in any an altitude of someting more than four find anything but of Arizona that it is unlikely that he should feet, and in an atmosphere very like that bare bones left by hyenas and jackals that always and New Mexico. Winter was approaching (it was abandoned follow in his wake and subsist on his the end of May), and the night was very cold. to attack “kill.” If a man-killer had been driven Johan called to one of the boys to bring the one our camp, his first choice would have fallen upon “shamhok” (a whip consisting of a slight bamboo of of our mules; the second would have been one pole about twenty feet long, to the end of which is the black boys; and last of all, our own white flesh! attached a thin strip of rhinoceros hide from thirty Mule Instinct to forty feet in length). experienced The mules instinctively knew this, and had there Incidentally I may mention that an or ox-teams becomes so proficient in been a pair of hungry lions in the neighborhood they driver of mule that he can flick a fly from even would have been the first to get the scent and apprise the use of this whip one of the leaders’ backs, fifty feet ahead. us of the lions’ proximity by shoving distended nos- other Holding the shambok in his hand, Johan admin- trils high into the air and then kicking at each the boys a harangue regarding what would with low, nervous whinnies and eyes wide open with istered to happen to them if they failed to waken to replenish terror. There would not have been the slightest noise the fires at every crack of his whip. The boys laughed at his similies, their white eyes and teeth from the lions, but once having located the mules, gleaming like polished ivory in the flickering fire- one lion would have stayed “upwind as he was, while the other would make a detour in order to light. explained to that he told the boys that get “downwind” from the mules, m which direction He me had “he wanted them to run so fast in replenishing the he instinctively knew the mules would run, if in their fires that the back part of their mutchis (a fur fright they broke their halters and bolted.^ Thus breech-clout that hangs in two pieces from their in trying to avoid the scent of the lion which pur-

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27 The Director

loins) would stand out so straight behind them The Iguana when they ran, that a bird could perch on it.” These side trips were a delight to Susie, the Aire- Fresh wood was piled on all the fires. Our woolen dale, and she would run from one to the other of us night helmets were adjusted and we lay down to and then off into the bush and down the steep sides rest. Johan slept almost immediately, and I lay of the twenty-foot river-bank. She had not been thinking I leave it to you, brother or sister tender- — trained to the hunt, and we regretted not having left foot, to judge the train of my thoughts. her in camp, as her short, sharp barks scared away The low musical clicks and clucks of the boys’ any buck that might be in our vicinity. conversation gradually lessened and finally died out, She was walking by my side, about two hundred and one by one they dropped off to sleep. yards behind Johan and his boy, when we suddenly There are no night birds at this time of year in came upon a sleeping Iguana (a very large but harm- Rhodesia, and except for Johan’s low regular breathless member of the lizard family). This reptile is ing, there was no sound other than the crunch, crunch much the shape of a crocodile and was about ten of the mules’ teeth as they munched their oats. Ly- feet long, though he seemed to me nearer thirty, ing on my back, the Southern Cross seemed so near coming as I did unexpectedly upon him. that I could almost pluck it from the sky. At last fatigue overcame me and placing my hand at the Suddenly awakened by our footsteps in the grass, spotted stock of my rifle, I dropped off to sleep. we must have each other at about the same time. Susie made for him and received for her All in a Dream trouble a swish of his tail that sent her spinning, hours later, during which time I must About two while the Iguana scurried off through the grass, down been at- have—in a dream or two—killed or had over the almost perpendicular river-bank, through lions, I brought to tacked by at least a dozen was reeds and willows and into one of the larger water- position by a a startled wakefulness and sitting-up holes, Susie after him. sharp crack of the shambok. This long, narrow water hole was perhaps a hun- All five boys were on their feet Instantly, and with- dred and fifty by forty feet In area and the Iguana out a word they proceeded to lay fresh logs on the leaped in it with a dull plop, quickly hiding itself three fires. under the water. Johan had turned and had seen Johan reassured me by quietly remarking, “It’s what was taking place, and thereupon gave a shout all right, old chap, get to sleep, we must ‘inspan to the boys to keep the dog out of the water as it (break camp) at daybreak. We have a long, hard doubtless contained crocodiles. trek before we reach the next water-hole.” had a fearsome few moments for Twice more during the night the crack of the We Susie, but finally succeeded in getting her out of the water and whip awakened me, and somnolently, I knew that the back up the bank. boys were again fixing the fires, but they did not (ttsturb me. And when I finally awakened, a beau- The sudden fright that I had received knocked tiful rose-tinted dawn was breaking. The cook-boy all desire for hunting out of me for that day, so we was gently shaking my shoulder with two of the returned to camp. few words of English he knew: a tin cup of freshly That there was considerable big game around in made coffee in his hand, and “Coffee, Bass?” the shape of water-buck, sable, etc., was evidenced The second and third days of the trek were much by the fact that their fresh spoor (tracks) could be like the first. We did a little shooting for the pot, seen along the river-bed. bagging quail and a few sage hens, but did not stop By the time we had returned to camp I was sur- long enough to try to stalk a Buck, as our purpose prised to note that our triangular placed wood-piles was not to hunt, but to arrive at the site of Major were closer together than on former nights, and that Wilson’s last stand across the ShanganI River. a scharem was in the course of construction by the the On the fourth night, however, we camped on boys. (A scharem is a circular pile of freshly-cut banks of the Booby River-bed. Our water for that branches from the wacht en heege—“wait a minute outspan being brought by the boys from one of the hush”—a large, hearty growth having thorns shaped fairly numerous waterholes which comprised all that like a boat hook.) These branches were piled about there was of the river at this season of the year. seven feet high and represented a very considerable It was the best water we had had since leaving bit of hatchet work on the part of the boys. Bulawayo, and from its clearness and temperature An opening was left with sufficient cut branches seen that the continued to it was easily Booby flow to fill in the opening when all hands had got inside underground during the dry season. the circle. As we had arrived fairly early in the afternoon, Suspense Johan opined that we might be able to put up a Added buck or two, so off we started, each carrying his As dark began to settle Johan gave instructions rifle and followed by a boy with a shotgun for use to the boys to unpack one of the boxes that had not if “game” birds should come our way. yet been opened. He had said nothing to me of

28 The Director the purpose of the scharem, but I had learned that the information would be forthcoming over our pipes just before bedtime; so I withheld from asking. ORDER BY PHONE The box contained half a dozen stoutly built lan- ([HEmpstead 5301I terns with sockets for candles arranged inside ad- That special dish you have been craving these justable globes. The candles were placed in but haven’t known just where to get, and lighted when it became dark. The lanterns were and you will find it waiting for you at then hung at intervals between the three fires, and on branches that were inside the scharem. ^HE SUTiSET cleared away the supper When the boys had 6751 Sunset Boulevard at McCadden PI. dishes and we had settled down to a smoke, Johan remarked, “I don’t want to make you nervous, Har- Breakfasts Luncheons Dinners old, but wherever water-buck are plentful there are Sunday Morning Breakfasts until ii a. m. lions. I saw the spoor of a couple in the river-bed.” Then he explained the purpose of the scharem, and I easily deduced the fact that as three fires were considered necessary as a deterrent on former nights, Under New Management the six extra candle lights would add to our security on this occasion. This was the most uncomfortable night I spent on the journey. The episode of the Iguana that afternoon was so unexpected and such an unusual event in the life of a city bred man, that it had left my 6685 Hollywood Boulevard nerves on edge and I confess that my expectation Phone GRanite 4884 of getting but little sleep that night was fully realized. I got none at all! Professional Rates to Professional People Our head driver was skilled in the use of firearms. Transient and Permanent Patronage Solicited Until tonight the five boys had been sleeping by the one fire, probably for conversational purposes, but tonight the head driver, armed with a rifle, and ac- companied by one of the other boys, made their beds by the third fire, thus providing men for each of G O E R Z the three fires. The other boys were armed with their assegais and knobkerries (spears and wooden NEGATIVE RAW STOCK clubs). Johan had not spoken a word to them Is the Ra^e at the North Pole about the proximity of lions, but those black boys Both Arctic Expeditions —Ronald Amundsen knew their Rhodesia and they knew lions. and Donald B. MacMillan—Are Carrying After dinner the conversation at all three firesides It Exclusively. was subdued and monosyllabic. The mules in their Sole Distributors usual place, heads pointed outwards from the cen- Fish-Schurman Corporation ter of the triangle, were securely haltered to the 45 West 45th St. 6331 Santa Monica Blvd. canvas feed trench, but were not feeding with their NEW YORK, N. Y. LOS ANGELES, CAL. customary relish. Their nervousness, however, did Telephone GRanite 5451 not reach a high pitch until about midnight. Johan, realizing that I was not able to sleep, courteously remained awake and we quietly regaled each other with stories of our various peregrinations in various parts of the world, he, too, having been somewhat REDUCE of a traveler. He was in the midst of telling me of our late YOUR WEIGHT President Roosevelt’s preparations for his African the hunt, and how he, Johan, who happened to be pass- By Sanitas Bergonie Method. ing through Washington at that time, was called in You rest while your weight disappears. by “Teddy” and asked to look over his firearms and MRS S. A. KRUMBHOLZ, R. make any suggestions that might be useful, when one N- VAndike 9842 of the mules gave vent to a terrified scream and kicked viciously at his neighbor, who in turn squealed 807 Brack Shops, Los Angeles nervously. Established 9 years Every man of us got to his feet quickly, guns and

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The Director

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assegais ready. sible for the fastest lion to have overtaken one. Suddenly out of the black density of the bush That lion had made its kill several hours ago and came a mighty roar, the vibrations of which I was gorged himself as a fat man does at Thanksgiving sure that I felt in the earth beneath my feet. The Time. Those roars were equivalent to the fat man’s boys rushed quickly to the mules and tried to quiet stretch and deep satisfied yawn before stretching out them, when another tremendous roar sounded on for forty winks, after perhaps a too hearty meal.’’ the still air. It seemed to me to come from a source This explanation was very edifying and “all very not more than twenty feet outside the scharem, and fine and large,’’ but as for sleep for the remainder I am not ashamed to state that if hairs ever stand of that night, I ask you, brother, what would you on end, mine did at that moment, each individual have done? one of them! I couldn’t have hit a charging lion if he had been as big as three elephants. From Mary Pickford to All of the above happened within twenty seconds, Allosaurus and, realizing that the mules were so terror-stricken Continued from Page 18 that they would probably stampede, Johan only took the wandering minstrel, the Shakespearean theatre

a second to say to me; “It’s all right, Harold; there or the cinema. The dramatic unities must be ob-

will be no attack tonight. That lion’s belly is full. served and every effect must have its preceding cause. easy.’’ the Rest And then he hurried to kicking My own dramatic bible declares that a story con- and squealing mules to assist the boys in controlling sists of characters, action and plot setting, style them. — and spirit. It is a logical chain you start with your Perhaps ten minutes had passed before we heard — people, they do something and immediately a plot is another roar. This time it was from the opposite side of the camp and plainly further away, but un- born. The plot exists within a setting, the manner mistakably from the throat of the same lion. We of telling the story is its style, and a certain spirit

had replenished all of the fires, and the mules grad- must pervade the narration if it is at all distinctive, ually at quieted the reassuring clucks of the boys and it must be distinctive to be interesting. Until and Johan’s soothing voice and petting. recently, we have concentrated on the first trio; we At the end of another half hour Leo’s roars are just now starting, it seems to me, to put thought ceased and we again settled down to our firesides, as well as money into our settings, and we have be- Johan and I taking a long pull from our flasks. I gun to. develop a few stylists among our directors mention that mine was an especially long pull. He even though, as yet, they may be numbered on the then gave each of the boys a peg of “dop” (a cheap fingers of one hand. South African brandy that is always carried for the There is no doubt that we have accomplished use of natives in case of emergency, but which it more within twenty years than any other art has is against the law to give them under ordinary cir- done in a comparative period many times that num- cumstances) . ber, and it will not be long now before all our pic- When we had settled down Johan said: “A wild tures will embody all of these essentials for the best lion never roars when he is hungry and stalking his dramatic narration. And then, just as surely as we food. It must be apparent to you at once that every have progressed from infancy to adolescence, the buck for a mile around leaped off into the bush at motion picture will take its place among the adult that first roar, and that it would have been impos- arts.

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hold a night session. Mr. Marsh told me of a pot THE BARNSTORMER of money to be made in Mexico at a mining town Continued from Page 25 called La Colorado. I was enthused over that and immediately got in touch with the Mexican man- to care and went back to his swimming. I hired a ager, M. Quiros, who enthusiastically agreed to my new actor, who had been working in the mines, terms—75 per cent of the gross, and volunteered to named Jean De Lacey, to take John Torrence’s get out all the advertising, assuring me that no ad- place. Later he joined T. Daniel Frawley. vance man was necessary. “He would see that every Business did not improve and the company began one knew we were coming. Send on plenty of pa- to wonder if they were ever going to get back home. per. Business will be enormous.” They didn’t know that I had $160. One of the Thank God ! We were going to get hold of some boys told me on the quiet that Dan Crouse touched money at last. It was mighty scarce with me just his folks for $50 and was going to “jump the show,’’ then. As Quiros would attend to the advertising in and wanted to know what I was going to do about it. Mexico, I prepared to send Mowrey to Bisbee, where Knowing that he would tell the others, I informed we were to play after Mexico. I gave him two bun- him that when Crouse jumped I would take the next dles of paper, his railroad ticket, and $5 for inci- train myself; that I was ready and anxious to stay dentals. As usual, he was to let his hotel bill run with them as long as they held together, but as soon until we reached town. As $5 was a lot of money as one went, my wife and I would be the next to go. right then, I admonished him to be careful. As he Crouse stayed on. I heard later that one of the boys had a sixth working interest in the show, I thought told him that he heard me say that I’d “beat him I had a right to expect him to nurse our little money up” if he to try dared to jump. the same as I was doing. He took charge of the Business got worse. We never reached the sec- bundles of paper and assure me of great results. ond week’s of mark $260, and “getting up” in two With that I left him and returned to my room. It shows a week, rehearsals every day, with the ther- was a hot night and my wife asked me to get her a mometer showing steadily around 118 degrees, was lemonade, so I went to the saloon directly across enough to discourage anyone. The shows really the street from where we lived. On opening the were poor. I think the people that did attend came door, I stumbled across the bundles of advertising out of friendliness. Someone advised me that I paper I had just given Mowrey, lying on the floor, would make some money in Nogales. I thought it and Mowrey not in evidence. Naturally I was an- over. I had money enough to jump to Nogales, but gry. I bought the lemonade, and as I was going up- not enough to carry us to San Francisco, or even stairs met Mowrey coming down with two of the Los Angeles, so I decided to follow the tip and, after girls of the company. I spoke to him about the six weeks in Phoenix, the jumped show to Nogales. paper and he promised to remove it from the saloon The good people of that town refused to become at once. I was in a bad humor and I thought he excited. I guess it was too warm. Anyway, the was going to spend the big five I had just given him. first night’s receipts were only $60, of which 75 per When I took the glass back I noticed the paper had cent was mine, but I didn’t even receive the $45, be- not been removed, but simply placed against the cause Mowrey, whom I had persuaded to rejoin me wall. As I came out one of my actors, who was as advance man, had drawn $20; so I only had $25 somewhat partial to one of the girls with Mowrey, coming to me. Tuesday and Wednesday were about stopped me to say that Mowrey was in a saloon the same. lost We Thursday, as the Circuit Judge across the street with the girls. I doubted this, but who was using the theatre as a court decided to Continued on Page 33 DELITY MOTORS lESSEr 5850 HOLLYWOOD BLVD. MOTORS Hollywood 0750 DCTROIT

31 The Director AUTO LOANS

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THUNDERING SILENCE that kind. There had been moments in his life when he hated money. But, as he now reflected, he rea- Continued from Page 14 lized those were usually the times when he needed it most. True, he had saved a considerable portion seemingly Impossible things. No wonder most of of the money he had made during the past two the books he had read were uninteresting and trashy. years. He would have been a fool not to have done But, who killed John Morgan? . . . and why? so. But, it was only a few thousand dollars, or just Morgan had admitted that he had found the woman enough to prevent extreme suffering in the future. he loved, during the two years of his wanderings.

It was not in any bank. He hated banks . . . Perhaps she was married. If so, it was v^ery logical always had hated them. If a man wants to save, and to conclude that her husband had learned of the is really and truly serious in his desire to do so, he affair and had trailed Morgan to his home with the can do it without any outside encouragement. Most avowed intention of killing him. Again, it might men were like children : they have to be promised a have been someone who had cherished a hatred stick of candy In order to insure the desired results. against the clubman for a long time : someone who True, but it’s a pity it is true. believed he had been cheated in a business deal, and No, robbery could not have been the motive for It had preyed on his mind so long that eventually, the murder of John Morgan. However, he sud- in a fit of terrible anger, he had come to the house denly realized that the newspaper accounts of the to collect his vengeance. If this was true. It must no mention of the have been some time previous to the past two years, tragedy made $150,000. Where police keeping the find- for never once during the two years that he had was that money? Were the ing of this a secret purposely? If so, played his strange role had he committed one act money why? Inclined believe that the police never which would have an unpleasant effect upon the repu- He was more to the Perhaps It had been stolen by one tation of the man who had loaned him his name. If found money. of the servants after he left the house. Regardless there was cause for such a thing it must have come of it was, or what had happened to it, he must from some action of Morgan’s in the past. where Again, the motive might have been robbery. But remain silent. No matter what transpired In the not be able to speak. that seemed quite remote. He recalled that nothing future, Howard Chapin would from him would create a disturbance, the in the library was touched. The box, containing the Any word feared to contemplate, so money, was on the library table when he came back result of which he almost tremendous would be its scope. It would hit her. into the room: apparently where Morgan had left And it would badly injure her. That would never it. There was no evidence of a struggle having protect her, at all costs. such times taken place during his short absence. Everything do. He must At It is always the innocent ones who suffer with the was in perfect order, and the only change in the not suffer. As far as she is con- scene was that a man who had been alive a few guilty, she must suicide. he moments before was now lying dead on the floor cerned, John Morgan committed Why which will have to be left to con- with a bad hole in his head. did it Is something For obvious reasons he had not taken the money jecture. It’s none of the public’s business if a man brief and miserable existence. He with him. In the first place, he was not particularly chooses to end his life he sees fit. fond of wealth. He was not one of those creatures has a right to do with his own as it, should be none of its concern. who are everlastingly striving to make a dollar, and And, why he did a poor attempt to solve the mystery, who, in their mad rush to obtain it, will step all over He had made to avoid meeting the police. and crush their fellow-men. No, he was not one of in a cautious way, so as

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32 July, 1925 and had been unsuccessful. If Claudia Carlstedt had The bartender, who was on the sidewalk, spoke to come here, as he supposed she would do, he might me, but I was an Indifferent listener, as I was trying have learned something of interest. But she didn’t, to make up my mind what to do. Just then Mowrey and that’s ail there is to that. To-morrow he would came out of the saloon across from us with the rival slip out of town as quietly and unnoticed as he had bartender. There was considerable loud talk, and come into it two years before, and the death of John someone was being called some pretty nasty names. Morgan would remain, Indelibly written in the his- My bartender wanted to know if Mowrey was re- tory of local affairs, as a suicide. ferring to me. There was no mistaking it. He was, for just at that moment he was telling how he had Chapin had been so engrossed in his reverie that arrived in Phoenix with 30 cents in his pocket, which he failed to notice a messenger boy who had just was worse than casting doubts on my ancestry, which entered the hotel and delivered a telegram to the he had been doing, as I gave him $7 for train ex- clerk. The clerk signed for it and then took it over penses and had allowed him to draw almost a sev- and handed it to Chapin. The latter was in the act enth of my bank roll. He had used a sleeper each of lighting a cigarette, and dropped the match to the night and had eaten his meals in the diner, while floor as he received the message and studied it with the rest of us had eaten at the stations and slept In considerable surprise. He glanced at the envelope. the day coach. It was addressed to him, and he opened It calmly and read Its contents. It was a very brief message, I think there must have been some feeling between dated a short time before, and said: these two saloons, as my bartender urged me to take Please come to the Morgan residence when you a punch at Mowrey, who was fast increasing his per- receive this. sonal abuse of me, and upon hearing myself called Mrs. John Morgan. an ultra vile name, I hurried across the street and caught Mr. Mowrey on the jaw with each hand. He studied it a moment, and frowned as he looked Instead of putting up an argument, as I expected, up thoughtfully. Then he read it again, after which he took what he got and whimpered. I was sorry he rose and left the hotel, and started down the as well as disgusted, but in the morning he was again street. A few minutes later he hailed a “Vacant” back on the job and on his way to BIsbee. taxicab. He entered it, and the car swung around and started towards the Wilshire district. {Continued in August issue)

(Continued in August issue)

THE BARNSTORMER Continued from Page 31 my informant was Insistent and finally persuaded me to go with him so that he might prove he was right. We found the saloon doors locked, but as there was fully half an inch of space between the doors, I had no trouble In looking in. Sure enough, there were the girls standing on the bar rail with Mowrey, and a bartender behind the bar serving drinks.

I rattled the door. My actor informant ran away with a fine burst of speed. The bartender came to the door and informed me that the saloon was closed for the night, but I insisted on talking to Mowrey. That gentleman came out at once and I fired him absolutely. I told him the $5 and his return ticket —Wm. Horsley to Phoenix, which he already had, was all he would get, and he was through. Then I went back to the Film Laboratories, Inc, hotel, closely followed by the two girls, who very 6060 Sunset Boulevard shortly called me to their room, which was right next to mine, and begged so hard for Mowrey that Hollywood, Cal. one of them kissed me on the cheek. My wife saw this through the keyhole and wasn’t pleased. How- Hollywood 7120 ever, I promised that I would at least talk to him. I returned to my own room and a little later went downstairs and over to the saloon across the street.

33 The D irector

THE NIGHT BRIDE a stout whack with a hammer would bring the struc- ture down in ruins, but by the light of a full moon Continued from Page 22 the effect would be a palace of marble, fit for a king.

Meanwhile, Stanley was burning the midnight oil, Here a Trojan General, whose soldiers had as the light in his window proclaimed. His edi- sacked the city, and made prisoners of its people, torials were pithy, constructive and brilliantly writ- would hold high revel. ten. He bought new type, installed new presses and Cynthia, a Greek slave pleases the Trojan’s eyes. had the office painted anew. He grants her a wish, which is the freedom of her The paper’s circulation almost doubled over night. youthful brother, who is given a horse to ride back He was a born organizer. to his army. In exchange, the beautiful slave girl Cal Dobbins watched the transformation take promises the Trojan her love. She dances for him, place and marveled. He also rejoiced. lures and cajoles him, meanwhile plying him with The friends of the young editor who once re- wine. Then she stabs him and leaps from the para- marked that he slung a mean pen, were alibied. pet with a death cry of vengeance accomplished. Walsh heard the rumbling of the tornado in the In brief, this was the plot of Bill Dobbin’s play. distance. As various pet schemes of his were ex- As for the real Cynthia, she had given Stanley posed in scathing terms, that usually suave and Warrington up as a bad job. To her he was an lordly banker gradually became a choleric, irritable atom, the smallest particle of an element which can man. exist. Each morning, as he ripped open the Daily Eagle She had seen him once or twice as she whizzed to see what that young snip had written about him, by in her car—she made it a point to whizz when his coffee would cool, his neck redden and his gorge she passed the Ogre’s castle. Their eyes had met, rise. To heap fuel on the fire, he had read a com- he had nodded and touched his cap, but that was all. prehensive report on the wealth, character and stand- Each time this had happened her heat mounted. ing of the Warrington family. She could not forget, and she would not forgive. It was a sweet document. And so matters drifted on for a time. Mrs. Stockton, all unconscious of the prize plum A table in Minerva’s suite of rooms was piled that dangled so near to her social orchard, was en- high with invitations, ready to be mailed. The names grossed in the production details of her Greek had been checked from a carefully expurgated list. tragedy. Cynthia picked up the enrollment of lucky ones A colonnade of Corinthian columns and entabla- and casually scanned it. Her eyes drifted to tures was being erected on the Stockton lawn. True, the W’s.

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HOlly 1944

34 July, 1925

The name of Warrington was conspicuously ab- guests settled themselves in their seats with bated sent. breath. “And why not?” she thought, with a frown. Silence fell, the curtains parted and the story of the play was in its unfolding. Tossing the list aside she was about to leave the room, when she stiffened a little, spurred by an idea. This being a plot unto itself, we can touch lightly upon it. Our concern being chiefly about those con- A mischievous line formed between her eyes as nected with it. they narrowed in thought. Cynthia’s glory as a slave girl, the clever rendi- Hastily addressing a loose envelope she enclosed tion of her lines, and the consummate acting in her an invitation, sealed it, and slipped it into the center thunders of applause. of one of the pyramids. That done she drew a deep death scene, brought The Thespians, from the ranks of breath relative to a sigh, and hurried out. other drawn ama- teurs, acquitted themselves nobly. In the hallway she paused, . . . what she had done was an affront to her pride. It was like turn- Walsh quivered. He fairly ached to reach out ing the other cheek for another slap. Angered at and hold her in his arms. this evidence of weakness she was inclined to go Minerva wept for pure joy. back and destroy the envelope; but the spirit of the Her husband was proud, but worried. He was pool, angler, who patiently whips a fly in the trout thinking of the avalanche of bills that would swamp urged her to let matters take their course. him. Stanley ripped open the envelope and read When As for Cal Dobbins, he proudly proclaimed his the engraved invitation, requesting the pleasure of boy Bill, the coming dramatist of the future. presence in honor of Miss Cynthia Stockton’s his Cynthia, fairly swamped with congratulations, fete, he sniffed in disdain and dropped the birthday threw a cloak over her flimsy costume and hurried missive into the waste basket. towards the house. By way of a short cut she turned Biggies, watching him suspiciously, smiled and into a graveled walk, edged on each side by a high his approval. They were running true to nodded box hedge. The moon was just passing behind a form. cloud. later, after he left the room, his lord and But had Thinking only of the joy of her success she failed master looked about him guiltily, stooped and re- to observe the figure of a man hovering in the shad- trieved the folded sheet, read it a second time, and ows until her soft body collided and rebounded from desk. carefully stuck it in the drawer of his the impact. Speaking in the vernacular it’s a tough job com- — A smothered grunt, as the man released her from batting the call of youth. his clasp, echoed her suppressed scream of surprise. elements were kind to Minerva. harvest The A Then the moon, arch conspirator, popped out moon hung low in the heavens as if placed there from behind the cloud, turning on its flood lights in especially to lend its silver rays to the mise en scene full candlepower. Cynthia looked up and recog- lady’s crowning achievement. of that nized—Stanley Warrington. An orchestra, strong in cymbals and brass, gave Bareheaded and in his knickers it was plain to melodic tone to the picture. A hundred or more be seen he was not there as a guest. The shock of

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35 The Director she gasped. “It’s you!” you.” Bowing slightly he disappeared into the back- Stanley was lost for words as his wits fled in ground of night. the sudden meeting over she found her voice. “Oh,” Turing from the graveled walk into the driveway, search of a suitable explanation for his presence he paused, as the soft music of a girl’s laughter there. He felt like a boy caught with his fingers wafted towards him. It told him in a language in the jam pot. But his wits came flying back with plainer than words, that she knew him to be a fraud. a nice, plausible excuse. Digging his hands into his pockets he trudged on,

“I beg your pardon,” he stammered, taking reso- mentally kicking himself for being such a silly ass. lution. “I—er—the fact is—I was searching for But the memory of a beautiful slave girl, held my dog.” close in his arms for a brief duration, was something That was what Bill Dobbins would have termed worth treasuring. —a pippin. END OF THIRD INSTALLMENT Up to that instant his eyes had not left hers. But a beautifully formed girl in scanty attire will draw any man’s gaze. His eyes lowered and took their PUBLICITY, a La Mode Continued from Page tS fill. In dismay she drew back, realizing that her cloak had fallen to the ground. He stopped to pick to be quoted as an intellectual.” Truth is, the man it up, his horn-rimmed glasses nearly flopping off is an intellectual first and a great actor last. And his nose. After he had draped it about her shoul- that’s my point. Put the something that ts the per- ders there fell a brief pause, each waiting for the son into your articles. other to break the silence. The motion picture people are absolutely at the

It was Stanley’s next move—and he knew it. mercy of the publicity writers. Often they are not What could be more appropriate than whistling for even consulted as to what they like or don’t like, the dog he had lost. He proceeded to do so. what they think, and what causes them to think that Cynthia’s eyes gleamed in merriment. She saw way. through it all. He had secretly come to see her, There is three times the publicity written about this handsome young woman-hater. Her heart motion pictures that there is about the legitimate bounded in exultation at this latent tribute to her stage, and still there isn’t a nth of the truth in com- charms. Her pride was redeemed. parison. People who read the magazines have long In proof positive that her conclusions were cor- ago passed out of the stage when they want fairy rect, from across the valley came the deep baying stories in such quantities. of Hector. Chained to his kennel he was evidently What the solution is I personally cannot say. saluting the moon. But it seems to me if I were a star I would assume Stanley’s whistle died on his lips. But he was the privilege of adding to or deleting from the

resourceful. stories written about me : not let a lot of hack writers “Ah,” he exclaimed as if the search were ended. punch out stuff that puts across their ideas of after “He’s evidently gone home. Sorry if I troubled dinner sweets.

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