Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-16
TO MAKE simple folk do sim
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I y
pie things dramatically, is the
= most difficult test Of cinema
art, according to David Wark Grit
fifth, commenting on his production,
"A Romance of Happy Valley"
which is shown at the Strand this
week.
1T is refreshing to return to good,
honest, plain American neighbors
again, says Mr. Griffith. "But, some
how, plain people never seem to be
dramatic in each others eyes. Yet
It is true that most wealthy persons
lead the most prosaic and uninter-
esting Of lives, whereas the doings
Of our good friends in denim and
calico swarm with the most amaz-
ing romances, and tragedies, and
dramas of every kind.
Personally. | am very fond of "A
Romance of Happy Valley 1t was
like holiday to me to produce it.
only hope the public will enjoy
the finished work as much as l did
the production. | have tried to make
the characters human, just such per-
sons as you and /. / hope what
they do may hold the public's inter
est. for it certainly held mine"
- Romance of Happy Valley" is
the first production Mr.. Griffith has
made in five years in which he has
confined himself to a social drama
dealing with homespun folks.
George Walsh's picture, Never
Say Quit, at the Sun, Thursday, is
a travesty on superstition and bad
luck hoodoo with a laugh in every
line for the man who believes in i'll
luck. But George is beginning 70
think he over-played the laugh
little in making the picture. The
scene in which the hoodoo pursued
him was card party when George
Walsh IS the victim Of blackmailers.
One of the men, in struggling with
him. wrests a watch from his vest
pocket. In trying to make the
scene realistic, the actor put forth
so much muscular energy that he
smashed the watch--a beautiful
Swiss movement, valued highly by
The damage was 500. George
Walsh swore he saw the JIM
laughing in his sleeve when the ac-
cident happened.
Patrons of the downtown motion
picture houses in Omaha have not
had an opportunity to witness
Henry B. Walthall in many of his
plays the last two years, although
there have been a number in which
he has appeared that have had real
merit. Many of the admirers of his
acting will welcome his coming to
the Rialto this week in "The False
: Faces" Henry B. Walthall was
born in Shelby county, Alabama, in
1873. He took up a stage career
early in life, and entered the motion
picture field in 1910 and was lead
ing man with the Biograph, Pathe,
Reliance and Balboa companies. Da-i
vid Wark Griffith selected him to
portray one of the leading roles in
"The Birth of Nation which add
ed much to his reputation as an ac-
tor of taste and discrimination,
-
The FIRST scene Of the picture based
upon the activities of the Salvation
Army in peace and war was taken
the other day in the Lasky
studios at Hollywood, Cal, while a
genuine Salvation Army band and
numerous Salvation Army workers
appeared before the camera. The
picture is being directed by Edward
Jose and the cast includes such ia
vorites as Eugene O'Brien, Gather
inc Calvert and Ruby de Remer.
Wallace Reid is to appear next
in 1.-THE Valley of the Giants" with
Grace Diamond as his leading wo-
man. Kay Laurell, the Ziegfeld
Foliies beauty. will also have part
in it.