Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-09-28
FILM LIFE
ITS SECRET

By FRANK WOOD.

50
ing the strides pictures are taking.
it does away with an old saying in
the picture districts, Fools make
pictured for wise men to sell" The
quantity Of screen plays that have
been made and never saw light,
would make ones hair curl. |
played the heavy lead in picture
Ave years ago, entitled La Belle
Russo" one Of Belasco's plays of
the early Dos. No one thought
the picture was any. good except the
director. Where he got the idea was
a mystery to everyone. 1t was put
on the shelf and I suppose it is still
there, but after these years another
firm has filmed the story. 1t is to
be hoped the direction is better
than when / was to be starred in
the play.
Direction is so important, IS I
know lot of movie fans that know
equally as much about pictures as
some editors. and this last few
weeks we have been having some
good pictures in Omaha, and of
course it is plain to see the improve
'ment in the patronage of the
theaters.
The latest Paramount will be seen
at the Strand theater the coming
week. "The Valley Of the Giants. "
! can promise you a really good
story we'll directed. 1t is difficult to
please everyone, but / am quite sure
that the Miracle Man" pleased all
and / am thoroughly convinced that
you will hear the same remarks
about this production. Wallace
Reid is in the lead, and is at the top
of male stars on the screen. The
picture was directed by Jim Cruze.
Having been in stock with him at
the Tanhouser studio, | am very
pleased to see him come along as a
director, as he is such a hard work
ing chap, nothing is too much
trouble. He has turned out some
good pictures, but never one out as
good as this one. If you have fol-
lowed pictures for any length of
time, you viii perhaps remember Jim
Cruze. He played the lead in the
serial, "The Million Dollar Mys-
terry" His wife, Marguerite Snow,
was in it and Florence La Babe.
He has had the experience and now
has made good as a. director. / am
so pleased to see him come along.
/ often stand round the foyers of
the Omaha theaters to hear what
people say, and l gather , great deal
Of information about picture from
the people. am going to be at
the Strand on Sunday night, as I
am very anxious to know if the
patrons agree with me, that this Is
one Of the best pictures turned out
this season.
Did you ever hear of Elsie Janis?
Did you ever hear of Teddy Roose-
welt? Did you ever hear of the
American Legion? What relation
have any of these to the others? A
great deal. First. Roosevelt was the
greatest scrapper and the greatest
soldier of our times. Likewise Elsie
Janis is great little scrapper herr
self, the only differene being in that
Elsie fights for the rights and pleas
ures of soldiers. The American LIE.
gion is an organization of soldiers,
and is an embodiment of the spirit
of Roosevelt. And Elsie is a mem.
bef of the American Legion (hon-
orary Of course), but nevertheless a
member. So the connection is OBJ
vious. Elsie Janis served with the
expeditionary force from the time of
its inception until long after the ar.
mistice was signed. And while she
couldn't load shells in the big guns
nor handle tank. she yet did a.
much to lick Fritz as any male sol
der did, and more than most, for
the matter of that. Month in and
month out she Travelled over the
north of France visiting a "Y" hut
here or a Salvation Army "dugout"
at the front. In each place she
gathered a crowd of her beloved
douehboys and for their pleasure
and to their delight would give them
as much of an entertainment as cir
cumstances permitted. Singing,
dancing and smiling, this lovely little
master of minicricy and story-tell-
ing would soon clear away the
clouds Of care from the faces of
those boys in olive drab. For one
short hour or so they would forget
the hardships and torment Of the
front and their minds would be back
home. And this brief respite from
their labors aided them to carry on
with stronger will-with the DOM
nant relentlessness which shattered
the Hindenberg line. And the Sc
cret of it all is in the word morale.
Upon the morale of an army de-
ponds its victories and its defeats.
Elsie Janis was by far the greatest
individual contributor to the morale
Of the A. E. F. But the A. E. F. is
4 thing of the past and Elsie, who
no longer has the opportunity to en-
tertain her doughboys in person, has
lone the next best thing. She has
gone into the movies"
She signed soon after her return
% the United States, with Lewis ].
Selznick, and will produce . very
limited number OF productions UNI
Ter the Selznick banner. For, as
'he says, "This movie venture of
nine is sort of a get-acquainted
Meeting and is the only way in
which ! can again help my soldier
r;ends." This most regular of reg
liar girls has produced photoplay
n keeping with her past high record.
The title of the production seems
'afticular1y fitting, too, for, wonder
# wonders, it is called "a regular
yirl."
A real tribute to "reel' realism
vas given to Geraldine Farrar's
Attest picture, "The World and Its
Woman" when the dramatic critic
f the Philadelphia Bulletin inti-