The Washington herald., 1920-06-20
Houdird Shocks the Boobies

are now competing in this new phe-
nomenon, and the one and two reel
films for pictures will soon be scarce
on the market IL the practice
spreads.
There's nothing more evident"
said Mr.. De 'Grasse, than that the
jester, however amusing he may be.
can become a nuisance. The great
thing in clowning is to know the
point at which to quit. Our slap
stick comedian, to my idea, will
make a mistake in thinking that the
public can't get too much of him.
We can bury our critical faculties
for a compile of reels of slapstick
fun, but IL 1t Is long continued these
faculties begin to assert themselves
and ask what II is all about
Most screen comedies-I am ex-
cepting the higher sort made from
well-built plays or well-written
books-are mere episodes strung to-
gether. To hold audiences for any
length of time you must have plot.
and romance is almost essential.
Roisterous comedy Is minus this ele-
ment altogether. It's true that musi-
cal comedy is strung out with very
thin or almost no plot, but there
you have the advantage of various
interpretations like music, vaudeville
stunts, novelties. and the living per-
-sonalities of the participants"
This being an age Of enterprise
and of labor saving. Constance
Talmadge, the motion picture star,
has evolved a scheme whereby a
large part of her duties may be
made lighter.
1t was used first in the produc-
ton Of The Perfect Woman"
which will be the next feature pic
ture in which she appears, and 1t
was pronounced a great success.
The director, using the dummy
for rehearsals. thus decides upon
the lighting arrangements, the po-
sition of Miss Talmadge, the group
ing of the other players around
her and all such details, while she
merely sits in a chair, and then
calmly goes on at the proper mo-
ment.
Anything that George NJ. Cohan
does on or of the stage Is interest
ing. His plans for the coming sea-
son are doubly so.
A new American play, by Mr..
Cohan himself, wiz open in Sep
tember. The Genius and the
Crowd" comedy by John T. McIn-
tyre and Francis Hill. will follow in
October.
Mary" a new American musical
comedy. now running in Boston, will
have its New York hearing early in
the season. An early production
also will be The Cohan Revue Of
1890" Two companies in The Ac-
quittaf" will tour the country, and
The Royal Vagabond" is routed out
to the Pacific Coast. '.
Six young players of remarkable
ability are pictured in the leading
roles of Blind Youth" at Gran
dalrs Metropolitan and Knicker-
booker Theaters this week-walter
McGrail, Clara Horton, Leo White,
Ora Carewe, Buddy" Post and
Leatrice Joy. And with stellar
support.
Fred Quimby evidently didn't do
all that plotting of Harold Lloyd
from Los Angeles TO New York
without a good reason. Now the
real story has leaked out. Mr..
Quimby, for whom the spectacled
comedian has long had an affection
ate regard, signed Mr.. Lloyd on a
long-term contract oh, It was all
amicably agreed between Mr.. Brunei
and Mr.. Quimby that the transfer of
, Lloyd should be made without any
star stealing accusation or verbal
battles. By reason of the fact the
Associated Exhibitors release their
product through Pathe, Mr.. Lloyd
virtually remains q Pathe product.
But II seems that a contract
really was signed between Harold
Lloyd and Fred Quimby whereby the
comedian agrees to make pictures
under Pathe's exhibitor organiza-
tion, and on authority that no one
could dispute tits said Mr.. Lloyd will
receive 3250,000 for every negative
he turns over to Associated Exhibit
tors. Not bad for q young man.
wen say.
1t seems now that Myron and Da-
vid Selzntck were on the same train
with Owen Moore when the wreck
occurred In La Junta, Colo. They
were all speeding to New York. Al
though several persons were killed,
the Selznick boys escaped without
scratch. There was great rejoic-
ing In the Selznick Offices when this
good word came. along with the
news that Oven Moore likewise had
escaped uEinjured. 80