The Washington herald., 1920-04-25
@0~Y MNo2
Selects Movie Types
While Choir Singing
In Virginia Church


Roger W. Fowler, of Fowler
Films. has returned to New York
City from Fentrcss. the mysterious
little village in Virginia where he
staged the truly rural farm COM
edy. 'Unscrambling EGbert." writ
| ten by Murray Leinster.
Our stay in Fentress was full of
interest" states Mr.. Fowler. ITO
begin with, we lived at the local
parsonage. Can you imagine pick
ing your extra players in church?
| That Is just what we did. for the
simple reason that during the week
all the population (ffty people) was
| scattered about their farmlands
pIoWinE for the spring crops.
But on Sunday they all came
together in the little village church
(there are no heather in Fentress).
| TO obtain the best possible view
OF the congregalion-and the stove
my staff and I Joined the volun-
teer choir. II it had not been for
Susie Smith we might have heard
the orCan). BY the end Of the
twentieth amen we had completely
catalogued our cast. l cannot
| claim that the choir was improved
,vocally or in appearance. but we
did see the types we wanted.
After service, with much per-
suasion. We convinced ur rpral
characters that shooting them
with a movie camera was a pain
less operation. At the dinner hour
on the next day we assembled our
extras and took the required
scenes. Our experiences may sound
funny. but upon my word. brother,
they are true-too true"
Recently the opinion was voiced
by Frank Borzage, the Cosmopoli-
tan director. that the big theater
managers were doing the motion
picture harm by mixing 50 much
vaudeville into their programs and
virtually suhordinating the film
features to the more noisy and
snowy interpretations. Mr.. Borzagc
writes to a friend from New York.
where he is making special produC-
tions, to say that his view is now
practically indorsed by the Capitol
iTheater there. the largest playhouse
in the world.
After several months expert
ment," writes Borzage, "the Capitol
has expelled vaudeville acts from
its scheme of exhibition, and at
heavy expense because it has nu-
merous performers under long time
contracts which will now be can
celIed. The management has be-
come convinced that its patrons don't
like the specialties and regard them
as out of harmony with the film
entertainment. The picture pro-
gram is to be varied with music OF
a high order, which is all right be-
cause music and films are demon
strably harmonious arts.
THE cinema play must stand or
lfall on it's own merits: any intru-
Hsion of other sorts of attraction.
ostensibly to bolster 1t up, Is a tao
it reflection on the pictureplay by
those who get their main support
from it. 1t is not an intentional
slur. of course, nor is 1t deserved.
The motion picture embodies a
great art that is destined to be
greater. Its progressive appeal to
the masses has no parallel in the
worlds history. and exhibitors will
be wise who govern themselves ac-
cordingly and do everything posi-
Bile to promote the development of
pictures to the utmost"
Josephine Napoleon CroweIl, who
plays a role in Ethel Clayton's
Forthcoming production. "AII in a
Night" is a descendant of a general
in the army of the first emperor of
France. The fact was disclosed at
the Hollywood studio recently as
the result of questions that fol-
lowed Miss Crowelrs realistic de-
scription of the Grand Army uni
form in those days.
Jesse l.. Lasky, first vice presi-
denti of the Famous Players-Lasky
Corporation, announces that Willie
lCollier. jr.. otherwise known as
Buster Collier, son of the famous
comedian. has been engaged for the
Lasky Stock Company, and will
shortly begin work at the West
Coast studios of the organization as
a leading juvenile,
:, Mrs. II. Cooper Cliffe. wife of the
, iwell-known stage and screen actor
last seen on Broadway in No More
Blondes" has been selected by Di-
rector Harley KnoIes for a promi-
nent part in This Man-This wonI-
an" Dorothy Dalton's latest screen
vehicle.
/ Ethel Clayton has a dual duty in
her latest picture, "All in Night"
In addition to starring, Miss Clayton
iplanned the technical preparation of
various streets and settings in
Shanghai, China. where most of
the action supposedly takes place.
n