Evening star., 1920-10-17
Photoplay Features.

A n exceptionally entertaining
~ program of film drama is
scheduled for the current
week at the leading theaters,
with but little of superior choice at
any of them. The new pictures in
clude Good References" featuring
Constance Talmadge: the Rex Beach
production, THE Northwind's Malice"
Civilian Clothes from the play that
has been seen here, and "A city
Sparrow" whose story, as told in ad
vance, does not appear particularly
promising. The exceptional feature
of last week. The Woman in His
Rouse" made its greatest hit with
the remarkable child of the picture
rather than with its much exploited
theme. There was marked Slml-
larity in the wonderful healing of the
child to the photoplay adaptation of
Judah.
\ keen-eyed, discerning and always
Patiently charitable woman, who loves
the movies, ventures the suggestion
that the manner of exploiting pictures
much as If they We're fire sales Will
have a tendency to injure the picture
trade. The public" she says. lis
already distrusting the siX-Syllable
press agent This is shown by the
vanishing of the old-time qucque that
used TO string a line from the box
office to the street corner. 1t is the
law of human nature, that "antclpa-
tiOnS are never realized. We know 1t
personally by the appointment felt
when we meet some overloaded man
or woman-dnd. 10y the time We have
paid TO see Il few shows on the
strength of adiectives that went
before in exploiting them We get a
notion that we have been 'guiled.' and
mn a.
as to what. otherwise. we would have
enjoyed as a worthwhile film She
further suggests that the public is
not Il composite lump to be nodded
into shape TO suit a producers press
agent. 1t is made of so many Indlvid-
uals and as so many of them know
good thing when they see it. the eN-
fibitor. she thinks, would find il safer
10 let them, at least in measure.
judge for themselves. You can't
keep good thing down; but. by the
same token, You can't run bad thing
UP with indiScriminatc Vernacular. no
matter how Gaudy the words may be
that are employed.
Now that the honeymoon is well
under way. Douglas Fairbanks is
starting a new picture. The Black
Fox" adapted from JoErston Nc
Culiey's maZagine story. The Curse
of Capistrano.' with the theme con-
INtt 20 I ne spanish SEttItIS III SOuti
cIn California of a century ago. For
it an accurate replica of the plaza
of the city of Los Angeles has been
constructed, which. it is said, so ap-
pcals to MIR. Fairbanks that he pro-
poses to make it a permanent insti-
tuition. Marguerite De La Motto is
to be the leading woman in this pic
ture.
Frank Lloyd, the director of the
photoplay version of The Great
Lover" Leo Ditrichstein's great play,
has been selected to direct The Water
Lily" Gouveneuer Morris first orig
inal screen story. the continuity of
which was prepared by Charles Ken
you, author of "kindlinE. The splen-
did elements which are contributing
TO the protection of The Water Lily
give promise of a really great future.
No longer Will the great mass of
freelance photo playwrightss, both
embryonic and those who have arrived,
remain an unorganized mob to re-
spond individually to the appeal of
picture producers for more and bet
ter stories. The Photo Playwrights
League OF America, with headquarters
in Los Angeles, Calf, has been form
ed as a protective and cooperative
rational association to protect its
members from the theft of the mate
rial furnished by its members to un-
scrupulous producers, to market their
wares at a standard price, to demand
proper screen and advertising credit
for members whose stories are mar
keted through the league, to keep its
members advised of new markets and
of any changes in existing ones and
to furnish information and guidance
concerning the proper form in which
to submit material.
Alice Calhoun, comely young
actress, who has been seen in many
V;tagraph pictures, has now been ele-
waited to "stardom." Her success in
the o. Henry stories is said to have
won her this distinction. Like all
greatness of the present day, she is
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