The New York herald., 1921-06-12
SCREEN SHADOWS
Business Man Back From Abroad Says Film Makers in
Europe Are Beginning to Show Signs of Life
Sees No Danger of Flood From Germany.
by FRANK vREELAND.

ag a historical document and a celluloid
textbook he thought that II lacked story
value and dramatic power-and film
fans must have that or turn to pinochie
for excitement.
France, originally the home OF the
movies. was not making any desperate
stand in order to retain the film crown.
There were about four companies which
Mr.. Howells considered of any i'm
portance in England, but he did not re-
gard the flicker industry there as worth
more than the flicker of an eyelash.
tits rather too provincial in its out
look" he said. Ito be taken very seri-
ously. The British producers are no.
inclined to accept advances in tech
nique made In other countries, and do
not show the adaptability of the Scan
dinavian producers. for instance, in
training themselves foe the screen. Fog
and other conditions in London are not
conducive To good pictures, though Eng
land has splendid climatic and scenic
conditions a few miles outside the capi-
tai, where I should think the producers
could locate their studios without
trouble and much to their advantage"
Abroad the rate OF production is about
four pictures a year. Howells said. be-
ing slower than in America because Of
lack of specialized organization, rs
well as balkness in the sunshine. Over
there a producer may be- the author.
scenario writer, star. director. film cut
ter and even the camera man, while
here these functions ara sorted out. and
the producer Is sometimes satisfied
merely to see his name on the screen.
Publicity and exploitation are virtually
unknown terms thsre, which accounts
for the fact that many of our leading
stars don't loom as largely in the lie
n inlr
do over here.
1t has been reported that David w.
Griffith is tempting Frank Bacon t.
appear before the camera for him ard
make faces in "Lightnin'." Besides ap-
pearing together with great success at
the Hippodrome benefit of the S. RAN
kin Drew Post, Griffith and Bacon have
been observed listening to eacn other
carefully or late, which is always good
ground for suspicion.
But from information cleaned at the
Griffith headquarters it appears that
"Lightnin' isn't likely to be the chariot
OF fire in which Bacon will mount TO
screen fame. for it would cost more than
S1.000.000, and nobody in the movies is
spending that amount nowadays. not
even the press agents. Though no ar
rangements have been settled yet Il is
quite likely that Bacon and his spas
modic smile will soon stand guard at
the Griffith studio in some little fancy
of his own, adapted for the cinema trade.
Bacon has several ideas which he would
like to pour into lens. and one of them
Is liable to be u movie version of his
play Five O'clock" which took the
count on the stage here two seasons ago
and therefore Is pretty sure to be q sue
cess on the screen.
Griffith would unquestionably be the
right man to direct Bacon In a'bucolic
comedy not only because OF his record
but because the producer OF late seems
to be devoting himself to plays exploit
Ing the rural districts az zealously as
though he were a real estate agent
Bacon's work at the Mamaroneck studio.
1t is said. would not interfere with the
run Of the piece at the Gaiety TheatreV
as II anything short of cataclysm of
nature could
Winfield r. Sheehan. general repre-
sentative for William Fox, has just re-
turned from inserting "a Connecticut
Yankee In King Arthurs Court" and
The Queen Of Sheba" into Europe. He
reports that English royalty actually
seemed to enjoy watching themselves
in the Twain picture being American
lied. even with the help of tin lizzie.
Fox's production. by the way, which
Gordon Edwards Is directing in Rome.
is to be called Nero" and burns Rome
and persecutes Christians regardless of
expense. ~
Elsie Ferguson sails this week for
Europe with her husband. Thomas
Clarke. to be gone four weeks. solely for
rest. which indicates that she may not
even look at her own pictures on the
screen. When she returns from her va
cation Miss Ferguson may affiliate with
a new company-affiliate being the only
possible process for a star In getting
a Job-and return to the stage for its
own good.