Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-14
MOVIEGRAMS FROM
SCREEN TO PATRON
THOMAS MEIGHAN. Paramount

star and his director. Tom Forman,
recently presented n projection machine
to the prison at Sing Sing.
Reels are run off twice so that twelve
men Gun simultaneously see them
through the steel barred doors OF their
cel'e. \ bed sheet, used us n screen.
is stretched at the west end of tho short
corridor. which has n row of cells on
each side. When the reels arc run off
the sheet is shifted to the east side and
the picture repeated.
Mr. Meighan recently staged nm
escape scene at Sing Sing for The
City Of Silent Men" which will have
its initial local presentation at the
Stanley Monday. He was so struck
with the drenriness Of the life of the
inmates that he asked the warden If
motion picture projection machine could
be used there. The warden said the men
might see censored pictures occasionally
and the projection machine was ordered.
A LTHOUGH Betty Compson $. plans
"A ms star producer provide for
making four big pictures year, her
first. Prisoners of Love- was not
completed until six months after she
accepted the story and began work on
it's production. prisoners Of Love is
the first Of the Betty Compson Produc-
tions to be released through Goldwyn.
1t will be shown at the Stanton next
week.
Months of study equipped Miss Comp
son with knowledge Of the production
and distribution Of motion pictures. and
after she had purchased prisoners of
Love" from Catherine Henry. she set
about organizing n production unit and
supporting cast that would assure her
entry into the realm of stardom under
favorable auspices.
She practically took over the entire
George Loanc Tucker staff-thc aides
who helped him in the making of his
Miracle Man" She then engaged
Arthur Rosson as director and an ex-
ceptional cast including Roy Stewart,
Emory johnson, Ralph Lewis. Clara
Horton. Claire Mcdowell and Kate
Toncray.
ENEW motion picture enthusiasts real
l. ize how much one little scene. last
sents in the money it cost the producer
to film. In the latest photo drama of
Clara Kimball Young, Straight From
Paris" which will be the feature at
the Arcadia and Palace Theatre next
week, is q convincing example of the
pains and expense that producers 20
TO in an effort to reproduce life with
literal faithfulness
As the title indicates, Straight
From Paris" presents Partisan life in
its splendor and gayety. Naturally, the
scenes in which the action is laid must
smack of the native soil.
To give the spectator vivid picture
of the Partisan shops and French life
the director Of Straight From Paris
had to go to Paris for his background.
1t would challenge the ability of a lay
man to estimate the expense involved in
such an effort and yet it appears that
Miss Young's company did not give the
matter u second thought
The story was laid in France, so there
was no question that the company must
move there, even for the sake of but
one picture. This explains the realism
and the French atmosphere with which
Straight From Paris abounds.
CIDNEY DE GREY, who is numbered
~ among the players supporting Doug
Victoria next week, was actually al
most "kicked' into pictures by Charley
Murray, the comedian
It happened in 1913 when Murray.
who had played on the legitimate stage
with de Grey nearly twenty years be-
fore. suggested that the veteran actor
try pictures for change
De Grey consented and the comedian
got him job at five per day with SEN
nett. He was east as the victim in the
same place with Murray and the latter
actually kicked him through two reels
of slapstick.
WILLIAM CLIFFORD. who has an
w important role in "rhc Mask, the
feature attraction at thc Forrest next
week. is one of the best known char
acter actors in motion pictures. Be
fore he was won over 10 the silent drama
Clifford spent eighteen years on tn.
spoken stage. He was born In New
Orleans in 1878 and educated Mt the
Toronto Conservatory of Music.
His stage carcer included engagements
with such celebrities as Alantrll and
WhitcSide, and he also had his own
On the screen he has appeared in such
productions ms The Sins of a Parent"
"A Tale Of Two Cities, Under Han
dicap," Paradise Garden" "A Man
Of Honor and The Long Arm of
Mannister. "
In "Thc Mask he intcrprets the
role of Francois, the conniving valet