The New York herald., 1921-10-09
High Lights and
Shadows in NewS
of Screen Drama
Famous Players-Lasky for the
First Time Takes Up
Serial Pictures.
BY FRANK vREELAND.

this big organization is preparing to
rrt on the market a running fire film
presenting thrfis in weekly shivers
bringing back the days when Miss
Pearl White. Antonio Moreno and
others Of their ilk were as integral a
part of many families lives as the reg
ular Monday wash. OF course the in
itial serial which Famous Players is
to present originated abroad. where
serials are still as popular as the never
failing weekly wars In the Balkans.
This serpentine photoplay. in fact.
came from Germany, and was con-
ceived with as much elaborate detail
and vast scope as the Teutons showed
In conducting the war. Multitudes of
persons were manipulated with the
easy sang froid of Hindenburg. The
German directors, 1t is said, thought
nothing of using 5000 persons in one
scene that appears only for a flash
during few seconds, in contrast to
an American production in which the
producer would probably insist on
taking close up Of each of the 5000
Airplanes have been used with careless
abandon and an earthquake was care
fully arranged for. A whole Nown was
wiped out by an explosion procedure
In which the Germans seem lately to
have grown expert. The picture is re-
ported to have required more than
100000 feet Of film. occupying some-
thing like ninety reels. which, at the
customary showing Of five reels In one
night week would take about eigh-
could be sure that the heroine wasn't
left in little pieces at the end. Genera
tons yet unborn probably will see the
finish Of 1t. Possibly fan who was
very anxious to be on hand at the wind
up might find 1t advisable to take out
life insurance for the duration Of the
picture.
And this, mind you. is only an ordi-
nary German serial. simply made as part
Of the days work. If the Berlin direc-
tors ever started on what producers over
here delight to call "super feature
serial the spectators who followed It to
the bitter end might have the impress
sion they had Just been watching the
end OF the world by special arrange
ment. 1t will be interesting to watch the
reception here Of this series Of thrills on
the instalment plan, which is part Of the
unrestricted German immigration Of
movies fostered by Famous Players. as
the serial seems to be no longer prime
requisite for tea table talk here except
out in the sagebrush country. While
the bookings haven't been made known,
II might be worth while to present the
picture for q protracted siege at the
Criterion.
The convulsions reported inside Fa-
nous Players-Lasky over German films
appear to have died down to point
where not even twitching is noticeab BILE.
As matter Of fact the disturbance.
which seems to have been largely pre-
cipitated by Deception" came about
through worriment over profits that
seemed to mark the distinction between
prosperity and affluence. This historical
romance Of Henry VIII was figured by
the optimistic officials to bring $500, 900
fluttering to their call. Instead, because
OF some pronounced antipathy to 1t In
various parts Of the country. It Is exc
pected now that only trifling 5000, 900
will stick to 1t. As the picture was
bought for 100000. this leaves only the
contemplate profit of 100000. Hence
teeth.
Famous Players. by the way, Is re-
ported to be no longer on anything but
mere speaking terms with UFA, the
great German Aim combine. The Ameri-
can orga nization had made a working
arrangement with the film guardian
angels Of the Fatherland, and then
learned that a similar alliance had been
h~< fAa tAl4 -,
cousin. So Famous Players are said to
have cancelled their contract and affili-
ated with an independent concern in Ber-
lin for turning sunshine made In Ger
many into dollars.
Meanwhile the UCI executives are
said to have learned that Famous Play
ers were getting real neighborly with
UFA and felt a cold chill of exclusive
ness sweep over them. Accordingly UCI
dissolved the bonds with UFA and
started out to cope with German verbs
alone Now the Germans find the for
eign invaders in their midst with no
UFA to guide them.
II Is said that Paramount has on the
shelves s1.250,600 worth OF films bear
ing the smiling trademark OF Fatty
Arbuckle, making ten pictures that are
held up because of the San Francisco
affair. Altogether. with his new re-
leases, $2.000,000 Is reported to be locked
up.
1t is interesting. by the way, to note
that the average cost of production of
Paramount picture has recently been
reduced from $4,000 to ST., 900, a saw
ing of s35,000-as any lightning calcu-
lator can see-in the economical cause
of painting the lily without gliding 1t.
William s. Hart has discovered a new
thrill in life which isn't falling Off n
horse. To HIS astonishment he has dis
covered that publishers and public take
him seriously as a writer. when he had
thought that his only method Of ex-
pressing himself emphatically was with
six-shooter. And ne likes making his
mark otherwise than with bullet.
''Of course" he says. II realize they
wouldn't care hoot about my writing
II hadn't been signing my name to Aim
contracts. But I wrote a story the other
day for n newspaper syndicate out West,
and I'll be darned If they didn't pay me
5000 for 1t. That's big money for me-
as writer.
1T wac a story about horse. writ
ten as I thought any one with horse
sense should write It. I liked doing it,
II wasn't art. but It was fun. Then I
enjoyed writing those tales about
r,oneer boyhood days on the frontier.
had stenographer to dictate to, and
all had to do was stalk up and down
d. - y ev%I-