The New York herald., 1921-08-07
: 10h6 1Gh6Ntr6s and Nov Yl0U{
Screen Shadows
ny FRANK vREELAND.

L
ity that the Criterion Theatre
| will pass out of it's celluloid
phase and back to its first love, the
spoken drama. so that the sobs of the
heroine will once more become audible.
The New York Theatre block. in which
the Criterion is tucked away like a
chick under a hens wing. Is now the
property of the Famous Players
Lasky Corporation, and the subsidiary
OF this company, Charles Frohman
Inc, Is desirous of bringing the house
out of darkness and into the light
again.
Gilbert Miller. the newly appointed
head of the Frohman concern, Is now
| being transported to the United States,
and the prospect is that when he ar
rives negotiations will be started look
ing to a change OF heart on the part
of this old time house. Miller, having
lust taken up his new duties, is anx-
ious to start policy of expansion, IL
possible, and this policy may spread
all the way from the Empire at For
tieth street, to the Criterion, at Forty
fourth.
Meanwhile the matter IS virtually at a
standstill. and 1t was said at the Fa-
nous Players headquarters that, while
the transmigration had not been settled
yet 1t was not likely as affairs now
stand that the house would lapse back
into speech. Such pictures as '.Th&
Golem," now current at that house. and
other features in the past. 1t was rep
resented. had been so profitable that 1t
hard tn hpw n Critarfov,
would come out Of its film enchantment-
However, with curtailment In produc-
ton general not only on the part Of
Famous Players and its ally, .Realart,
but also among other companies 1t Is
question whether enough high class
pictures can be churned out to keep the
three houses which Riesenfeld holds In
fee from Famous Players filled every
week. particularly as the Rivoli and
Rialto had to take THE Conquering
Power few weeks ago from a rival
company. the Metro. in order to find
photoplay of grade A quality that would
go down easily.
If the playhouse does actually revert
to sound and fury It will be the second
| time 1t has been snatched from the
nav Of the movies. 1t seeded to the
silent drama first under the Vitagraph
regime and then backslid to the speak
ies.' only to have such an unstable
career until Famous Players took 1t as
to make the name of Criterion highly In
congruous.
| No decision has been reached by
Famous Players as to what disposition
to make OF the New York Theatre the
general attitude being that of NOW that
we have 1t. what'll we do with it?" Mar
Gus Loew's lease on the house expired
year ago and since then the rental has
been extended from month to month.
1t was expected that as soon as the
Loew dispensation ended the Famous
Players would either move In with all
their goods and chattels or else erect
another cinema Valhalla on the site.
But with the depression in the movie
trade, the exaltation OF prices still
reigning in the business trade. and the
coyness OF money In the financial
market, they are merely marking time
and holding fast to that which Is good.
The officially announced news that
Paramount would begin an intensive cul-
tivation of the European field. starting
with it's London branch. bears out the
exclusive story published In THE NEW
YORK HERALD two months ago revealing
| the plans OF Famous Players and other
| leading American companies to pour
Eurcpe's resources on the screen under
American supervision, inasmuch as tall
ent IL cheaper there and the authentic
scenery Is lying around loose.
1t Is likely that an announcement
may be forthcoming presently about the
plans of Adolph Zukor. president OF
Famous Players-Lasky. for his produc-
tions In Germany, though SO far a policy
OF Hush, hush Is being maintained
about these. Zukor, who Is quite re-
/ hlV rannrfpd from geVeral
be interested In two Berlin film COM
panies. Is keeping his Intentions as dark
as the next move In n campaign, and
no one seems to know when the COM
mand will be given to advance and cap
ture Berlin-for the American movies.
Il No American directors or actors have
yet been notified that II would be their
duty TO go abroad and restore the Faith
erland's faith In the United States, at
least on the screen.
The latest report concerning Pola
Negri, the noted Polish German star
who appeared in Passion" and who is
now Zukor ward, is that she will not
follow the original plan OF coming to
this country and exhibiting her teeth
before the camera. Instead she will re-
main I'm Germany and pack her emo
tions into films there. This decision Is
understood to have been influenced by
~
country came TO wrap itself around DE-
ception" with all the pleasant effects OF
cobra. In st. Louis. where "Decep-
ton" was shown. IL had to be hurriedly
taken off and hushed up like a scandal
In the family. After THE Cabinet OF
"Caligari" was hooted off the screen in
Los Angeles no one dared suggest tina,
Deception" the latest German film. be
shown In that hornets nest OF the movie
industry.
Spain Is one region OF the Cofltinen,
that has been virtually relegated to tho
limbo of the forgotten by movie mag.
mates after having furnished some os
the earliest subjects for the films with
Its bull fights back In the prehistoric
prc-Griffith days OF the movies. At ono
time Famous Players contemplated hav-
ing producing company exert III
Establishments on Madrid but so far the
cinema destinies of the HBpanic capital
have been allowed to slide.
Among the movie actors In Los An
geles and In the East. where the inter-
|, pretatlon of the motives OF the leading
figures In the industry varies about AZ
often as the thermometer, tho latest
conviction Is that tho European under.
taking of the big interests is primarily
designed to scare each Individual actor
10 matter III he's so obscure as TO make
; cnly one face at the camera per pic
t,,ra i've %