The New York herald., 1921-09-11
High Lights and
ShadOwS on NewS
of the Screen
sThe Golem' Surrendered to
Americans by Germans With
out Cost of Indemnity.
ny FRANK vREELAND.

= ing up records at the Cri-
terion, Is the fact, just unearthed, that
this German film was surrendered to
America without cent of indemnity
being paid for it. 1t was thrown In
gratis with a large batch of other
Teutonic films gathered to the bosom
Of the Famous Players-Lasky Com
pany, presumably on condition that
the American company pay for carting
It away, and since its Inauguration
the profits of the picture have been
as good as a gift.
On the strength Of the films sue
cess here contracts have already been
made for its distribution in the rest
of the country that will make Famous
Players happier by some $25O,000.
Doubts have been expressed as to the
appeal which this film Of Jewish perse-
cution might have in other cities with
non-Jewish communities. but ray
Of hope has been deserted in the ma
tionwide success OF "Humoresque,"
which has now been put into the SELL
ing platter class by the Man o War
stride of 1.-THE Golem."
Moreover, 1t has been observed that
the children are fascinated by 1t and
cannot be dragged away even to soda
fountain, clamoring to be allowed to re-
main and wrigge with exquisite terror
at sight of that gi'nt" And children
are said to be prevalent in the hinter-
land At any rate. regardless OF Its
success ION the road" Famous Players
will get the money that the contracts
with the exhibitors specify regardless
Of whether the small exhibitor has to
offer licorice sticks to entice persons In
from the street.
1t was expected that the picture, with
out having been released elsewhere IN
the vicinity, would remain wedged In the
Criterion all winter, which would give
the heavy brigade Of film reviewers an
opportunity to relax their grim coun-
tenances a little But the news has just
run like wildfre along the Rialto that
New Brunswick. N. j., Is to PROSTATE
itself before the Aim in about week,
and as this town feeds Philadelphia and
other large centres to the south the run
at the Criterion may be crippled.
A long run at the Criterion. by the
way, while advantageous to the picture
concerned, is often a blow for some
other photoplay Exhibitors who have
heard OF the twelve week revel OF "Hu-
Ynoresaue" have been offered other pic
lures which were quite attractive put
stood the gaff for only two weeks at the
Criterion, and have decided that these
Aims couldn't have any good red meat
in them since they weren't other "Hu-
moresQues."
Gossip has 1t that Betty Blythe, hav-
Ing just begun to experience the sensa-
tion of holding the world In the hollow
of her hand through her work In The
Queen Of Sheba" and other recent MIN
productions, has decided to retire, hav-
ing done about all she could Tor the
movies. Miss Blythe was In town Few
days ago, but couldn't be reached
maybe she was trying on new rope OF
pearls in which she Is to be costumed In
her final picture--to nall this report
wherever II belongs. A husband and
child are said to lurk somewhere in the
background, and there Is also the
glamour Of lemon ranching In Caliior-
nia-but maybe Miss Blythe's with
drawal from this mad world Is due 70
the fact that she'd like to enjoy the
variety of wearing few clothes.
Before Charlie Chaplin fitted abroad
to get Europe In proper frame OF MIND
to receive Mary and Doug he paid q
compliment to Bebe Daniels. that was all
the more gracious because this testi-
moniaI was absolutely unsolicited.
"I'm not fond" he said frankly, "of
lot of the young women who are now
swarrning into the movies. When
know I'm going to be introduced to one
/ feel like whiting into the background.
But Bebe Daniels is very unusual. She
has ideas and personality-she's inter-
csting to talk to, while the others aren't
often interesting even when they're
silent"
"Its odd that she doesn't always
seem successful in projecting that per-
sonality on the SCREEN some one sug-
gested, who appeared to have seen
much and suffered.
'Tt is" rejoined Chaplin, but that
doesn't alter the fact that she IS sew
eral solar systems away from tho COM
mon conception Of movie star"
But no, Chaplin isn't going to marry
Bebe.
French films are now seeking to turn
tho tide OF American pictures washing
over to Europe. Mother Earth -
one OF those which viii be uncovered
here, and In the process OF adapting It
to the American climate Edward Pen
neld Is spreading art over the titles.
Penfield's position as a poster artist
should be a guarantee Of the quality or
his subtitle drawings. but no matter
how excellent they are. one would bet
last years hat, II one weren't going to
wear It again soon. that they will dis
tract the attention from Mother Earth"
and, so to speak, fall to the ground.
The trick Of laying on atmosphere In
the titles with a brush often splatters
the written words badly. Audiences
have their eyes full as 1t is, trying to
grapple with the captions alone, while
some one In the next seat Is loudly
mispronouncing them.
The best illustrated titles that come
to mind are those OF several Christie
comedies, and they serve their purpose
because they are drawn In a few simple,
swift lines, like a child's carlcatures on
blackboard. with no nonsense ABOUT
art in them. Fish, cartoonist OF VGntty
Fair, tried llvening up the captions In
a recent Aim comedy In the same style,
hut her treatment was too consciously
reat and elaborate--treat EN- rough
should have been her motto. Prizma is
experimenting with sub-titles In which
the words won't be aggravated by pic
lures. but various tones OF color will
be placed on the background, and may
be this will be enough to remove the
current poison from the system.
s. l.. Rotlnafel, who came to the Capt.
tol a little over year ago. Is having