The New York herald., 1921-02-13
Screen Shadows
By FRANK vREELAND.

- to the Right" by John Golden
for s7s4.912.52, brings to light from a
source within the film industry the
fact that Famous Players-Lasky also
engaged in spirited bidding for the
privilege of putting up Mother
Bascom's jams in gelatine form, but
lost to Metro and Marcus Loew in the
final rush to the bank. Famous Play
ers-Lasky are said to have offered
$500, 900 in real money for half in
terest, or $4,000 more than the pre-
vIous record price of s175.OoO, paid by
d. w. Griffith to William A. Brady
for the opportunity to preserve Way
Down East" in the cold storage Of the
ice scenes.
Naturally, Golden didn't stammer
out an acceptance Of their offer when
Metro labored up to him with half a
million more In tow. Another factor
deciding against Famous Players
Lasky was their stipulation that If
they bought the smith-Hazzard COM
edy it9was forever to die natural
death on the speaking stage. With a
company still touring the South in the
sixth season, during which the public
has been willing to learn how to be-
come rich and highly moral through
peaches, and with a production con-
templated to bring London to book
with this play, Golden declined to muz-
zle it.
So Metro got the plum. and now
stands In a position to have "Lightnin
strike 1t. unless the treasury cupboard
goes bare. There Is a possibility that
Frank Bacon's record breaker may go to
Metro, as THE New Henrietta" re-
duced to common terms as THE Sap
head" which will be shown at the Capi-
toll the coming week and which had
wfnchell Smith also figuring In the au-
thorship, was fastened to screen history
by this company. With 100000 sunk
IN the forthcoming film vision of "The
Four Horsemen of the apocalypse and
the fortune-independent Of production
cost-slipped into Turn to the Right.
Metro stands as the record plunger oi
the season, having invested so much
monev In other pictures as well that II
gives one a headache to think OF 1t.
More depends for Charlie Chaplin on
"The Kid" which will be a repeater at
the Strand next week, than mere fame
and the power to make any given spec
tator loosen up on the laughs. Chaplin
Ia relying on It to bring hiM enough
ready cash to maintain him in the posi-
ton as comedy king to which he has
been accustomed, and the outlook, froT
the record way in which his latest pic
ture has been pulling in persons OF the
street at the Strand, is that he'll have
to have trousers with extra pockets tt
carry all his loose change.
The comedian can readily take In
million dollars or so without feeling II
burden, for 1t Is reported that the las
year has made his pocketbook sensitive
Not that Chaplin is broke but hi'
supply OF ready cash has suffered some
hardsh,ps. In the first place. there wal
the years interval In which he produced
nothing, and while he was still working
on 'rThe Kid" he was spending som'
time here seeing life--and life, particu
larly In New York. has way OF costint
money. Then his divorced wife. Mildred
Harris, received settlement or sl0o,
600, which. though actually less thar
announced, would indicate that wives
can be as expensive when they aren'
as when they are.
Moreover. Chaplin invested heavily II
his own studio in Hollywood. making /
a model location in a region where frs
rate Tots" are as common as third rat
revolutions In South America. Instead
of prosaic dressing rooms he has erected
charming and UP to date bungalows
with hot and cold temperaments at
tached. These are surrounded by. lawns
gardens and pretty walks, and the who'll
area is slaid out artistically, as though
the comedian intended to found Chaplin
university there. But as the studio
wasn't used steadily for his new pictur
he has had to rent Il TO prevent tn
overhead from making him dizzy ant
to keep the plant in the family.
Finally, he has plastered large wa
of capital over The KID" but the sign
point strongly to his clearing $1,500,00'
on this picture. and "The Kid" Will d.
more than support its father.
The prohibition lid has been clampe'
tight on the fount of inspiration in Lo
Angeles. As evidence, a bottle OF booz
Is said to leave the purchaser $50 wors
Off It is reported that there bave beef
q number of dry raids In the film colony
where dissipation Is beginning to lool
like a lost art. All of which has ha'
the result that certain noted comedian
is not quite so funny of the screen a.
he has to be when flickering.
The comedian. who is one OF the tol
notchers in his particular line, congratu
lated himself a year ago on a soundl.
constructed headpiece when he leased
house for twelve months and furnished
Il with $4,000 worth OF spree material
In his bubbling pride he went aroun'
telling everyone OF his master stroke II
slowing away enough good stuff to main
tain his complexion for years. a fev
days ago his lease lapsed. whereupon hi
landlord went 20 the comedian and SAT-
these fateful words: i've heard al
about your private stock-and you'll bu.
the. hoase for 800, 900"
The comedian blew up, but after tn
Reyeer OF hia wrath subsided he decides