The New York herald., 1922-01-29
High Lights and
ShadOwS on NeWS
of Motion Pictures
bate for Showing of mistress
of the World German Sc
rial Set for March 5.
ny FRANK vREELAND.

that the Teutons revealed in the war,
hss finally been set foG Sunday. March
5-which means there are likely to be
only a couple of more changes in the
date before it is definitely settled. Film
fans who had whetted their appetites
in expectation that the picture would
he hurled against their consciousness
carly in February will have to worry
along awhile longer on the ordinary
screen shootings and honicides.
The photoplay will be exhibited ST.
simultaneously at the Rivoh ana the
Rialto, but the Criterion will be left
without the pale Of excitement. 1t
will be presented as series" OF four
separate pictures, for in this way Its
sponsors hope to take the curse off
the term serial" Moreover, emphasis
win be laid on the fact that the photo
drama is simply being released by
Paramount, in order to remove the I'M
preston that Paramount went INTO
Germany and produced the picture IT.
self. which might lead some American
PRODUCER to shake his finger at 1t ana
say, Naughty, naughty"
There was quite a quandary at 1irst
for the exhibitors, as to whether they
should project the picture Tor severai
weeks and ask the patrons TO take
weeks rest in between installments for
the next rush of emotion, or attempt
the impossible and try to condense the
whole string of episodes into one arter-
Moons entertainment OF regular pro-
crarn sjze-which would make the spec
totor feel he was viewing romance from
the windows of an express train. AS
tbo nicture hops around on several con-
tjnents this would have turned 1t into
y side show to Around the World In
Eighty Days.
one Of the fears suggested was that
all patrons would not be faithful unto
death to the heroine and see her
through to the bitter end. 1t was iig-
,,red nv the pessimists that 30 per cent
~ anv given audience OF transients in
RAPIDLY shifting Manhattan drop away
- each succeeding performance, so that
~, the time the fourth week came
around only 10 per cent. OF the Original
Old Guard would be on hand TO see IL
the heroine really was killed after three
determined efforts. Another plan rec
commended was to show varying lnstah-
nents at the three houses simuitane
ously, pointing out to audiences tnal
,nev co,,Id see a couple of installments
,n the afternoon, eat a hearty meal.
,hrow hack their shoulders and spend
well night Of it finishing up the last
Ilstallment.
Rut the Paramount officials elected to
,,,n II as a serial rather than resort TO
snch an heroic Wagnerian procedure
1t was cut down from five reels to four.
hut Miss Mia May. the star, was not
materially reduced by this. She sun
r,mains a Jack Dempsey version OF
Pearl White. The process Of elimina-
tjon has now allotted one instalment
each to the four countries over which
tba picture runs amuck. These are
china. Arabia. Syria and Egypt, and
the German company are said to nave
risked real perils that they weren't paid
for in chasing local color through those
regions.
The story is declared to be based on
Biblical actuality, perhaps because there
is Scriptural mention OF the magical
city or Ophir. from which King Solo
non brought away treasures, leaving
ten times that amount to be sought for
in movie scenarios. The cutting has
thinned out the introduced. so that the
audience is flung right into the story
almost before they've shaken hands with
INC characters. But none of the scenes
OF magnifcence have been slashed-trust
movie magnates for that.
Another new studio is reported to be
under construction near Jacksonville.
Fla. designed by its optimistic boosters
as the next center of the movie industry
in case the current agitation Tor clean
ing up Los Angeles should make most OF
tie zestful residents there feel the OLD
place is losing its zip. The latest al
sIition to the growing colony IN the
C.ulf state is planned after the model OF
+he big Brunton studios in California,
which were rented out to various pro-
.lucers and could contain as many as
twenty companies letting their feelings
run away with them at once.
But making pictures down at Jackson
Vile is not turning out to be entirety
matter OF grapefruit and palm trees
The Southern city is long on balmy at
nosphere but short on extras with the
film yearn. And what Is modern
movie without its crowds. even IL they
usually look like Coxey's army? So the
producers down there are advertising
extensively through the state for film
talent" asking citizens what possible
objections they have TO leading lives OF
luxury as screen stars. In this way
they hope 10 build up a sizeabie movie
colony there with mobs ready 10 hand
composed principally of aspirants who
are learning that the closest they're
ever likely 10 get 10 n star Is to have
the leading man stumble over them.
Charles Rays affiiiation last week
with tho United Artists Is generally re-
garded IN Arm circles as being promo
ton for him. rejecting more luster or
him than on Mary Pickford. Dougla:
Fairbanks. Charlie Chaplin and ID. w
grlfith. with whom he can now ex'
change Christmas cards on terms oi
equality. First National. through whom
he did his last distributing. is under.
stood 20 have been dissatisfied lately
With Rays penchant for directing him.
self. which seemed 20 lead TO numerous
interesting but unimportant close ups oi
Ray raising his right eyebrow. Under
fhc new releasing arrangement Ray ap'
parentiy keeps right on as his own bos'
in making faces al the camera.
statement was made during th'
v eek BY Miss Mildred Harris. who gave
pD the privilege of adilng Chaplin q
her name In return for 100000. tina
she ie going 10 separate herself from
she films and advance rapidly upon th'
spoken drama Miss Harrie said sh'
llans nrst 20 appear on the stage II
Ncw York and then give London tn
fuii benefit Of her elocutIonary powers
Contracts and Specifications have no
been drawn up yet. she said. but she Il
looking forv'ard 20 giving tongue II
two months.
The title Of Ernst Lubitsch's iates
picture which he brought with him (,
this country az his unofficial passport
M. been changed from "Pharaohl
Misc' 10 The Loves of Pharaoh" prob