The New York herald., 1922-02-12

High Lights and
ShadOwS on NewS
of Motion Pictures
Costume Plays More Popular
Than Ever as Screen
Productions.
BY FRANK VREELAND.

BY FRANK vREELAND.
garded as only a passing
phase, still cllngs TO the screen,
perhaps because the price of ordinary
street clothes makes the average spec
tator desirous of viewing scenes where
money is spent on costumes regard
less of the pangs it may bring to
thrifty wives. Just like many So
called revues, photoplays are becom-
ing fashion shows. The Germans,
with Passion Deception zone
Arabian Night" and other productions,
are responsible for the vogue, but this
is one matter for which indemnity will
not be exacted of them.
A list of Hollywood activities re-
Gently sent East reveals that Miss
Norma Talmadge is busy screening
Honore Balzac's Napoleonic romance
The Duchess of Langeais," with bales
Of gowns under which only an actress
OF strong emotional quality could bear
up. Rex Ingram is directing THE
Prisoner of Zenda," no doubt finding
a large supply of uniforms in those
discarded abroad after the war. Miss
Mabel Normand has been twinkling
her way through "Suzanna." which
will be bedecked in the style of the
dons, duennas and senoritas of early
California which made them such an
easy mark for marauding Indian
sharpshooters. Maurice Tourneur is
producing Lorna Doone." with the
costumes of England a century ago,
which 1t Is always mandatory on a
writer to describe with the word
quaint" And Priscilla Dean has been
working at "The Lass o. Lowrie's,"
which isall dolled up as IL for a prize
fight.
It Is the Fox company which more
than any other has welcomed the cos
tune play with the fervor of Paul
Poiret William Fox has gone in for the
historical drama lately with n vengeance
and sunlight arcs. J. Gordon Edwards.
his chief director, has finished Nero"
with Jacques Gretillat, a French actor.
In the title role. and the actual back
ground of the city on the Tiber for this
exposure of scandal In the high life OF
Rome. print of this spectacle picture
already has been received here and has
been tried in the furnace of two out of
town movie houses. Boston will get K
between the eyes soon and presently
Broadway is to be given a chance TO
thrust money at the box office man
over u.
While most Of the cast Is foreign, Miss
Violet Mersereau was picked to play
Christian girl. as she has the long
golden hair that goes best with defying
Nero In the movies. Alexander Salvini. a
relative of the famous Tomasso. and
therefore an italian in his own right.
plays Horatius, who, no doubt Is the hero
with name like that (though nobody
named Horace could readily be regarded
as a hero in modern picture). Misses
Paulette Duval and Edy Darclea, like
wise of Latin extraction, are two other
women who make a fuss over that well
known man about town. Nero When
Edwards started work last April
studio In Rome was taken over in order
20 burn 'em at the stake. with the usual
retakes. and make Roman holiday as
well as a picture
Now the Fox company still retains
this studio. the only American company,
aside from the Famous Players-Laslky
affiliations, that has "lot" on the
Continent for the raveling and unravel-
ing Of emotions. Further work will be
done here. and Edwards intends to filch
scenery from other parts of Italy and
from Greece. lie Is at present eNDend-
ing perspiration on THE Shepherd
King" the scripturai play of David
which kept Wright Lorimer well fed
for many years. While Edwards is
taking scenes for this in Egypt. with
all the authentic sand and fleas, the
Fox executives are contemplating d.
rections for him TO snap up a number of
real scenes for Joseph and His Breth-
rem" that could afterward be packei
neatly into such a photoplay While
Edwards's movements are not fully set
tled-a customary state in the film In
dustry-it Is likely that he will stay
abroad for some time. for one thing in
order TO do the final megaphoning for
MARY Queen OF Scots" on which the
camera man has already cranked up
bit in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile a Fox production of
Monte Carlo hovers in the offng.
and William Farnum has completed his
film biography of Edmund Kean."
somehow getting all his luxuriant POM
padour into the closeups. 1t begins to
look as II Van Loon wrote his STORY
of Mankind" around the Fox produc-
tions.
Ernest Lubitsch. who brought about
-. ~.