The New York herald., 1922-06-18
BY FRANK vREELAND.

Miracle Man picture, if the
public cares TO know about il
and be prepared in time Among the
forty-two new features which Para
mount---tEe dress parade name for the
Famous Players -Lasky Corporation
is getting ready to release is IF You
Believe 1t, It's So.' title which ought
10 be, self explanatory TO the millions
who saw the first big healing picture.
who can explain it TO the millions who
didn't.
TIE late George Loane Tucker. pro-
ducer OF The Miracle Man." had Sc
lected this story and intended to star
Thomas Meighan in it as his next pic
t0re, but unhappily he died before he
had a Chance to show whether he could
repeat and cure thousands OF specta-
tors of their troubles-at least for an
hous. However, Meighan has been
starred in the production that was
finally made by another director. so
that much OF the, original plan has
kept above the surface. While no
great revival spirit seems to be sweep
ing the country. it appears TO have
landed hard on the screen.
Sometimes persons of distinction
get into the movies almost unheralded,
though the reader may not believe
this and the photoplay producers find
it hard to account for afterward Such
a case occurred recently at the Gold
wyn Offices. when a casting director
happened. quite casually at the last
moment, TO mention to the press agent
that the following afternoon screen
tests were TO be made of Count and
a Countess. Then the director turned
away, apparently sure that the mar
ket had slumped considerably on for
eign nobility since the war, especially
as several of them had already en-
tered the movies, and it might no
longer be considered a matter for call
ing out the fire department and the
brass band.
But not so the press agent-he
knew that a Count and a Countess
who cspoused the films were always
good for a neat headline in the papers.
Hold on minute" he said, Whats
the name of the coupler
g THE Count and Countess Edward
Zichy." replied the director noncha-
lantly. And il wasn't until the press
agent began to talk and perspire eio-
auently at the Same time that the
director realized the Count and Coun-
tess had figured largely in the pubic
prints of late because of an unpre-
meditated marriage.
Jousting tournaments by medieval
knights have very rarely been Staged IN
the movies. despite the picturesque color
of such events. which stands out all the
more conspicuously on the silver sheet
because the spectators don't hear the
hardware clank unromsnticaily, especial
~ when one jouster Is helped of his
horses tail by another. "A Connecticut
Yankee in King Arthur's Court had
such an affray, bat IL was done in such
a spirit of burlesque that any true
Knight OF the Table Round would have
singed his heard blushing over II. In
Deception" the German picture dealing
with Henry VIII. there was the shock
and shiver of armed combat, but aside
from little Excitement when one OF
the knights landed on his head and sun
didn't live. the tournament meant little
but a grand slam in the court OF the
story.
However. Marion Davies in her latest
picture has changed all that--she has
had to- because the picture is wren
Knighthood Was in Flower" which
called for a tournament as one OF the
staple industries OF the period. Here
the conflict. "a routrance," signihes
something more in the picture than
nearly soaring several horses 70 death.
II is a studio tournament. with every
move carefully calculated. Although II
larUa crowds
and knights in full panoply could hardly
be handled In the interior OF plant. II
Is said that Il has been done more sue
cesesfuIly in this case than In an ex-
terror set especially in the matter OF
uniformity and brilliancy OF lighting
and knights simply must have the proper
/. illumination when they whack another
noble lord out of the saddle. To get the
best effect II should be done with slow
motion photography.
The United Artists are planning to
prevent with Douglas Fairoanks's latest
picture a repetition OF the shrcwd Jug
Cling of his name which shared some Of
those who were bent on seeing Doug in
",rhe Three Musketeers." When the
Dumas picture was first rampaging
around the country another and earlier
version by Thomas II. lnce was resur-
rected and renamed The Three Mus
keteers entirely without Ince's con-
sent, he points out--and was presented
by certain exhibitors on the. same bill
with an old Fairbanks picture, but with
Doug's name 80 emphasized. aud the
title OF his picture so obscured In COM
lparison 10 that OF "The Three Mus
keteers" that many customers hustled
or their hat and coat and ran around TO
the house in the four alarm belief that
they could see the star IN THE Three
Nusfeteers."
To avoid any similar oncroachment
for Fairbanks's Robin Hood picture,
since there are other pictures OF the
English freebooter extant, United Ar
lists have made the request that the
whole production be referred TO with
quotation marks. thus. Douglas Fair
banks In Robin Hood" so that the agile
star now takes his place In Immortality
alongside Shskespeare's Julius Cesar" "
Possibly the company was moved TO in
close Doug I'm double quotes since he
might already be considered TO be in
closed In single quotes by his mustache.
And yet II is almost n sure bet that some
way will be found to circumvent this
scheme for there II nothing like plenty
OF easy money 10 sharpen thc wits.
a certain chewing gum concern has
evidently taken the measure OF the
"a l..