Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-04
THE MOVIE FANS
LETTERBOX !
By HENRY NJ. NEELY

puttIng the 1uurcsS nv tue tCV' 90 that
in ease I over get mad nt you. you'll
know where. 10 send the candy and
flowers.
~ saw The Loves Of Pharaoh. and
gave the audience the covert once over
for some Of our celebrities. There was
ono man there who had a pet goat With
rim. Could that have been you? The
gca. had Il. IT, OF it's collar.
"tiow is It that among all our
American directors there are SO few
who give US anything ns fine as Lu.
bitsch? American directors. most OF
them, nre so very practical. and 10
much afraid Of being Thought too
.highbrow.'
"1heir viewpoints are imbedded in
the hard crust of commercialism. lin.
itcd, In some cases. by lack at real cul.
ture and education. and coddled bv
this give the public what II wants
and human appeal stuff. The. goll Of
probable genius turned into the dro.s
Of mediocrity.'
What n gift---to be able to touch
In the hearts Of men the hidden springs
Of love and appreciation TOR oil things
beautiful. NY portra!ine scenes OF
artistic perfection and loveliness.
II remember thinking as ] wntcned
! Peter lbbetson' that 1t was either ab'
solutsly silly and worthless or vetv.
ycry wonderful silver magic on one
brartstrings. -
."Tlus is not in violent cxcoriation OF
American directorial methods: nor ex.
trayasnnt praise Of foreign films. but
inst wonderment at the fact that We
have not finer and more artistic pic
tures---something we can hand out 20
the the world and say proudly. Here, this
Would you care to tell us whom you
consider the hest director and what
picture you consider the finest of the
year?
probably stii studying 1t. because !
! wrote instead Of tipping It. ] nlso sent
some clippings from the Letter BOX.
That's nm awful iob--to tell yoII
what picture ] consider the ''nest. !
really don't know what to say. II
ouoh,n't TO be answered otfhand. I'd
hnvr to 60 down the list carefully:
% "Joun the Woman" blue Bird. :.
MIRACLE Man." Zone Gl"riou: Day
"Cnlicnri," "Golcm oh. gee! They
come rrowding in--and most Of Lu'
| bitsch's work is insistemt Oh being rec
oanizsl, I honestly believe Lubitsch Is
hend und shoulders above any director
we hnyc, I don't rank Griffith In thr
list Mt all. Hes extremely ndrcit and
clever and n marvel ut movie mechanics,
hit lr has n s,null-town soul ANA
doesn't count. I'd like to bring up
pcnrhyn S,anlnws---if they'd only let
him make hi. own stuff /: his own way
but Of course. they went. Tourneul
the same.
So can't answer your question
definitely. Let's see what other rams
think about it,
Several Talu,ahge fans have beer
asking me lately what has become o
Norma and Constance. ! thought
everybody knew they were abroad
Their New York representative. Beulnl
Livingstone, sends out like the latcs
about them aud. here 1t Is:
AN automobile smashur in whicl
Constance was slightly bruised and
strike that interrupted their trave
plans are among the thrills experienced
thus fnr BY the Talmudgcs. Mrs. Free
Talmadge has just written me from
Narseillcs, where she ana Norma am
Constance were preparing I" embark
for Algiers. Til" letter says that th'
stars had expected to stay in MnrSRille
ONLY n cO,lple Of days. but local STRIKE
held then, up Il week. Mrs. Talmadg'
"Our trim has been delightful il
every respect. and the girls have en-
iCyed real receptions ut all points alon;
the line. IN the most ont Of TIE wa!
places people have recognized then
and paid them homage.
" we mOtOrcd from Berlin to Frank
fort. and had all kinds of automol'l,
trouble along the line. One Of on
cars just stopped short. and although
guugcs. 1t refused to 60. and had to b.
left on the road. The second On
skidded down n hill and smashed int
a fence. and wouldn't stop going. Con
stance hung on for dear lUr and is
little black and blue, but "thcrwiS
unburt, Norma. Mr.. Schpnck and
we're in the third chr. which was III
only one any good at the end of th,
second day. aud the last Ian int.
, Frankfort had to be made on the train
i,cgardless Of all this trouble. however
we thoroughly enjoyed the tour. an'
saw Germany rs II is
"While til" Taimadge girls waited II
Mnrseilles for their boat. Mr.. Schonck
Normas husband. made n trip to Lon
!, don 10 check up on the contest brin
conducted by the Daily Sketch to So
! lect an English girlsto play with Nor
mn in her next picture. Mrs. Tat
nudge states that If she proves rcall
talented, arrangements will be mad
, for her to star in English made pic
: lures on her return to England
, Mrs. Talmndgc adds: We cxpe,
, To spend two weeks in .Algars. Tuni
= and Constnntinoplc and will travel I
I,oosnda and Biskra part way by came
n Mr.. Schenck IL anxious to look owe
|, the desert to decide lipOn the ndynn