The New York herald., 1922-02-19
Loves of Pharaoh Cardigan and Penod the Screen
High Lights and
SShadOWS on Neus
of Motion Pictures
Stage Producers With Plays
for Screen Adaptation Hold
ing Out for High Prices.
BY FRANK VREELAND.


many stage producers with plays TO
offer as material for screen convul-
sions are still holding out for high
prices with an optimism that Polly
anna and the California Boosters
League might envy. One of those who
is keeping the figure by which he
can be made to captulate to the
movies in the raref:ed upper levels of
the air is William Harris, Jr. But il
should be said in his case that this is
largely due TO indifference, a feeling
of take it or leave it" that is based
on the suspicion in the back of Har-
ris's mind that if any one is going to
screen his plays It is liable to be him
self
On his previous trip from Los Angeles
to the Lambs Club Douglas Fairbanks
offered to Harris $4,000 for the film
rights to THE Bad Man." Porter Emer-
son Browns Mexican satire. which
seemed to Doug to offer great possbili
ties for emotional gun play. The man
ager raised the price to 100000, and
the negotiations died of sheer ennui.
Doug, however says that it wasn't the
increased price that stopped him, that
when he goes after thing mere money
doesn't stop him--and he didn't even
clench his jaws as he said this. Qn-
cidentally it might be mentioned that
The Three Musketeers" cost him $780,
600 to produce. so Doug has figures on
his side when he speaks thus) What
held him up. he said, was the fact that
Hobrook Blinn, star OF the play. wanted
to- do il before the camera himself, and
as he and the busy Doug are old friends
WELL business of exit from Binns
dressing room bowling apologetically.
Now Fairbanks has centered his mind
on the problem of going after Captain
Appejack" and cutting it out from its
moorings on the stage.
Another Harris production, East Is
West" in which Fay Banter is still
burning up the tall grass out West. was
offered recently to Miss Marion Davies
for any variety of small change that to-
tailed $12500O. But Miss Davies's back
ers for the present are not gushing
money in the quantities that made THE
Brides Play look like a mortgage on
the United States. AS is the custom
afterlmost expensive weddings the bank
rolls are being given a rest. SO Miss
Banter may yet enamel the screen with
her charm in this comedy.
Metro, by the way, wanted some time
ago to gamble with Harris on the film
production of both East Is West and
"'The Bad Man." inviting the manager
to take a block of stock in the photo
play versions as his share of the grub
stake But Harris told him they could
have the two plays for $400, 900 or take
nothing-so they took nothing. Jack
Hazard, it might be worth mentioning.
Isl reported to have accepted a sum
aiound S25. 600 for the screen rights to
Turn to the Right" the Metro produc
ton of the comedy he wrote with Win
cllcli Smith. but no doubt the comedian.
who succeeds the picture at the Lyric
Theater this week. will be able to smile
over that if he draws bigger receipts
than TIE photoplay.
Miss Laurette Taylor is still holding
out for high figure from Famous
Pfayers-Lasky for Peg o. My Heart"
even though the mighty Babe Ruth is
no longer a holdout. But then Miss
Taylor has reason TO believe the prop
erty is worth it. especially with herself
in the title role in celluoid. Lee Shubert
has received several offers of 1925. 900
for the privilege of DECIDING "Maytime"
on the films. but is willing TO take more.
Charles Ray will not do his own d.
recting hereafter. but will simply con-
centrate on looking like Charles Ray.
alias the Spirit of Youth. His new con-
tract with United Artists. it is learned
expressly stipulates that some one else
Isl to tell him how often he Is to have
a close up of his left eyebrow under
going an upheaval Whereupon the
American public can give vent to a sigh
OF relief and so about its business once
more.
Reports persist that Metro through
Marcus Loew. it's financial Gibraltar, is
buying or getting an interest i'm various
nj Z ~.
out the country, colored perhaps by the
ftct that both companies are related by
marriage. as Adolph Zukor's son mar
red Marcus Loew's daughter. thereby
Introducing the intermarrying royalty
motif into the movies. But both sides
continue to deny everything like a po-
itical candidate, until after the election
is over.
Ernst Lubitsch, noted German di-
rector. has fallen under the spell OF the
weird. freallish type Of picture intro
dticed by ''The Cabinet of DR.. Caligari," 3"
which some persons called fine bit of
screen psychoanaysis and others just
bad case of flmifantods. Lubitsch has
produced "A futurstic picture of this
variety, now here. which will probably
be loosed on the public here as soon as
sufficiently shivery title has been con-
ceived for IL. Another Lubitsch produc-
tlon. which will probably be busted off
presently at a Riesenfeld house. will be
ri's Mountain Cat" filmed in Switzer-
iari with real Alps trying TO look more
enchanting than Pola Negr on the
screen. After lodging avalanchcs in
this picture Mile. Negri took a rest in
siwiszerland. where none of the snow
slides could get too familiar with her.
The storiS Is said 70 be towering near
the California household Of Buster
Heuton and Natalie Talmadge, and IL he
Nights IL will probably be the one event
known to break up father Busters face
into a smile.
How press agents and others con-
rected with Hollywood have become
careful since scandal seemed to have
become the stap,- product of the Golden
state town Is illustrated by the recent
experience of Jeanie MACPHERSON. which
OF yorc the publicity pluggers would
have hauled editors out Of bed TO hear
According TO reports from two reliable
founts OF wisdom, Miss MacPherson
who is Cecil y. De Miles chief scenario
priter. spent four days recently eating
~ and sleeping within the safe confines Of
Tie most distinguished Jail in Detroit
But save your shudders That isn't
the natural consequence OF seeing so