The New York herald., 1922-05-28
Fatty Arbuckle
Will Become a
Film Director
-.
High Lights and Shadows on
the News of the Motion
Pictures.
BY FRANK vREELAND.


the ban on the rotund comedians pic
lures. he has been keeping to himself,
which In this case requires a lot of
keeping. But all tie time he has been
preparing to guide the screen destinies
OF others, since for the present he
cannot control his own orbit on the
screen.
His manager, Joseph NJ Schenck,
proposes to make a director out of him
and while Fatty will hardly become
another d. w. Griffith, and probably
won't make big enough pile to have
another Pullman car automobile with
cellaret attached, still his salary will
bring In the pork and beans. 1t is un-
derstood that he will direct under his
own name, which, now that he will
have the dignified If not always gilt
tering post of megaphone wizard,
probably won't be billed any more
with the FATTY" in discreet parenthe-
sis. Directing will hardly be new
thrill for Arbuckle. He supervised
the production of his last pictures for
Paramount, so. when they We're
squelched ne was doubly .snuffed out.
Fatty, In a word, seems to have taken
Mr. Hays's tip and sought his mission
in life elsewhere than In acting
Whether he VIII ever reappear as q
player on the screen is a point that will
have to be left to Father Time and
Mentor Hays. Incidentally, it is re-
ported that most Of the exhibitors
throughout the country are just as we'll
satisfied for the present that Fatty
was ruled off the turf" feeling that
under current conditions 1t was a bene-
fit rather than a death blow to the
screen. The result seems to indicate
that the silver sheet can get along with
out almost any performer-a dreadful
thought for the contemplation of Holly
wood
Glenn Hunter. who has just made
hit in his starring debut in "The Cradle
Buster" will, according to report, be the
youth who will put Merton of the
Movies on his feet before the camera
Hunter likewise has been picked as the
leading candidate for the stage version
of Harry Leon Wilson'S story which
George S. Kaufman and Mare Connolly
are now refining into pure gold for the
footlights. IT ought to be easier to turn
this yarn into q photoplay than a
| often must say in the movies, you neve.
can tell until the box office issues a
statement
Griffith may attack flamboyant flap
perism and jazz in the movies, though
he will probably leave that ultra-sacred
subject. bobbed hair, severely alone. He
| has been waited upon by representatives
of the Daughters OF the American Revo-
txtx~ =. Id. f<.xr
picture which. they were convinced,
would be efficient propaganda to coun-
teract various un-American influences
which they observed to be debasing
native manners and morals to the point
! where q general alarm ought to be sent
| out on the screen. It Is said they were
particularly concerned about the negroid
aspects of American civilization and
wanted Griffith to direct production
attacking the jazz spirit all along the
line, from syncopated music to the
evanescent 'shifter" movement with its
syncopated morals. Griffith has been
revolving the projection in his mind.
but so far hasn't ground out definite
decision.
| Those who attend the latest William
Fox picture, Nero" at the Lyric, must
! be prepared to be amazed by other
| things than ornate and imposing set
| tings, and costumes that apparently
were SO iridescent in the original that
| they simply break out into color ire
pressibly on the screen. The surprise
begins even before the curtain rises.
You remark on the program chaste
note from the producer to the effect that
he las preferred not to say anything
about the actual cost of this ambitious
production, leaving It to be judged solely
| on its artistic merits. which Is a tacit
Acknowledgement that spreading the
glad tidings that a picture cost "over
| $1,000, 900" Is considered to be losing
caste with the public and smacks too
much of loud ballyhoo.
A second striking change OF front is
| the absence of any trace of that vul-
garity which has often been the 1 per
cent. OF alloy in 90 per cent. worth
while Fox picture. Even IL II bobbed UP
but once. Il, seemed inevitable that this
| hint of the unseemly must put sort Of
trade mark on the production. Yet, as
| tonishingly enough, Nero is not made
repellently gross and sensual. which
heightens his resemblance to that de-
| fender OF honor on the screen, William
Farnum. Despite the obvious tempta-
ton with such a character not once-re-
gardless Of the sanction of history--does
a damsel In diaphanous drapery do q
sublImated ohimmy before him.
Perhaps the censorship Is responsible
| for the emphasis OF the dramatic. rather
| than the voluptuous--but anyhow, there
Il Is. While J. Gordon Edwards's gen.
eral handling of such huge production
has been generally splendid. he seems to
have overlooked two opportunities that
| might have been utilized by a more
hackneyed director. though the film cut
ter may be guilty of these lapses. Galba
should be shown giving the final signal
for the advance Of the rebellious legions
on Rome-everything has led UP to that
cllmateric point--ahd when the legions
thunder into the city. there should be at
least n momentary shock of battle. in
stead OF view of the crowds piling
down from the stands in the same way
as after a football game.
The interior settings in their effect of
richness often suggest a painting by
Sir Laurence Alma -Tradema. Gustav
| Brooks color scenes are tasteful
enough. but one would have preferred.
for instance. leaving the symbolism Of
the cross In all its homely naturalness,
instead OF having II suddenly burst into
golden radiance after the manner Of
vaudeville iegerdcmain. The religious
element in the story has been handled
inoffensively, following the lines OF
most OF such Christian martyr stories,
which will probably always be popular
so long as they are familiar. The COM
plex threads of the tale have been well
interviewer by the writer's. Charles
Sarver and Virginia Tracy. except that