New Ulm review., 1922-04-26

1922. i
aFooLIsH WIVES CALLED
SCREEN MASTERPIECE
First Million Dollar Picture.
The first real million-d dollar photo
drama has made its appearance. tits
Foolish Wives, an extravagant pic
turization Of life and adventures at
Monte Carlo, made by Erich Won
Stroheim for the Universal Film Com
pany. In the layishness Of it's sets,
the absolute accuracy Of its details
and its unusual characte ions, it
is reputed to outstrip anything hither-
to attempted for the screen. It is to
be presented at the Grand Theatre on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April
27, % and 20.
Much has been heard of how Won
Stroheim caused the construction by
the Universal studios in California, OF
huge structures exactly duplicating
the principal buildings at the Europe
an pleasure resort. Those who have
seen the picture say that the director
has absolutely reprod oduced Monte Car
10, from the exotic architecture Of the
Casino down to the monograms on,
the linen Of the Hotel de Paris.
Universal announces that more
than 100000 alone was spent for
sets and that varying numbers OF
extra actors, from several hundreds
I to several thousands, were used from
time to time to get crowd scenes typi-
cal Of the surging pleasure kers
who throng the plazas, the parks, the
prornenades and cafes of Monte Carlo.
1 The magnificent sets, the gay
crowds and the colorful activities OF
Monte Carlo, have been used, it is
understood, only as a setting for Won
Stroheim's strange and forceful story
Of the adventures and intrigues OF q
! bogus Russian Count and his pursuit
1 of the frivolous wife OF an American
diplomatic envoy. The director him
self plays the role Of the Continental
i Lotha1io and is said to have created
la character recognized as the most
/ debonair, yet the most despica BILE ever
Iseen on the screen.
Strong Cast.
i A strong cast appears with Won
Stroheim in Foolish Wives" ]" Maud
I George and Mae Busch play the roles
of two adventuresses accomplices Of
the Count Miss du Pont, who is a
star in her own right with Universal,
takes the role Of the frivolous Ameri-
can wife, while Rudolph Christians, q
popular G Continental actor, plays her
Ihusband. Dale Fuller appears as q
servant maid; Caesare Gravina, for
merly an operate star, appears as an
old italian counterfeiter, and Malveen
Polo, as his halfwit daughter.
| The characters delineated by these
and other members Of the cast are said
to be gems OF histrionic art. Won Stro-
helm, who directed Blind Husbands
and .The Devils Pass Key, long
5lhas been noted for the vividness Of his
.|icharacters. In Foolish Wives" ne
has gone much further, it is under
i stood, in creating characters that live
lin, the mind as real and forceful per.
sonalities.
i Beautiful Sets.
These characters live and move q.
bout in settings Of remarkable grand
leur and realism. The ocean promen'
! lade at Monte Carlo-the plaza, ths
elaborate suites Of the Hotel de Paris
!, the Cafe de Paris the Casino, with
Its expensively dressed throngs OF rou
Ilette maddened men and women-th'
exotic night water carnival-the pig
leon shooting range the quaint out
skirts of Monte Carlo the private
, villas and the sublime views Of shor'
, and sea which make Monte Carlo
mecca Of beauty all these and man!
more have been caught by the camera
+ eye as atmosphere for Foolish Wives
5 1t took more than eighteen month
!. to produce Foolish Wives. TIL
last six months Of this time were de
] voted to cutting and editing the vas
amount Of negative film exposed. Ac
) tual figures for the production sho,
) that 10000 feet of film were taker
! This has been cut down to little owe
10000 feet, the present length OF tn
photo-drama. Only the most stril
ing scenes and the most perfect pho
! tography were retained.
!. tits Of interest to note that score
! lof prominent San Francisco societ
folk acted as "extras" during certai
scenes of the picture. They wer
used to give tone to the promenad
J. scenes showing the Monte Carl
ocean terraces where Europe an
Americas aristocracy are to be foun
trolling during the Rivera season.