Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-12
THE MOVIE FANS LETTERBOX
BY HENRY NJ. NEELY

"Ecney Mceney''--1 s'pose your real
name is Miney Mo. isn't It? I'm sorrH
you insist on my opinion of Border
land" / started the day full of hap
piness and optimism and here you go
and ruin IT, Besides, / can't give an
absolutely definite opinion. I'd be
tempted right now to say it is the
worst photoplay have ever seen. but
that's sweeping statement, and l
ought to allow myself at least SIX
months coming of my memory TO try
to think Of worse one. So far, l
haven't succeeded.
| said some time ago in Il review
of the work of various directors that
Paul Powell was good in his day, but
that the movies had passed him by.
Borderland' doesn't make me retract
that. Powells fantasy" in this film
is merely the maudin incoming of n
department store fioOrwaikcr, who is
sure that Robert Service writes poetry:
He has no power to picture spiritual
Imagery in any terms beyond those
learned in the horrors OF bargain day
rush. And he projects them against
n background of myopic distortions of
ninety eight cent wallpaper or the
Autographs from the ten-cent picture
frame counter. 'Borderland' in. every
department - direction. photography,
settings, spirit and cont!auity-struck
me as being the perfect example Of
what photoplay should not be,
Just David writes: "In reading
over the Letter Box daily fail to find
any mention of Sessue Hayakawa, who
think is a wonderful actor, one of the
best on the screen, in fact
by the way, Henry, how do you
pronounce his name? DO you snceze
1t or just naturally cough it up:
'IIow is 1t that he is making so
few pictures lately and what is his lat
est; also Is he japanese or Chinese!
About how long has Hayakawa played
on the screen and how was his talent
discovered? Was he married in the
United States or his native country? ?
Please publish his address, as l should
like to write TO him and secure his pic
ture if possible.
by the way, Henry, when you take
Cynthia out to lunch on Monday take
her to some swell joint and not to the
Put and Take; remember she Is lady.
'Fess up, now; you do eat In that joint
once in q while, don't you!'
(Always-the day before each pay
day. And wouldn't for the world
have 1t known that take Cynthia
there, because it would create an awful
scandal. Hope you'll be good sport
and keep 1t to yourself.
Your screen idol is Jap and he
himself pronounces his name as If 1t
were Sess- You (accent on the ''Sess }
High-a -kah-w' (accent on the
"High"D. That's the information ]
get straight frcm the man who acted
as his guide on his last Eastern trip.
He hasn't been making pictures late
ly because his contract ended and he
and his wife, Tsuru AOkl, went back
to Japan for visit and, according to
latest information, are now In hiding
to escape the vengeance of sort of Jap
Ku Klux Klan, whose members want to
do a rapid fade -out on him because they
think he has ruined Japan's world rep
utation by playing so many villains
parts. So there's no use trying TO write
to him.
Hayakawa went into pictures about
nine years ago. lie came to this coun-
try as an actor in japanese stock
company, but left and entered the Uni =
versity Of Chicago. to perfect his Eng.
| lish. He became engaged to Tsuru
| Aoki, japanese actress, who was
having success in films In California
and she induced him TO try it, too.
Success and marriage both followed.)
"OId. Timer" writes: II won't lay
any claim to having seen the first pic
ture ever produced or anything like
that, but do remember the first picture
of any length that was shown III oul
home town No. not 'Philly'; about
| 1000 miles further west.
| 1T was a regular Main street town,
two good movies on the main street.
"Thanhouser was my special favorite
just then, mainly because of James
Cruzc. who then played leads for 1t
trusty Jack Richardson Mas the heavy.
Maybe he wasn't the %iId. bad man
Anyway. the picture vas Rider Hag
CARDS story. Tess h,ld Jess, Paul.
Inc Rush and Jcrralyn Nan Trump had
the leads. After Sitting half way
through the picture ia sign came on the
screen, Second aIH l,7t ,pnrt shown
tomorrow evening" NE result was
had to kid my big sister into another
dime for the next night, But imagine
doing that in this day and age. For
tunately they don't.
Coming back to modern times, ism
1t fine to hear all the letters boosting
the news wceklies, Pathe, and so on
] used to imagine ] was queer because
they appealed to me. So many people
say they make them weary. ! cant
think of n more interesting thing than
seeing before your eyes places and
events that you read of daily.
I "And some time ago who was il in
bur column (sOund rather pOssessiye,
lfioesn't II, our cor IN, : but ! Ike to