The New York herald., 1922-03-05

khie Of historical romances. regardless
tnat these never will supplan, the
good old kitchen sink dramas. His
latest production. on which he sns-
pended his attack long enough to come
east and rescue Mary from the crowds
tnat threatened to suffocate her with
their good will. is of the Robin Hood
tspe. with episodes showing King John
OF England and the Crusaders. all
mixed up together TO make the kind OF
mess into which Doug loves to bounce,
only to bounce out again.
NO doubt some Of the medieval sets
erected for "The Three Musketeers"
came in most handy for this. though
Doug's moustache may appear too
modern with its toothbrush points-but
then he can overcome easily this draw
iItg room adornment with his smile.
that fits any epoch. But the really
unusual feature of the forthcoming
picture is that Maurice Hewlett
Maurice of the elegant diction and
the precious styles to write the titles
and give to them the flavor of the
period; for Hewlett all but holds a
birth certificate from that era. This
will be the first time he has ever writ
ten deliberately or consciously for the
screen.
As matter of fact, the subtitles may
1pt prove to possess immortal. imperish.
able art so far as the screen is con-
nA- no. hay
may be decoded and rearranged by Fair
banks himself. because, while the story
may be ancient the movies are indis-
Jttably modern. and fine control of
''thees' and 'thous" doesn't necessarily
make a grand scenario writer. This
would not be without precedent, for the
same thing happened with THE Three
Musketeers." and the public can give
three cheers at their leisure to Doug
for. it. After having bought Edward
1Snoblock's version and paid him good
round sum. just to start the high brows
and perhaps the thick ears-kowtow
ing over the big name, Fairbanks care
fally threw the Knoklocll version away
and wrote most of his own captions and
continuity, doing a job that Alexandra
dumas probably would have wanted to
claim credit for himself.
The star in conversations with friends
oyer some critical wiseacres who said
mat he made d'Artaonon too acrobatic
eud jumpy. when. as matter of fact,
1loug points out. he did only the stunts
that the French swashbuckler was rep
resented to have done himself. without
Introducing any original flpflops of his
own. He simply selected the incidents
that stood out. Fairbanks says. and
went at them hammer and tongs. He
- q. 49, g.
100 captious about details in his picture
read the Dumas original as a good course
OF treatment.
More and more Is Fairbanks getting
impatient OF going TO outside talent with
s.prestige in order to give to the movies
an air of authenticity equaling that of
1sathe News Doug feels that it is high
time the films stood on their own legs
and not on somebody else's university
degree. He says he has an erstwhile
professor on his staff who is as much
cf an authority on early periods the
scribe who drew up the Magma Charta.
-snother man is employed just to see
that the women's costumes are in good
iaste and not any more provocative than
those worn in the various epochs. II is
ever points like these, and the reluctance
OF the higher criticism to accept the
movie producers themselves when they
are aspiring to anything worth while
11at Doug swallows his smile. clenches
lis jaws and almost looks mad.
He is much captured with the thought
III some day putting Benvenuto Cellini
na the screen, which would be as sur
prisingly novel as making screen ro-
nance out OF the life OF Frederic Rem
ington. Celini. the many sided artist,
was as much at home at sticking men as
chipping stone. and when he was in
-
1eartedly that he made a point of slash
ing them only in the legs. declining to
1ouor them by killing them. His lusty.
animated character woutd be form fit
ling for Doug. Later he hopes to do
DON Cesar dc RoSoa, and then-register
woe--he sort Of trifes with the idea of
retiring.
what would you do" he was asked.
10 you ever actually pried yourself
loose from the SCREEN"
"Oh, ! dunno" he said. Guess /
might make dolies or design lamp
shades"
Charlie Chaplin has just completed
tire actual photographing OF Pay Day"
ands the cutting and titling may soon
he finished motion picture editors will
be presently relieved OF the strain Of
being hailed by their friends thus, Hey,
when Is Charlie Chaplin's next picture
corning?" While the details of his latest
production are shrouded in the classical
mystery OF the movies. IL Is understood
that IL deals with a young man who gets
lot of money suddenly and goes
through II like a movie star.
~
An interesting test was carried out
recently in connection with "The Loves
of Pharaoh now sweeping all before Il
like n sandstorm at the Criterion. which
shows that it's producer. Ernest Lubitsch.
IS flore careful and painstaking than an
arIny quartermaster sergeant Hugo
Jaesenfeld's publicity department, just
70 satisfy It's own burning curiosity
sot some real Egyptian hleroglyphcs,
compared them with the symbol writing
IN the Lubitsch photoplay and found
TREY matched more perfectly than many
pairs OF ears do.
-
Sarah Bernhardt's recent illness has
deprived Paramount Of figure with
which the Famous Players-Lasky or
csnization expected to make its ten
year jubilee now under way. something
- attract the notice Of even the Ladies'
Literary and Sewing Society in Squan-
tiiE. Adolph Zukor. president of the
1fanio1s Players-Lasky has a whole
suite reserved In his heart for the divine