Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-01
THE MOVIE FANS LETTER.BOX
BY HENRY NJ. NEELY

my pet corns-I mean fancics-in that
letter of YOURS. And you did it so
sweetly and Interestingly that haven't
first place you couldn't have picked Il
better subject to start n fight than to
run down Peter Ibbetson.' Guess you
haven't been reading the Letter Box
very regularly or you'd have seen that
| spoke of it as the perfect picture
and one of two leading the van In 1921.
And / wasn't referring to the acting or
photography, either. though they were
splendid. 1t was the story, Du
Maurier's story. fascinating to read.
unforgettable on the stage. and de-
cidcdly well done in pictures. If the
films don't have imagination - we'll.
Heaven help them. What you speak
Of as ''hercsy." however, pretty nearly
given my ideas on this great Master of
Hoakum recently. Az for Mae Murray
we gods. as Billy Baxter would say
well, ! won't let loose again, And.
again. on the subject of Carmen.
My original opinion was only con-
hrmed when l saw the recently issued
condensed version; it is one of the best
adaptations of a famous novel. play or
opera ] hav" ever seen. and that 'sor-
didnesS' you speak of was one of the
high lights, since that hits off Meri-
NEE S character, I'm sure | don't know
when Wally is going back to "his old
racer. but hope not for a long time.
That last rs merely matter of book
ings: And didn't say that lived
at the shore in summer. said "the
wilds of New Jersey" but dare not
mention the place after that because
the people of Delanco are very sensitive
and wouldn't like that word "wilds."
Senorita-Address Alma Rubens, care
Of Pioneer Film Company. 729 Sew
enth avenue, New York. 1t was the
Metro company which produced "The
Four Horsemen." Address them at
Hollywood, Calf. No. Valentino
doesn't wear a patent leather wig, but
It does look like it, doesn't it?
Norma Fan writes-"I have been an
/ interested reader of your page for some
time and have enjoyed it---somc times
Some nights the letters published are
too silly for words. But a letter like
that published February % was worth
reading except for one point, and that
you personally did not like-the attack
on Norma Talmadge. She il my fa-
vorte actress, so much so that ] have
named my tiny daughter after her. l.
she coming back to New York to make
pictures! Little Norma would pass as
her daughter in pictures very well. and
| hear It is hard to get baby actresses
who look like the stars. We would
gladly let her take the part if ever tns
time came. ] personally have been told
everywhere that I go that I also look
/ like Norma Talmadge.
/ do tho directors and managers of
moving pictures think we are abso-
lutcly dense? Such silly things Us they
! pass on us are ridiculous.
For instance, In 'Footlights,' Elsie
Ferguson. as Parsinova, the Russian
actress, disappears in the lake. dressed
in fantastic bathing suit. They
showed II dark space of water with
bubbles rising to the surface. Then
the next minute she is shown coming
into a restaurant wearing Il knitted
cape and a tweed tam and skirt. How
did she get there; Where did shc
change her clothes? These are the nat
ural questions raised and they amusr
the audience.
''lIow long must we go on seeing
films when such flaws are 30 plain Z,
see! Arc the directors themselves so
dense they themselves cannot see such
glaring errors? could go on raving
about mistakes in movies until you were
sound asleep, but l will close with one
question: Is the - School
of PhotOplay Writing Il good one?"
(My memory of the details of "Foot
lights is not perfect. but l do not re-.
call the mistake you mention. 1t seems
to me that it was clearly shown Par
sinova had made all preparations for
her supposed drowning and the reincar-
nation of Lizzie Parsons. ! know that
impression was so clearly made on mp
, that the change of clothes left no Gucs
tion in my mind, and ! am pretty keen
at spotting these mistakes. too.
have no personal, direct knowledge
of the school you mention, but I have
heard several very favorable reports
about 1t.
Norma Talmadge is now East for
a visit, but will return to the West u
make her future pictures. If you want
to get in touch with her about youl
''hughtcr. why not write her persona,
representative. Miss Beulah Living
stone, 1910 Broadway, New York?)