The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-05
HighHghts and
SHADOWS on News
of Motion Pictures
Famous Players : Lasky Com
pany to End It's English
Invasion.
ny FRANK vREELANp.


British producing field, with directors,
actors and cameramen trained in the
Hollywood cafeteria system. presently
will be causing no more annoyance to
the Government of Great Britain than
the Irish Free State.
John Robertson. who has been POI
jshing off Spanish Jade" in Spain, will
fit back to the United States after
making the interiors inside the Lon
don studio, where no bobby can ex-
claim, II say, there! Stop!" George
Fitzmaurice, the other director dis
patched from these shores with rosy
hopes a year ago, is also scheduled to
make the grand exit with the gallant
crew which has been infusing honest
10 goodness atmospheric there is
such a thing-into THE Man From
Home" in the sunset belt of Italy.
They will return to the land of the
free-of free locations, in the movie
sense-as soon as their interiors have
been completely shot in the metropolis.
1t is an open secret that numerous
discouragements have been thrown in
their path, for the British are a con-
sentative people, as julius Caesar dis
covered. They have been slow to take
20 motion picture producing with all
the dancing bright eyes OF an enthusi-
astic California Chamber of Commerce
The Government has forbidden the use
for photoplays of important public
buildings and historical edifces, and so
much red tape has involved the snap
ming ~ II, tha ba
panies have generally resorted to pho
tographing them by stealth and then
scuttling off for fear the Coldstream
Guards would be turned loose on them
Many such obstacles arose in making
Fitzmaurice's production, Three Live
Ghosts" the only picture whereby the
London enterprise justified itself, and
artifce had 10 be employed to take such
n simple scene as that of Spoofy push
ing a perambuator with lamb and a
toy balloon attached across Trafalgar
Square. which in Los Angeles would be
regarded as part of the natural order
of creat ton.
The London studio is too big and ex-
pensive to be shut down entirely, and 1t
is likely that hereafter this will be
rented out TO whatever English pro-
ducers have the loose change. But the
British field will in future be left Sc
hNeTely dlOHe ny pTpuuCHlG
units, and the Yankee incursion into
Europe. over which much conversation
was expended some time ago, has come
10 an untimely end. with three rousing
cheers from most of those involved.
On their return Robertson and Fftz-
maurice will resume directing at the
former Realart Studios, which has been
redecorated with the new name OF the
Wiltshire. That title is much different
( from the frivolous cognomen attached
to this 'lot" by the other film players,
for they showed their magnanimous tole-
rance for the nice little pictures" turn
ed out here by blithely calling the
studio ''the Nickelodeon." 1t was
common occurrence to hear an actor In
another studio saying majestically:
where's May McAvoy? Oh, she's
over at the Nickelodeon."
Incidentally the recent absorption OF
Realart by Famous Players has led to
much speculation as to why the COM
pany ever existed in the first place, out
side OF providing films for the rural
districts to cackle over. One explanation
has lately been advanced with a good
deal Of plausibility, which pays tribute
TO the astuteness OF Adolph Zukor,
whose chess game is manipulating the
movies.
This story has It that when Wall
Street capital bought heavily into
Famous Players-Lasky stock and Zukor,
ever far-seeing. sensed the possibility
that he might some day be asked to
relinquish the presidency OF Famous, he
developed Realart and laid IL by for
rainy day. With this company he could
20 on producing movies and maintain
ing an interest in life. But when the
stock of Famous tobogganed some time
ago. Zul<or was enabled to buy out the
Wall Street interests, and now that the
stock quotation has rebounded with
agility Zukor finds himself still pres-
dent and surrounded by blocks of Juicy
stock. So the need for Realart's exis-
tence has ceased, and while all those
having contracts, such as stars and
directors were taken over by Famous.
the advertising. publicity and clerical
forces are now trailing jobs to their
lalrs.
BY a coincidence two plays have
opened on Broadway the past week in
which Norma Talmadge. 1t Is reported.
viii arrange her emotions on the screen
in the future. They are "The Voice
from the Mlnaret" i'm which Marie Lohr
is conversing, and 1.-The Nest" both OF
f winch nave uttu pOuEnL py Joseph NJ.
Schenck and added to the bushel which
he has acquired for the screen use of
the little wife. The Voice from the
Mlnaret' is regarded as the next vehicle
In which the comedy Miss Talmadge
will take deep breaths OF California air
The report that Jack Pickford who
needs no introduction TO 10. 700. 600 of
Americans who know a certain Mary
has been secretly plarried TO Marilynn
Miller has again bobbed up during the
last couple Of weeks with much crcum.
stantiality-so much so that show girls
playing with Miss Miller in Sally" pro-
fcss TO know all. and are willing to tell
all. Their bacSstairs history relates
that the couple were evenly matched
about two months ago just outside At
lantic City. though the name OF tho
clerical umpire IS missing. Close friends
Of Pickford on the coast declare that
this is the purcst bunk that ever floated
through filmdon, where tho bunk Is usu-
ally the purest manufactured
While on the subject Of rumors it
might be mentioned, simply as. mat
ter of idle curiosity. that Mae Collins
who Is no longer plain May. since her
, name was connected with Charlie Chap
lins--is reported TO be showing friends
IN Hollywood a handsome diamond ring
and explaining that the comedy king