Evening star., 1923-06-24

settings of vivid contrast. At hrst
the stone age; then he pays his C
glory of the Roman Caesars, and tn
young man OF today, who has to col
No one sequence IS carried to
whole play is series of short epls
rolicking burlesque of customs and
aptly managed that there is never al
locking plots.
Many a comedian has made name
for himself solely because he has
had clever title writer. but the
titles OF The Three Ages are not
the main laugh getterS. In tact
only a few OF the titles are other
than explanatory, and in the whole
i've and a half reels only twenty-six
titles were used. This, because the
acting is so swift, so rib-tickling and
so logical that titles are not needed
Nine and half months is a long
time TO spend on comedy, even
one that is almost six reels long
After seeing the film, when | asked
Buster what took all the time:
oh. the stunts, he said. Rc-
member the stone age base ball
stunt: The time | use the war club
as a ball bat and knock out the vii
lain by batting back at him rock
which he hurls at me:
Well, we had to photograph that
one little scene seventy-tWo tunes
before we got it. Sometimes, |
blush to say, l famed out-didn't
hit the rock at all. Many, many
times the rock did not hit the viii
lain. At other times it hit his arm,
his leg. or struck only glancing
blow. We used up reel after reel OF
film on that gag and finally the
seventy-second time the rock was
batted back. and hit him squarely
lust under the chin and really
knocked him down"
The Roman sets are immense and
lavish. In fact. they are the largest
sets ever built here except those for
Douglas Fairbanks Robin Hood
and for De Miles Ten Command
mentS."
1t would be unfair to the film itself
to tell. in detail, how the big laug ghs
are won, for most of the stunts de-
pend upon the element of surprise.
Time after time I had momentary
feeling Of misgiving-feared | was
about to see the same old thing. and
then, just as | got ready to yawn, J
was shocked into laughter by ridic-
uous surprise turn or twist given
TO all old comedy situation
Those who see the film will always
remember the chariot race and the
scene in the lions den in the Roman
episodes; the dictation of the will
in the stone age and the fire station
and police station incidents in the
modern portion of the play. There
is also a cabaret scene which will
make any one rock with laughter.
The tag of the play is climax that
will be long remembered.
Producers and even some of the
stars and leading actors are admit
ting cause for worry over the fact
that when many of the big produc-
tions now under way are released
photoplay fans will become tired of
seeing the same faces week after
week no matter which theater they
patronize. 49,
About fifty OF the top notchers
have been busy for weeks playing
at the same time in three, four and
even FIVE and six different produc-
tions. Night and day they have mo-
tored from studio to studio as they
were needed. They have been reap
ing a golden harvest, but now they
and the producers who hire them
begin to wonder if this plan has not
been a two-sided folly But in the
present, mad rush of production
producers will not take time to de-
velop new actors, new directors or
new faces.
What Others Are Doing.
Patsey Ruth Miller, young Gold
wyn star. who was first loaned to
Charles Rayfor THE Girl | Loved"
and then to Universal for THE
Srnchback of Notre Dame" has re-
turned to the Goldwyn lot to play in
Victor Seastrom's production of Sir
Hall Gaines Master of Man."
Others in the cast are Mae BUSCH
and Joseph Schildkraut.
Meanwhile "The Hunchback" has
been completed, and will set new
record in reaching the theaters soon
after release, because the cutting
and titling has been rushed from
the hrSt, ana mas never Deen more
than a week behind the. cameras
Lon CLANCY, as Quasimodo, has the
biggest part of his career.
Willard Mack, who has been
working on scripts for the ]. M
Schenck productions, is now to aet
under the Schenck banner. He will
be seen as Sergt. Kick in the Con-
stance Talmadge film version OF
barbara Winslow, Rebel"
Raymond Hatton has been signed
to act the part of Shorty in THE
Virginian," in which Kenneth Har-
Ian will be starred. -
With the arrival here of Leonore
Uric and Will Rogers the list OF
summer celebrities who are to work
in Hollywood is practically complete
Rogers has begun work at the Hal
Roach studios in series of two
reel comedies. which Charles Par
rott is directing. Miss Uric will
star in "Tiger Rose" at the Warner
Brothers plant. She win make .