Evening star., 1924-05-18
BY HALLETT ABEND.

| Los ANGELES, May 16.-It now
seems evident that the effort Of pro-
| ducers for better pictures is appre-
GATED by the public. Dollars and
cents tell the story, for the federal
amusement taxes from motion picture
theaters continue to mount month by
! month and the collections for March
In all districts have broken previous
records. In the southern California
district, according to the federal Of
ficiaIs here, $4,227, 900 was paid for
admissions during March as against
s3,002, 900 in March Of last year This
| r. presents the sale Of 20,3S0 900 tax
able tickets and brought the govern
nent S352,710 in taxes as against re-
turns of 1872 .209 for March last year.
Buster keaton has begun work on
a new feature length comedy which
will be called The Navigator" Prac-
tically all the scenes Will be made on
shipboard, and the 450-foot liner Bu-
ford has been chartered for two
months. For some of the scenes IN
VolvinS both passengers and crew as
many as 100 extras will be needed.
This immense crowd will be taken to
Catalina Island for one sequence.
Give Morrison, young brother OF
Colleen Moore, has temporarily given
train for place on the Olympic team
in the swimming division. He is now
amateur diving champion OF Califor-
MIA
Max Graf, the producer, is recover
ing from an attack OF pneumonia
which for time was considered
very dangerous.
Ben Turpin, the comedian and his
wife have just returned from Il trip
to the shrine Of st. Anne de Beaupre'
I in IA. a =
been deaf for many years, has re-
gained her hearing. She attributes
her cure TO the miraculous powers OF
the shrine. where thousands go an
nually for hearing.
Great Trees Moved.
Three carloads of big pine trees
have been transported from the FOR
ests of northern California to Uni
versal City for the making OF scenes
in William Desmond's Big Timber.
The star and cast spent many weeks
in the real forest, but the planted
forest at the studio will be used for
mob scenes. it having been found
cheaper TO bring the woods to Holly
wood instead of taking several hum
dred extras to the woods. Desmond s
next picture will be from n. II.
Knibhs' story, Overland Red, and
he will be supported by Olive Has
brouck, Betty Francisco and Claud
payton.
Myrtle Stedman and Huntly Gordon,
who co-starred in THE Famous Mrs
Fair" are again playing leads to-
gether in Wine"
Peter B. kyne, who first wrote for
the movies and then quarreied with
them. has not forgotten his an
tipathy. Mr.. kyne. was in Los An
gelcs. "A transient visitor at the port
here. when the ship on which he is
making round the world cruise put
in for few days. and he announced
that none of his later novels and no
more "Cappy Kicks. stories will ever
be filmed I'm through with the
movies forever" he said. 1T is time
10 stop when fifteen or twenty men
try to tell a fellow how his own
stories should be handled.
Warner Brothers, who last year
made twenty-five feature films. Will
this year make twenty-four, Harry
Warner announces. Ernst Lubitsch.
save for making one picture for
Paramount with Pola Negri, will re-
main with the Warner firm, and other
directors for the season will be Harry
Beaumont. William Beaudine, Nal St
Claire, James Flood and Millarde