Evening star., 1924-06-08
BY HALLETT ABEND.

Los ANGELES, June 6.-Many a
director has, with easy confidence.
tried to direct a western" on the
assumption that it is an easy thing
to do. The fact that it is difficult,
however, is amply attested by the
number Of terrible WESTERNS which
are released every year
This preamble is meant to lead up
to the fact that David Smith, Vita
graph, has taken a trashy story,
The Range Boss" and made it into
Il western melodrama of unusual
merit and entertainment value. 1t
will be released during the summer,
under the title, Code Of the Wilder
ness" another of those junky title
changes. No wilderness is shown, the
settings being deserts and cattle
seems to be to shoot the other fellow
before he can shoot you. But the
title had to be changed, because the
picture stars Alice Calhoun, the Vita
the range boss was played by John
Bowers, a free lance.
Miss Calhoun's part is that of an
eastern girl who inheritS cattle
by her uncle, her aunt and her scoun-
drelly fiance. 1t is not the kind OF
thing that suits either her beauty
nor her talents, but she makes the
part live and shine out brightly.
times his villainy is a little too OBJ
vious. John Bowers, the range boss,
handles his Characterization with
great skill, and he is as good as the
fighter as he is as the lover. Otis
Harlan, as the stars uncle, carries
most of the comedy of the piece, and
that is good deal. 1t is probably
the fault of the script that he seems
more funny as the farmer than as the
city man come west. But he's very
amusing and consistent. kittie Brad
bury, Miss Calhoun's aunt in the pic
ture. had not so sympathetic part
as that in The Midnight Alarm" in
which she played the part of Miss
Calhoun'S mother, but she makes a
great deal of her scenes of fiery in
dignation and disgust over the be-
havlor of the fiance. Charlotte Mir
lam, given a small part as an unfor-
tunate western ranch girl, makes
that small footage stand out in mem
ory with great vividness. Miss Mir
lam has both beauty and dramatic
force.
code of the Wilderness" is picto-
rally exquisite. Indeed, | can recall
no other vitagraph picture which
shows anything approaching Steve
Smiths splendid photography in this
him.
charlie Chaplin, in reply to cable
from the London News, declines. with
appreciative thanks, the suggestion
Pan" He adds. though. that he may
make one of his next three films in
England. George Melford. former
Iasky director. has signed with First
National. to direct Barbara La Mari in
"Sa.ndra"
Louis F. Gottschalk. composer has
returned from Italy. where he wrote
tho musical score for Lillian Glsh's
screen version of George Eliot's "Ro-
mola" while the picture was being
Kathleen Clifford has completed
work in "Grandpa's Girl" for Christie.
The costly new concrete laboratory
building at the Warner Brothers
studio has as been bee completed: 1t can
Hollywood is greatly interested in
continued reports to the effect that
Estelle Taylor and Jack Dempsey,
the prize fighter, will soon announce
their engagement to wed. Neither
confirms the rumor, but each is half
hearted when it comes to giving out
y fiat denial.
Irene Rich, who leaves soon for
England to make picture entitled
long-term starring contract with
Warner Brothers. The first OF her
starring pictures, to be begun as soon
49, she returns from abroad. will prob
ably be Villa Gathers "The Lost
Lady"
samuel Goldwyn has signed Vera
Gordon to play the part of Mrs.
Potash in Potash and Perimutter in
Hollywood
Carmel Myers has left for Europe.
In addition to playing in Ben Hur,'
she will be starred by - German pic
ture concern in u film version of i
German novel named "Garragan
With the arrival of Tom Moore
from New York last week the three
famous Moore brothers-Tom, Matt
and Owen-are reunited for the first
time in five years.
Marshall Neilan, who has suffered
two severe attacks of stomach all