Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-04
The Moving Picture
By Robert E. Sherwood

! ANOTHER German picture has
"A crossed the Atlantic and found
; it's way to the American screen. 1t lis
! called Variety" and. as revealed this
week at the Rialto Theater. in New
| York, it proves itself a worthy sue
cessor to the notable German produc-
| tons that have gone before.
Variety" was directed by +. A. Du-
/ pont, who also prepared the story; it
| is played by a cast which includes
| Emil Jannings and Lya de Putt. The
work of MessrS. Dupont and Jan
| nings is deserving of elaborate praise;
| Miss de Putti's contribution to the en-
| tertainment is not SO impressive.
| It Is Il strange story. of humble
| show folk in Hamburg amusement
| park. who rise in their profession I'M
| til they become stellar performers on
| the trapeze in Berlin's kindergarten.
| Every night they swing and somer-
sault perilously above the heads of the
| trusting, beer.drinking audience. They
perform their acrobatic miracles
three of them. two men and a girl
until they are suddenly converted into
triangle. at the corners of which
may be found Illicit love. unfaithful-
ness and bitter passion for revenge.
This forms a marvellous melodra-
matte situation. and Director Dupont
has developed II to the utmost limit
of thrilling effectiveness.
The performancA>by Emil Jannings,
as a genial, easy going, credulous ac-
par with his unforgettable characteri-
cations in Passion" Deception" and
The Last Laugh"
There Is no actor I'm the movies who
possesses the intense vitality, the ter.
rifle power of Emil JanninGS-and it
will be extremely interesting to watch
his progress when he comes to Amer
lea this Summer. Lya de Putt Is al
ready here. appearing with Adolphe
Menjou in ID. w. Griffiths production.
Sorrows of Satan" T.. A. Dupont is
scheduled to reach these shores before
long
Variety" has been installed in the
Rialto Theater for an extended run,
following two such emphatic box office
hits as For Heavens Sake" and
"Aloma of the South Seas Its dis
tributors. Famous Players-Lasky. be-
lieve that it will be the most profitable
of all the German pictures-which
certainly isn't saying much.
1t deserves to succeed.
Many tales are told of meteoric rises
prodigeS but the struggles of those
who go up the high ladder one rung
at time are infrequently chronicled
During a visit to Hollywood, over
four years ago, I went to the Goldwyn
studio and there encountered a dis
consulate young lady and an equally
disconsolate young man. One of them
was Eleanor Boardman. the other
William Haines They had both been
recruited in New York by Bijou Fer
nandeZ. who was then hunting for
new talent and both had been award
ed movie contracts at a small salary
on the chance that they might de-
velop talent. Taken to Hollywood
with this glowing opportunity ahead
of them, they had been given no
chance to do anything whatever-and
they both were complaining bitterly
when | saw them. Indeed, both were
looking longingly toward their former
jobs in New York.
Miss Boardman was the first to
break through. About wear later
she was given a good part in a Rupert
Hughes picture. Souls for Sale; Mr.
Haines was effectually obscured in
the same production. After that Miss
Boardman went on to success, leav-
ing Mr.. Haines far behind her.
denly found himself in The Tower
of Lies" Little Annie Rooney"
Memory Lane" Brown of Harvard"
and "Lovey Mary" He is now about
to be made star. with a glowing fu-
ture ahead of him.
Both Miss Boardman and Mr.. Haines
are to be seen next year in Tell 1t to
the Marines"
Miss Fernandez may we'll be proud
of her perceptiveness in picking this
pair on their face value alone The
material of which stars are made Is
not easy to -flnd-as any casting di.
rector can tell you.
=
F.. w. Murnau. director of THE
Last Laugh" arrives in New York
this week. bringing with him print
of his latest product, Faust" with
Emil Jannings as NIephisto. Faust"
will be released by Metro-Goldwyn
Mr.. Murnau will work in the future
for Fox.
Copyright. 1920