Evening star., 1926-04-18
The Moving Picture
By Robert E. Sherwood

EVER since Famous Players-Lasky
purchased the movie rights to AN
American Tragedy" Theodore Dreiser's
ponderous novel, there have been
numerous speculations as to the prob
able fate of the screen version.
The preliminary announcements in
dicate that David Wark Griffith will
direct it, which would mean that Carol
Dempster would certainly play th"
wronged heroine. 1t is rumored. how.
ever, that Mr.. Dreisor has objected
Griffith as director, and Mr.. Griffith
has objected with equal strenuousness
to. the choice of IAN American
Tragedy" as a story for him to direct.
So other plans probably will be made
before the production starts.
In the meantime. IAN American
Tragedy" Is being converted into a
play, with Glenn Hunter and June
Walker tentatively cast in the prin-
cipal roles.
If were called upon to nominate
director for IAN American Tragedy"
land have not been called upon as
Erich Won Strohein, John S. Robert.
son, James Cruze or Henry King
with Won Stroheim as the first choice.
He alone of all the directors in the
movies would catch the true, bitter
realism of DreiSer's story, and repro
duce 1t effectively on the screen. He
did this with Greed" one Of the
most eminently unsuccessful pictures
in history. and there is therefore
small chance that he will be given
the opportunity to do 1t again. Ger
tainly. my last choice for this par
ticular job would be David Wark
Griffith.
AS matter Of fact, I can't possibly
conceive how AN American Tragedy"
can be transplanted to the screen
with any profit to its producers, un.
less 1t is so distorted and mut.lated
as to be unrecogniZable to those who
have read it in its two-volume form.
This, understand, has been strictly
prohibited by the terms of the con.
tract which Mr.. Dresser signed. Evi-
IDENTIFY the powers that be In Famous
Players -I.asky are disinclined to share
my pessimistic views. They paid
something like 100000 for IAN
American Tragedy"-So they must
feel confident that 1t Is q reasonably
valuable property.
The craze for elaborate "presenta-
tions" in the film parlors continues
promoted principally by the Publix
Theatres, which are operated by
Famous Players. 1t Is the Publix
policy to supplement the regular pic
torial entertainment, If such it may
be called, with lavish musical revues,
vaudeville acts, jazz bands. Charleston
contests and similar forms OF box
office stimulation. Gilda Gray has
oeen touring the country, appearing
only in the picture houses, with anaZ.
ing success, and many other celebrities
of the song and dance world are doing
likewise.
Recently Famous Players offered AL
Jolson the tidy sum OF $600.000 to
appear in their Publix Theatres for
forty weeks, doing four performances
each day and singing two songs at
each show.
Mr.. Jolson turned down this offer,
which shows what 100000 means
to him. Personally, l should have
been inclined to think twice about 1t.
X X x y
Speaking of presentations, Sid
Grammar, the Los Angeles impre-
sario, recently engaged In an argu-
ment with A. l.. Erlanger over the
showing OF Ben Hur" in the Egyp-
tian Theater in Hollywood. Mr.. Grau.
man wanted to put on Ben Hur"
with a huge surrounding preSenta-
ton; Mr.. Erlanger wanted 1t put on
with no presentation at all except the
usual orchestral accompaniment.
The result is that Ben Hur" will
not be shown at Grauman's Egyptian
Theater. Instead, Mr.. Grammar will
present as his next offering a double
bill composed Of THE Black Pirate"
and "Sparrows." representing the
latest efforts Of both halves Of the
Pickford- Fairbanks household.
Buster Keaton starts work on his
new picture, THE General" a COM
edy-melodrana Of the Andrews raid
in the Civil War. What Price
Glory" went into production this
week, with Rod La Rogue as Sergt.
Quirt. Victor MacLaglen as Capt.
Flagg and Dolores Del Rio as Char.
maine. Clarence Brown, who direct
ed The Eagle" and KHAKI" has
signed a years contract with Metro
Goldwyn-Mayer.
la Boheme" has not done so we'll
at the Embassy Theater In New York,
and will be succeeded soon by Mary
Pickford in "Sparrows. The Volga
Boatmen." directed by Cecil 3. De
Mile, opened az the Times Square
Theater last Tuesday night. Marc
Connolly. author of The Wisdom
Tooth Is about to depart for Holly.
wood to write movie scenarios.
(Copyright l926)