Evening star., 1926-05-16
The Moving Picture
By Robert +. Sherwood

L
from one producing company to
to another seems to be increasing,
and there have been many notable
| instances OF this within the past few
| months.
An actor or actress, under contract
! to Metro. .Goldwyn, for instance, may
be desired by Famous Players for
some particular part. officials of the
latter corporation will broach the sub
! iect with one of the Metro-Goldwyn
| executives, and if the actor or actress
! in question is not actively engaged
| at the moment, the deal may be ar
ranged. Possibly Metro -Goldwyn will
want a Famous Player in return, re-
! sulting in "A temporary trade.
Thus. Betty Bronson was loaned by
Famous Players to Metro-Goldwyn to
play the Madonna in "Ben-Hur."
More recently, Miss Bronson has been
loaned to First National to appear in
Paradise" with Milton Sills.
Aileen Pringle was loaned by Metro
Goldwyn to First National to play In
THE Wilderness Woman" and
another production, and now she has
been loaned to Famous Players for
Thomas Meighan's picture, Tin
Gods" Renee Adoree, another Metro
Goldwyn star, will also be seen In
Tin Gods"
Mary Brian was loaned by Famous
Players to Metro-Goldwyn for Brown
of Harvard" D."
Samuel Goldwyn, who has several
players under contract, but whose
own prOductions are few and far be-
tween, does "a great deal of lending.
He has farmed out Ronald Coman
on numerous occasions to Joseph NJ.
Schenck for various of the Talmadge
sisters productions, and to Warner
Brothers for Lady Windermere'
Fan" 1t is told in Hollywood that
Ernst Lubitsch, when he was select
ing the cast for Lady Windermere'
Fam" asked Samuel Goldwyn for the
loan of Mr.. Colman, who would be
perfect in the role of Lord Daring
ton, rs Il sympathetic part?
asked Mr.. Goldwyn, who didn't want
his pet star to lose his standing as a
popular favorite. Mr.. Lubitsch as
sured him that 1t was. Later. after
the contract had been signed Mr..
GoldWyn read the script of Wilde's
play as adapted to the screen. and was
greatly panied to discover that Lord
Darlington was, technically, the vii
lain of the piece.
The results were not serious, how
ever, as Ronald Colman'S reputation
as a hero was not damaged by his
appearance in Lady Windermere'
Fan" In fact, it enabled him to
achieve one of the greatest successes
of his brilliant career.
Astute producers in the past have
made "A great deal of money by dis
covering talent in unknown actors
and signing them up to long
ron.clad contracts. For example.
Miss Euphemia lleemy of swamp
junction. Fla, might play small
part in a movie and disclose enor'
NOUS ability.
Patrick Abramson, who is produc-
ing the picture, sees that Miss lleemy
appears to be IL good bet. lie OFFERS
Il tive-year contract az Sloo n week.
This. of course looks wonderful to
Miss Heemy. and she promptly signs
on the dots. Mr.. Ahramson proceeds
to exploit Miss Heemy extensively,
builds up her parts in his pictures
and calls her to the attention of the
public and the movie. industry in an
emphatic way. Miss ileemy becomes
star and is in great demand.
Then the wise Mr.. Asoramson farms
her out to other companies. for what
ever salary he can get. IT may ne
81. 600 week. or it may be consider
ably more He pays her, according
day, and credits the balance of her
earnings to his own account as
reward for his far-slghtedness.
OF course, Miss HeemY may turn
out to be dud, in which case Mr..
AbramsOn is left holding the bag. This
happens only infrequently, however,
as movie producers are not prone to
gamble with long-term contracts un-
less they are tolcrably sure OF the
results.
Perhaps the movie producers will
borrow an idea from organized base
ban and institute the trading" sys-
tenn. Thus we might expect to read
that the Fox Film Corporation has
offered Universal four players and a
sum of money for Reginald Denny. or
that Warner Brothers has obtained
Rod LIE Rocque from Cecil h. DE Mile
In return for Monte Blue.
The future career Of Lillian Gish Is
the subject of much speculative com
ment. There are those who say that
she is definitely on the down grade
and that she will never again regain
her former prominence: others main
tain. stoutly, that she hasn't even
reached the top of her stride as yet.
Lillian GiSh. with her sister Dor
othv. entered the movies in the early
davs when d. W. Griffith was making
two.reel pictures for Riograph. Her
first success came with The Birth of
a Nation" and her fame was strength
ened in subsequent Griffith produc-
ions-"Intolerance," Hearts of the
World" Broken Blossoms Way
Down East" and orphans of the
Storm"
When she departed from the Grif-
fifth fold. to become an individual star,
she scored a triumph in THE White
Sister" and then slumped back In
"Romola."
Last Fall she signed with Metro
Goldwyn and La Boheme" Is the in
itial result of that signature. 1t does
not add materially to Miss Gishs
aurels. Her next picture (now in
production) will be "rhe Scarlet Let
ter" and following that, Annie
Laurie"
In Annie Laurie" the fair Lillian
will be directed by John $. Robertson.
who has been responsible for DIR.
Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde" "Footlights.
Sentimental Tommy" THE En-
chanted Cottage" and several of
Richard Barthelmess' later pictures.
lie and Lillian Gish should form an
ideal combination, and there is every
reason to hope for great things from
them.
Lillian Gish has suffered from mis-
management-much of which is her
own faut-but she is an artist of
traordinary power, and there Is no