Evening star., 1926-03-14
The Moving Picture
By Robert h. Sherwood

Carlton, in New York city, as
sumed an academic aspect last week
when the graduating exercises of the
Paramount Pictures School were held
in it's grand ballroom. Mr.. Jesse
L.asky. representing the faculty.
awarded diplomas TO the 10 young
ladies and gentlemen of the class of
1926, and there were hearty express
sions of good fellowship and collegiate
spirit on all sides.
The Paramount Pictures School. ii
will be remembered. was started last
July at the Famous Players Studio i'll
Long Island City. The 16 students
had been selected 0argely on the
strength of physical appearance)
from some $1,000 applicants In all
parts of the United States.
They were put through a thorough
| course of training. in pantomime.
etiquette. dancing with particular at
! tention to the Charleston,, swimming,
makeup, costuming. fencing and gym
nastics. They studied under the old
masters such as Richard Dix. Lila
Lee. Thomas Meighan. Clara Bow and
.Adolphe Menjou-and learned the fun
damentals of their art.
Having completed the assigned
course. they were turned loose in the
studio to make picture of their own.
under the direction Of Sam Wood. A
story with Is star parts was written
for them by Byron Morgan.
After Mr.. Lasky had awarded the
diplomas. Charles Brokaw president
of the class Of '26l delivered a vale
dictory address, and presented Mr..
Lasky with a handsome cigarette case
as q tokeIY of esteem from himself and
his classmates. s&
Then the lights were dimmed. cur
tains were drawn at one end OF the
Ritz ballroom, revealing a silver
screen, and the projection machines
shot forth the high-lights and shad-
oWs of Fascinating Youth the stu
dents first picture.
1t proved to be pretty bad. As
result of the attempt to give all the
kiddies equal prominence. the story
assumed a quality OF extreme vague
ness, and the spectator experienced
great difficulty in deciding who was
who. None of the future stars was
given q chance to get started on
scene of his or her own. and 1t was
therefore impossible to decide whether
any Of them showed promise.
1t was also extremely hard to de-
termine what. IL anything, was the
plot Of Fascinating Youth" That
seemed to have been lost in the col
legiate shuttle.
!: !: = =
The class of 1926 consists of the fol,
lowing:
Robert Andrews (age 25l Of New
York City: Gregory Blackton (25) of
Brooklyn. \. Y; Charles Brokaw (26)
of Columbus, Ohio: Claud Buchanan
(25) Of Boston, Mass; Josephine Dunn
0s) of New York City; Walter Goss
(24) Of New York City; Iris Gray G9)
Of Wichita, Kans.; Ivy Harris Q9) of
Atlanta. Ga; Irving Hartley (24 of
New York City; Thelda Kenvin (2W
of Brooklyn. n. Y; Jack Luden (23)
Of Reading, Pa: Jeanne Morgan 1S)
Of Medford. Mass; Dorothy Nourse
az of Roxbury, Mass: Mona Palma
(23) Of New York City; Charles Rogers
(2D Of Olathe. Kans., and Thelma Todd
19) Of Lawrence. Mass.
1t will be noticed that seven Of the
Is come from New York, four from
Boston and vicinity. two from Kan
sas. one from Pennsylvania, one from
Ohio and one from Georgia. Eight Of
the students have had previous expert
ence on the stage or screen: three
were newspaper men; four were art
lists models, and one was a school
teacher. The majority, then, are not
exactly neophytes in the world Of the
theater.
The commencement exercises in
I,cluded a banquet. to which all the
New York movie critics We're invited.
Among those also present were
Adolphe Menjou. Lois Wilson, Richard
Dix, VIII Hays and short, blond.
smooth-shaven and slightly bald man
who turned out to be Chester Conklin.
Mr.. Lasky announced that the class
of 1926 of the Paramount Pictures
School will be featured in three more
film productions. Evidently he, at
least, feels that Fascinating Youth"
Is hit.
The International Film Arts Guild
has engaged the Cameo Theater in
New York for three weeks, which will
be devoted exclusively to revivaIs of
by Ernst Lubitsch. The following
productions are scheduled:
Passion with Pola Negri and
Emil Jannings: "The Marriage Circle" :"
with Adolphe Menjou, Marie Provost
Monte Blue and Florence Vidor; For
| hidden Paradise" with Pola Negri.
Adolphe Menjou and Rod La ROGUE;
kiss Me Again." with Monte Blue
| and Marie Provost; Three Women"
with Pauline Frederick, May McAvoy,
! Marie Provost and Lew Cody; Loves
,, of Pharaoh" with Emil Jannings and
Werner Kraus, and "Rosita," with
| Mary Pickford, Irene Rich and Hol-
brook Blinn. A fourth week may be
added, to include Deception" with
| Emil Jannings: "One Arabian Night"
and "Gypsy Blood" with Pola Negri,
| and Lady Windermere's FAM" with
| Irene Rich, Ronald Colman, Bert
| Lytell and May McAvoy.
Here. then. are II Lubitsch pictures
in a row. all of which are exceptional
ly fine, none of which Is in any re-
| spect discreditable. Tt is a marvellous
| record for one man TO have achieved.
know Of no other. director Who can
| ;,y as much. g.
d. W. Griffith has The Birth OF a