Evening star., 1927-03-13

"A picture, Moana, ne tolu me
4 \ of his ambition to go on pro
ducing films OF the "Nanook
Of the North" and "Moana" type.
'I should like" said Mr.. Fiaherty,
ito do native American subjects. Ike
the Gloucester fisherman, the hobo. the
Tennessee moonshiner, or the Min
nesota farmer. / should do these
absolutely realistically, just as 1 did
in 'Nanoon'-using real people. in
stead of actors. and real backgrounds,
instead of painted scenery.
While Mr.. Flaherty was uttering
these worthy but apparently vain
hopes a man named Karl Brown was
actually. accomplishing the thing that
the creator of ''Moana" had in mind.
Mr.. Brown was far up in the
mountains of South Carolina, in a
district that is as remote from civil
lization, as utterly isolated from the
main currents of humanity as is the
Great Plateau of Tibet.
There, in that lonely region, dwells
n group of people who are the lass
remnants of the old pioneer stock
hard, grim, illiterate. primitive folk.
who fear God with a bigoted fanatical
fear, and who are indomitably. un-
reasoningly contemptuous of other
men. They know, vaguely, that be-
low the foothills of their mountains
are valleys and plains, where there
are settlements" and that in these
settlements live weak, soft men who
wear collars and shoes; but these are
foreigners, enemies, who--if they dare
to invade the mountain country-are
liable to be shot on sight.
We who live in the settlements, with
our radios. our taxicabs, our electric
refrigerators and our million-dollar
ut have contention of
the lives of the mountaineers, no
svmpathy for or understanding of their
elemental point of view; most of us,
indeed, are entirely unaware of their
existence. But they are there, never
theless-in feudal communities in the
hills of the Carolinas, Virginia, Ten
nessee, Georgia, Kentucky-in the
Ozarks, and even in such effete dis
tricts as the Catskills and the Berk'
shires.
Karl Brown, who has recorded the
lives of these people in picture called
stark Love-" is a camera-man Who
worked for years in the James Cruze
production unit with Famous Players
I.asky. He was largely responsible
for the photography of "The Covered
Wagon" and doubtless his experience
at that time inspired him with the
desire to know more about the
pioneers.
Whv he went into the Carolina
mountains, or how he survived after
he got there. is more than | can say.
But he did go, and he did return
bringing with him what. to my way OF
thinking. is Just about the greatest
moving picture that an American has
produced.
Furthermore, he did 1t all absolutely
single. le.handed. He wrote the story
(and a fine story it ISL he selected the
native actors who, all unconSclouslN.
were TO play his parts, and ne d,rect ed
them as he turned the crank or MS
own camera.
"Stark Love" is an extraordinary
achievement in the movies, and II
serves to elevate Karl Brown to the
Film Hall of Fame. He and Robert
Flaherty, Merriam Cooper and Ernest
Schoedsach (who produced Grass
are the real pioneers in the silent
drama.
There is scant financial reward for
such men: pioneers are never pros
porous. But they must be encour-
aged, for they are giving the motion
picture camera an enormous impor-
lance as an agency of science as weil
as of art.
The terms of the contract by Whlcn
"Abie's Irish Rose" will be converted
into a movie would make extremely
interesting reading.
1t is, however. unlikely that lne
public at large will be advised as TO
the details. Miss Anne Nichols is
content to let ii be known that
"Abie's Irish Rose" will be produced
on the screen by Famous Players
Lasky, and just how much Messrs.
Zukor and Lasky have paid for that
privilege is nobody's business.
Julien Josephson, scenario writer
is now in New York comforting with
Miss Nichols, and shooting of the
picture is scheduled to start in June.
The director is to be Ernst Lubitscn
Cof all people). but that selection
may be changed.
III is my belief that Lubitsch and
Anne Nichols could never agree on
treatment of "Abie's Irish Rose"
All any rate, the prospects are that
West Forty-second street In New
York will become. next season a
veritable "Abie's Irish Rosary Az
one theater will be the famous old
many arduous campaigns IN the
Broadway district; at an adjoining
theater the picture will be on view;
close at hand will be another play
entitled "Abie's Irish Children, IN
which Miss Nichols hopes TO carry
her miraculous success into the next
generation. Where will it all end?
Bulletins.
HOLLYWOOD, Calf. - Corinne
Grifith will make her debut as a
United Artists star in the celiulold
version Of sunny" for which Joseph
NJ. Schenck is said to nave palo
Another Valentino double" has
been unearthed by First Nationai.
He is q Hungarian and his name is
.Tibor Mindzenthy. He'll have TO 90
better in the way Of name tnan
that or the boys who set up the cleo
tric signs in front of movie theaters
will be very, very angry.
(CopyriEht. 1927
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nA.l,,l No% D11u1h.