davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1928-04-01
Reason for Some Films.

~WHEN an author or playwright
leaves Hollywood and writes
articles denouncing the motion picture
industry as ignorant and childish he
Is perhaps exploiting his own lack Of
understanding
Jesse l.. Lasky. first vice president
n charge Of production al the Para
mount Studios. said so at a meeting
Of the producing staff and seven new
writer's Just taken West TO prepare
stories for the films.
There have been many cases"
LaSEy stated. where a successful play
wright or novelist has tried his talents
IN pictures and has failed, then has
returned 70 New York to fay the
Industry
The motion picture business is un-
Ike the stage, IN that we cater to the
masses and not 20 a certain few. not
70 the so-cailed inteliigentsia. We there
fore must have screen stories that will
appeal 70 shop girls. the merchant or
the bankeY--and not 10 the reader Of
Freud, or the man or woman with
Bohemian ideas
Those authors have tried In vain
N please Us, submitting stories that
are impossible for filming stories that
would bring the wrath Of the censoFs
down upon us. stories that would shock
the morals Of the world craving en-
tertsinmeft. They fail and go back
home snc tell the world how mis-
managed the industry Is, as they
: The meeting referred 70 was declared
by LaEky and II. p. EehulbeEg his
Evening star., 1928-04-01

Bay, on Long Island. which TheodU
Roosevelt has immortalized y
mother had very glorious voice an
planned concert career, but when !,
she fell In love and suddenly cllangeC
her mind. as girls sometimes do. Sh
gave up everything 10 marry father AN
settle down 70 domeSticity and the bear
ing of three daughters
Art and private life do not AWAY
harmonise. When they do il is won
derful Father had q remarkably III
ventive mind. but did not favor NJ
going on the stage, Mother approse<
II. But the idea was dismissed. only 4
oe revived when father died and We ha>
10 take stock Of our resources.
Now, here Is the StrangeSt part of Il
and I've never told IL before, Mother
uncle was blind violiniSt who COM
posed his own songs, member ct the
famous Hines Trio, great fayorites in
London, and often was Commanded e
appear before the British royal family
I'm no great pianist. but have eon-
posed so songs OF sentiment. hidden
them away and made no attempt Il
publish them, Lack of confidence psoe-
ahiy, And that's another secret -
Evening star., 1928-04-01
Laughed With Aching Heart

TIssY FITZGERALD suffered The
loss 0f her brother. Edward Kip
ling, while she wsg playing IN the
Tiffany -Etahl production, ladies Of
the Night Club"
Edward Kipling, who WAS an old
time English stage star, died during
the night, OF cancer Of the throat, and
Cissy spent the night At his bedside.
The next morning she was on the set
inspefEonsting q Texas 6uinan type 0f
night club proprietor, with laugh
that sounded gay and her famous wink
as come -tithef ~ usual, but even more
sparkling, for behind IL lay ufshed
, tears
At noon, her intimate friends, the
only ONES tn the studio who knew of
her sorrow found her IN her dressing
room, sabbing her heart out A real
soldier of the ti7eatAr IL Cissy Filzger-
sld, and her many friendk feel deeply
J Tor her In her beTeAyemsub
Evening star., 1928-04-01
Bring an All-Irish Show.

p ED-HAIRED. and Irish at that,
pretty Julia Rooney. the young sis
ter OF Pat Rooney, and as neat and
precise dancer as vaudeville can
boast Of. with her husband, Walter
Clinton: an expert jazz band, a lot Of
pretty clothes and clever scenery, will
be in town the week of April to put
on revue Of decidedly emerald hue.
Julia Rooney is one of vaudeville's
own. one OF American vaudeville's most
famous families. Furthermore. she Is
one OF the neatest tap. clog and jig
ing Of vaudeville. its demands, its limi-
tations, is complete and comprehensive.
She Is Snowman as well as artist. She
Evening star., 1928-04-01
Has No Superstition.

~ AM strong believer In the law of
heredity and think il has worked
out curiously, but quite differently. In
my own case
So declares May. dainty. blue
eyed. golden-haired Sprite OF Ziegfeld's
Rio Rita" whose delicious sense of
comedy adds TO the joyous spirit of that
romantic musical play.
Ada looks like anything but a comic
cutup. She may be an idealist. but she
has no superstitions, A slim, childish
figure in her sober but modish maroon
gown. she was in thoughtful mood as
she chatted through speeding half
hour, One almost expected her 10 tuck
her books under her arm and scurry
away 10 school She did not suggest q
volatile stage star who had flashed into
her great success. she said:
II ann much impressed by the views
OF Prof, Davenport of Columbia, one of
the greatest authorities of heredity.
FIRMLY believe that have inherited
something that goes back TO old English
ancestry of remote period,
Il am an American. born az OYSTER
Evening star., 1928-04-01
Big Plans for WOlheim.

I OUIs WOLHEIM, moviedom's "ugli-
- est-looking actor" is destined for a
brilliant season cinematicaily.
Howard Hughes, president OF the
Caddo Co. who has Wolheim under
contract, announces he will team the
broken-nosed actor with Raymond Grif-
nth in series Of comedies. Griffith is
also under contract 10 Hughes. and the
combination Of Wolheim- -Griffith is ex-
pected 10 create a sensation In the movie
world
Griffith Is the silk hat screen artist.
peer of the polished clowns, and Wei
helm, as a comic. clustering bruiser. has
no equal. Together. they should prove
incomparable laugh makers
Evening star., 1928-04-01
News and Comment
BY W. II. LANDVOldT.

Some censors are worse, or at
least almost as bad, as the disease.
The remedy rests entirely with
the general public. Laws won't
help 1t. It Is not situation that
can be dealt with satisfactorily
in the legislative halls. With
drawal from the world, as it were,
to sober, serious thought during
the Lenten season may have
helped a part of the general pub
lie, but the majority seems TO
operate upon the principle "eat,
drink and be merry. for tomor-
row We die" And Il Is singular
with how little those who follow
the aphoriSm can be contented.
There were millions who con-
tented themselves with imitation
bread when the struggle of war
was upon America along with the
rest Of the world. But there is
no war now. Why. follows the
question, should the public be
satisfied with counterfeit
theater. either where language
pourS out its sweetest charms or
is lost in fieeting shadows upon
the screen? Why, 1t is asked,
should mediocrity run rampant
in both?
THESE questions are addressed
not to the theater managers.
nor to the movie makers. but to
the general public, and they
ought to make some who didn't
keep Lent" think to find their
answers. Of course, the fellow
who is most to blame will respond,
But we must have entertain
ment!" Certainly you must, but
why not good entertainment?
Why should you be content to
continue the make shift, musical
noise and delirium with which
the boys about to enter the World
War were bolStered up to make
them forget the probable horrors
ahead. and cali it entertainment
for a peaceful, intelligent people?
II those who do so do not know
better, certainly it should be up
to those who do know to start
the something in the right direc-
ton, particularly in the world of
movie patrons, where most of the
fault seems to lie. Already from
the studios of Hollywood we are
hearing of the vast amount of
production contemplated during
the coming year. These people
are at work now fashioning your
entertainment for the next two
years. They will give you what
you want. But you must show
them clearly what you want. AS
long as you fill to overflowing
theaters that provide mass enter
tainment of cheap ingredients
they will feed 1t to you. You are
getting a lot of cheap fodder now.
TO-DAY, in the average studio,
the maker of seductive titles
Is more useful than the great
author, the great actor, or the
great director. Why? Because
he supplies the bait TO catch the
unwary. The cells of his active
brain are ever busy in all depart
mentS making poetic titles for
trash, and suggestive titles to de-
lude ignorant curiosity. The title
as much as anything else is be-
coming staple article of profit
more carefully to be guarded than
genius itself. The movies are
what their patrons make them.
II isn't fair TO blame the producer
when he can point to unlimited
patronage by the general public.
He isn't engaged in making art.
His business is to get money.
Evening star., 1928-04-01
Copenhagen Sees Wings.

THE first presentation Of wings" I"
the screen air epic, outside the
United States and Canada was held at
the World Cinema, In Copenhagen with
His Royal Highness Prince Axel and
Denmark's leading aviators In attend
ance The reception was highly en-
thusiastic. according 10 reports received
by the Paramount Famous -Lasky Cor
poration.
politiken. one Of the leading newSpa-
pers Of Copenhagen, II Is said. declared
wings" 10 be "a great and mighty
wing song Is this moving picture epic.
With the Americans imposing TECH
nique, they show us all the neck break
Ing aerobatic stunts that can be exc
cuted In the air"
Dagens Nyheder says; One could
perceive from the animation at the
World Cinema that II was real pic
ture, which deeply affected and over
came, This picture Is not one e-sided, II
gives In general full honor 10 the flying
chevaliers, on whichever side they
fought"
premieres OF Wings" are to be held
shortly In other world capitals. II re-
Gently passed It's 4b0th performance at
the Criterion Theater. IN New York, but
Wings" has not yet reached the Capt.
tai Of the United States.
Evening star., 1928-04-01

Wolheim crashed over the top as a
comedian In his portrayal Of the hard
boiled top sergeant In Two Arabian
Knights" box Office sensation. Before
this he was noted for his stage work as
the Hairy Ape and as the original Capt.
Fiagg In What Price Glory"
He and Griffith will begin their series
OF Caddo comedies on June !. following
the latters return from Italy.
Meanwhile Wolheim will play the
Meighan in THE Racket" the Irish
stars first picture for Caddo, Wolheim
will be seen as gang leader~-a beer
king II you piease~~and Meighan as a
metropolitan police captain.
Evening star., 1928-04-01
American Movies in Europe.

THE supreme popularity of the
American moving picture in Eu-
rope is due not to superior photography,
but to the ability Of the United States
10 embody more exactly than any other
nation the Ideal life" as the masses
conceive IL.
This Is the belief of Edgar A. Now
rer, European correspondent, who
analyses the growing predominance of
American influence In Europe since the
Great War In This American World" :"
THE experts say II is superior pho
Biography that carries the American
production into the backwashes of the
EARTH" says Mr.. Mowrer Yet most
people understand little above technical
niceties and care rather less Nor Is
general esthetic quality decisive. Some
German and Russian films are as
esthetically fine as the best America
produces, California atmospheres are
no better than Sorrento scenes, and no
nation has a monopoly on physical
beauty.
Both at home and abroad American
films enjoy supreme popularity" Mr..
Mowrer points out "fhA truth Is that
American pictures are made To the
spirit and measure Of the masses. In
the age OF sport, machinery and mass
rule, the United States embodles the
time spirit more exactly than any
other country, Therefore the masses
In each country seek deliberately those
ito thenl ideal conditions that life
according TO the hearts desire. the
American pictures 80 sweetly portray,
THE American Aims fit public taste
everywhere because they are cut to the
measure OF the average human heart.
The French, the Germans, the Rua-
aiana, the Italians and the English are
excited about II, They see American
Aims as q hindfance TO the fortunes
they might otherwise make from their
own and 4 powerful means OF national
propaganda. hut these protests do not
ahate the enthusiasm for American
llma,"
Evening star., 1928-04-01
"Lucrezis Boreia Next.

NjAGHlhCTOR has just seen tpe
clDse ~ tso weeks' engagement
os an epic flm from India. which had
ilk fFst pfesesltstion 81 the Little The
sfr. shorty another American pre-
miefs ~ b foreign production Will make
i1 kDw ~ the tiny playhouse yIaen
'LIcy"sas EoFgaa, from sunny Itsjy, Ia
presented
Conr&d veiot. seen 10 The Cabinet
~ DT. CsbgsFi" and Pslh Wegensy,
wflosf remarkable G,Tlg are
remembered IN The Golem" ard The
Magician" botl1 directed NJ Rex In
gram ere the principal support NJ Ma
re h0ntTG4 q young Italian actress of
beauty and hsSTlonic ability, viao H.
cast IL the title role ~ IAlerezia The
nifn Is q spectacle produced On lbe
bpotS where ths famous Eofgia palaces
ih Rome were locate6 during the flf-
ihenth and sixteenth centuries The
Life of that period is faithfully repro
a0tA6. There ere more than 1000
n ire esst sn1 ths picture geA year
~ the making. -. q. -.
Evening star., 1928-04-01
Griffith and His Studio.

| Ess than 20 years ago motion pic
lures. crude indeed. were shown in
stuffy little halls or storerooms which
commonly came 10 be known as nickel
Ode0ng
Although great art was al the
threshold of It's birth, few realized It,
and certainly no one of Importance
came forth 10 sponsor or aid It's pro-
erosion until into little workshop on
Fourteenth street in New York walked
DayId Wsrk driffith who had been a
Kentucky farm hoy, then successfully
newspaper reporter. actor. play
wright and stage manager
II there In anywhere a sanetum sane
forum Of motion pictures, IL Is that
cramped loft on Fourteenth street for
here began the youtgFowth Of giant
Industry and new and wonderful art
oriffith worked by slow process for the
Evening star., 1928-04-01
The Divine Lady

CoRfhhE dRIFFITH's new pic
~ ture for First National deals with
the romance between Lady Hamilton
and Lord Nelson. The research depart
t6ent IL collecting data on the dress,
customs and architecture of the period
IN which the distinguished naval COM
mander and the famous beauty -four
ighed.
A considerable portion OF the story
viii deal with The heroic exploita Of
Lord Nelson IN the service ~ the Brit
ish Navy,
The Divine Lady" viii he a Frank
Lloyd production and Ia 10 start within
few weeks Victor vaTeoni will play
opposite Mics 1riftlih, In the role 0f
Lord Nelson Marie Dreseier and D0ro~
Vny cummins have also been selected
Tor paris. q.
Evening star., 1928-04-01
. Oeene Rom
Jhe ENEMY
Columbia
Movies and Vaudeville.

AIN vaudeville you have just few
minutes to put over your point
in pictures just few feet"
This is the only difference between
vaudeville and pictures, according TO
Charlotte Greenwood. who In Baby
Mine Metro -Goldwyn- Mayors latest
production. Is co-starring with Karl
Dane and George x. Arthur, the famous
comedy team OF Rockies.
Miss Greenwood Is veteran of the
stage, but a newcomer In pictures. She
however. thinks that. after all. the
two are very much the same.
She holds that vaudevillians ought to
make ideal players for the screen.
THE first thing one has to learn
In vaudeville" she says. lis to get
over the point at once-~an act rarely
has more than 10 minutes In all. When
| started in pictures / found the same
requirement applied-you have to watch
the footage. Every scene Is worked out
to get the salient point over In the
least number of seconds~-figuring q
foot or so to the second. Both are
concentrated forms OF expression.
They call them motion pictures" :"
says Miss Greenwood. but the thing
have 10 avoid Is too much motion
On the stage one can walk about any
where. On the screen one has 10 stick
10 definite spots; the least deviation gets
you out of focus or OF center. 1t took
me week to get used to this"
Evening star., 1928-04-01
Warner April Releases.

WARNER BROS fim output for
April will be two releases, accord
ing 10 Sam ", Morris, general manager
OF distribution.
The fifst April offering will he the
melodrama THE Crimson City" writ
ten by Anthony Coldeway, directed by
Archie Mayo, with Myrna 10y and John
MILAN heading the cast,
Louise Fazenda and Clyde Cook are
Go-aLars In the release set for April AL
Five and Ten Gent Annie" by Leon
zurade directed by Roy Del Ruth, with
cast comprising william Demarest
Andre Beranger, Gertrude Asinr, Flora
Finch and Thomas Ricketts, "Five and
Ten Cent Annie" is one OF the series nf
faress 10 star the FaEenda Cook comedy
team this season.
Evening star., 1928-04-01
The World on a Movie Lot

THE whole globe Is covered north.
south, east and west, by the sets at
First Nationals Burbank studios at this
time, when production work Is now
in full blast
The Canadian Northwest. olden DAYS
In England, underworld dives OF mod.
ern cities and quiet streets of country
villages are only u few of the locales
represented on this magic spot where
only the signs Of the studio barber Shop
and cafe really mean what they say,
A country village and q penitentiary
are represented IN the sets for Colleen
Moore's Heart TO Heart"
Quaint Russian villages and humble
cottages ef that land are seen ON the
sets for Roulette" the Richard Har-
thelmess picture.
The England Of Lord Nelson's time
is represented In "Ihe Divine LADY,
which Corinne ariffith win make, and
madern underworld dives of big
American city are seen on the Milton
stills sets where THE Hawks Nest ia in
production.
Hungarian scenes are apand on THE
Evening star., 1928-04-01

carrying on in honor Of his father
and the name Of Rooney.
This Lad was the second pat Rooney,
who with his charming wife and part
ner. Marion Bent. has toured the coun-
try for more than 20 years. Vaudeville
claimed them for many years, then the
musical comedy stage, until now, IL is
said. the present Pat Rooney is respon- :
sible for more limitations" each season
than any man on the stage~with the
possible exception ~ George Cohan,
Now, however, We have neY Pat
Rooney. Pat the third, nimble footed
and amusing just IS his dad and
grandfather before him and father and
son, with the eyer-youthful and engag
ing wife and mother, Marion Bent. sfe
features of the current week In Wash -
lnRt0D.
And they promise new songs, dances
and quipE in their act
Evening star., 1928-04-01
RICHARD BART4eLMEN
Little Jhea+er
Tyler $ Next Revival.

MARGARET ANGLIN will head an
all-star cast In a new production
OF Shakespeares Macbeth" in George
c. Tyler's first classic revival OF next
season. Miss Anglin's outstanding sue
cess In Electra" was one OF the prime
considerations to Mr.. Tyler In planning
the forthcoming production.
Lyn Harding will play the role OF
Macbeth. The remaining players will
not be announced until the Fall, when
rehearsals begin for an opening early
In the new season.
Oscar Ashe. who Is said to be one OF
the greatest Of the modern Shakes
pearean directors, will come from Eng
land to direct the production, If Mr.
Tylers plans are carried through. Miss
Anglin, Mr.. Tyler and Mr.. Ashe are to
meet in England In July to discuss the
details of a revival of the Shakes
pearean tragedy that Mr.. Tyler hopes
to make historic in Its Importance to
the theater.
Evening star., 1928-04-01

was born and brought up in music
hall atmosphere
II should be stated right here that
Julia Rooney shines by no reflected
glory II is not as the sister of young
Pat Rooney, the daughter OF famous
Pat Rooney. the aunt of Pat. Sd, that
Julia Rooney is known. but as Julia
herself. a dancing star. She Is consid-
erably the junior OF Pat Rooney I'd
This season she and Mr.. Clinton
have gone completely Irish and pro-
They incorporate in It's brief expanse
some expert. all too infrequently seen.
Irish iigging. waltz clog and modern
tap dancing
Evening star., 1928-04-01

business was In no shape to give him
free rein then. He introduced the
fash back" the long shot," the
fade out" and from his workshop
were graduated excellent actors. ac~
tresses, directors and technicians.
Among the screen stars now acting
before the camera who received their
early training under 0rifnth are
Blanche Sweet, Mary Pickf0rd. Mack
Sennett, Henry Waithall and Dorothy
Gish. The three who enact the roles
In his famous picture, Broken Bios
s0ms," Lillian Dish, Richard Barthel-
mess and Donald Crisp, are all prom
inent In present-day productions. ID.
w, GrIffith has made names and for
tunes for many who stu hold him in
The highest esteem and recognize In
him the pioneer producer and director
who brought photopIay development to
It's highest pinnacle OF achievement
Evening star., 1928-04-01
The Clan of Rooney.

IN gay. theatrical New York. where
vaudeville was just being born al
Tony Pastors, one Of the great song
snc dance men Of the day was Pat
EooDey. Not the Pat Rooney of today,
bat his father Pal Rooney the first,
with his lnimitsble Irish br0gue, banter
ing manner and typical red whiskers,
dancing comedian VINO soon became one
~ the biggest stars Of the varieties of
his TINE
This famous performer hsd son,
Fst, Jra Bnon ke wss initiating IN
happy fooorAey comedy and dance meth
OF The I'D made his debut, gtlen just
DsfoTe E performance, the senior Pst
IpropFg oisc, and young Pet, then ~
years cId volunteered " takf the place
~ nis father On the bill With tesFs In
ne ~yeS snd a pathetic smile the
yo3ngA,sF csDceo and sang that night
Evening star., 1928-04-01
years ago they
- fiickered. Now they fiow."

< fiickered. Now they fiow.'
Thus says Jesse LaSky
a big boss Of production
on the Paramount lot. And Mr.
LaSky also admits that the story
also fiickered Is years ago. What
the studio wiSeacres call the tech
niQue of pictures unQueStionably
has improved. and 1t also must be
conceded that the pictures do
not flicker now: but it takes
man as brave and as daring as
Mr.. LaSky to declare that some
OF the stories do not flicker. In
deed some Of them fairly flare,
However, it is not so much the
fiickering or the fiaring of the
pictures that is open to comment.
The tendency of the times runs
TO fiaring. The whole shift of
entertainment in the picture
houses is based on the flare.
Sometimes the flare pleaSes the
eye, and sometimes the music
that accompanies it pleaSeS the
ear, But to the taste that was
formed, perhaps, long before the
movie came into being. there is
a spirit of jazz In the whole show
that irritateS, like the wire
strung guitar. or the Hawaiian
vail. There are times, it is true.
when the orchestra harkS back
to the long ago for its melodies;
but, singular as it may seem, the
high-priced artists of today do
not seem to know always how to
play them. And then the old timer
weepS. while the cap-headed girls
In the short skirts wonder how
anybody ever could think such
melodies pretty. Perhaps the
musicians can read music as well
as in the days of yore, but the
trouble perhaps is that their art
of musical Interpretation has be-
come accustomed to the Jazz level.
and finds 1t difficult to rise there
from.
THERE are those who attribute
present conditions in the
movie parlor to the big theaters
they are building with reckless
extravaganza. There are others
who place the fault with the
saxophone, which apparently
dominates the musical thought of
today. The movie industry for
some time has been figuring on
how to make both ends meet. Its
solution apparently is to build a
great, big theater and then to
pack EN- in, the shows being
leveled to the point where even
the youthful preSent-day patron
does not care to stay for another
glimpse, or to listen to the melody
nnger on. The Saxophone comes
In as joStler, to hurry them in
and hurry them out that the box
ONCE may wax fat from many
audiences, rather than upon the
merits and drawing power of the
show itself. It is figured that the
crowds have gotten the habit.
Anything will do to please them,
and II they are not pleased this
time, a salty underworld thriller,
with real daring suggested, If not
exposed, will tickle them to death
the next time. It almost appears
IS IL the movie had given up its
attempt TO climb the heights of
art, and had determined to pur-
sue instead the almighty dollar.
Movie entertainment today, as
rule, seems to- a large extent
purely commercial-and the mel
ody fingers on.
THIS, however, is not a disease
TO be cured by the censor.