The Washington times., 1929-01-09
BEN HEIGHT IS
SIGNED BY
MOVIES
By REGINA CREWE
1929, by King Features

(COpyrlRnt, 1893, Dy MIX reh'uiSS
Syndicate, Incl
HOLLYWOOD, Jan. S.-Do you
remember "Potemkin," the Rus.
sian photodrama without star,
and almost without story? OF
course YOU do. For it evoked
more praise and more criticism
than any picture of its year.
Whatever the opinion of the pic
ture, everyone agreed that its
director, a Russian youth named
Eisenstein, was one OF the worlds
greatest cinema geniuses. Even
then It was a foregone concIu-
sion that >he would come TO
America to produce pictures for
one of our great companies.
Now comes well-authenticated
news that Carl Laemmle and his
Universal Pictures Corporation
have won the prize. And that
Eisenstein is bound for our coun-
try all signed up to direct several
Universal photoplays. This is IN
contradiction Of the recent ru.
mors that United Artists have
secured the Russians services.
But which ever concern proves
the final victor, 1t will be inter-
esting to- see what the "Potem-
kin" man can do on this side.
In Russia he has worked under
handicaps that most Of our di-
rectOrs would consider insur-
mounta BILE. Here he will have
money, stars and all the ad-
yanta ges offered by our studios.
There may be some disadVan-
tages, too. But that's another
story.
Ben Hecht, it seems, has set
the photoplay style for 1929 as
he did in 1928. Hecht is the
author of underworld" The
success of this picture brought
the deluge of crime and crook
films which have filled the thea
ters. Now Ben has signed with
FBO to write two originals.
Reminiscent Of underworld" the
title of one is Upper World
Presumab bly, Hecht's cOlorful char
aCters will be all dOlled up in the
soup and fish for this one.
Charles Macarthur will bring the
wicked old "Barbary Coast" of
San Francisco to life with a
yarn titled Gold Coast And
just for the fun of it, III proph-
esy that Betty Compson will ap-
pear in both films as two of the
four she has signed to deliver
to FBO.
Why go to Europe to marry a
title? Patronzie home industries
and come to Hollywood. Here
you can never tell but what the
waiter. the chauffeur-or even
the bootlegger-has a title and a
crest to put any boasted by the
stars to shame. Even the door
man at General Lodijinskys new
Russian inn, the Double Headed
Eagle" is a count. His name is
Count Andre Tolstoy. He and
Count Ilya ToIstoy, son of the
novelist and philosopher, have en-
gagged in argument as 10 who is
related to who. But regardless
OF this, the Hollywood Chamber
of Commerce might use a slogan:
Come to Hollywood and be
countess s'-princess - marquise -
or what have you.
We Of the present generation
know that Marc McDermott,
whose recent death saddened
Hollywood. was a big sta. of the
screen full twenty years ago.
McDermott. a prominent English
actor, came to the movies when
they were really in their infancy.
AS far back as 1912 Marc was
with the old Thanhouser Film
Company. He, Francis X. Bush.
man and Maurice Costello ran
neck and neck in fan popularity.
Marc and Lottie Pickfo1d. Mary's
sister, were it's stars. Mares
flrst screen roles We're enacted in
an old car barn in the Bronx,
New York, where the Edison Com
pany had its studios He was a
fine actor. and very fine gentle
man.
Alice White, who has jumped to
the first rank of First National
stars during her first year of
stardom, has been eating IF the
mantelpiece lately as the result
OF several days works on a Sc
quence Of Hot Stuff" DESPITE
the title of the picture. much of
its action takes place in an ice
skating rink. and Alice ISM so
good on ice skates. At least she
wasn't when she started. Now
she can cut figure eiehts with
the best of them. But that doesn't
help the mantelpiece.