Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-26
Flashes From the Screen
News and Comment of the Photoplay
Bye. E. Nelson.
IeGUing for the East daily. So
stay GtD1y from Hollywood!
By E. Nelson.

Leaving for the East daily. So
stay atO1y from Hollywood!
Upon the Central Casting
Bureau of Hollywood falls a
large part of the task Of caring
for the hopefulS who go to the
| city with the idea Of entering mo-
ton pictures. Thousands Of per-
sons are now passing through the
office each day, applying for the
few extra positions available. It
is estimated that about $1,000
men and women-moStly women
apply for jobs as extras" each
day. OF this number, an average
Of 800 are given employment, per-
hapS for only a few hours. The
daily wage Of the extra" is 1913.
OF the 300 selected, large per-
centage Of them are experienced
in photoplay work.
The city of Hollywood has
changed a great deal in the past
few years. 1t is no longer a sub
urb of Los Angeles, but a city of
10000 population. The day seems
to have passed when a man, wom-
an or child, inexperienced, could
go to the Movie City and obtain
some sort Of work in the studios.
Indep en- d n production at
present is at a standstill in Holly
wood. The small producers are
awaiting the release of the
Charlie Chaplin film, "City
Lights" before they invest any
more money in the talkies. This
is a peculiar situation, for the
ChaplinS will be attended by the
cash customers who prefer the
silent pictures. OF course, the ad-
herentS of the talkieS will also see
1t. They will want to convince
themselves that even a Chaplin
will be better with dialogue. Or
they will go to see Charlie Chaplin
on general principles.
The Chaplin picture is really the
first silent picture to be released
from Hollywood this year, and,
from this viewpoint, it Is difficult
to determine just what it will
prove. It will give room for an
argument at least. Those in favor
Of the silent pictures will say that
1t proves their point-that the
silent pictures are best. Those
who favor the talkieS will claim
that the picture would have been
even better if it had been accom-
panied by dialogue. Charlie Chap
lin Is a mime de luxe; he is a
genius Of the screen, and he is
a clown who has never spoken for
the movies. His picture is almost
certain to be success. 1t would
be a success If it had dialogue.
From Soviet Russia comes
Director EtSenstetn, 1Dho Is
charged Nth the production of
Theodore Drteser'S "American
Tragedy" for Paramount. The
Newcomer has prepared his
0ton script of the t1Do-DoIume
1oUeI, and he has gone to the
foothills OF the Adironddcks
to thoroughly GcQudi71t himself
Nth the background of the
story. Then, he goes back to
MoscotD to complete q Russian
picture, returning at later
date to start 1Dorlc on "The
Tragedy" Eisensteirl Is a grad
uGte OF RussiG'S Cinema Unit
UerSity of MoscotD, and he Is
not0 member OF the faculty..
Short Flashes.
NOW that they have reached
the top of the movie ladder,
Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey,
movie comedians, are considering
a trip around the world. Robert
says they may 'hitch-hike it."
Eight of the new Fox produc-
tions, headed by 'Lightnin'," are
about ready for exhibition. VIII
Rogers plays the lead in Light
nin'."
Several Of the Warner Brothers
players are on vacation, or at
least away from Hollywood. John
Barrymore and his wife, Dolores
Costello, are aboard their yacht
of the coast of Mexico. Joe E.
Brown, the comedian, is in the
East. George Arliss is taking a
real vacation in England. Evelyn
Knapp is taking a part-time
course ~ Tue university Oh Jail
fornia.
Herbert Brenon considers Lester
Vail, who plays the lead in 1.-THE
Devils Battalion" as one Of the
movie finds" of the season. The
director predicts that the young
player will rise to great cinematic
heights within the next year or so.
"One-Eyed" Connolly is at
tempting to convince the Holly
wood directors that his various
adventures could be turned into
a f1Srt-claSS movie. So far he has
failed in his argument.
The Universal Co. purchased
three Broadway plays last week.
They are apron Strings" ION
the Up and Up" and Many a
Slip"