The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972, August 21, 1921, Page 41, Image 41

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, PORTLAND. SUNDAY' MORNING, AUGUST ..21, 1821.
Film Industry
Adopts Rule of
Strict Economy
By Charles . Hrb . .
T OS ANGELES, Aug. JO. L N. a
Jlj a new era, Is dawning on the notion
picture world.
According to leading producers tie
days of extravagant aalaiies and inef
ficient methods are gone forever.
"Cut the cost but keep the quality up."
This Is the brder which has been
given in every one of the big studios
of Southenr California, and for several
w eeks "a general retrenchment has been
in progress. . ' ' ,
"The motion picture Industry has
passed from a period of abnormal pros
: perity." said Jesse L. Lasky, first vice
president of the Famous PI ay era-Lasky
corporation, in analyzing c resent conai
Hons. "It behooves producers to face
present critical conditions courageously
. and to fight through the period of read'
juBtment to the period of normalcy.
"Extravagance must be replaced by
economy. -The day of reckless expendi
- ture, 1 feel certain, has gone' forever.
ana economy is to be the watchword of
the new era.-. 4
"Officials of oar organization were
called upon each to do his share In put
' ting the corporation on an efficient, eco
nomical basis. ..
"Solely In the interest of economical
production we closed our studio on Long
f Island, N. and transferred. all pro-
duction to'our studio in Hollywood. We
are striving to eliminate all the old ex
travagances of production and' aiming
for the greatest, economy."
.Samuel Goldwyn, president of the Gold,
wyn Picture corporation, said :
"We are now making pictures at i
lower cost than formerly. Many items
of expense which formerly were re
garded as necessary are being eliminated.
Salaries are -also being reduced and ex
pendl tares watched with a. careful eye.
This Js necessary in order that motion
pictures .may remain a popular priced
amusement."
Irving G. Thalberg. general manager
of the- Universal - Film Manufacturing
i comnanv. said: -.'
'The man who makes motion pictures!
knows he must make better , pictures .for
less money and start making them now.
The man who says that the motion
pieture industry is in a splendid financial
condition is just as' wrong as. the man
who . says jt faces ruin. ;. .; , ; , .;-, .
"The present unrest is the best thing
that could have happened ,to the in-'
' dustry. No permanent peace , was ever
achieved without revolution., -
"When the stories that -are .now being
filmed at a reasonable cost, can be re
leased to ei&ibitors at a cost that will
. enable them to exhibit them for what
they are worth, make a- reasonable profit
to' the producer and" give the purchaser
his TOoney's worth of entertainment, the
mbtjon picture industry will be properly
on its, feet" , ,
t TOU have heard-of carrying coal to Newcastle. "The same
Y would strike one as parallel to teaching D. Fairbanks
x how to jump. Yet this is what Dick Landon did on a re
cent visit which the crack Yale athlete made to Los Angeles
'Shuffle Along"
Is a 'Lol' With
N'awkAghast
; By Westbrook Fegler
jynEW'TORK. Aug. 20. (tTnited News)
X v In seasons to come, actors and man
agers on Broadway will be telling about
the time that two song and dance ne
groes ran a frayed shoe-string - Into a
whole wardrobe with high hats for lodge
meetings and brocade spats for formal
parties in the social whirl, of -the Har
lem black belt These will have to say,
further,- that' this was done while estab
lished producers - with - years . of expe
rience 'were starting out summer shows
with full music and comedy regalia and
closing with nothing left but the', hook
and -L O., Us. - j
of Lightning
Effect in Filming of
Picture Is Described
The' making of lightning and electrt
cas storm effects for scenes in motion
pictures has Jong remained ones of the
mysteries' of the - art. Sam Wood, who
directed the Paramount picture, "Under
the lash," starring GloriaSwanson, ex
plains in: detail just how the- effect of
lightning striking . a tree, which consti
tutes a scene, in that' production,; was
obtained.- ' y '
A sizeable charge of flash-light . pow
der was-. made up into a small, package
. and put into a little hole in ,the "tree,
over which the bark was replaced. An
, electric wire ran from the charge to a
battery on the sidelines. ' The big electric
search lights, the largest studio Illumi
nators manufactured, were then con-
. nected up with the portable, electric gen
erator a few feet behind the camera
atad f ocussed on the tree at the spot
where the flashlight charge 'was placed.
The night was pitch dark when the
; scene was taken. " The character in the
scene Mahlon Hamilton, .who drove a
team of horses by the tree was placed
and the signal was given. ' The camera-
, man started cranking. At a word from
the director the - two big G. E). lights
were suddenly flashed on and off again.
lighting up the entire scene with a sud
den, blinding flash of .light. Simultane
ously with the flashing on of the big
lights, the flashlight charge at -the tree
was exploded, giving the effect of the
bolt of lightning coming' in contact with
the tree. Then all was darkness again.
' A few carefully placed scratches on .the
. emulsion of ten film ahead of the scene
eerved as perfect lightning streaks Just
ahead of the big flash.
' This srummer has been just awfuL And
yet, in a little meeting hall a mile from
Times square a negro musical show is
selling out mostly to white 'people who
find it altogether too hot to spend the
evening at one of the - regular attrac
tions on Broadway. In the restrained
and formal language of a rival producer
as he riffled a deck of rent, bills, light
mils, printing bills and pay . vouchers.
Wednesday . afternoon, ."This Shuffle
Along show is Just one of those things
that happen it's a Vow and you can't
stop it." . ,.
; "Shuffle Along" Is a musical comedy,
written,- staged, composed and produced
hi- negroes with financial .backing of
Ji.35 and: a couple ... of chewing gum
wrappers put up by a white manager
who thought it might throw a natural
and then again, might, roll ace-deuce,
which' means no percentage at all.
For weejcs "Shuffle. Alone" toured the-
small-time, making one-ntght and two'
night stands with no more scenery than
you could pack into a taxicab. .No
Broadway house would have it, although
plenty of Broadway houses were dark
ior weeKs ana .others, were stooping. to
motion pictures." So when the time came
for the New Tork run the backers, in
desperation.- took a lease nn th Rwt-v.
third street music hall, which hadn't even
a stage, moved In their company and
the few little props of scenery, passed
out a few dodgers, rigged up a stage
and some dressing rooms and let er go.
It was two weeks before JJew Tork tum
bled to what was going on In the outer
darkness of Sixty-third street, but New
Tork knows now. "Shuffle Along" stays
until January, when It goes to London
and two other negro shows' are' in re
hearsal for real.. Broadway houses, one
being called "Put and Take." -
i Home Founded
By Verdi Near
Bankruptcy
By Frank J. Oates
I "MILAN, Italy. Aug. 20. (L N. &
1TX -The Isle of Love," by Marino Mor
ettL is a romantic idyll of a woman who
founded a home for others of , her sex.
in life unloved, giving them therein the
illusion of . being wooed, won and loved.
This delightful story, rises before us
as we leave that "horn for musicians."
founded by the Maestro Verdi, a quiet
i and handsome residence on the outskirts
of Milan, away from all noise ana oust. '
shaded from the oppresive heat, adorned
with leafy trees in a pleasing garden. -
i His was also an ldyu. To give to those
I in their old age. who had enjoyed passing
glory, success, triumph or fame au too
i fleeting, the illusion of ease and comfort
in an atmosphere of harmony where
dreams should make happy their closing
years of life. .
"Xessuzn magglore dolors" than to out
live , applause' and popularity, his priv
ileged guests should escape such bitter
memories, for them, no dark exit from
this earth s stage. . . i
To this end Verdi forsook the beloved
village homestead of his childhood, the
quiet church, the ancient organ on the
keys - of which his hands nervously
sought new melodies to. sleep among his
friends. . a tutelary spirit, dwelling In
their midst and remembered.
Bat musicians are no seers, and Verdi
could - not' tell ' that the "untamable
charger of war" should trample on con
tinents, destroying empires and dynas-;
tie. - .. k .. .
So It happened that the few score
dreamers . and Ulusioned' "maestri 6i
canto o dl musica" gave temporary place
to those heroes who had bled for their
country. In whoso honor Verdi had com
posed his most Inspired choruses and his
grandest orchestrated pieces. .
when the tempest passed and the
former guests would return, ways of
existence " had changed. Tbero was .
money shortage. ' and tn vain they
knocked at the silent portals. '
In- 1902- there was money and much
charity. An Income of 60.000 lira yearly
helped them to live. If not In luxury,
in great ease. Tradesmen -were kind.
Bread was not only sold half price, but
with an extra . 10 per cent discount.
Butchers supplied good meat at lire 1.40
per kilo. A firm of drapers clad the
inmates with suits at S? lira each.
Authors 'rights. 10 per cent on all the
Maestro 's works previous to "LaForxa
del Destlno," amounted then to 100,000
Bra. .,... ,''
The war spared none " and philan
thropic Institutions suffered. Light and
fuel, food and clothing would swallow
up the Income. . It Is not easy -now to
opea for-the number, reduced as It is
to 55,-giving them' the 200 lire . due
there by Verdi's will, with lodging, but
exclusive of food, which they must pro
euro for themselves. The youngest member-is
65 years old. and some few earn
a little by giving lessons, copying music,
or -tuning' instruments. To cook and
serve food would be too costly, .and in
the winter heating will be beyond their
means, and winters tn 'Milan are long
and often harsh. It Is, however, good to
think . that these veterans wllj shortly
have a roof and shelter. -
.The composer's tomb . being In the
building prevents Its sale and any trans
ference to a -vill a In the country where
life's needs coat loss. He spoke clearly:
"I express , my deep wish to be buried
with my wife in Milan, tn the oratory
at the homo to be bunt by me." '
In order to cut expenses It is hoped
that the government wm not insist oa
taxation as carried out' heretofore. Taxes
In im amouxted to' lire 40,000 Including
those 'enforced on authors rights. - The
firm of Ricordl pays 10 per cent en cer
tain operas which swell the income. "La
Traviata" and "Bigoletto" bring to some
100.000 lire. If they (Ricordi) could.' give
20 or SO per cent, the extra would help
considerably., .but -with ' the - present
gloomy theatrical crista upon ' as such
generosity seems Utopian. "
Yet, If. war destroys, Italian charity
constructs, and a way will be found to
house this handful of old musicians and
keep them la happiness until their hour
of departure arrives.' ' ' -
Perhaps othecs' not Italian slight co
operate? There are scores of students
tn Milan at work with song or .instru
ment who seek a home where they could
live moderately and comfortably. Many
Americana and British would rejoice,
indeed. If a portion of this eommodiop
house could be set apart for them where
they could have their 'own rooms be
sides common ones for food and recrea
tion, .with simple good food... Their con
tributions would go far to help the vet
erans, and the atmosphere alone would
be most beneficial to the students.
Verdi would not oppose this plan.
WILL film-"qrrxoTE" - -
"Don Quixote- is to be filmed 'by
French company under the .direction of
Andre - Huron. ' According to reports
more money Is to be expended on the
production of Cervantes immortal work
than haa ever been devoted to the mak
ing of any French . picture. ,
Ellison-White
Music Gatlogue
Outlines Plans
ACOMPREHENSTVS and attractive
catalogue has Just been issued by
the Ellison-White Conservatory of Music
in which Is set forth the design of the
school, it's location, the 'advantages of
fered, the artistic aims of the school and
the requirements : for admission. . Pic
tures of faculty members and. . short
sketches of their training and success as
teachers and artists, . fill several pages.
The course of study U also outlined, and
a list of students, numbering more than
200, Is given, s . :
The - faculty members ' are : " " David
Campbell. - Edith Woodcock and - Flora
Gray, piano: Viola Rldgway. Dunning
system ; Erwtn Mutch, voice ; Susie' Fen
ren Pipes. Margaret Tost, violin : Chris
tine Pool, vlolinoello; Pauline Alderman,
harmony ' and theory ; . Elizabeth M.
Fames.-dramatic,- The officers of the
conservatory are : ' President, J. R. Elli
son ; vice president and business man
ager. C K. White ; director, David Camp
bell: registrar. AHeen Brong.
- Registration day is Monday. 'Septem
ber 12, and . the ' first term will open
Tuesday, September 12. The catalogue
says : . The EQison-Whlte Conservatory
of Music, as Its hum Implies, is an in
stitutlon for the serious study of music
in Its various phases. . It's aim la to give
superior advantages to music "students of
the Northwest, through the opportunity
of systematic course of Instruction near
their homes under the . most capabU
teachers to be had. :.
"The school Is located at C54 Everett
btreet.' While the conservatory is only
Indirectly connected with the Chautau- "
qua and Lyceum activities of the Ellison
White firm. It is under the' same general
management, and at stated intervals -students
authorised by their Instructors
will have the privilege of appearing be
fore the managers of the various cir
cuits." . - " V '-'''' - J.- "
Mrs. T. J. Dorgan of this city is spend
ing a few weeks at MansanitaV. She ex
pects to return to Portland about Sep
tember 1 and Immediately thereafter will ,
go to SC Vincents hospital for an opera- .
Uon for tonsUitis. This will necessitate
a considerable delay In the resumption
of her piano classes. ' . - - - V
Sandy. Aug.' 80. Albert Creita, first ,
violinist so long at the Rivoli theatre.
and party, visited Sandy last week, after
making an enjoyawe mountain irip.
Crelts has been travelling In California
for a month, but loves the mountains out ,
here and comes out nearly every season
for a short stay. He will leave tor,
Europe at once to study and play at
Vienna and Parts, -s. -
32,000000 Kronen .
-Received for Song
Berlin. Aug. 20. Robert. Stols. a Vi-
enna composer, has broken the world's .
record for the Income received from a
single piece of dance music, according to
the Neue. Berliner. His -Salome Fox-;
trot" has netted him 22.000,000 kronen In
royalties. To figure out the wealth of
the foxtrot millionaire In real money
an Austrian'' krone is worth about one
tenth of one cent.
NOW PLAYING
s -
ANOTHER
BIG SUCCESS
37
W
1
2
W
5
my ff
r: ji r Ji
What t&e- Stars Say
Stories From Film Studios
It r ar
v -.V--
l-V '- .-
Feery Hyiand
Granville. - i
Is married to Fred
Douglas Fair-
Charlie . Chaplin -, and
banks are great pals.
Alice Brady's husband Is James Crane,
son of Dr. Frank Crane,
'r A M
. Oareth Hughes Is not
says he never will be.
married. , He
The historic San Fernando, CaL, Mis
sion ' furnishes considerable atmosphere
in Alice Lake's new film, "The Golden
Gift."- . - V.- . - -
mm
the Sari Carroll theatre. New York; mow
almost completed, where, she hopes to
nead her own stock, company next winter.
. Louise Fasenda, the eccentric' comedi-1
enne. Is temporarily deserting comedy to I
go into serious drama with Cosmopolitan.!
She has departed from the Pacific coast.
Nobody Knows What
Nobody Looks Like,
Nobody Caiy Find Out
"And Vnobody knows a darn thing
about it
Such is the "dernier cri of P. E, No
ble, manager of the Liberty,' who .has
found "the. photoplay, "Nobody,", booked
for his house to follow Wallace Reid in
"The Hell Digger", next week. The fall
season has already started in 'Jensen A
Von Herberg ; houses, which "have an
nounced some of the biggest releases
of the year, and finding among the list
of booked productions the names of
which have been known to film handlers
for -months, the title of which nobody
has before heard is unusual to say the
least. . : ,
. "Nobody," Manager Noble discovered
upon investigation, was booked upon the
recommendation of J. G. Von Herberg,
junior member -of Jensen tt Von Her
berg, and is unseen as yet by any Ore
gon exhibitor. The rule is and "No
body" is the shining exception that all
pictures -before purchase . must be pre
viewed at .the 'nightly after . the show,
gathering r of. managers. Even Charles
H. Feldman, manager of the local First
National ; exchange, . through' "which , the
-picture will be released, has not seen
the film and knows practically nothing
about it as his "paper" for the produc
tion' has not yet arrived.
- So "Nobody" is well titled according
li to local "X V. H." men.
Flourney Miner and, Aubrey Hies are
the old vaudeville comedians who got
tne troupe together, - made . a musical
comedy and took it around, to the white
manager, saying "here's what we've got :
give us a chance."; They have trained a
chorus to dance , better than any other
in New York and there isn't a girl In
ine caste wno cart step out to the foot
lights and put over a real number alone.
; After years of the Imitation. New York
is vow learning for the first time Just
what . color - of blue is the real neero
oiue song..
"Shuffle Along Is a "loL"
Evelyn. 'Nesbit and
Clifford End Fight
m
Si
Kathleen Key. a Los Angeles' school
girl , playing a. principal role In The
Rubaiyat" film production, is a gfeat I
grandchild of Francis Scott Key, com
poser of "The Star Spangled Bamf r."
Having recovered from a minor opera
tion undergone in a Los Angeles hospi
tal Gloria Swan son .Is preparing to leave
Hollywood for a short vacation trip to
New York. :
Charlotte Greenwood Is on her way
to Los Angeles to be starred In the film
version of "Linger Longer Letty." She
created the Letty role in the stage
presentation.
two W 0 S
x-.jfl'. Mi p W'm
n$--..
mm
Pauline Frederick has -Just returned
from Cheyenne, Wjr, . where she was I
honor, guest during the Frontier week
celebration. She Immediately . started
work In a picture directed by Colin
Campbell.
Max Linder, the spry- little .French
comedy star, has signed a coon tract with'
Goldwyn to release his future pictures,
starting with "Be My Wife," which he I
recently previewed in New York at
Aeolian hall.
el-'
' -
Teter Ibbetson'
Eenamed Torever' .
By Film Producer
At no time." In the writing of "Peter
Ibbetson." from which "Forever" was
adapted, is it likely that Du Maurier
considered his characters from a scien
tific angle.. With the author, the ex
ploits of "Peter? and the "Duchess of
Towers," doubtless, ' were a background
for the expression of a fantastic idea;
rather an attempt to stabilize a nebu
lous theory by weighting it down with
human impulses and inhibitions.
At the time of the writing Dr. Freud
of Vienna had yet to focus his searching
ray upon, the inner consciousness and
base his hypotheses on such a delicate
foundation as a web of: dreams.
Were "Peter, Ibbetson a product -of a
writer of this decade It would be seised
(.upon by the. followers -of Dr. Freud and
the characters at least v the . central
character dissected and cataloged.
Peter, after he had explained the process
of "dreaming true," would ibe pigeon
holed in the compartment Freud reserves
for members of class , he designates as
hysterics. J U.: .';v; - .v :. x
An hysteric, under- the Freud classifi
cation, is the individual who dreams of
a condition he wishes were true. '
In Par-amount's version of the Du
Maurier story. Wallace Retd appears as
Feter the dreamer. , '
Harry, Myers and Raymond Hatton I
will - enact the . chief - character roles
of the two crooks in the film version
of "Turn to the Right". - Rex Ingram.
producer of The Four Horsemen of I
the Apocalypse", will direct and Jack
Mulhall is to play the juvenile lead.
Tom Santschi put up a wager with his
director, Ronald Bradbury, that whoever
bagged the first deer while on a loca
tion trip would be entitled to all other
venison shot on the Journey In addi
tion, the-loser would be. penalised on
fish diet
-Ha
New-'Yorltv AmK ,20. -An ' order baa
be- signed this week; whereby Evelyn
Neebltt (Montani) discontinued her re-
evin suit against Jack Clifford (Mon-
ani) of personal property housed. la
their Adirondack. lodge. A private ar
rangement between the principals takes
care -of that phase of the series of suits
still ; pending. ; starting with a divorce
charge,' lodged, by " him, and a counter
claim- to similar effect by her. Following
that Miss, Neebltt sought to Impress in
trust their Adirondack real estate, both
I Jef Ihese 8Ults..ara sill-hacElns; fire.' , r J peryislon of. Manager Noblar
First Electric Sign
Boosts Exposition
The first out-door' electric aign to be
erected in the state boosting . the 1SJS
exposition appeared, over i the Liberty
theatre Wednesday Bhrht a few hours
before Portland commenced its celebra
tion occasioned by President Harding
signing the bill which gives to the pro
posed Oregon event, national approval.
The sign is li feet high and 29 feet
long. Huge nitrogen lamps outline the
figures against a background of dark
blue and black.. The sign, was made In
tne Liberty, theatre chop under the bu-
Two more girls Katherine Flynn and
Gladys Davis- of the ensemble of "The
Last Waltz" at the Century theatre,
have " Joined the French and English
courses .of the summer session of Co
lumbia university. There are five girls
of the Oscar Straus operetta now en
rolled at Columbia.
mm
J.
Maclyn. Arbuckle has been placed
under contract by the Messrs. Lee V J.
J. Sbubert. He win be starred In a new
play to be' seen on Broadway on or
about Labor day. Mr. Arbuckle last ap
peared under the ' management of . the
Messrs. Shubert In their production of
"In the Night Watch" at -the Century
The Laurel - Canyon, Cat, home of
Bessie Love, was saved from destruction
by fire by a . number of Boy Scouts.
when 'a blase destroyed the residence im
mediately adjoining, occupied by Dick
Rosson, Fox director. Mr- Reason lost
valuable possessions. .Miss Love haa not
been occupying her home.! having taken
a summer cottage at the seashore.
"V.
Ugliest Woman Fails
;As Theatre Director
" Paris,- Aug.- Rk Polalre, "the ugliest
woman in the world." she of the wasp
waist., is bo success aa a director of her
own theatre. V;i
Seven moxtths ago Polaire aubsldlaed
M. Marjal.to pen a theatre In Moat
matre. She gave successively three
plays. In an of which she played her
self. Even her presence on the stage,
however, failed to tear audiences away
from their favorite "undresay! show a
and now P.. L. Flers haa obtained the
lease of & Marjal.theatra at a bargain.
MM
. ss v-.v ... v
is-
From Max Brand's Popular Novel
; Tate's Honeymoon"
A smashing melodrama, threaded with a love interest that
adds to rather than detracts from the dramatic strength of
its situations. i$ "A Thousand To One." .
"SHE SIGHE1 BY THE SEASIDE"
A Two-Part Cocktail of Tun and Actioai ;
PRIZMA
RIVOUNEWS
- . .., ..' .'. . . -- ..
BESP05"DIf G TO
POPULAR DEMAND
we HATE E3TOAGED .
TOSCA BERGER
EMIXEIfT TI0LI5 SOLOIST
for the resialadcrief this, her seeoad week. She wDI appear
fear times sally. JLr Berger will also pretest aa especially
sleeted program at today's boob coaeeru
... ' . - r ' v . -
SIGNOR SALVATORE SANTAELLA
Director of Music, will ronoW a Special Piano Solo at
Do Laxe Performance .
12:30 NOON TODAY
RIVOLI SUNDAY CONCERT
J v
r
r
v
, ' " . 1-"' ?