Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), Thursday 16 June 1927, page 11


SCREENINGS.

"TRUTH is stranger than fiction" is an old phrase, but it was proven true during the filming of "Broken Hearts of Hollywood," the Warner Bros, epic of

Filmtown, which is to be rcleased by Master Pictures shortly, when Louise Dresser, who plays one of the leading roles, met Edward Clark, playwright, who wrote the story for the screen. In New York, in 1912, Miss Dresser played the hading role in "Coat-tails," the first play Mr. Clark had produced on Broad-way. The play was put on by Arthur Hammerstein at tbe Court Theatre, and Miss Drcsser scored triumphantly in it. Now Mr. Clark, just recently from New York to take a hand in scenario writing, finds Miss Dresner playing one of the leading roles in "Broken Hearts, of Hollywood," his first effort. HOLLYWOOD'S champion memory ex- pert has been discovered. ne is Clarence Badger, tbe man who directed "It," Clara Bow's first Paramount starring vehicle. Madame Elinor Glyn, author of the story, who socnt much time on the set, observed Badge:* proceeding from one scene to another withont consulting a scenario. She was astonished, and inquired a*? to bis .methods. It was then "revealed that her screen adaptation from th. original story of '"It" had not only been studried thoroughly by Badger before starting the photoplay, but be had also memorised the scenes of each sequence. JJoi only did he carry out 52 scenes in "'letter perfect manner one day without reference to a scenario, Imt he furnished Mum Bow, Antouio Moreno, William Austin, and other of the supporting cast with dialogue intended to a__ them in enacting the action. Badger consults the s.enaric nt night aud before starting work cacb morning, refreshing.hia..memory aa to the work to be done. pATBY RUTH iULLER, who plaja |* •*• the leading feminine role in Fax Films production, Fools in the Dark,"'

was born and educated ai Louis, Mo. Probably her most im;?rrrt_Ht role in Sierras was that of Ksmcralda in 'The [unchbaek of Noire Datu-V* _nd with Charles Kay io -The Girl I Loved." Reading is.Patsy Ruth's greatest -«?-<*•?. aud she has read approximately 2000 books to date. But Miss Miller doe. not give the api>ear moe . f .h_ ta-ok-wenn type with nono-iimined g 1as_es. b"*a>_te she is ji__s as ccad ot the outdoors aud all forms of atbl.:•*. A COLLAPSIBLE aldoW-dk specially ■*-*- designed for rhc t?i:rp_?se a-as bedin front of the new two-story building of the Jones' Defcc.t-vc Agency at tbo corner of 1-erce-avenie and SSxih-str-ei. Astor'a, L.I. The walk extended Ss_t. on Pierce-A venue a:id '2r. et. on S-xtli_trect, and wa_ b-ii'.t :n sections that were operated by mee_iA-:r-.?l wvers _nside the building. The building itself was _onstrnctcd along extremely novel lines, having its main entrau.e through a disguised cellar-way on -jix.htJ.r_e-, ibat ied rtito a vacant lot owned by Parxmonnt Pictures. The whole e^-fice and the walk were constructed *iy t „e earnentrj department of the Pi.pmouui Long Viand studio, and used as a set for Ed. Wynn's first starring picture, "Rubber Hcem.'' which is now in pridnctio.i under tiie direction of Victor Hcerman. X 3 0W does a man act when the police submit him to the notorious "th'rd degree"? Tliat was Jie question which confronted Michael Curti_. director,' and Jason Robards, leading man of Warner Bros.' production of "The Third Degree," starring Dolores Costello. That the iceiio might be correct in every detail they sought inside information from Chief ti-Police Davis, of Los Angeles, and Depnty Commissioner Lender, of New York then in Los Angeles on the trail of a; dangerous criminal. Both of theee men had vivid recollections of the days, not so lou,j ago, when the brutal institution of the third degree was m full farce, aaid the tense results show in the picture. "The Third Degree" was adapted from the famous Charles Klein stage mclodrnma by Graham Baker. In the c_?t aro Louise Dresser, Rockliffc Fellowes, K-tte Price, Tom Saatehi, Harry Todd, Mary Louise Miller, Michael Vav.tch, - D_vid Torrcm and Fred. Kelsey. *pEX thousand pounds worth of cameras •*• and «i>ecial leuaos have been add id recently to the equipment of Fox Hollywood Studio*. Of this amount £29*) was expended for the most modern lenew* which the roar__pt afforded. This bring* the total camera investment to £31,<W0. The F.x picture plant is rated as tha bee* equipped in all filmland. Twenty liell-Howcll and five Mitchell cameras Are iv constant use. Iv addition the studios have four Akleys and two ultra apecd*. Fifteen still cameras are in continuous use on seta daring production. . Michael Losching is supcrintondent _f thefo" laboratories. Arniin Fried, a graduate of Lieptii*- "University, is camera tcchn.ciin and iv charge of the machine designing department, ne has been employed by th-* F>x studios for the past nine year*. Fried has perfected several inventions that hay? been of vast benefit to the industry, and tbe Latest of these is the */• roseopic jnera car. It is a platform mounted on four wheels, and with this the i -.era operator can follow action from room to room, upstairs and down, .indoors and out, and into any loeatiau where the actaas can go. Tbe gyroscopic car wm first used, and proved its aueoess, in tbe making of "Three Bad Men." Fried is now confftnicling, in b:s own shops at the studio, fifteen new r'gneting devices Fried personally inspects each camera in use' each day to guard against defects whicb would necessitate .-takes. Thirty cameras is tbe wnal number in use, and

-aa four men arc required to each capicra 120 arc employed in this department. rj*_lE daucc of the faun is one of the most elaborate episodes of. Rex Ingrain's production of "The Magician" for Metro-Gohlwyn-Mayer, wita Abco Terry in the leading role. More than _?"0 trained dancer, appeared in the reprcdaetion of th:s famous daucc staged by lugraui iv a forest, setting on the studio grounds near Nice, Fiance, where a great part of the Somerset Maugham story waa made, Pan, w-ith Us famous p.pc. in the garb of tiie half animal, half man. tho faun with bia horu. aud all the c.uer details oi the famous myth, were included in traiu>.c-i.mr. it to the.screen. Special arrangements were made for tne jointing of the bouie. of tiie men and women who participated in tbe scenes, and special care was taken in their selection so <*a u> nave perfect types, even though they could not all be in tiie camera foreground. Another particularly liiterestiuz episode of this product.on was filmed iv the inten-.r ot a* Arab snake-charmer's tent at the Fair of Lion de lte.tovt. Some of the most deadly of reptiles louud in Africa were handled by the snake'charmer* before the camera for scenes of this picture. Be-ides Miss Terry, the c.;«st picludes Ivan Petrovich and.Firmiu Gcmier in the leading roles. AN unusual condition existed at Paramount's Lone Is.aud studio while D. W. Gii-tith's ••Sorrows of Satan" was being filmed. Five companies were at work, und, as the various stage, were _ii occupied.'sets for the Griffith .product.on had to be erected within each other. Adolphe Menjoij as Satan, Ricavdo Cort.z. Carol Dempster, and Lya de Putti are featured iv "Sorrows of -iatan," soou to be seen in Australia. OLIVE BORDEN, beautiful Fox Films star, who plays the leading fenuuino role in "The Monkey Ta__s,'' adapted from Rene Fauehow' world renewed *tage auceess, is an ardent-support.r of bobbed hair —for others. Men Borden, whose long, curly tresses are a distinct novelty among praseni-day screen stars, declares she has no intention uf failina for tiie lure of aliorn locks••Abao-u.ely not!" is her decision, "If I desire the bobbed effect a -visit to my liairdresscr solves the problem—and then axain, when I wish for various other headdresses my own hair supplies the need. Sa you see I am able to enjoy any demand my heart makta." Raonl Walsh, whose previous directorial effort. "What Prk-e Glory," is established as the greatest p'cture of all time, directed "The Monk-y Talks," with an imposing cast, including, Jacques Lerncr, Jane Winton. Don Afvarado, Raymond Hitchcock, Malcolm Waite. and August Tollaire. rpOM O'BRIEN, who hais an important role in Metro-Grtklwyn-Mayer's epic production, "The "Big Parade,".was^nee a wild animal hunttir f«r the leading, uienageru_ in Europe and .He has travelled in every .pajt of" t"l\e gsabe, *nd now offiia a -bjui-is-tanjr \sut. .''flfca*tice:ij? Los Angeles. _Wvj^; ac-tlns; 3a a hd?by witb. him. v - '■ > '-''.' : V .. . '",. Hundreds of owtor. lotriee—njony ot them havmjc see*. dcr*i«e --fft Entice—are employed iv one iihpraasivc - sequence in Metro-Goldwy_i-_t?yei^ «li!- piolaction. "The B.g Parad.-." Tbey reproduce a portion of the, big parade that went endlessly up to the .firing line in France iluring the war ycariL •' "\TfIGS lur ■ women—now and; forever!** That's the amaaaag slogan that comes from no one l-us than one of .the screen nio9t beautiful stars—Betty -Hompson. Betty thinks that the pawdcred .periwig of colonial day* should be revived- Aud here's how it all came about.. Betty's.o^ostrecent vehicle for tliQ screoij v rintitlpd, "The Belle of Broadway.** It is aa'tory _? •which she plays the part 'of a celebrated actress and in. a play within a play abe portrays Madam*-^ Dv Barry. Oi course it callis fay."beautiful gowns of that century, and . particularly wonderful ?jig creation!'. In her few.short scenes as Dv BaiTy Betty wurcthi'ee different _nd raviahingly beautiful' wigs. Each .coat 530 dollar*. And after Betty saw herself as Dv Ba:T.v, especially in the wig?, ..she fell head over heels in love with berseK-njid so did every one else at the studio .for that matter.