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LOWELL SHERMAN
AT WORK.
His Original Methods.
T OWELL Sherman, the well-known
XJ actor and director, who directed 'She
Done Him Wrong,' and many other suc
cesses, is now at Universal handlinc a
rery usual story, 'The Night Life of
i.he Gods,' from the witty novel by Thorne
Smith.
The Thorne Smith story has, of course,
Deen 'purified,' but out of it, indications
ire, has come a rollicking comedy. The
piece will be marked by considerable trick
photography, by which the statues are
jiven life and human beings are turned
to stone. Universal has delighted in
weird screen effects in the past, but the
technicians believe they have surpassed
former efforfs in permitting figures to
change from flesh to stone and back with
seeming reality, writes a studio corre
spondent.
Sculptors were employed to create 25
statues. It was impossible to use museum
replicas because the casts must duplicate
the actors' appearance before they come
to life. The characters of the story also
had to be duplicated in plaster.
Mr. Sherman works with astounding
ease in directing his picture. He seems to
pay no attention to anything. To quote
tiim, his instructions to his players are,
'Enter here. Exit there. Camera!' He
says that he is too old to teach youngsters
how to act and too young to presume to
tell 'troupers' (experienced actors) what
to do. He rarely photographs a scene
more than twice, generally but once. He
spends most of his time off stage chat
ting with friends while the camera and
electrical crews arrange the setting. Then,
at the sound of his assistant's whistle, he
enters the scene, orders to cameras to roll,
desides instantly whether the take is suc
cessful, and with happy nonchalance re
sumes his conversation.
SOPHISTICATED comedy is given full
^ rein in the new Lasky production,
'Springtime for Henry,' which will be
at the Ambassadors Theatre next week.
E-RITISH Empire Films announces the
-*-* early release of the new Australian
picture, 'Splendid Fellows.'
$