SATURDAY MAY 12 1923,
THE CHINA MAIL.
THE FILMS
d
TO-NIGHT.
Coronet, Theatre. The Four Porselen of the Apocalypeo.
World Theatre.-Pearl White in
* Know Your plen.", Star Theatre Anita Stewart in
"Virtuous Wivce.".
HIGH SEAS HONEY-
MOON,"
"EMENESS" BOAT FILM.
NEW CHINESE MOVIE.
DANGER OF MIXING TWO STYLES.
A High Song Honeymoon is u
"An Unfortunate Girl" is tho Doving picture which was taken on title of a Chinese motion picture the last westbound voyage of the
Empresa of Australia," and about drama which was shown at a pri- which Henry Macline, President of vate exhibition by the Shanghai THE FILM AND FICTION formerly Director-General of the picture written and produced by the Oriental Cinemis Association and Photoplay Co. It is by far the best Universal Films of California, Chinese that we have thus far scen. writes on follows p
NEW INSPIRATION FOR AUTHORS.
•
the family laws of China and partly because she has taken a vow to re- main single all her life, ♫
The acting is excellent but some of the story is incredible, and does not fit in with real life. Unfor
ROBIN HOOD).
DOUG FAIRBANKS LATEST.
..
THE IDEAL GIRL.
HOUSE PETERS VIEWS,
House Peters, the Univer
Ition to the nettings and action it was a wise rule "not to show every. PROGRAMME FEATURES. thing. Something should be left to the audience. There should be Bone significance about the produc
I made a moving picture on the Bays the N.-G. Daily News. jing which would enable the audi-
way, embracing every important Gao Kno (Mina Anna Fu) is an fence to share in the building up of
and attractive feature of the ship, unhappy maidon who elopes with the picture Very many of the I oed Hardly Bay writes from the bridge to the
the propellor the man she loves in order to escape pictures made to-day were an insultT.C.B. in Jolm o London's abaft
marrying a 'rich mail whom her to the intelligence of the audience Weekly, that the film has been a
Almost every puasenger on board father wishes to impose upon her. Aly pictures must be such that an godsend to writers of fiction, Almost took an active part in the picture The young couple are married und audience at Wigan can follow every action novel of any import and thoroughly enjoyed the expori-live happily (she is not thrown out them," said a big picture beatre anco is adapted to the screen, and once, and although the weather, an of the home by a profligate husband director to the lecturer in out occe the prices paid an eoznatimes mhst be expected this time of thesis the case with so many of our sion. It was this playing down to cient to double the author's serial year, we very much aminst us, we pictures nowadays) until the hus- Wigun standard, or, what and book profits, Then, again, the enjoyed the novel experience of gal-band, an artist, lier after the birth was used to be Wigan's stadiumblor class of fiction producers, lantly enling through a 95-mile an of their son. She manages to pull FUTURE OF FILMS.
ard, winch was harmful to the pro-and especially theen, like myself, our gale: the interest of the pas through life for a few years, her grees of picture-making Above all, whose stories are mainly written for sengers in making, the picture son, Foo Bay (Kiddio, Dan), having there inust, be sincerity. The in-boys and girls, frequently spead a silecess spried to make them forget by this time become a Ind not yet COMING OF CULOUR spirations of the story must be in-pare bour in a cingus theatre -all about the weather and, when his trons. They move to another
Barbara LaMarr, movie star of Los Angeles, is shown with the baby. PICTURES
bued in all those associated with its ply for the purpose of stimulating projected the picture in the din-place, and presently a year's rent is boy she has adopted and will raise as her own. "I have more mother, making. "No writer or producer their brains.
ing saloon the night before arriving owing. Their landlord, a bareh and Mr. Denison Clift, the well-heel work on a story unless they
Undoubtedly there is something at Shanghai, everybody seemed de unscrupulous man (Wong: Lai hood in my little finger than there is in the whole bodies of those known American motion picture fool the inspiration of the story in the rapid passage of the scenes lighted with it and the fact that if tung), falls in love with the young mothers who wonder what I am going to do with the babe," she said. producer who is produced six was one of the rules laid down by of a fin-play which helps one out was produced, developed, printed mother and attempts to force her to "Do people think that because I pose before the camera in a pair of
Jesse Lasky.
when imagination has become tor-and shown on the shup made it very marry him. She refuses, and Inter tights and portray the darker sides of life that I am in capable of being scrcon pieres in England during
pid. Speaking personally, I rarely interesting, as I sm of the opinion she and her son meet Li Ka-see, real mother?" bo past eighteen months; delivere THE SCREEN PICTURE OF 1950. an intresting midress at the Stoll Although it was impossible to tell come out after seeing a good film that this is the first time in the lawyer (Cut Sze-ling), who also Picture Theatre Chib on "The what the pictures of 1950 would be, without finding a whole new train history of navigation that such a wants to marry her but she refuses Billerence between English and 31r. Clift palieved that the future of ideas bubbling rough my brain. notable achievement, has been sup-to do so, partly because it is against American Films." Mr. Chift.men lines of progress would lie in colour But there is another beneft whichi cessfully accomplished,
the film has conferred upon writers, pienod that fifteen million pounds 】and the perfection of colour process, etterling are invested in the Ameri and the development of stereoscopic one which is appreciated only by the can picture world, 200,000 people effects. He did not think there was initiated and not always by them. Fiftcon years ago, or even less, ore employed in the making of future for "talking pictures," or
| editors, whether of papera intended motion pictures, which are shown the synchronisation of speech and- * 18,000 picture houses, while the picture affects. People could never weekly, demanded English stories for boys and giris or of any popular takings at the box offers amount to get away from the fact that what with English settings and English dha onoribus sum of £200,000,000 they saw on the screen were photo-
charactors. I don't mean to say year. Molion picture production graphs of people, but not real poo that they refused Scotch and Irish had become the fifth greatest indus- |ple. It would be unreal to make stories, but they certainly preferred try in the States. He believed that her speak. this industry in Anterica, and pictures was going to come, and he English. Stories with an American
cobang, were extremely unpopulär;| tronghout the world, was going to felt that pictures without colour
as for Australian or Bouth African, be the one great democratic enter would, soon, balong to a past ago, tainment of the future, and that Germany was now the most serious ovon South Sea yarns, thoy werd other forms of entertainment would rival of Amorica in motion picture simply barred. fade into comparative insignificance production. A new Gorman picture in cof, arison with the wonderful he bad recently scen was the most Presumably an editor knows the developloent which was coming to remarkable sorean-picture he had taste of his public, so it may be mother pictures. He did not saylover met. It was marked by genius taken for granted that the reading that the motion picture was going nad vivid presentation of power public of that date- that is, tho to emphat the stage and the speak-such as one could never forget. For public which reads the cheaper press -ing play, but he thought it was originality and imagination, indeed, and does not buy magazines-had| going to Make first place, and he believed that this picture, called no use for stories with a foreign set- dominate the ptertainment world. "Dr. Caligari, in Germany, was ting. Even the popular magazines To-day, so far on the best pic-the most striking picture that had of the time preferred the story with sures being based on the idea of lever heen made. In saying this a home setting. Only the other day "the chase" and a perpetual circus Mr. Clift added that although I was looking through a number of motion, the tendency was rather the he had had the war prejudices as bound volumes of sixpenny maga.
Craig Biddle, Jr, heir to the were shown in entirely Chinese, sure, would cover twenty sores of one is auxious to know and keep on ment of character, the building up that art was international, and that and found that less than twenty
American) fashions left out, the spon a distance of about five hundred of the dramatic sense, the oki if the Germans wore able to make par cant. of the stories contained in richest family, is in Hollywood, effect would be much better than it is load of
One carload, or about thirty tons; Aristotelian unities, in fact, were great pictures, the sheer dominance hem had to do with anything out. California, practically penniless, was. The picture was well taken of nails were consuined in erecting vital to the production of the best of art on art must bring them into Jaide our own islands,
grimly seeking work in the the light good and on the whole the pictures.“ Unless you developed every country.in time.
In those days, as I know to my movies.
play was well played. It can be the sets.
Two hundred and fifty tons of your characters in the first two reels Here in England we huit every-cost, it was next to impossible to
recommanded to our readers,
material went into the castle walls and engaged the sympathy of your thing that could make for the pro-belt a short story with a foreign set-
..More than fifteen acres of studio She has a wind of her own and audience with them, your malienee duction of great pictures. Wonder- ting, although occasionally the
property are in use for the principal can stand up and argue with a man did not care for it. Cecil de Miller ful settings of all kinds and histori-editor of a boys' paper would take a
Bota.
UP TO THE OF A Woman on any general subject when he first went out to California cal backgrounds. Here, too, were serialdealing with Canada, Centra with Jesse Tasky and started work the greatest imaginative minds of Africa, or Australia. Bat even then upon new genre of pietures. the world, the greatest poets, play-the chameters had to be British. realise that the principles of the wrights, and dramatists. But he stage and of dramatic construction.venture to think the our screen:
Colonr in motion
STRICTLY LOCAL.
My ideal girl," he said, hes
Something of an idea of the big news and general scope of Douglas Jawel Star recently gave a news tunately, the play is spoilt by the Fairbanks latest photoplay sensa- paper man his iden of the perfect many Americanismos, both in the acting and the titles, the latter be- tion, Robin Hood," may be type of girl. ing in a number of cases incorrect gathered from the following setupendous sense of humour. She in spoiling and in comparison with mary of facts about this super-fea the Chiness titles. Instead of hay" ture :— ing a really good Chinese picture, Twenty-two experts delved and showing the Chinese home, the life studied in the neccesary research and customs of the Chinese, a com work for accurate designing of the paratively foreign picture is shown.colossal sete.
Foreign clothes, foreiga surround- Libraries the world over wore ran- ings, foreign food and even foreign sacked by these experts for author love making!
is of medium height, slim, dark and vivacious. She is vital, energetic and abounds in good health
**Sho in athletic and fond of aff out-door sports. She is a wonderful ewimmer and diver and isn't afraid of diving off a yacht in mid-ocean. She is a crack tennis and golf player One or two scenes we did like,itative facta in ascertaining the bis and alus can put on a pair of ice torical data that all might be pre- skates and make time with the best those in which everything is Chinese where the young mother ented truthfully to the period.of them. She can ride a horse and
-Hundreds of workmen, laboured look well while doing it.
She must have a strictly serious three months to build the ects.
serves her food in Chinese fashion and where it is eaten by her son in the same manner. Again where the young women is sewing while bor son plays everything being trise to Chinese life helped to make the picture good. If this picture
One million feet, or approxi-side to her, a side that every one mately thirty-five carloads, of lum- doesn't understand when they firef her were used in their construction: meet her, but one that is worth knowing better. She must be a
FLENTY OF LUMBER.
This lumber, if laid out in board good mixer and a woman that every
Torers. Character and the develop-Įdeeply ne othians, he personally felt zines dated between 1900 and 1907multi-millions of Philadelphia's roundings, and foreign (especially ground; if placed end to end would knowing.
tinn woa then left behind for ever.
A FAMILIAK WORLD.
MACK SENNETT. COMEDIES.
TO BE PRODUCED FOR “PATHE. ̈1,''
NATIVE INDIAN FILMS.-
"GREAT STAR DHRUVA IN
THE HEAVENS.
quired.
She is a girl that likes people, a Igond titue, and can fully appreciate the opportunities for joy which the world abounds in. She has a won- derful disposition and doesn't "in- niga in morbid books and new paper scandal.
ledge of the theatrical world and its The castle is surrounded by a people and she must like it-for
"y-ideal girl, then, is bright. good looking and athletic."
WILDEST AFRICA."
TRAVEL FILM SUCCESS..
That there is a big public for the
The King's castle set covers two or dispute which may arise in the and one half acres and is 310 feet in course of a conversation. While L height. The exterior is 620 feet don't like to see a woman masell long,
licly independent, I do like to see In building the castle 178,000 her able to cope with others on any and the development, of character,|pictures lacked·lochnique, and on- To-day all that is, completely
square feet of wall board. plaster questions arising. must be applied to the production ough money was not always spout changed, and I ascribe the change
"And she must be interested in of pictures. The pictures he pro- for the adequate presentation of the to the educative action of the cind An announcement of great intet Native India has gone into the board and button lath were re-
my work I do not mean that my duced upon these lines were an in-subject. The common verdict in ma. The film has familiarized allost to moving picture patrons has busines of film production with a stantaneous shree. The mechani-America was "subject good but classes with other parts of the been received by the Shanghai office mighty splash. No other Eastern There are eight castle towers. If ideal girl is a professional woma cad phase of motion picture-produc- techniquo and presentation poor.world, and more particularly with of Pathé Orient, from Pathé-Ex-mce have begun to make photopings these towers were water tanks, each herself, but she must have a know-
The qualities which trade good ed to put on vital ings. But he part of the United States. The fact that Mack Sontett, the "all black, all yellow, and Red moat, built from historically correct f dat
More courage and daring was noed-Western Gannds and the weeter change Inc., New York, to the on a considerable scale. There are would hold 270,000 gallons. pictines were: (1) Dramatic lower did not suggest that English pm-captions, too, have had their famous producer of comedies, has Indish companies operating in the (8). Jumgination, and (3) sincerity, ducera should copy American pro- share in teaching us the American been igned up by Pathé to produce United States, and some Red Flications, brord enough and A sons of drama was essential to ducam save in the matter of greater language, which year by year seams, a series of comedies during the car- Indians are cinema theatre pro- deep enough to serve as for the barier against the taking of, this everyone engaged in producing a perfection of technique, by which to differ more widely from its parent year. This series is to consist pristors picture. Every single act or move-he meant, not so much mechanical ent English, and the result has been thirteen two reol comedies, as Byptian native dabble in films stronghold.
The royal banquet room in the ment must tend to bring about the perfection, as dramatic understand that to-day no editor will turn down well as another series of eight two of the topical and scenic order castle is the largest room in the effect which writer and producering.
a story merely où account of its sef-reel comedies starring the comedian but in India then are now many world, being larger even than the were reaching out for. This sense Discussion followed, and Mr. ting.
Ben Turpin A
native film companies rejoicing in of dramatic unity nast he stained Clift was accorded a hearty voto of As for the modern boy, the more Ben Turpin is no new star that such names as Kahinoor Tajmhat, concourse of the Pennsylvania Ter- throughout. In applying imagina-thanka
remote the scene of adventure the has just blazed into prominence in Totes, Aurora and Star of the minal Station in New York City. better he likes it. Indeed, I find the moving picture firmament, He Fast The Tajmahal Company, for Eleven cauvas pavilions were that today I spend much of my has an envied reputation of many instagoo, is run by wealthy Calcutta built, each one forty feet in height, "Travel" film, the film which re time in sweating up local colour years standing, and is well-known University men and filme, the works The muslin diffusing system produces graphically the life and about Kamschatka, say, or Tierras The funny man with the of whom se Bir Rabindranath used to diffuss light is biggop than customs of far-away countries and the combined big tops of the strange people, bag been proved by del Fuego.
squint His appesmnco in the Tagore Pathalseries of releases will be welOficial Buddhism is not unwind.world's greatest circus enterprise. the success of "Wildest Africs of The camem staff work from the Philharmonic Hall, Great Fort comed by many who have been ful of the power of the screen, and missing this buroreal favourite and there ia o Endabist cinematographer Platforms built of selected spruce land-street W who will be glad to see him on the
Tibet taking pictures which pro- and airplane wire, with an area of Three men, armed with pluck and screen again aide from the
mals the Mount Everest forty square feet, weighs only 400 a camero, tramped their way thousands of miles of little-known sonality of this comedy star the filmbols like two cents" if he inc. pounds, and can be assembled by against all sorts of difficulties narode name of Mack Sematt owing to coods 20 Bringing back the results four men in seven minutes.,
YARDS OF CLOTH USED. Country The story of their advent Hlenged reputation as one Traian film producers tend to of the leading comedy producers in works of mythological interest, vol Twenty thousand yards of heavy tures is shown in "liying photo, During a debate at the Stoll Pic Amerito, is sufficient guarantee
which they have an endless supply velvete and rich cloth material were graphy that is remarkably clear Ond such, ten thousand feet in used in making the 2,500 costumes considering the handicape under ture Club on the motion that the the excellence of this series of Pi
length, is now in London, and its worn by principals, players and which the pictures were made., New light is thrown upon native tribes film play destroys the imagination, comadica aproposition which was strongly It has been the opinion of many. producer thus exphins it
track of civilisation. supported by Mr. St. John Ervino, a distributore and exhibitors alike,This story of Dhruys Chart is Mory then one thousand, wiga, and natural life in places far off the Unlike some Travel" pictures, remarkable attack on the effect of that the comedy portion of motion- an extraordinary interpretation of each made of buman hair, are worn file in Indis was made by Mr. picture entertainment, en comparell the wonderful fareer of the little by members of the cast, Hanner Swafer with the development, in ammatic boy devoted Dhurva, who dedicated Mont than one thousand pair of Wildet. Africa is not presented He said that in Alms shown in belle,, has been seriously neglected his life and soul to the search of shoes were required for the produc in a way to suggest that it is of an the Fast the people of India saw during the last two or three years Hari the Almighty, Preserver of tion, and but one pair could be educational character the white matt as an ogre which the by the entire mov
FILMS IN INDIA. REMARKABLE ATTACK ON
CINEMA PICTURES.
films had createdly Tho film, said try. This recent
grea
gorates yice it was made for the
digalous, and this entacaps
le of the Lost
hite supremacy is,
bying the Mack Banter telling the continu
the carpedi
on Harold
regard the film 08, the
in the world::
extras
Hos Mankind: Dhruva e super-human made from the hide of one sheep smack of the schoolroo
otion; and his undaunted laith The entire stock of three tanneries cliffe Holmes, who only sabdaad all fogs, whether was taken in supplying these hides C. Reid and Mr.
immortal bu so and Every open carried in the pro. Plowman made this long-
glory duction was made entirely by hand tyrous journey, does not
3,000 apears 1,600 He chate. Ho describes raci shields and 100 dag plenty of bumour
Tour. There
kazda
trappings were made
gives you fact
knowledge of the
wymusing even
does nat