CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

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Joe Moore
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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:20 am

CAMERA'S WEEKLY WAKE-EM-UP

Ben Alexander Is First National Child Star


Ben Alexander has arrived.
This youthful actor's sterling work in the leading role in “Penrod and Sam,” has been recognized by Associated First National Pictures, Inc., with a long termed contract.
Under the agreement signed this week the 11-year-old phenomenon will appear in a number of forthcoming First National productions to be made on the West Coast. The first is to be “Misunderstood,” an original Booth Tarkington story to be produced by J. K. McDonald and directed by William Beaudine. Executives of First National believe that in the signing of Ben Alexander they have added to their West Coast staff a youngster who is destined for the greatest honors that the screen can give.
The new First National actor takes his place with the several stars and featured players who have been signed within the last few months by this producing and distributing organization. Ben will now be in the excellent company of Colleen Moore, Corrine Griffith, Sylvia Breamer, Virginia Brown Faire and Ben Lyon.
Although only eleven years old, Ben can look back on a most histrionic career which covers an appearance in six stage successes, a vaudeville tour and so many photoplays that he has lost count of them.
Born in Goldfield, Nevada, he made his first appearance before the footlights in a sketch written by his mother in which he toured from San Francisco to Chicago. On the legitimate stage he played the title role in “Penrod,” and had important roles in “Seven Miles to Arden,” “The Little Teacher” and several other popular productions.
In pictures he played several parts before being “discovered” by D. W. Griffith, who gave him an important boy-role, the brother, in “Hearts of the World.” Following his impressive work in that picture, he was given important roles in several other big film productions, every one adding more glory to his youthful crown, His most recent role was in Maurice Tourneur's First National picture, “Jealous Fools.”


Joy Winthrop is playing the part of an old maid gossip under the direction of Jess Robbins at the Universal Studio.

(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 15)

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Well this explains why Ben Alexander quickly dropped out of Jack White's Juvenile Comedies-a better deal from First National!

Jess Robbins was directing the Baby Peggy film "The Right to Love" at this time.

Joe Moore

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Thu Dec 17, 2009 1:02 am

Who’s Who and What’s What in Filmland This Week

FATTY RETURNS
Walter Heirs, rotund Paramount comedian, is celebrating his summer vacation by making a series of personal appearances throughout the Middle West. He is scheduled to return to California this month.


With the filming of a replica of the United States House of Representatives, Tod Browning, Goldwyn director, has completed work on his picturization of “The Day of Faith,” by Arthur Somers Roche.
Tyrone Power, stage star, who played one of the leading characters of the story, is returning to New York, while Eleanor Boardman, Raymond Griffith, Wallace MacDonald, Charles Conklin, Edward Martindel, Jane Mercer and Winter Hall, other members of the cast, are preparing further picture work. Ford Sterling, who played a leading role, is in Florida, with King Vidor, making Joseph Hergesheimer's novel, “Wild Oranges.”

(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 14)

Joe Moore
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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Thu Dec 17, 2009 2:10 am

From “U” to You by Will C. Murphy

Mary Philbin's first big starring vehicle since the amazing little star's rise to fame in “merry-Go-Round,” has been started at Universal City, in “My Mamie Rose,” filmization of Owen Kildare's celebrated novel of the Bowery. Irving Cummings is directing the new feature, to be a Universal Jewel and one of the outstanding productions of the new season at the studio.
In order that the first Mary Philbin vehicle since “Merry-Go-Round” may be one of the outstanding pictures of the year, a cast of special importance has been chosen to support her. Pat O'Malley, outstanding figure in several of the past season's big successes, plays a bowery tough who finds his way to regeneration through the love of the little charmer of the quarter. It is said that this part is literally the life story of the author, who rose from a gangster to be “The port of the Bowery” and one of the striking figures in American literature through a woman's influence.
William Collier, Jr., son of the famous comedian and himself a notable in screenland, is another player in the big cast; Max Davidson, noted character man, plays the quaint “Levy” of the old clothing store, and Lincoln Plummer, Edwin J. Brady and several others are among the supporting players. A complete reproduction of the old Bowery, several blocks long, with such places as “Suicide Hall,” “Steve Brodie's” and other landsmarks are built at Universal City for the picture; one of the largest sets erected since “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 19)

Rob Farr
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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Rob Farr » Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:01 am

My Mamie Rose was eventually retitled "Fool's Highway" and released in March of '24. In a quirky footnote to comedy film history, a character named Max Davidson is played by William Collier, Jr. Max Davidson plays Old Levi.
Rob Farr
"If it's not comedy, I fall asleep" - Harpo Marx

Joe Moore
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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Sat Dec 19, 2009 5:23 pm

Rob,

Thanks for the additional Max Davidson info!

______________________________________________________________________--

From “U” to You by Will C. Murphy

Work commences during the week at Universal City on the third and largest of the Baby Peggy Jewel productions, “The Right to Love,” in which the baby is surrounded with one of the most remarkable casts she has ever under the wing of a new director, Jesse Robbins, specially engaged to handle the diminutive celebrity of the celluloid.
Winifred Bryson, who's work in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” was folloked by her sensation characterization of “Lullaby Lou” in “Thundering Dawn,” is among the notable players enlisted to support the tiny actress in an all star cast of special interest. Elinor Fair is another notable in the cast. Miss Fair has been famous in screenland ever since her sensational success with Otis Skinner in “Kismet.” Robert Ellis is another important player announced in the Baby Peggy cast.
Several other well known players are soon to be announced for later sequences of the picture, according to Casting Director Fred Datig.
The picture is from an original story by Bernard McConville, with continuity by Lois Zellner.

(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 19)

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"The Right to Love" was released as "The Law Forbids" in the Spring of 1924. Victor Potel, Eva Thatcher, Hayden Stevenson and Ned Sparks were also in the cast.

For those who are wondering what the "U" in the title of this column means-it stands for "Universal" as in Universal Studios. Apparently columnist Will Young had enough contacts there to supply him with enough news that he rated a regular column, just covering the one studio, for a time.

Joe Moore

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Mon Dec 21, 2009 9:46 pm

[Advertisement]

Animated Cartoons-Original Title
Ideas-Clay Animation-Miniature
Sets and Animated Figures

CINEMA ARTS STUDIO

ELMER H. YOUNG, Manager

6615½ Santa Monica Blvd. Telephone 434-430

(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 20)

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The only additional info I could find on this Elmer Young was:

"Elmer Hethrington Young

Born in Nevada on Sept. 24, 1890. During 1909-10 Young studied at the San Francisco Art Institute. By 1921 he had settled in Los Angeles where he worked for the movie studios until his death on May 2, 1957."

___________________________________________________

I couldn't find any information on either Cinema Art Studio or anything indicating any other studios that he may have worked for. Anybody here have any additional info on Mr. Young?

Joe Moore

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Tue Dec 22, 2009 8:24 am

From “U” to You by Will C. Murphy

Billy Sullivan, who is playing the leads in the new series of H. C. Witwer's “The Leather Pushers” at Universal City, has a claim to fame that ought to mean much in the new prize fight series. Not only has he shaken hands with John L. Sullivan-but the famous old fighter used to carry him around when he was a baby. For Sullivan is a nephew of the greatest fighter of all ring history.
“I remember my uncle ever since I was a little baby,” says Sullivan. “When I was quite a small shaver he used to tell me I'd be a fighter some day-he was proud of me and that was his way of showing it. Well-I did become a fighter, but I'm afraid never a good enough one to justify Uncle John in boasting much. I last saw my uncle only a short time before his death, a few years ago, when he was in vaudeville. I was then a fighter of some reputation, and he urged me earnestly to keep it up. However, I had turned actor then, and I found that I was pretty good at it and liked it. So I went on with my stage work. My uncle was a little disappointed, I'm afraid.”
Sullivan plays the role of Kid Roberts, abandoned by Reginald Denny when the later started features. Denny himself handed over “The Leather Pushers” title to the new star. Edward Laemmle is directing the new series, which is crammed with lightning-like fight action for Sullivan.
(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 19)

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I hadn't realized that Reginald Denny had dropped out of "The Leather Pushers" series before it ended until I read this. Apparently Denny did the first 18 films in the series and Sullivan the last six.

Sullivan had been bouncing around in films since 1914 appearing in a variety of genres including comedies, dramas and serials (he's in THE LIGHTNING RAIDER with Pearl White, Warner Oland and Boris Karloff) for such companies as Thanhouser, Falstaff and Astra. He even spent a season working as an AD for Falstaff in Jacksonville turning out comedies starring Walter Hiers and Riley Chamberlin.

After he finished with "The Leather Pushers" Universal put him in a series called "The Fast Steppers" followed by a series of western shorts. After that he spent the remainder of the decade mostly working for low budget producer/directors like Harry Joe Brown and Duke Worne-appearing in a lot of sports (primarily boxing) flicks but also appearing in dramas and comedies (he worked with Grover Jones more than once).

By the time talkies took over he was mostly playing bit parts (often uncredited) and appeared in some of the Masquers Club comedies of early 1930s before leaving films in the mid 1930s. He passed away in 1946 at the age of 54.

Joe Moore

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:15 am

POSSIBLY ABOUT YOU

Bebe Daniels is back in California after a year's absence in the East. Accompanied by her mother, Mrs. Phyllis Daniels, and her grandmother, Mrs. George Butler Griffin, the popular Paramount actress has arrived in Los Angeles and will enjoy a vacation of three weeks before starting work in her next production. Miss Daniels completed the leading feminine role in Sam Wood's production, “His Children's Children,” in New York, just before starting on her transcontinental trip.

(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 22)

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Bebe Daniels remained busy and popular throughout the 1920s turning out a new feature, on average, every two to three months. In the first half of the decade she alternated back and forth between dramas and comedies but by the second half she clearly leaned toward comedies with such films as SENORITA (!927), MISS BLUEBEARD (1925 ), SHE'S A SHEIK (1927), FEEL MY PULSE (1928) and MISS BREWSTER'S MILLIONS (1926) among them.

Joe Moore

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Fri Dec 25, 2009 12:04 am

POSSIBLY ABOUT YOU

Walter Hiers, who has been making a series of personal appearances in his native state of Georgia, is enroute to California, to begin in George Melford's forthcoming Paramount Picture “Flaming Barriers,” adapted by Jack Cunningham from the story by Byron Morgan. The cast is headed by Jacqueline Logan, Antonio Moreno, Theodore Roberts, Walter Hiers, Sigrid Holmquist and Robert McKim.

Edward Horton, who played the title role in the James Cruze production “Ruggles of Red Gap,” has been chosen to play the principal masculine role in “To the Ladies,” the forthcoming Paramount Picture which Cruze will produce, according to an announcement made today by Jesse L. Lasky, first vice-president in charge of production.

(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 22)

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:21 am

Pulse of the Studios

For Week Starting Monday, Sept 17

BERWILLA STUDIO. 5821 Santa Monica Blvd. Ashton Dearholt, Pro. Mgr. Holly 3130

Eddie Lyons Productions (Arrow release).

Director: Eddie Lyons Star: Eddie Lyons Cameraman: Ramsey Ass’t Director: Cooke Scenarist: Collins Type: 2-Reel Comedies Progress: Schedule

Director: Eugene De Rue Star: Bobby Dunn Cameraman: Ramsey Ass’t Director: Cooke Scenarist: Collins Type: 2-Reel Comedies Progress: Schedule


FRED CALDWELL PRODUCTIONS. 4513 Sunset Blvd. 593576


CENTURY STUDIO. 6100 Sunset Blvd. Julius Stern, Gen. Mgr. Bert Sternback, Casting. Holly 0096

Century Comedies (Universal release).

Director: Al Herman Star: All-Star Cameraman: Wm. Hyer Ass’t Director: Herman Scenarist: Herman Type: “The Detective” Progress: Schedule

(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 16)


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