CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

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Joe Moore
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CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Fri Nov 20, 2009 10:22 am

I'm starting off a new issue of CAMERA transcriptions with a half page interview featuring William Austin giving his views on where screen comedy is heading.

Enjoy

Joe Moore

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Austin Says Day of Slap-Stick is Gone by Lucille Erskine

William Austin attained success on the stage in that blithest of all comedies, “A Tailor-Made Man.” For years he has raised a good number of laughs nightly at the Morosco Theatre. And now he has just finished in “Ruggles of Red Gap,” a Lasky production under the direction of James Cruze, the director. As many are beginning to call him, since “The Covered Wagon.”
Comedies this successful comedian knows as Paderewski knows the keys of the piano. And he says the days of the slap-stick are gone.
“Now, the public demands more than a fat clown who falls down. Of course, the funny screen play will always be light, but there is going to be more art to it, and it's even to have an intellectual appeal.”
I expressed my doubts.
“But back of every good comedian,” he insisted, “is a great and subtle intellect. Charlie Chaplin draws in his net of appreciation the stately Chinese mandarin and the small American child. But not every one knows that this great jester is a widely-read, deeply-thinking man. And the subtle touches in his comedies are put there because his own exacting mind demands it.”
With all the race of fun-makers, this Mr. Austin thinks being funny is no joke.
“On the speaking stage, you have the incentive of the audience. For all fun should appear impromptu. But we on the screen have to warm up with a cold and empty house before us. And you never know when the laugh will come, after the story gets before the audience. I've sat in a theater and watched myself on the screen; would hear a laugh, when I had little thought of raising one. And when I was sure of a roar, well, it wouldn't always be as loud as I expected.”
For several years he played in English comedies and has very definite ideas about how you put over the glittering wit of Oscar Wilde.
“It has to be played casually-handed over to the audience in small doses, so to speak, or they will get blinded by the too-much brilliancy. Some of his later plays were very heartless. And when a Wilde comedy is screened, it exposes the lack of heart back of the cold, steely glitter of the words. There has to be emotion to get over on the screen and his plays had none. I expect 'Lady Windermere's Fan' to live, because it exposes not the rottenness of English society, but of a certain small group that used to be powerful, but now are being forced out to earn their bread.”
And William Austin knows whereof he speaks. For he comes of a distinguished English family, is another of the emigre that makes the population of Hollywood so picturesque. Russian, English, and Italian aristocracy are here in this cinema city, an artistic melting pot, working beside Americans descended from the Mayflower and others who bring the rich vigor that comes from being close to the soil.
“If I may be critical,” he said, “English society is rarely portrayed correctly on the screen. Take a house party shown in a recent movie drama. The hostess greets her guests with such cold, such freezing hauteur as if to say 'Who are you? How dare you come here?' I do think in real life she would have been simpler and more cordial.”
He was born in British Guiana and educated in private schools in England. But the stage claimed him after years spent in the Orient. He was a soldier in the International army, organized to protect the Europeans in China.
“Where rebellion,” he said with a smile, “was part of the day's work. One of the most interesting memories that stays with me from my days in China was a visit to the Chinese theatre. The audience go right on talking, seemingly giving no attention to the actors, pay visits from seat to seat and wash their faces in hot cloths that are brought around. You pay so much a wipe.”
The Chines drama with its mummified classicism could give him little, but he thinks the Russian players who took New York by storm last winter are to leave their impress on the screen.
“I did not know a word of their language,” he went on, “and had read only a synopsis of the play, but such was the perfection of their pantomime that I was thrilled at every line. Especially was the way they handled crowds on the stage new and wonderful. There were no still figures. Every one seemed to be doing something, yet the audience felt no distraction. And since we on the screen are their brothers in pantomime, the subtlest emotions now ought not to be beyond us.”
Whether playing comedies has made him hopeful or not, he is sure art is going to down commercialism in the movie world.
(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 5)

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Sat Nov 21, 2009 10:20 am

CAMERA'S WEEKLY WAKE-EM-UP

“Yankee Spirit” For the Fall Release

For the first time a serious attempt is being made to produce juvenile pictures which will indirectly be of material aid in boosting the good work being done by the Boy Scouts and similar organizations.
This is being done in a series of comedies, which will be known as Juvenile Comedies. The first of these, which will be distributed throughout the United States and Canada by Educational Film Exchanges, Inc., has already been completed and will be called “Yankee Spirit.”
Heading the cast of the first picture will be Bennie Alexander, one of the best known juvenile actors on the screen, and who lately portrayed the leading role in the screen version of Booth Tarkington's “Penrod and Sam.” In the big cast supporting Bennie will be Ernest Butterworth, Roger Keene and several other well known boy actors. George Ovey, who has had the starring part in over two hundred comedies, has a prominent part in the picture. The direction was under Norman Taurog, one of the screen's most capable comedy directors, who has directed Larry Semon in a number of his comedy successes,
There will be six pictures in the Educational-Juvenile Comedy Series, the first of which, “Yankee Spirit,” will be released in a few days. They will appeal to young and old alike with their humorous child stories, but each picture will be designed to appeal to the best that is in youngsters, as well as to make them and their elders laugh.
(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 9)

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YANKEE SPIRIT (released September 2, 1923) was the first of what would be one of the better and longer-lived kid comedy series of the 1920s.
Bennie Alexander (who would grow up to be simply Ben Alexander and would find his greatest fame, as an actor, playing Jack Webb's partner in the seminal television police procedural series DRAGNET during the 1950s) would soon be joined in the series by Jack McHugh and the series fat-boy Tommie Hicks. Former Our Ganger, Peggy Cartwright also appeared in the series early on.
During the course of the second season a youngster, still in diapers, by the name of Malcolm Sabiston would join the series. Sabiston (soon to be re-christened Sabastian) would eventually come to occupy center-stage in the series, as his character, "Big Boy", became the most popular of the bunch. Eventually he grew so popular that the series was re-named the Big Boy Comedy Series.
Director Norman Taurog, who launched the series would soon be replaced by a succession of other veteran comedy directors such as Gil Pratt, Arvid Gilstrom, Fred Hibbard, William S. Campbell and even a young Jules White before Charles Lamont took over the chores at the beginning of the third season. Lamont would hold onto the directorial helm until the series' end in 1929.
Sabiston attended one of the Hollywood Cinecons in the 1990s where he entertained several members of the Silent Comedy Mafia (as well as the audience in general) with his memories of working with Lamont and of making the Juvenile/Big Boy Comedies in his youth.

Joe Moore

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Sun Nov 22, 2009 6:03 am

CAMERA'S WEEKLY WAKE-EM-UP

Auto Race to Be Big Run by Big Stars

George Fitzmaurice, the director, according to a letter received from him by Bull Montana, will finish “The Eternal City” in Rome the latter part of December and be back in Hollywood in February.
What is more exciting than this piece of news, perhaps, is the acceptance by George of Bull's offer to race the latter's Cadillac against the former's Rolls Royce.
Bull, it seems, purchased the Fitzmaurice Cadillac when the director left Hollywood. Abroad, Fitzmaurice bought a new Rolls Royce and in correspondence to Bull has bragged about its merits. The “Bool,” now appearing in Maurice Tourneur's “ Jealous Fools,” has expressed marked signs of jealousy on frequent occasions to race Fitzmaurice. The event will take place soon after the director's return.
Bull sent addresses of his “Mamas” in Rome to Fitzmaurice but the latter sent them back with thanks stating he was too busy for “Mamas” and adding that he had a “Mama” of his own who would hardly approve of his using Bull's addresses.
(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 9)

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:31 am

CAMERA'S WEEKLY WAKE-EM-UP

Stage Favorites Receive Great Ovation

The screen version of “Potash and Perlmutter” was tried out on an unsuspecting audience at the Roosevelt Theatre and was accorded the greatest ovation that any previewed picture had received at that theatre in years. At its close, the audience which packed the house, applauded for several minutes. The showing at the Roosevelt theatre was the first exhibition of this picture in the west. Made in the East by Samuel Goldwyn for First National release, it had previously previewed three times in and about New York. It had received similar receptions to that accorded it last night.
“Potash and Perlmutter,” a screen version of the famous stories and plays of Montague Glass, was produced under the direction of Clarence Badger, who is now connected with First National at its West Coast studios and who begins work on the production of “The Swamp Angel” with Colleen More in the leading role.
Braney Bernard, Alexander Carr and Vera Gordon played the same characters in the screen play which they had in the several Potash and Perlmutter stage productions. Others in the cast were Ben Lyon, who was the only member of the cast in the West and able to attend last night's preview, Hope Sutherland, Lee Kohlman, Martha Mansfield, De Sacia Mooers, Adolph Miller and Ed Durand.
(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 9)

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POTASH AND PERLMUTTER, a comedy, which was one of the many that used the ethnic melting pot of America during this era on which to draw its source material, featured two Jewish American clothiers as its main characters and also dealt with a popular issue of the day; labor agitation.

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Joe Moore » Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:10 am

CAMERA'S WEEKLY WAKE-EM-UP

THE SCHENCK LINE-UP

“The Dangerous Maid,” starring Constance Talmadge, is now in the cutting rooms and will be completely edited in about three weeks. This story of the turbulent times of King James II of England was directed by Victor Heerman for First National release.
Buster Keaton will be the next to finish. Buster is now making “Hospitality,” his second feature length production. In “Hospitality” Buster's wife, Natalie Talmadge Keaton and Baby Buster as well as Buster's father, “Joe Keaton,” have important roles. The first sequence of “Hospitality” were made in Truckee. Other scenes were filmed on the United Studios lot and the comedy is now being completed at the Keaton Studios.
Norma Talmadge is about a third done with her big Algerian spectacle-drama, “Dust of Desire,” the scenes of which are laid in and around the famous oasis of Biskra in Northern Africa. “Dust of Desire” is being directed by Chester Franklin and Frances Marion. Joseph Schildkraut, the famous continental star, heads the all-star cast. “Dust of Desire” will be ready for editing in about a month.
(Camera Vol. 6 No. 22 pg. 10)

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Okay, I'm curious, who can tell me what did Buster have to film for HOSPITALITY at the United Studios lot that he couldn't have filmed at his own studio? The waterfall sequence maybe?

Joe Moore

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Steve Massa » Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:41 am

Hi Joe
Maybe the interiors for the Canfield's southern mansion? Could have been built for an earlier feature. Just an uneducated guess.

Steve

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Richard M Roberts » Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:53 am

Steve Massa wrote:Hi Joe
Maybe the interiors for the Canfield's southern mansion? Could have been built for an earlier feature. Just an uneducated guess.

Steve


I'd wager the small-town street scenes were shot at United. The Keaton Studios did not have a sizeable back lot for street sets or the like.

RICHARD M ROBERTS

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Brent Walker » Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:09 pm

I think the waterfall set was shot at the Brunson studios (later Paramount)--John Bengtson has the details in his book (which I don't have with me since I'm not at home).

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Brent Walker » Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:05 pm

Yeah, I double-checked John Bengtson's Silent Echoes, and he says the waterfall scenes were shot at Robert Brunton Studios. However, by the time of OUR HOSPITALITY it was actually no longer Brunton, it had become United Studios, as Joe Schenck had bought it and renamed it. Shortly afterward, Paramount acquired it and that is what it remains today.

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Re: CAMERA Comedy Clippings, September 15, 1923

Postby Richard M Roberts » Wed Nov 25, 2009 3:34 am

Brent Walker wrote:Yeah, I double-checked John Bengtson's Silent Echoes, and he says the waterfall scenes were shot at Robert Brunton Studios. However, by the time of OUR HOSPITALITY it was actually no longer Brunton, it had become United Studios, as Joe Schenck had bought it and renamed it. Shortly afterward, Paramount acquired it and that is what it remains today.


That waterfall mock-up must have stayed there for several years, because Jack Blystone remembered it and re-used it when he shot THE BEST BAD MAN with Tom Mix and Clara Bow for Fox a couple of years later. Mix does a less-impressive rescue of Clara at that film's climax on that same waterfall.

RICHARD M ROBERTS


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