Page:Screenland October 1923.djvu/42

42 Robin Hood. In fact, he was so good that, if rumor is true, as occasionally it is, Douglas sharpened up the scissors and operated on that film in the privacy of the cutting room. It's all very well to have one's supporting actors good, but it's not necessary to have them too good, you understand, Mawruss!





saw Humoresque? Of course. Everybody did, and loved it. But did you realize that one of the most flagrant instances of grand larceny was being enacted before your eyes? Vera Gordon was happily engaged in stealing the picture right away from the outraged Alma Rubens. And she did such a good job of it that the exhibitors put her name up in electric lights instead of Alma's.

The success of Humoresque precipitated upon us the flood of "mother" pictures. Up to this time, screen mothers had been all very well as atmosphere, handy to have around and all that, but they mustn't get under foot when the young lovers got into action. Vera Gordon showed them that a mother's place is right in the spotlight.

a picture away from such a popular actor as the late Wallace Reid was quite a feat, but Walter Long accomplished it. It was in The Dictator. Walter Long, as the hard-boiled taxi-driver who followed Reid clear to one of the banana republics to collect the money the latter owed him, proved himself to be a comedian utterly wasted as a "heavy." The scene where he was arrested by a company of militia, marched up against a wall to be shot, at the last minute reprieved and all unconscious of his fate, remarked to the staggered soldiers: "Well, so long, you fellers. When I come back, I'll drill you some more," stands out as one of the funniest scenes the writer has ever giggled over.

There was no danger of Long's name being put up in electric lights instead of Reid's. Wally was too universally beloved for that. But he did get a great deal of comment, both from the press and the public. We would like to see more of Walter Long in comedy roles.

Goldwyn cast Hungry Hearts, it chose Helen Ferguson for the