Page:Screenland October 1923.djvu/88

88

The direct and forceful handling of this original collection of "Alo Studies" reflects the life work of Albert Arthur Allen, one of America's foremost pictorialists.

Thirty-two photographic studies from life, depict models of the highest type of feminine beauty in typical California settings. Bound in art paper. Frontispiece in color.

For the art lover, the connoiseur of art, the art student and the professional artist. Order at once, as the edition is limited.

1-S23

You will enjoy buying from us because our stock Is the largest, our prices are tho lowest, our credit terras are the easiest, the first deposit Is tbe small- est, and we give the Ion (Jest tree trial and strongest guarantee. We tell the exact size and quality of diamonds. You save 50% by ordering from us.

MONEY BACK GUARANTEED

Order the seven diamond cluster, set in solid plat- inum, 1 J-2 carat size, or the perfectly-cut, l>lue- whlte diamond solitaire, set In 18Kt. solid white gold. Former $75.00 values. Send $2.00 to show good faith and we will send ring. Give size. No red tape or delay. Dealings confidential.

WRITE FOR CATALOG No. 1165

It brings a big jowolry store- right Into your home.

DIAMOND & VV.fl.TCH CO.

Established 1879 $1,000,000 Stock 63 Park Row-Dept. lies -New York

office attraction in America today than Harold Lloyd. He doesn't approach, of course, the serio-comic genius of Chaplin, but he is a conscientious, highly likeable and ingenious funmaker. Right here let us note that, curiously, the sad-faced Buster Keaton, working along the same lines, has been wanning. This is an old phase of the screen, to be sure.

The only other star who has more than held his own is Richard Barthelmess. This earnest young actor has been steadily going on. His invasion of the costume drama has been an interesting one. Here is a star who turned to romantic stuff to develop himself. He felt that to stick to the field of homely Americanism, in which he is preeminent, would be to limit himself. Barthelmess, we might add, is many degrees higher in popularity than a year ago.

worked nearly all year in Italy on The White Sister but the production has not been revealed publicly. Her position as our foremost emotional actress still seems to stand untouched, however. Doug Fairbanks is still plunging on spectacles. There is a limit to this sort of thing, but apparently Fairbanks hasn't reached it yet. They say that The Street Singer will reveal a new Mary Pickford. We shall see. Just now her status is doubtful; her revival of Tess of the Storm Country wasn't such a happy thought after all. Norma Talmadge is slowly dropping backward, while Constance Talmadge seems to have slipped almost from view. On the other hand, Gloria Swanson, plus clothes and personality, has more than held her own.

Pola Negri gained nothing by invading America and is nowhere nearly as important a personage in Hollywood as she was in Berlin. Yet the next month may change all this. Pola is a person of high power potentiality. Thomas Meighan, to be honest, is getting along in life. He is reaching the difficult age of getting vehicles—and holding his followers. Jackie Coogan has not made any particular progress in the twelve months.

Two sensational come-backs were staged during the year. Mae Marsh gave a brilliant performance through much of the turgid distance of Griffith's The White Rose and Charlie Ray, after a long chain of artificial screen creations, came back to his hoosier boyhood and did a smashing thing in The Girl I Love. We wouldn't be at all surprised to see Blanche Sweet do a real come-back in Eugene O'Neil's Anna Christie.

has made a surprising progress during the year. Long just a pretty star, Miss Davies has suddenly developed into an actress, as well as a comedienne, of distinct possibilities.

We credit Florence Vidor with the greatest personal development of the year. She is steadily advancing and, if all goes well, should soon challenge the historionic leadership of Lillian Gish. Here is an actress of charm, beauty and a rare humanness. Her Alice Adams and her Carol Kenicutt of Main Street were superb characterizations.

Ramon Novarro, the Rex Ingram discovery, made a striking flash across the horizon as the pagan lover of Where the Pavement Ends and rather took us off our feet. And yet, looking back at this distance, we aren't wholly convinced about Novarro. For a moment we looked upon him as the young actor to challenge Valentino but we doubt all that now.

Barbara La Marr was another strong personality to hit success during the year. From a minor role in The Prisoner of Zenda she has stepped to stardom in little over a year. A picturesque but not a sweeping personality. Nita Naldi lent picturesqueness to a role in Blood and Sand and immediately became popular. A colorful personality—but we now realize her limitations. Of more potentiality is little Mary Philbin, the heroine of Merry-Go-Round. Here is a young actress who may really do something worth while. We see nothing in that much touted "discovery," Eleanor Boardman.

Leatrice Joy has been striking a very good average but our chosen six as to reliability are Baby Peggy, the Prince of Wales in all his news reel appearances, Farina, Mae Busch, Lois Wilson and Strongheart.

Mae Murray seems to be able to go on capitalizing affectation. An oddity of popularity this.

It has been a bad year for the No. 2 stars, such as Agnes Ayres, Bebe Daniels, Jacqueline Logan, and even worse for wanning lights such as Mary Miles Minter and Dorothy Dalton. Other minor figures, such as Viola Dana, go along their way seemingly untouched by time. Yet Priscilla Dean isn't quite the same.

The season's worst flops? Cecil de Mille's Adam's Rib and the Overlordship of Will Hayes!

