Fairbanks’ Filming Cut Short.

Return to Hollywood.

From Our Own Correspondent.

PAPEETE, April 20.

IT' is announced that the Douglas Fair banks Company, which has been en gaged on the production of a new South Sea Islands film for the past couple of months, will leave on the s.s.

Monowai on April 26.

The original intention was to remain in Tahiti till the end of June, and plans had been made to that end; but for some reason or other, whether climatic or mechanical we do not know, the sound equipment refused to function properly, and necessitated the decision to complete the picture in Hollywood.

Naturally, the business community here will greatly regret this premature departure for, although the costs of op erating in a place like Tahiti are con siderably less than in America, any Cinema company must inevitably spread a good deal of cash around, and this is all to the good in these days of low copra values.

The new film, in which Fairbanks himself is the leading feature, appears

to be an adaptation of the Robinson Crusoe idea, with the comic element predominating throughout. The title of the picture is as yet a secret. Mlle.

Alva, a beautiful Spanish girl, is the leading female star in the piece.

In her impersonation of a naive young cannibal maiden, Mile. Alva makes us all long for the old days of “long pig.” As a matter of fact, she represents one of those rare occasions where self-sacrifice could be considered a pleasure.

The yacht “Invader,” which plays a prominent part in the Fairbanks pro duction, left here for Los Angeles on April 7, as her part in the cast was finished. We received news on April 17, that she had just crossed the Equator on her way north. As she left all the monkeys and parrots behind, we have hopes that the crew will arrive safely, without undue hardship from lack of provisions.