Variations

Pay--to Feodor Chaliapin, Russian basso, $200,000 on a personal contract with Adolph Zukor to make a singing picture for Paramount.

Offer--by Thomas Meighan, to pay the railroad fare of any two "good" bridge players who would accompany himself and wife from Manhattan to Los Angeles. Meighan, an expert, has played with such famed bridgers as Milton C. Work and Sidney Lenz. Cinema people also consider Bebe Daniels capable of earning her living at the game.

Removed--Eric von Stroheim as director of Queen Kelly, starring Gloria Swanson. He was paid $75,000 for the story and his direction of it so far. Director Edmund Goulding took his place.

Puppy. In A Dog's Life a puppy, blonde, capricious, played with Charles Chaplin. The puppy grew, turned into a dog of unusual appearance, of yellowish brown color, guarded the garbage cans on the Chaplin production lot, became obese and last week died.