El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-12


And some TO win Tea0SSl.
PLANTS Of a Press Agent.
TFW YORK. July 12.-For most OF
M the men and women who make
= mp the vast army of stage folk
in America, the season OF rest Is rather
brief. I mean, of course, voluntary rest.
Leisure of the involuntary kind has been
thrust upon them so much within the
past few years that very lew OF them
are not up and stirring the moment that
activities start on next seasons OI1er-
ings. From now until the last OF August
there VIII be a hegira of actors and
actresses into New York. from every
section of the country The advance
guard has already begun to arrive and
the march en- masse from the office OF
one manager to another on Broadway has
started
These early arrivals are made up
chiefly OF two classes; the old timers
whose standing in the profession IS get
ting more unstable every year and who
hurry into New York before the younger
generation appears on the scene to crowd
them out. The other class Is largely
the novices. the young men and women
from the interior Of the country; the
stage struck youths. and maidens who
have perhaps made a "hit' at home IN
Camille" OF East Lynne" and who, on
the advice Of the village school teacher,
have hurried on to New York to be IN
time.
This midsummer influx Of stage peO-
pie into New York every year has an
element in it not unlike that horde of
Office seekers which pOurs into Wash
lngtOn whenever the administering on
changes. The chief parallel lies in the
fact that there are not enough jobs to
go around While some Of the early
birds catch the worm, II IS rather
small worm at this season OF the year.
Hundreds Of the eager seekers after
fame" on the part Of the novices, and
money on the part Of the old timers,
simply put in the hottest part OF the
summer in a hopeless tramp from Office
to Office. The old timers are, usually.
already broke" and are depending on
the bounty Of their more fortunate col
leagues to slip" them the price Of
meal now and then or a weeks lodgings
at a cheap hotel The nOvices also soon
ind their pOcketbOOlIs getting low If
they are youths and maidens who have
never known what it is TO be broke
they either flee the city in dismay and
return to their homes or else call on
Pa" and Ma" to keep them supplied
with the sineWS Of war with nothing to
fight but heat, despair and landladies.
Some Of them give up the quest OF the
Legitimate" as a bad job and ind an
opening with a moving picture COM
pany. usually as a supernumerarys or
sup" as we stage people term it.
Moving Picture blessing.
What a blessing the moving picture
business has been to thousands Of men
and women, who, through the failure
OF plays, and other causes, have been
crowded out Of the theater.
In reading over the roster OF the
leading film companies OF this country,
YOU will encounter the names OF men
and women once well known in the
regular drama, and not lew Of them,
famous The question is often asked:
How in the. world can 50 and 50 60 IN
to the movies after the work he has
done on the staEe2" Or, what IN the
world is Miss Blank thinking of-giv-
ing up a brilliant stage career to be
moving picture autOmatonE'
These questions have been answered
before many times, but it is just pos
sible that some don't realize why they
DO it.
ing picture company is permanent the
year round There is no element OF
chance about It and that IS tremen-
dous consid eratiOn to one who has gone
through the experience, which is a com
mon thing Of late years, Of being
closed" three OF four times in one sea
son after a few weeks trial Of one
play and another.
OF course to the young and ambitious,
the stage itself will always be the
chief goal Of their aspirations. BUT
few seasons OF heart breaking expert
cause the disappointed ones to turn to
the movies" as to a haven Of rest
and refuge. What does it profit a star
to receive a salary of $500 a week for
two consecutive weeks and then have
the play close, leaving her to pay her
expenses of the three or four weeks
rehearsal settle milliner and modiste
bills, to say nothing Of the demands OF
an expensive hotel2 A steady salary
the year round Of $500 a week naturally
makes an irresistible appeal to her.
OF course the same argument applies
to a man. And that is the reason why
so many ulustriOus names have dis
appeared from the contemporary stage, /
and, incidentally, the reason why the
film play has become so pOrtentiOus as
to enlist the interests of some of the
leading theatrical producers Of the
country.
While we are on this subject OF NOV
ing pictures, 1t is pertinent to make a
note Of the fact that the film eXpOsi- l
ton that opened at the Grand Central |
Palace Monday. is the most wonderful I
nf I'D In