Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1915-08-21

career-a branch of art which re-
quires talent, intelligence and hard
work. There are many girls who feel
that if they could only appear before
camera they would be an instanta-
neous success, yet who would go to a
business college for many months in or
der to become stenographer. 1t
stands to reason If one considers that
preparation for such a position is nee
must be devoted to learning an art
which entertains millions of people
daily. From my own experience do
not feel justified in advising any girl
to try to become a screen actress.
There are times, of course, when
enjoy the excitement Of being a
player An example of this was dur
ing the filming of the big Selig Red
Seal play THE House of Thousand
Candles" at the Chicago studio of the
Selig Polyscope Company. Doubt
less most of my readers heard of
the big car strike in Chicago, but few
of them knew what havoc it played
with the motion picture producers.
We had many players who were work
ing in the Loop" Chicago theatrical
center, and as the studio is quite a
way from this place, and there was
no auto service, Mr. William N. Sc
lig ordered huge truck in which all
the players were taken t9 the thea
ters in which they were working.
There wers other excursions, too,
during the time l was appearing in
1.-THE House Of Thousand Candles"
One of these was made to find a
house which would correspond to the
directors ideal house" in which
the thousand candles" were supposed
to be. All the players who had friends
with homes which might serve the
purpose told the director about them,
and one day we all got into big tour
ing car and started our search. We
covered almost all of the city OF Chi
cago, and when we were all beginning
to despair Of ever finding an ideal
House of Thousand Candles" the
director suddenly called the chauffeur
to stop. We were in a part Of Wheaton,
a suburb of Chicago, and none Of us
could see any house" that might prove
available. The director, however,
made us all get out of the machine and
tramp up hill. AS we rounded a
curve in the road we saw beyond a
clump of trees, which had been OBJ
structing our view, the exact House
Of Thousand Candles" we had all
been hoping for.
When we returned to the studio to
take the interior scenes, we found
that we needed many more times as
many candlesticks for the big set"
as our property room had. We start
ed search for candlesticks and can
delabra, and gathered them from
every conceivable source-our own
homes, homes Of our friends, small
shops near the studio and large stores
in the business district of Chicago
After getting them all together we
sorted them out and the director ar
ranged them about the "set." The
effect is beautiful in my estimation,
and l am sure that those who see
The House Of Thousand Candles"
will agree with me.
Mr.. Harry Mestayer and Mr.. John
Charles, who have the two leading
male roles, and Mr. Backus, who plays
the character" lead. were all cast In
parts which fitted them perfectly and
enjoyed the work fully as much as |
did. The other players were also
at their best, so we went through the
entire production like a well-oiled ma
chine. Mr.. Hebron, our director.
kept us all working together, and
while no exciting accident happened
to distinguish it from other pictures
in which l have worked, I shall re-
member "The House Of Thousand
Candles" for long, long time, be-
cause of the pleasure | experienced in
working In it.