The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-01
Introducing MT. Ir0ing Cummings the First Real
 Honest-to-Goodness Movie Star" Dolly Has Eyer Seen
By DOLLY DALRYMPLn

H EoPLE have said to me so often
 N that they wish I had the chance \ to "chat'' with some of the big. live, flesh and blood movie stars that I've almost begun to think that this priv ilege being denied me Gas they aren't in-
 digenous to this section of the countrO
 I've been wasting my precious brilliant young life bothering with mere Mrs.
 Pat Campbells, Sir Johnston Forbes-Rob- ertsons, John Drews and Ethel Barry mores.
 l When I look around me at the picture" posters, and find new celebrities billed | that I've never even heard of--one, as the Peerless King of Tragedy" another as "the stately prince of emotion" and a third, as "a miracle of moods''-all of whom are brand new to mel feel like a perfect hayseed.
 | Of course, these wonderful creatures | have never come my way, except on the screen, and so when the announcement
 was made that Mir. Irving Cummings, the popular movie star" would be here at | the Strand today himself, why, my tele- phone began to ring the first time the an- nouncement appeared and has been ring | ing like mad ever since, all the movie fans in town, 1t seems to me, urging and begging me not to miss the good looking star" So it was case of mine not 1 the reason why,' and I did it. | I made the appointment to meet MT. Cummings yesterday morning, and, be- lieve me, it wasn't easy-for he's buster than James K. Hackett or George M.
 Cohan ever dared to be. and much harder to "get at."
 Of course, was wild with excitement, this being my virgin interview with an honest to- goodness movie star, and I was dying to know if MT. Cummings in the flesh and blood looked like he does
 on the screen and as soon as I laid eyes on him I began to make mental notes of his hair, and his eyes, and his mouth, and, of course, his clothes, although one
 never thinks of movie stars as need ing "clothes, though they naturally
 would need them quite as much as real"
 stars.
 You see, the trouble with me hitherto
 has been that I have failed to think of
 the film star as real actor, and, of
 course, that is my great mistake, and I
 
 charming acquaintance with MT. Cum
 mings for undoubtedly, the real actor, so the critics say, will have to play ''sec- ond fiddle to the movie starr eventu-
 ally, so it is just as we'll to be prepared for the emergency.
 MT. Cummings, I may as we'll tell you right now. is very stunning looking young man; he is even handsomer "off"
 of the screen than 'on'' 1t ,and there is a
 sort of silent animation if I may use the expression. on his youthful face (not like 'reap' actors exactly-there I go againD, but the sort of animation one sees in the pictures-silent animation, as I said. MT. Cummings was very nice; didn't pose at all or pretend that he was afraid of a "chat," as many real actors do Ooh, please forgive my constant use of the phrase real actor), but he rather looked upon me as part and parcel of the pro- fessional machinery and that was g. bit new to yours truly
 He sat down in chair close by my side and seemed to expect a series of lcatechismal questions such as How old are your" What is your favorite food?" "Mow many parents have your" and "sich like" However, my methods never change, and the picture artists find are, after all, the same as other actors-at least it is becoming necessary to regard
 them in that way.
 " ou want 10 see me? MT. Cummings baritoned in his adorably deep voice. Yes" I stammered, ''or rather to hear
 you talk, for I've seen you many, many times. I may as well tell you that I've just heard bunch of matinee girls in the foyer of the theatre declare that you are the best looking man alive, if the pos- ter pictures out front tell the truth" MT. Cummings smiled q believe secretly that it wasn't news to him), and said 'How very nice!" and then smiled back and stammered again and said he was the first movie starr I'd ever met to which he replied:
 'I hope you don't hold that against me?"
 Mot at all," assured and casually re- marked that I'd just been watching him in "Out of the Shadows" and found myself with a mad curiosity to know just what manner of man he was, anyway, who could act so clever1y so many differ- ent roles in one picture-from mere boy to that of an old, old man. First" he said, because like to play allegorical parts. I hate the wishy-washv lover who rushes in at the psychological moment and gets the girl and does lot