The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-10-05
1.-THE DIRECTOR WHO CROSSES
MY PATH AT EVERY TURN IN
CAREER MR.. THEo.
DORE WHARTON"
BY Pearl WhIte-The Pathe Star,

oy FcdTt Wnttc-ine fdtnc star.
Miss Pearl White, the famous NOV
ing picture star, can hardly be called
superstitious, but she feels that Theo.
dore Wharton, the Pathe producer, ia
her guiding star, and when he advises
anything she can be depended upon
to follow the advice without any
question. She explains this feeling
as follows:
about five years ago was leading
woman of stock company playing
near New York, and was just about
played out. I'd had no vacation in a
long time, and my voice needed q
rest. Mrs. o. A. Miller Joined the
company one week and suggested that
! go into moving pictures. 'Surel I'm
willing said 1, but where can get
job?' She gave me a list of film
companies, so the next morning !
dressed in my best, went to the thea.
ire. rehearsed my next weeks play
until noon. and then caught train
for New York. 1t was January, the
thermometer was below zero, and
there was several feet of snow on the
ground. oh, yes, be sure I remember
1t very welli o..
ARRIVING in New York I set out
on foot to film studio in 10Th Street
You see money was scarce with me
then, and wanted to save that nickel
l asked to see the man who engaged
the players and was asked to wait
After a while a man walked out and
said, I am Mr.. Wharton, the director
and the man who engages people,
was very young and very small, and
he seemed about eight feet tall.
asked him for job and, as he after
wards admitted. he took me for q
| young thing from the country with q
stage bee buzzing in her bonnet. So
in a very fatherly way he gave me q
| lot of advice, told me 1t was hard tc
| get an engagement in pictures, and
still harder to keep it-that If had 9
Job Of any sort to stick to it. He
said he had no opening for me al
that time but later if l was in New
York permanently, he might be able
to use me once in a while.
81 went back to my show some
what disappointed but still deter
mined. The next week I came again
to New York and saw the second name
on my list. There the director tool
me more seriously, and offered me
an engagement beginning with the
next week. stayed with that com
pany for one year, and then deter
mined to try a bigger concern. So
went over to Jersey to the Pathe
Studio and asked to see a director
In couple of minutes I was in the
presence of Theodore Wharton again
This time he was more encouraging
and recommended me to a fellow di
rector. l was engaged and remained
with Pathe for some years, but Theo
dore Wharton left the company the
day after / Joined and I didn't meet
him again until my affairs again took
q turn.
81 had Just finished 1.-THE Perils
of Pauline" and my contract was
nearly over with Pathe. was un
decided whether to stay in pictures OF
go back to the dramatic stage or int
vaudeville. The Pathe people In
formed me that they wanted me to
play in a new serial to be produced
by some new directors. l was asked
to meet them. I walked into the Office
and there was Theodore Wharton
again! My mind was at once made
up. l said to Mr.. Wharton Every
time my career takes a turn you
cross my path first and it has Away.
meant more success for me. I will
play Elaine!'"