The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-04-19
Winner Of Alabama Beauty Con.
test Tells How She Succeeds
/! ed In Pictures.
IS NOW A LEADING WOMAN
p-But Lois Wilson Admits She Had
Everything to Learn After
She Began.

what not 10 DO IL OF much more
importance TO the aspiring young
women who would be motion picture
stars. than the things they usually
90.
Al least that. IL the irnnyession
Eained by q young woman who has
recentlv become a star-or at least a
leading woman. She II one OF the
Beauties who was selected as a re-
suit Of a contest about a year oga and
represented the State OF Alabama In
the contest in Los Angelee when
Mas Ruth Purcell. who was Selected
by The Times contest as the most
beautiful girl in Washington. won
the national beauty prize.
The young woman's name Ia Lois
Wilson. and she has some very in
teresting things to say about what
she had to learn in motion pictures.
for she is now leading woman with
j. Warren Kerrigan.
II knew l had to learn a great
deal-everytihnR. in fact" declares
Miss Wilson. But had an idea
that everything comprehended SO
very much.
~ had played in amateur theatre
Gals at home and, like nearly all
girls. had let my hair down. at
night. standing In front OF the glass,
tiea o ribbon around my forehead
and acted Juliet to the mirror.
II had even practiced expression
and contorted my face into all kinds
was acting. Just that one little
experience In front of the camera
served to change my ideas COM
the FIRST thing that 1 mad to learn
was what not &c do. 1 begaa by
fin6ihg cut the limitations which our
work imposes upon US. 1t Is such a
little 6eld-that which Is exposed to
the eye OF the camera-and W. must
learn to play In II as II we had all
outdoors to ourselves.
Then learned that there IL more
danger In doing too much than In the
other extreme OF doing too little,
end yet there is tho necessity for the
incest sort Of calculation here, aud
the Oldest players do not pretend
that they have the last word on that
subject.
Directors Really Direct.
'Of course. used to think as
every ono does. / imagine. who only
knows pictures from the outside,
everything that he does before the
screen. 1 had no idea Of the tremen-
dous importance and power Of the
ors differ: that is only natural.
eome like their players to he mere
automaton, while others allow us n
little more leewav.
AS for the irterpretative end OF Il
we'll have found out that one
-
fact. the chief lesson that seem to
have learned Is that / shall never
know everything no matter how
lonKsI remain in pictures.
"Be Natural" But
Just be natural' they said to
me. Natural! with every nerve
and MUSCLE in my body rigid as a
board. and my very cheeks SO stiff
that / could hardly smile!
You would think in watching Mr..
kerrigan work that he had no idea
that there was a camera within ten
thousand miles of him. And he sue
ceedec In putting me at my ease,
too, which was a good deal harder
than feeling az ease himself, l inn
aglne:
When played Pepita in Lam
don's Legacy with him. confess
that was nervous. knew that It
was tive-reeler. and that he con-
sidered 1t, one of his best parts, and
I was &c crazy to make good that,
IN my anxiety. felt capable of
spelling the picture altogether. How
ever my role was so interesting,
and the girls part was SO true to
nfe, that soon became absorbed in
Il really live through emotion
when ! am acting II. don't think
shall ever get over doing that,
and they tell me that some Of the
greateSt stage people of our time
have dome the same. so am In good
company"