The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-05-25
Howard Estabrook Declares
His Film Debut Was Really a
! Breaking In
ALSO HE NEEDED THE MONEY
Star Confesses He Was Much
= Perturbed by Happenings
When He Started.

~ -.
One OF the first questions that oc-
ours to the novice at motion pic
ture exhibition who recognizes the
1Dading actor on the screen to De
long-loved stage star is How did ne
ever get into motion pictures?'
The question OF how the stage
stars came to be In motion pictures
IL always interesting because usu-
ally there Is an individual story at.
tached. Some OF them were begged
and some OF them withstood the al
turing offers. But there are quite
a lot Of others who didn't wait 10
Howard Esta brook. the young
leading man who has the principal
roles in the Aim version or me
Times serial story. THE Mysteries of
Myra," has a unique position among
Estabrook declares that the season
he entered the motion picture busi-
ness was because he needed the
money. II might also be said that
Estabrook's entrance to flm fame
was accompanied by crash such
as Is seldom heard even IN tnese
DAYS OF "break-the-bric-a-b rac ORA
ma, Here is the way he tells 1t:
How He Started.
"It was in the West, and / needed
ouick money. Yes, l needed money
very much. indeed! An old friend OF
mine had recently been made assis-
tant director for film company, ana
he worked me into mob scene. IN
which the police were to raid q
swell gambling house. Being TOO
much. on the Cupid type for po-
liceman, they dabbed my temples
with. white mascara and maze me
the lookout .,,on y,
the scene was to point out certaln
plays to the dealer. and then when
the police started to break H. 10
throw my chair out of the way. az,
tempt escape, and, finding mEsen n
cornered register r be tri oft,cer sn0 Veil
walk through it. sadi the director
land then we'll make IL. NOW,
Young man, Ito mel don't throw
your chair this time. but next time,
when we start to grind. why throw
1t out Of your way-aho oo" 'e
afraid to throw II
"The rehearsal went smoothly and
everybody was told to stand by LOT
the camera. Swells In properly dress
suits drank champagne and gamoie1
with all the abandon OF punch OF
drink -fuddied condition, was recog-
nized BY the heavy who registers ex-
mitation, when the police start to
break in. WE'LL jumped up ana
threw my chair out OF the way.
No sooner had the thing lett my
hand than a frightful crash rang
ont and / knew that i had uohe
some terrible thing.
Right In the Glassware!
The smashing blows Of the police
breaking down the doors were moth
ing compared with the cataclysmic
effect of my chair. Jokes aside,
was badly frightened, ana
some of II must have resis.ere
in the camera. The only way l
could figure, my chair must ny
landed in a bunch OF dynamhte
and wrecked about half the studlo.
At last we we're all hustled OUT
by the police. and ! had no trouple
registering the disgust l teit az
having broken up the party. Inc
director walked over to where my
chair had landed In huge basket
1T left the studio at once and
stayed away for some time put
afterward learned that MY movie
debut had cost the company Just
Ss5 for broken champagne glasses,
a careless property man having
left the basket right where
couldn't miss It with my hurting
chair. For my first days work
/ received the sum of IS. 1t cost
exactly $50 dollars to get me into
the pictures"