The Washington times., 1916-01-15
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
n, aARONTR MACW
Lost Chance To Be a
Stage Star Because
She Did NotHdve
All Her Teeth.
BY GARDNER MACK.
BY RLANcHE SWEET.

As look back over the past ten
years and compare the cheap little
sets, the crude acting and photog-
raphy and the hastily written
stories-mostly made up as we went
along-with the elaborate produc-
tions, the painstaking attention to
detail, the. careful direction, the
carefully selected casts and the
scenarios written by famous drama
lists demanded today, wonder what
win happen in the next ten years.
The whole scheme has been
changed. Then sou peeked through
a little slot in a penny arcade and
saw prize fgnt or a Train rush by.
Now the greatest dramatic and
operate artists in the world are
eager to play before the camera,
ana mI,nons OF people go see
them.i
was stage child from the time
l 'Degan TO JaIA. 1 was porn III Chi
cage, on June is, 1Syp anu went on
the stage wnen 1 was three years
oId, plaJ ing Ih support of marie Sur
rougns IN The battle OF the
Strong" with i1olbroOK Blinn and
Maurice Barrymore. l tnen went
with Chauncey OIcott for three
years, again playing a little girl
part.
Inc members of the company look
ed after my education ano every day
for a certain NUMBER OF years, was
forced to study whether l liked 1t or
not. " IIen / was Inne years oid,
left the stage ana went to u board
ing schooi at Berkeley, Cal. The
school was SO strict that / never
menuoned beng On the stage for
al,
When l had reached fourteen / re-
turned to New \ ork and decided To
60 back on the stage. from a BABY,
/ had loved TO dance. SO when Ger
trude HOFFMAN selected me as one
of the cnIIdren to appear with her In
The Spring song, ! was delighted;
When Vacauon Logan / was offered
the position as leading woman,
child's part, In play called Char
lotte Temple
After Charlotte Temple" be.
gan to feel that l was an established
actress, and through Thomas Wise,
who was then appearing in, me
Gentleman from Mississippi" Sc
cured an introduction to Mluiam A.
Brady, the theatrical producer. MI.
Wise recommended me for the lead
ing feminine part in second COM
pany of The Gentleman from MIS-
sissippi," which was about to go on
and was making a decided impress
sion until an unfortunate moment
[ smiled MIR. Brady threw up his
hands in horror and said, "Greas
Heavens, Tom. / can't hire lead
ing lady that hasn't all her teeh
yet"
Undismayed by this blow to my ar
tistic ambitions, l decided to go into
the motion pictures. Accompanied
by q girl friend who had already
played extra parts, l descended ON
a studio. People were packed in like
sardines, all hunting jobs. Over in
one corner, on small platform, lh-
rector Frank Powell was taking a
scene for "A Corner In Wheat.
One day we we're working in the
studio when Mary Pickford entered.
She was the only one with regular
contract from the company and had
just been on a yacation TO Maine. !
remember exactly how we all looked
at her and marVeled. She had "A blue
beaver hat on and simple blue
dress. Miss PiCkford looked then
lust as she does now, and as she was
the first person to ever be starred
In motion pictures, everyone bowed
down to her; but 1t did not turn her
head a bit.
i worked there for several months
on a guarantee of S. a day. One
day the director sent for me. mad
been late and thought he was going
TO fine me.
manded Mr. Powell.
I admitted thought I could. l
explained that l was no Bernhard,
but still l thought was pretty
well. you are to play the lead in
A Man With Three Wives he
How I did WORK over that part. 1
would lie awake nights and plan
what would do in the morning. l
rehearsed SO much around the house
that my grandmother was driven 20
distraction. Later ! was given the
lead in Judith Of Bethulia." The
Escape" and many other films pro-
duced by d. w. Griffith.
Shortly after the production Of
"The Escape" l received an offer
from the Jesse l.. Lasky Feature
Play Company. They wanted a
young woman to play Agatha War,
rem In THE WaTTens Of Virginia. -
Cecil r. De Mile, the director
general of the Lasky Company, was
very particular abont the selection.
The story of the Warrens is really
the story of the experiences of the
De Mile family at Fairfax, Virginia,
during, the civil war.
csbtye slRfe then stSSe naSe aPGeSGsG Goods !" TRe
Clue" THE Secret Orchard" THE
Case of Becky" and The Secret
Sim
- never expect to go back to the
stage again. The lure of Southern
California has crept into my blood.
I love the open, the fields and trees.
Really the only time am in the
house is at dinner time, / even
sleep out of doors on q tig, broad
sleeping porch. open on three sides
where / can get the scent of the
neighborinP orange orchards.