The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-12-26

ly true Of playa into which love
themes have been worked only to
carry mystery or feature plots. But
when YOU get real heart drama you
have to play real songs and slow
waltzes for IT,"
Anything with Sympathy.
"what kind of heart songs do you
play?" the reporter asked.
"Play anything that has lot OF
sympathy in It," was the quick re.
spouse, "but the older they are the
better effect they have. The Last
Rose of Summer and Believe Me- are
as good as any for deep sentiment and
heavy love- For scenes OF strong
feeling you usually have to improvise
one of the operas, but as often as not,
you can use the old songs and dances.
The older a song In the better known
Il IL, and the better known 1t Is the
more effect II has.
Some of Irving Berlin's songs, tho
latest hits, and such popular dance
music as the Blue Danube waltz are
the proper things TO play for the
mildcr parts OF the play. Everybody
knows the tattoo music that they
play for Indian scenes, and for West
ern love stories you have to get In a
number Of pieces such as Arizona
aud I'm Going Back to California.
"But how do you keep all these
things In your head?" asked the re-
porter.
Half the Game.
"You have TO. That's half OF the
game. To know dozens of songs wont
do. You have to know hundreds OF
them, and in such n way that you
can play them of by ear at a mo.
ment's notice. You have to feel just
what song would be proper for every
scene that flashes on the screen, and
n you can't think OF any at the time
you have TO improviso until one comes
to you.
"You get so use to selecting them
from memory after n while that they
come to you naturally while you are
up chords and bits OF airs.
Hut IL In the makeup work you do
that counts. When you have played
one piece through, doubled the chorus
and the gone over the verse a second
time IL In time to move on to some
thing else. I tdoesn't always sound
right TO step from one piece TO an.
other. 30 you have to MI In with n lot
Of original taking"
There were two other questions tho
reporter wanted to ask, but he had
10 70 about them with some tact. He
to know how much the girls
were paid and what style OF dress
they had to effect.
what They Get.
The best OF them, he was told, re.
reive from eighteen TO twenty-one dol.
lars a week. with some exceptions
earning more. The ability to fake"
most OF them seemed to think, was
Tho proper test OF their value To their
This, OF course, Included
heir ability to work out strains In
minor chords that sounded like har.
mony.
when Il came TO the matter OF dress
he reporter got n surprise.
"Of course. you wear your hair In
stylish coiffurcs and dress attractive.
" about the collar 40 that your back
ooks good to the audience?' he sug.
rested.
1--WE dress as we feel like In front, |
,ut we always try TO have our backs
Ind hair perfectly plain" said ono
,oung lady. 1--WE are getting paid for |
and not for looking pretty. |
II we look too attractive we md
vcuid.bo gentlemen acauaintances oc-
,upying seats extremely far front.
Csa't Talk and wsrk.
"Then n they have any particular |
opinions on tho play they try 20 drag
~ into an argument over them. We
ant talk and work at the same time. |
'Tf YOU are going 90 write this In !
he paper where other girls may see
Z who will want at some time to try |
,ur work tell them this one thing for |
heir own sake. They can't play the |
,inno and talk TO friends; they can't |
,Iay the piano and look the house |
,ver. II they want to play accompani.
nenta for the movies and make a sue |
'ess OF their work they will 20 at II |
Doth and nail, for Il IL just like any |
,ther works and you get just as much |
,ut OF IL as you put into H. The |
managers will only pay girls who |
AN do the work and will pay those |
girls best who work best. And that's !
he whole story"