The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-07-29
In 1.-The Eternal Question: Olga Petro0d Has Taken a
Tremendous Tumble Herself and Landed Her FeeE
BY DOLLY pALRYMPLE

she one Ol my hin ldNOl
ites) yesterday afternoon round at the
Rialto, in her new play, "The Eternal
Question" the thing that impressed
me particularly was the tremendous
tumble this pretty creature has taken
to herself, if you'll pardon the express
sion, and landed on her feet!
I've been watching Olga Petrova Il
believe they call her Madame Petrova,
Alan Dale and some of the others who
I've seen big possibilities in this beau
ty as a screen STAR
One pathetic thing about her is that
she's never had a play before that gave
her half a chance; she's had lot of
second class scenario stuff matched up
for the occasion, and they've just kept
on letting her appear in bunch OF
"trush"-but had to, suppose. to keep
her before the public; all along she's
been too big and too talented for the
rubbish she's been doing and has OUT
grown the plays that she's been
starred in.
True, What will People Say%'
wasn't half bad; it was better than the
other things-I don't remember what
they were-something about Russian
spies, and always chance for Madame
Petrova to wear her famous Leopard
skin coat-but other than that they
were utter bosh
But-now--lo and behold! the screen
is making her over; even if she didn't
get a copper cent of salary. she's had
her chance and she's made good" after
going drought the crucible.
She's been under the worst kind Of
strain-the strain to be effective in pic
tures-when she's too effective to be-
gin with; her facial expression has
mended tremendously And she has got
ten something back of these great
luminous eyes of hers cher almost too
effective eyes,, and her long, effective
lnes-they used to be effective to the
point of too many points, and slimness,
driven too far, because angular and not
pretty to look at.
When Madame Petrova went to the
film she had her record back of hs
as a marvellously clever actress, bun
she had a lot to overcome on the screen
for her effectiveness on the real stage
in the intense dramas she'd played was
not the effectiveness needed on the
schreen; So what did she do-clever
artist that she is?
Was it watchful waiting? Never!
Tt was watching, without waiting; she
scooped in her innumerable mannerisms
and a shred of her quiet poise ana re-
serve, and then instead of effectiveness
this artistic actress achieved what Inc
mr. a a nrjZ9tiOn.
Madame Petrova has triumphed over
many small things-absurdities for one of
her talent, and she has become so charm
ingly simple in SO many small things
that she has proven beyond a doubt
that any or all the crudities of the lesitl-
mate actress who goes to the films have
been within her grasp and she has come
out victorious!
Olga Petrova has, after all, achieved
on the screen the simplicity that can
never be safely bound-it is indeseribable-
dominant-exquisite of course her beauty
has accomplished a great deal OF this
that tired sort of lovliness that is al
always attractive; her face is like book
of delicate secrets, with it's wealth of
weary, tender, usefulness; her beauty is
tired-wan with the very weight of its
success; drawn with the very tragedy 1t
draws but never the wornout beauty
stretched to the crumbling point; it is
not SO tired of being-as tired of being
beauty; the WEAKNESS of beauty is one
of the lovliest things in the world!
Olga Petrova's beauty is like the ghost
of a thousand hayward beauties; she
might be haunted by all the other re-
s..........ss.....ss...s..
of the most prominent citizens OF De-
mopols have been arrested and fined be-
cause they were careless and after few
fines all have been taught the necessity
of cleanliness
If Demopolis, a small city with an
empty treasury, can maintain clean
city, then surely Birmingham, Alabama S
great city, can protect her own people
and the people who visit her, from dis
eases that are the direct result of filth
and unclean places, Yours truly,
TJESSE B. HEARIN.
Demopolis, July q, 1916