The Washington times., 1916-01-03
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
Mary Pickford Gives
AdOice as to the
Film as Career
for Girls
BY GARDNER MACK.

Beauty Is not tie paramount as
set of the motion picture sc'ress!
These words are Mary Pick.ord's
ard they are OF particular interest
In Washington Just now because o:
the unpleasant experience in her
trials for film fame of Miss Ruth
Purcell. The rimcs beauty. prize
winner and Inc winner. ot the ma
last summer, who is now bach III
this city. Miss Prrcel was ac-
claimed By .Wssiin;:ton experts and
tken by a committee of artists OF
national renown. as the most beau-
tiful girl in the United States
beauty aiued her mech in becoming
q motion picture actress. Accord
Ing to her own story. beauty was
really a detliment.
Mary Pickford was recently asked
by the editor cf the New York
Evening Mails motion picture mag
azine whether or not young girls
who desire to become motion pic
ture actresses should be encouraged
Miss Pickford Is proba bly the nest
she has been hefore the public ever
since she was an infant. She has
had experience in the motion pic
lures since the first photonlays
we're made, and from her experience
she would SEEN to have gained
chances for success r,ake. fairly
GOOD New Year git to- The yourS
girls Of Washington who are con-
templatne careers as photoplcyers.
Il have never encourage inexperi-
euced girls. ne matter how attractive
they may he personally. to attempt
to enlist in the studio ranks de-
clares Miss Pickford. 1T is not fair
to the girls nor to the producers to
tell them that pretty faces are a. sort
ot open sesame to motion picture
stardom. because it is decidedly
otherwise.
There is no denying that such
may have been the case several
years ago. when unlimited physical
courage and the willingness to be
subjected to all sorts of dangers prac-
tcally guaranteed a pretty girl in
stant elevation to stardom. II she
would work in thriller her repu-
tatiop was assured. though her life
wasn't. by any means. But the fact
that many Of the names which were
flung to the breeze before the thea
ters at that time are no longer even
remembered by the public shows
that the success of those players
was only temporary.
The explanation of all this is
very simple. When the motion pic
ture was new there were only a.
very few actors and actresses of
real merit who had the breadth of
vision to realize .the opportunities
which were offered by the photo
play. As a result. the producers
we're forced to take their players
from among those who had not
made successes on the stage. or
from totally inexperienced sources.
Go hnt
nerience was not vital asset for
the applicant for screen honors. The
conditions are radically altered at
the present time.
In the first place. even the most
inexperienced Of the players in those
early days. II they have survived at
al, are now thoroughly schooIcd in
fVthermore. there is scarcely a
stage celebrity who has not appear
ed in motion pictures by this time,
and the producers can pick their
casts from among thousands Of per-
sons who have had thorough stage
training. Many producers. in fact,
have positive rules Prohibiting the
engagement Of players who have had
no stage experience. Remember that
] am not discussing the justice or
the good sense OF this attitude on
the part Of film companies-I am
simply stating facts.
The old-time business of pointing
to the mouth or the stoma ch to in
dictate hunger. or of clutchinp the
heart TO signal that Cupid has scored
a bulls eye. is a thing Of the past.
Today an actress must be able to
suggest and express her emotion.
or desires by far more subtle means
fhan mat, She must make her body
say the things that her tongue can
not-and only trained actress can
do it.
"Of course there is the nine hun
dred and ninety-ninth girl in tho
proverbial thousand whose Unborn
genius rises above anv rossible
training. and makes her natural
artistic. And every one OF the
thousands OF girls who have asked
my advice on the subject has been
sure that she was that one girl.
That is the tradegy of it all, and
that is the reason why I have never
encouraged any girl to attempt to
become motion picture actress.
There are all sorts of motives
which impel girls to want to become
film stars. Sheer personal vanity
predomlnates to large degree-a
desire to see themselves on the
screen and the satisfaction which
they derive from knowing that their
nictures will be seen by thousands
of people. There are some little
idiots who confess that their sole aim
was to be associated with some par
ticular actor whose large eyes or
curly hair had captivatcd them.
These ought to be spanked and nut
to he'd without any supper--and
q Taln ~ toli