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

Beauty IL not tie paramount as
set Of the motion picture actress!'
These words are Mary Pjck'ord's
ard they arc OF particular interest
In Washington just now because o:
the unpleasant experience In her
triais for film fame of Miss Ruth
Purcell, The rimCs beauty prize
winner and the winner ut the ma
tional beauty prize in Los Angeles
. last summer, who Is now bach Ia
thfs city. Miss Prrcell was ac-
claimed BY Washington experts and
tken by a committee of Srtists OF
national renown. as tho most beau
tiful girl in the United States
But she did not find that her
beauty aided her much in becoming
= motion picture actress. Accord
ing. to her own story. beauty was
really a detIimont.
Mary Pickfotd was recently asked
by the editor &C the New York
Evening Nails motion picture mag
azlne whether or not young girls
ture acrcsses should be encouraged.
Miss Pickford Is probably the hest
known of all the screen stars and
she has been before the public ever
since she was an infant. She has
had experience in the motion pic
luEHS NNlb AlI6N
we're made, and from her experience
ahe would SEEM to have gained
wisdom. Her ideas about the
chances for success r1ake a fairly
good New Year git to the youES
girls. OF Washington who are con-
templating careers as ph9'opleyers'
Il have never encouraged ineXperi-
enced girls, ne matter how attractive
they may be personally, to attempt
to enlist in the studio ranks" de-
clares Miss Pickford. LIT is not fair
to the girls nor to the producers to
tell them that pretty faces are a sort
OF open sesame to motion picture
stsrdom, 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-
tically guaranteed a pretty girl in
slant elevation to stardom. II she
would work in a 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.
So that 1t was literally true that ex-
perience 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, IL they have survived at
all, are now thoroughly schoolcd in
the technique of the motion picture,
FYrthermore. there is scarcely a
st4Ke celebrity who has not appear
ed in motion pictures by this time.
and the producers can pick their
casts from among thousannds 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 pointipR
to the mouth or the stomach TO in.
dicate hunger. or of clutchinK the
heart to signal that Cupid has scored
bulls eye. Is thing Of the past,
Today an actress must be able to
suggest and express her emotions
or desires by far more subtle means
tlA1 MET, She must make her body
say the things that her tongue cam
not-and only a trained actress can
do it.
"Of course there is the nine hun
dred and ninety-ninth girl in the
proverbial thousand whose Unborn
genius rises above any possible
training, and makes her a 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 tradeEy of it ALL and
that is the reason why have never
encouraged any girl to attempt to
become a motion picture actress.
There are all sorts of motives
which impel girls to want to become
Aim stars. Sheer personal vanity
prcdominates to a large degree-a
desire to see themselves on the
screen and the satisfaction which
they derive from knowing that their
pictures will be seen by thousands
ot 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 captivated them.
These ought TO be spanked and put
TO bed without any supper--and I
nave had the pleasure OF telling sew