The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-30

[ long distance" with Mir. Francis X Eastman, your beloved Idol of the screen?
 l don't know how MT. Bushman looks face to face, but if he looks as nice as he sounds. he must be truly wonderful; put then all of us will have chance to judge for ourselves this evening at the grand military beauty ball' when he and the lovely Miss Beverly Bayne will be the guests of Birmingham.
 When I was in New York recently. 1 had the pleasure of meeting Miss Bayne and writing a story with her about nov ing pictures and her great success in them; had confidently expected to meet Mir Bushman also, but you know the old saving about the best laid plans O mice and men'-and this was one of those times when things didn't hit 1t off like they should have.
 I just couldn't wait until Mir Rusbman got to Birmingham today to write a story about him, so yesterday I got busy and decided to have a long distance" talk with him over the phone; so promptly at Il clock the wires got busy between Birmingham and Louisville, and MT Bushman was "paged" at the Selbach ho- tel and l found myself listening to the loveltest and most musical of deep basso profundo voices, which made me think that perhaps the legitimate stage had lost matinee idor' in the person of one MT. Francis Xavier Bushman. q am tickled to death to know at last what that "X' stands for in his name, aren't ycu0'
 Well, anyway, as I was about to say, MT. Bushman who at the great Cf.Gago moving picture ball some few years ago received the gold medal as the most popular actor in the movies" MT. Bush man of the glorious eyes; MT. Eastman of the wonderful smile; MT Bushman of the marvellous personality, was at the other end of the telephone, saying in his most euphonious voice:
 "Oh. how do you do? How nice of you to call me over long distance and how charmed I am to be able to send my greetings to Birmingham"
 I floundered like 8 fish out of water and couldn't think of anything to say, to save my life, for all the while I had visions of the good looking MT. Bushman, as I'd seen him on the screen in "rhe Second in Command" in "Ro- meo and Juliet and oodles of other things that I perfectly adore him in. and and-but I had to say something; the
 
 many dollars minute and it was no time to hesitate, so I stammered:
 How does it-er-er-feel to be exhib- tied over the country as a s10,000 beauty?' (You know I never would have had the nerve to ask him such question face to face).
 What's that?" said MT. Bushmans musical voice, and then the most ador- ably fascinating laugh rippled over the r-s,O- 1,,f f..,- T fun of me. Really, it's very nice-sort of trained monkey effect-or something Of the sort, you know; but really, seriously Louisville has absolutely opened her heart to us; I've never had such an ova- tior anywhere in all my life, and at the ball Monday evening 15000 people greeted us while thousands were turned away How could I help appreciating such a wonderful reception?"
 Well, but you are forgetting that it's the king of moving picture stars, MT. Francis K Bushman, who is the toast, I suggested.
 Thank you again" MT. Rushman said appreciatively, T wish I could tell you how much Miss Bayne and I are an- ticipating our visit to Birmingham; neither of us has ever been in Birming- ham and like most people who are going to a new place for the first time we
 
 what 1t Is like; we have heard of Bir- mingham's hospitality, and I want to say if it Is anything like Louisvlle's, we are right now it's debtors
 Then we fell to talking about favor ite pictures that he had made.
 T like the romantic type of picture" MT Bushman said candidly. "The dra- matic type; but then picture that am pleased with often doesn't please the public, as much as something else; for in- stance take 'Benningtons Choice: that was a picture which was perhaps as popular as anything I've ever done; it pleased our public; personally, it afforded me little satisfaction, as 1t was part that played itself: it required very lit- tie work on my part; no difficult work. but what matters t, if the public liked it?"
 And what about your masterpiece of the screen,' I asked. Romeo and Ju- liet?'" "
 Now. you have struck close to the very bottom of my heart' NIr. Bush man said feelingly. Did you like ity Yes, I'm very happy to-hear you say so; really to me it was one of the most in teresting things I ever did I worked over it with tremendous enthusiasm; it wasn't easy; indeed, it was the most diff fioult thing imaginable; bu. the great success of the picture compensated us for all the hard work and trials and tritulations we endured in it's produc- tion I mean to do other Shakespearean things for I am an ardent lover of Shakespeare; also of Bulwer-Lytton some of whose novels We shall picturize later"
 ''ITow many letters and notes and things have you received from matinee girls on your southern trip9" I asked
 Dear me" MT. Bushman laughed heartily. that would be telling, and you wouldn't have me do that. would you? You know I correspond regularly with