New-York tribune., 1917-07-08
MISS ALICE BRADY
WANTS TO SING
By HARRIETTE UNDERHILL
BRADY
WORLD PlCTUREC


front of the camera one must love
ones work? IL seems to be an accept
ed fact that to express an opinion oIf-
ferent from this is treason; 80 with
beautiful and unwonted unanimity Of
thought all the film people to whom We
have talked have told us that they love
the pictures, but, of course, 1t is hard
to get in the spirit Of the thing at .
O'Clock in the morning, that they miss
the incentive Of applause, but that
the reward cones when you have fin
ished your picture and see it pro-
duced on the screen.
Just why there should be this ale
glance to the art of the motion picture
is not apparent to the lay mind. All
writers do not love to write, in fact
many Of them cordially detest it; all
painters do not love to paint. but 1t
would seem that all screen artists love
the screen, from the original vampire,
who put the sin in cinema. down.
Finally, we became suspicious, so we
had a little lantern made after the
pattern of the one carried by Diogenos
and we set out in search of screen
artist who did not enjoy working in
the pictures. We have found her. she
| is Alice Brady-dear, delightful,
breezy, blooming Alice Brady, and this
is what she said: "Do like the pict-
ures? No. Do you? want to sing
And then she did, and we don't blame
her for wanting to be heard as vel!
as seen. "I've discovered happy
combination, however. I'm doing a
picture now in which ! have to sing
as we'll as act. 1t is a brand new in
vention, not at all like the oldtime
talking pictures where the dialogue
used to get away ahead of the action
or vice versa. This is arranged sone
wav so that the thing cannot precede
itself, so to speak. I'm doing Butter
I fv.' but don't know when it is TO be
produced or where or how. ! had no
demonstration Of its powers. | had
only a description from the man who
/ invented it.
"Do Won know what a hard working
person am? I'm supposed TO be up in
/ the leading role in every one Of pap's
I shows, so that if the leading wom-
an should sprain her ankle or be at
tackled with appendicitis overnight l
could make a flying leap and land In
the vacancy. And there is nothing so
thankless as following another person
/ in q part. If you play it as she played
/ it YOU are accused of initiating her. If
YOU diverre and give your own inter-
pretation, every one says that you
have the wrong conception of the char
acter. Then, too, no two persons dare
essay the same mannersms. | have in
mind a horrible example of large,
plump girl who is following a tiny,
slim girl in a prominent part, and who
has taken it upon herself to faithfully
copy every gesture. The little girl
used TO wrap her arms about herself
and writhe as she exclaimed: Take 1t
away-take it away!' II was very ef-
fective, but you should see the fat girl
do il. VOLTA! I once played part sit
ting on footstool, and at a certain line
| noticed a pin on the floor. | stopped
and picked it up, and so when my un-
derstudy went on TO play the part she
stopped and picked up an imaginary
min at the same line. That will show
you how closely some understudics
will copy their predecessors"
We asked Miss Brady what she con-
sidered most necessary to success on
the screen or on the stage, and with
out a moments hesitation she replied,
"Pretty feet and ankles"
At present Miss Brady is acting in
front Of the camera, taking three sing
ing lessons a week, learning several
new operas and studying new dra-
matte role, and yet she is full OF en-
thusiasm and never is sad or weary.
She is indefatigable, apparently. al
though she believes that getting up in
the morning is an invention Of the
devil. However, she has to be in the
studio over in Fort Lee all ready for
work at 9:30, just as though she were
not William Brsdy's daughter.
SO, after all, being a screen star and
a musical comedy star and dramatic
star has its disadvantages, even If one
Goes hnve $1,000 a week TO spend all
by ones self.