Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-30
Believe Movie Industry Is
Waiting to Make Them Stars

want TO become movie stars guess
It's the same all over the country
Profession Oyercrowded.
II always tell them that there's not
n chance In a million. which is the
truth The movie industry is crowded
with hundreds OF young girls who
have never gotten any. further than
the place Of extra They go to New
York and Los Angeles thinking 1,
will be an easy matter for them ID
get trial before the camera. When
they have spent all their money they
sre forced to take work, II they can
get It. as extras at IS day and
few OF them get more than one days
work a week. Los Angeles Is filled
with young women who have been
lured there in the hope that they
may become motion picture actresses
and they are barely able to live. All
Of them are pretty. Of course. and
imagined because they were II would
get them trial But they were dis
appointed.
''The movies are n mirage Of youth
and beauty. and II turns out for every
one who follows II to be false-fire
Young women read the movie maga
zines and press agent stories that are
mostly untrue, about how suddenly
some film actress has leaped into
fame ont of high school and they
think they can do the same. The
fact ls, with but two or three excep-
tons, all the popular film stars strug.
gled hard on the legitimate stage
for years on meager salaries before
they were heard of In silent drama.
Mary Pickford. Marguerite Clark
Pauline Frederick, Madge Kennedy
BIZ Hart, Douglas Fairbanks
Louise Glaum, clara Kimball Young
Henry Walthall, Bryant washburn
Carlyle blackwell and long list OF
others who are now so famous and
some OF them drawing unprecedented
salaries. worked unheard OF In minor
parts for years on the regular stage
and had only and-to-mouth exist
ence. Their fame and popularity
was no accident. Because here and
there Is n star who has become a
celebrity without previous experience
the unsophsticated think It Is ar
easy thing to do and that they could
do II. too. They are only few
lucky exceptions to the rule. But
the thousands of girls who fail and
meet even n worse fate are never
heard of.
forget It." Tie Says
o''My advice to pretty girls and
young married women. is TO get the
movies out of their heads so far as
aspiring to become film actresses is
concerned If they knew" only A
small fraction Of the insurmountable
difficulties OF becoming a movie
star they would turn away from the
thought with repulsion."
Mr.. Meek. who has been making
the oklahoma territory for film con-
cerns for years, looks for a consid
erable curtailment in the production
Of pictures next fall and winter. In
fact, he thinks the government will
limit them, apportioning to each
company n certain number of pic
lures II win be allowed to make
within certain number OF months.
This will be because Of the raw ma
terfals from which film ois manufac-
tured being so badly needed in max
ing explosives
An interesting feature of the in
dustrv he mentioned il the sup
planting of men salesmen OF films
with women statesmen. Many Of the
producing companies, he said, are
employing women travelling statesmen
and reports show that they are more
than making good.
He believes women are going more
and more into the moving picture in
dustry both as statesmen and as ex-
hibitors
Women Better Exhibitors.
ST believe women exhibitors are
more discerning than men," he said,
because the basic appeal OF the
movies is to women and children.
Men exhibitors are apt to select pro-
grams that miss fire That is, they
fail to appeal or interest A woman
exhibitor has an inherent under
standing and appreciation of the fact
that the big factors in her business
are tho wptnen and children and she
is more likely to choose pictures that
please her patrons. There are many
women exhibitors and they are sue
cessful"
Speaking OF the ever-changing
class OF pictures that are manutac-
tured. Mr. Meek said that the public
taste at present, fed to surfeit on war.
seeks comedy and that realizing this
majority OF the pictures now be-
ing made are Of this kind.
There is great field at this time
for bright. original writers who can
produce good comedies. he added. rs
all the producers are calling for them
and the supply is not equal to the
demand.
Mr.. Meek expects within n few
weeks to be called for service in the
u. s. navy, for which he volunteered
sometime ago and was accepted. lie
one of the best-known film men
making this territory. having been
with Pathe many -