The Parisian. (Paris, Tenn.) 1907-1962, 1918-07-19
Do YOU PRETEND
TO Be WHAT YOU
& WISH YOU WERE?
Everybodys Doing 1t. Says
{ yEsiidge Kennedy. Star in
Romance of Bluff.

S - GA pActchSe, says MaQRk
Kennedy. And she ought to know
fer she lives in New York, where ev.
eiyone Is pretending to be what she
or ne isn't. Besides, Miss Kennedy's
latest Goldwyn Picture is called "The
Fair Pretender." 1t is coming to The
Dixie theatre Monday, July 22nd.
Amusing as the photo play is, the
vivacious star says that the preten-
sions, social and otherwise, of the
characters must be taken seriously,
for the business of being what one
isn't is pitiable when it is not tragic.
The play, written expressly for
Msdge Kennedy by Florence c. Bills,
reveals the ends to which girl may
EJECT to go to attain her ambitions.
In the case of Sylvia Maynard the
ambitions are histrionic, and she
chooses society rs the bypath which
viii lead her to fame and riches. She
is a little stenographer in the office
Of play producer and, seeking to
prove the ability she knows she pos
seises, the girl acts IN imaginary love
scene with her employer. His wife
enters 1t is hardly necessary % say
that Sylvia is discharged to keep
peace in the family.
Masquerading as the widow of a
man whose name she chooses at ram
dom, Sylvia is taken up by smart
suburban society. Then she meets
and falls in love with the right man,
and he, is in the midst of his proposal
when who should turn up but the man
whose widow poor little Sylvia pre-
tends to be.
She resorts to typically feminine
impulse. She runs away and hides.
What happens after the girls mas
querade is pierced causes her to be
forgiven and, not only that, but to be
hailed as a heroine. 1t does not al
ways happen thus, Miss Kennedy
laughmgly declared when questioned
during the production of "The Fair
Pretender."
"Too often the offending preten-
der is not thought fair but decidedly
unscruoulous when she decieves ev-
erybody as / do in this play. Things
10 not come out 50 beautifully in real
life. That is, not in the end. But
really, in New York, or in fact all the
bySeities, life is SO complicated that
ofrvs almost forced to make some
ore ssJieve that one amounts to more
than G4e does. Or so | judge from
what | see.
"The stenographer tells her many
friends that she is a secretary The
upstairs girl represents herself to
outsiders as lady's maid. The play
er Of minor parts on the stage seeks
to give the impression that she is
leading woman. And so on. 1t is all
bluff; and it is not always without
serious Consequences. Every double
life is shown UP sooner or later. One
reads every day that some one Is not
what the world has thought, and only
too often there is catastrophe when
the truth is known. There is no ele-.
ment of tragedy in Sylvia's masquer-
AIDE and unmasking-thanks to the
skill of the author of The Fair Pre-
tender Itall turns out charmingly
for the little rogue"
The play is doubly interesting to
those who know Madge Kennedy be-
cause Of the fact that she is noted
for her candor and entire lack OF pre-
tense. That she is able to portray
the sort Of girl who travels on her
nerve and gets by on the strength OF
her ability to put over bluff Is proof
positive that she is, first OF all, an
uncommonly capable little actress.