Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-01-11
Ruth OXFORD

in California studio, as result of her work in
minor parts, and was offered a fat contract a
regular. In reality she was only eighteen, but she
assumed all the dignity and Importance of twenty
one so that she might be able 10 sign her con-
tract
Her mother unable to make the long trip to
California in order to perform the necessary for
mality at the time a contract was offered to the
little actress but she just cosdn't wait TO become
a regular member in good standing of one Of the
largest film manufacturing concerns in the uni
verse. So she did her best to add cubits to her
stature by taking thought, and carried herself
with such grace and stately bearing that she
really might have succeeded in getting away with
it. However, when the formal, legal-looking docu-
ment, with its parties of the first part" and
whereas" and "do hereby agree" and all the other
quaint phraseolOgy which is necessary to make a
promise really binding, was laid out before her and
she took her pen in hand TO sign away her services
her courage failed With nervous haste she de-
clared her really insignificant number of years.
and the contract had to wait until mother could
make the trip TO California after all.
Success did not come so easily to Miss Helen
Ferguson, although she is now q star at sixteen.
Miss Ferguson says that much patience, courage,
perslstency and hard work were required before
she got start She now looks upon her first eff
forts to get trial as a joke, but it was rot so
much of joke then
81 visited the studio every day it was open for
four months" laughed Miss Ferguson "They
wouldn't give me a chance until day. in
a courtroom scene they had one vacant chair. They
had pressed into service stage hands and every
one else obtainabe to fill other seats and finally,
in desperation the director grabbed me for the
last chair.
"That the beginning. made good as a
courtroom spectator l got extra work from
time to time until finally was a regular"
Miss Ferguson believes perfect hesl,h is the
greatest asset of an actress, therefore she taboos
late hours and exercises regularly in gymna-
stun built especially for her in her home.
Il want to look young at thirty as l 10 now"
explained the little actress. 'sThe only way can
do that is to safeguard my health. I retire every
ulght at $3.50 o'clock"
Miss Margarita Fischer is youthful star who is
not satisfied with the success which she has al
ready attained, but believes in working hard all
the time in an effort to improve her work She
takes life seriously in spite of the fact that most
of her pictures do not indicate it. Miss Fishers
chief aid In the work which she does at home is
her mother. When she reaches home after
busy afternoon in the studio, her mother has her
mail all sorted out for her. and after dinner she |
retres to her study. where she looks after the /
of immense correspondence. And |
after the letters are of the way she goes over
the plans for her next days work
Cooperation of the star and the director is
necessary for the making Of better pic
tures,r she says. 81 give an hour every evening
TO going the work and thinking out better
ways to submit TO the director, For you cannot
allow yourself moments let-up,sf you are aus-
bilious to do good work on the Screen"