New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-05-25
The Chink and the Child
Take Us TO Luncheon

So come along and tell US all about It.
You're among friends"
But Constance Talmadge is our de-
voted ally, and she Immediately flew to
our rescue.
"Dlck Barthelmess," she eaid, shat
isn't truel She always says exactly
what she thinks. How can you say
such q thing7 Why, don't you remem-
Der when she reviewed that
Gail right; all right" said Richard
hastily. "Of course, you're right. Let
me live this time, and I'll be more
careful in the future. But-what did
you really think Of it,"
"Well," we answered, I'VE thought it
was the most beautiful, wonderful,
pathetic, heartrending, soul-satisfying
picture that we ever saw, and the only
reason we didn't write about it in still
more f1attering terms was because we
had exhausted our adjectives. And you
were magnificent! Wasn't he?" we
added, turning to Miss Talmadge.
Constance pursed her lips and
swished her eyelashes. "Um-yes-he
wasn't bad" she answered. And Just
then we spied Lillian Gish coming in
the door.
She looked enough like her shadow
on the screen SO that we recognized
her, though we hadn't expected such a
grown-up young lady. She wore a
smart tailored suit with long severe
lines and small sailor hat with roses
and tulle on it and some tulle twisted
around her neck. The whole impress
sion was Of extreme simplicity and
fragility and refinement. Miss Gish is
we'll dressed, but you never would refer
to her as Smart" She is beautiful,
but you never would call her "pretty."
And she is modesto She speaks in
low voice and refuses all credit for her
wonderful portrayal of the twelve
year-old child in Broken Blossoms"
"Be careful what you say before
her," whispered Constance to us as we
all filed into the dining room. "She
doesn't approve of the way some of us
talk, and no one even says Darn be-
fore her. So don't become vehement.
as you do at times"
We promised and then we went and
forgot and acted natural, and if Miss
Gish didn't approve Of US she con-
cealed it perfectly.
"Now," said Miss Talmadge, as we
sat down at the table with Mr.. Barthel-
mess opposite us and Miss Gish at our
right, II shall be master of cere-
monies and see that this thing Is done
correctly. Dick, you tell the lady
which you prefer, the silent or the
spoken drama, and you, Lillian, tell
her whether you would advise young
girls to 60 on the screen and whether
the makeup hurts your skin"
mot being a regular reviewer we
don't care a d, a fig, whether the
makeup hurts your skin, Miss Gsh,
or whether you prefer the silent or the
spoken drama, Sir Richard. What we
want to know is how did you man
age to look and act twelve years old
all the time you were playing that
great big tragic part, and how did you
manage to look and act just like a
Chinaman? Particularly, how did you
make your eyes like that?
"Pooh," interpolated Constance,
"that's easy. Any one can do that.
You just'-
constance" we said finally, "tell
Richard all about your new S56 hat
with the war tax while we talk to
Miss Gish. Then our host can take
the stand"
"Well," said Miss Gish, efficiently,
"you see, Mr.. Griffith wanted the part
played by girl Of twelve, and he
tried everywhere to find a child of