The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-06-14
IN STUDIO LAND
Facts and Fancies About the Folks
Who Make the Films

stars manifest toward one another is a
trait which hitherto has been evident on
ly In scenarios of low jokesmiths, in data
TOR the rlbald, in material for ground and
lofty vaccinations of raucous mirth. But,
with the peace conference at Paris fair
ly glowing with brotherhood, and the
whole world feeling the impulses of the
Higher Humanity upper case please), our
picture stars are becoming little playmates
in the garden of art
Cooperation. That is the word of the
hour; and every night when they sink in
to the ostermoors, our stars ask them
selves: Have / co-operated today with
my fellow-stars-or have | not?" If not,
then the star so failing gets six re-takes
as punishment. This column with its
finger on the pulse of the Infant Industry,
Is able exclusively to record this new
trend IN Art; and in recording it adds
another Notwithstanding beat to it's long rec
ord of journalistic accomplishments Some
time ago magazine published an exclu-
sive story that Tom Mix and Theda Bara
had collaborated in the production of The
She Devil This fact was given out in
spite of the efforts of the Fox Film corp
Grafton officials to keep it secret-the
desire for secrecy being born of the fact
that Theda Bara has an ironclad clause
IN her contract which stipulates that no
other players name shall be mentioned
in the same breath-in the same story
with hers. But the story was obtained
that Tom Mix had driven a stage coach
for Miss Bara in the filming of The She
Devil. Now the writer is in a position
70 state that 'Theda Bara has returned
the compliment and has helped Tom Mix
stage his latest picture, Fighting For
Gold
Miss Bara, with a characteristic mod
esty and lf-effacement, has said nothing
about the incident. The publicists in the
employ of William Fox have said nothing
Indeed, even if the Fox Exhibitors Ser
vice Bureau had known about it. the vari-
Gus persons who write the deathless prose
that emanates from the Fox offices would
have to keep silence-for contract is
: contract, and Heaven have mercy on
the luckless wight who broke the Bara
rule!
But the incident is such a striking ex-
ample of the new spirit of cooperation
and fellowship, and brotherhood. and hui
manitarianism, and help-me-and- L help
you-ness, that. gol darn it all, we simply
GOTTA spill it.
Pieced together from the fragments of
gossip that have filtered through from Ma
Alexandria boarding house in Los An
geles. the story is this: When Fighting
For Gold was bought for Tom Mix it was
found that one of the characters was a
vamp-a sinuous, hlhrng, ss-me-you-
fool person, who took mems hearts and
ground them into powder by the mere
narrowing of a set of ball-bearing eyelids.
The role was so important that it could
not be sighted by the engagement of an
actress of mediocre ability This role re-
qaired- AFt-hRee- piles Ell and Direct
or Edward lie Saint was in a. most gosh
awful mess trying to get somebody who
had genius enough to measure ND TO the
part He made thorough survey of all
the available artists then "at liberty in
Hollywood but his search was futile.
There was only one person who could
play the part; only one artist who had
the temperament, the genius and the
grasp of detail which would give this role
its proper INTERPRETATION: only one nlay.
or whom he could depend upon to rise to
the impassioned heights that the script
demanded-Theda Bara. prolonged APP
plausel
But how could one expect Miss Bara
to play a role in support of another star?
How could one indeed. "Cest impos-
sibe!' said Director lie Saint, in his ma
tive tongue. But he was wrong. In some
mysterious way word reached Thede Bara
that the Tom Mix company was held up
Cor lack of a person of her attachments.
Recalling instantly that Mix had come to
her rescue in the filming of The She Devil
Miss Bara Immediately declared she would
take the part Fortunately it was be
tween two of her productions-a period
when ordinarily she would rest. but she
would gladly give up her vacation to be
OF assistance to Tom Mix-thus marking
the new era of cooperation which has
dawned on the motion picture profession.
Miss Bara plunged into the work with
zest, and persons who saw her acting
declare she has done in Fighting For Gold
the best work of her career. That is the
story as relayed to us from Hollywood
and the Theda Bara here mentioned is
bear. Nevertheless it is Theda Bara.
This Theda Bara was formerly the mas
cot of an infantry regiment stationed at
Camp Lewis Wash. When the regiment
was ordered to France, the mascot was
sent to Hollywood as a gift to the ia
nous actress after whom it was named
The bear was only cub then, but Miss
Bara-the real Miss Bara-fed it SO Law
'shly on milk and other delicacies that
It grew and grew until-well, it stands
six feet two now
And when it comes to cooperation and
fellowship. and helpfuness, why, Theda
Bara is a bear.
Something must be vitality wrong with
the motion picture industry Only u more
stars formed their own producing com
panes this month.
Eugene O'Bren has, been promoted to
Stardom by Lewis j Selznick, who now
controls the Select Pictures corporation.
Watch for his first starring vehicle, girls.
1t is called Showers
Francis X Bushman has signed con-
tract with Oliver Morosco for the speak
inU STAGE