The Washington times., 1920-12-04
Mabel Scott Claims She Felt
Like Indian Squa4v For Picture

Tho ability to feel a role in dra-
matte presentation il usually sup
posed to be part of the actors stock
in trade, but Mabel Julienne Scott
confessed recently that she became
immersed in a characterization for the
screen to such an extent that she
found it almost difficult to escape
from the spirit of the thing, even
when she was actually through her
work.
She was portraying the role of Lall
a half-brecd Indian girl, in "Behold
My Wife," George Melfnrd's produc-
tion Of Sir Gilbert Parker's story. THE
Translation of a savage which Is
soon To be put on the screen by Para
mount. In the beginning, she Is an
uncouth though naturally beautiful
girl, wholly untutored and, III Z word
simply squaw.
"Of course" said Miss Scott, II pro-
ccedcd at once to study the part with
the idea OF sinking my own individ-
uality entirely in the character. ]
read the scrip: and ! read books about
the aborigines. and | experimental
with makeup and costume. learn to
walk characteristiCally and to carry
myself in the manney that a girl OF
this sort might be expected to do.
II did it SO conscicntiously that
after ] had ceased working Tor the
day and removed the stain from my
face and arms and resumed my ordi-
nary attire, my friends began to no
tice that l was apparently changing
my manners, and almost appearance.
s'I ianShaI Il h,. iIna nd ON
with my study and with my portrayal
of the role, determined that it should
be natural at whatever cost.
Then came the mCtamorphoSS is
not suddenly, Of course, but grad
ually and l was translated into the
refined society woman of English
aristocracy type. Strangely / found
this even more difficult then | had
the task Of emulating the half-breed
in her savage environment. | had to
discard now the manncrism and other
peculiarttics OF the girl from the
wilds and adapt myself once more to
the airs and graCeS Of the drawing
room.
"Of course, | succeeded. but | had
learned this much during the process
that transition Of the sort told in
the story by Sir Gilbert Parker is
undoubtedly Il possible one. Honest
lY, | felt like an Indian when ! was
playing Lali in the earlier stages OF
her career, and ] was surprised at
myself when began to drop off these
marks cf primitive character, for !
realized that the transition was al
most a real one.
Il don't know If 7 have made this
clear or if anyone will actually be-
licvc that ] became SO immersed in
the role that ] lost my own person
ality, but the fact is Just as ! have
stated. can easily believe that If
| were obliged to play parts of this
charactcr--that is, purely unculti-
waited characters-for a long time, !
would find it very had, inaSed, to
finally resume my natural character
as a woman OF the present day"
As q matter OF fact Miss Scott
seems to have proved by this state
mont that she Is unusually gifted in
the ability t6 submergc herself and.
while one might possibly doubt her
contention that she might retrograde
through Il repetition Of such charaC-
teriZations, it is surely a proof of
conscientious work on her part. And
all the more so when one realizes
that Miss scott, in her natural char
actcr. is "A cultured girl with much
refinement and charm.
An all-star cast is portraNinC this
picture. including such well-known
names as Milton Sills, Elliott Dexter,
Ann Forrest, Winter Hail, and 9TH
crs. The scenario was written by
Frank Condon, the wcll-known short
story writer 1t begins tho second
week OF its Washington engagement
At I.ocw's Columbia Thcatcr tomor-
row.