New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
Warned of Pitfalls,
Alma Tell Found ONLY
Happiness in Movies

Alma Tell is the one motion picture
actress in America who danced with
the Prince of Wales while he was here.
Sho was at ball that he attended and
was presented to him.
You can imagine my surprise when
the Prince asked me to dance with
him." said Miss Tell, in relating the
her home, 1875 West Seventy-ninth
Street. II was so excited that | can
not even remember what it was we
danced. | know he spoke of how much
he liked New York and its people and
we discovered that he had met friends
Of mine in Canada and l told him about
my going to school In London"
MISS Tell is comparative newcomer
on the screen. Her sister, Olive, Is we'll
known both on the stage and screen.
She, too, has been on the stage for sew
eral years.
Miss Tell is one Of those unusual
actresses who do not believe in easy.
rapid success. She and her sister de-
llberately embarked on stage careers
hoping they would haYe a thorny path
to travel. Strangely enough, they did
not have nearly as many struggles and
setbacks as they expected. Instead of
having to sit on managers doorsteps,
the barriers opened mysteriously to
admit them. And the sailing was com
paratiyely smooth.
make things go. Miss Tells mother
came from Dublin, "where the girls are
so pretty" And-one might add~the
men are witty. The young actress was
born in New York, but finished her
education In London and Paris. There
IS quite lot of Irish about her still
especially Irish eyes--the large, blue,
heavily fringed variety. She shows
her Celtic origin by being supersti
with reverence-almost. Also, she likes
to make people laugh.
~ seems to me that it is always
easier on the stage to make people
laugh than cry" said Miss Tell, dIn
real life it is just the other way.
really love doing comedy parts. al
.nough, OF course, I'd rather do emo
nohal work than anything. The abil-
ley 70 90 comedy is trick-a kink in
ones makeup.
~ am 80 new in the game that I
still regard the making of pictures
With lot of interest and curiosity.
The technique is so entirely different
from that Of the stage. You have To
study every move. Your actions must
all be definite and measured. You
cannot let even the slightest gesture
be blurred. When you make false
moves on the stage you can always
correct yourself at the next perform
ance. but there Is certain fatality
ABOUT the camera. There Is no undoing
your errors"
Miss Tell is amusing on the subject
OF how she came to go on the stage. She
and her sister drifted in almost In
voluntarily, while their mother tried
to hold them back because Of the
much advertised pitfalls. and all that
sort Of thing" Somehow or other tho
pitfalls did not seem to materialize.
while the good fortune and happiness
did. When they came back from
Europe they settled down at Montclair,
N. j.. and proceeded to pass the time
playing golf, tennis and all the rest
Of Of. It, This ., had not gone on for very
long when they felt an inward urge to
do something. Life wasn't satisfying
just as 1t was. They went to q school
of concentration and were there in
formed that they had dramatic abilitr.
SO they took tests for the dramatic
course at Carnegie Hall.
II shall never forget those test,"
said Miss Tell. "r had to do t3e
balcony scene In Romeo and Juliet'l
and the awful sleep walking scene in
Macbeth Well, we survived 1t and
got some dramatic training there. NV
career or whatever you like to cali
il. began with playing the part Of
Ethel in Peg O. Ny Heart Then
was in The Bird of Paradise I have
been in stock and done the one and
two night stands, and found it wear.
ing business. One experience en-
joyed was the period / spent in THE
Passion Play Of Washington Square
also was with Comstock & Gest for.
a time"
Miss Tell Is now under a fve-year
contract with the shuberts. Under
'.1 ,heir management. she has played in
Molly" "Squab Farm" and "The Mood |
Of the Moon"