Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-06-23
OLD LUBIN STUDIO
DAYS ARE RECALLED
BY HARRY MYERS
TIE old Lubin studio in this city ,ou

TIE old Lubin studio in THIS city ,ous
the motion picture. Mr.. Myers
humoros recolIections Of his days there
niH undoubtedly stir up the memories Of
manv old timers trho are still hring.
VIM NOT let us have your memories
and your dnecdotess Why not-bcfore
il is too late--0ather all of this material
tchich some future historian OF the
pbot0pidy can toedre into q consistent
story and give IL IT'S proper place!
II veu rcre connected ,oith the mories
in dny capacity in the old Lubin days,
stop in and see us or send US your recol-
iections of the people and the things
that impressed themselves on your
mental records. Send us your name
and address or, il you knotc OF some
one nho has Lubin memories, send US
this stuff together.
Address the Movie Magazine Editor,
Erening Public Ledger, Sirth and
Chestnut streets.
Mr.. Myers, BY the rdp. has just made
big hit IN the name part Of the For
production Of "A Connecticut Yankee
in King Arthur's Court
BY HARRY MYERS
GETTING into the movies nowadays
~ is far moro difficult than it was ten
or dozen years ago when l first
started.
| had just finished with "Graustark.
playing light comedy. and was going
out in vaudeville with Ftonklyn Tn.
derwood and Frances Slosson.
In those early days. fourteen years
ago, you had to do everything-run
props. clean paint brushes, run on the
ground color-everything.
l was standing on corner in Phla-
delphia one night. The man who start.
ed me on the stage eight years before
sauntered up and told me that he had
become affiliated with the original Lu-
bin company, and asked me what was
doing.
l said, "Oh, am a juvenile lead
now"
He asked me how ! would like 10 play
in moving pictures.
l couldn't understand him because
| thought of movies" as one Of those
pie acts but he started in TO con
vince me.
That afternoon went over to the
vaudeville theatre with the express OBJ
ject of getting canned.
The next morning l went to the Lu-
bin studio. They had little flat" ior
upright scenery with two wings
Everything was painted in perspective
on fiat scenery.
THE director snid l was to play a
l. coroner; l asked him what I was
to wear.
"What you have on" he said.
| went over to n corner Of the stage
and put my makeup on and he gave
me a wooden cigar.
You cant have a real one" he px-
planned, because the smoke fogs the
film"
! started an argument. About an
hour afterward we got through arguing
and | went down and bought one of
those long perfectos for seven cents.
The sight of real cigar nearly caused
stampede.
The scene ran like this: The tcle-
phone rings. the coroner answers il and
some one tells him man has com
mitted suicide and TO come up. The
director, behind the camera. was to say
that the phone was ringing. But |
forgot that a big murder trial was in
progress and became interested in read :
ing newspaper while we were wait
ing to get the lights started, which took
quite n while. The lights were very un
reliable. They would go OFF and then
come on and it was some time before
we could get them to burn without
blinking
The director virtually started the
scene by giving me my telephone cue.
continued to read and he started t.
swear. In those days-since I had
attained the so-called dignity" Of a
juvenile leading mani felt that q
certain amount of actorial bluster was
required in the name of temperament
I got up from my chair and ! started
to swear.
Don't you touch me-" yelled
Those days are over; I'm not start
ing in the business now. I'm n star. "
The director led off with a large flock
Of flaming language. Finally he said
that this was his method Of directing
that it had 10 be done that way. and
the rest of the company convinced me
that he was right because the lOudest
man was the best director.
went back and made the scene, but
in going out | forgot and slammed the
paper door shook the whole works and
had to 60 back and do II all over again.
Mr.. Myers has Drittcn some more OF
his recOiIections for as. We piH publish
them soon.