Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-07
GIRL MUST HAVE
DETERMINATION TO
SUCCEED IN FILMS
BY ALLEN HOLUBAR

Associated First National Producing Director
TNEN years ago, while the movies
Il were yet in an undeveloped state,
beauty was the only real requirement for
motion picture artists. That was the
era when people sought the novelty of
seeing people move on the screen.
Today motion picture producing is
an art and has progressed to such a
stage that the enormous fan public de-
mands the same degree of acting in
pictures as they do of folk of the le-
gitimate stage.
AT first directors conceived the Mea
that only blondes were fitted for stellar
roles. Gradually that error in thinking
was eradiCated until today the major
lty OF the greatest artists are brunettes.
This does not mean that blonde can
not act; it simply means that blondes
cannot act better than brunettes, and
Drunettes being in the majority there
are today more dark haired stars than
golden ones.
WHEN l create story l have II
w definite type of woman in view for
to look the part naturally, if posslulc. -.
or be Of the disposition demanded by
the role.
This does not mean that if the char
acter depicted is to be a woman of the
streets, | want a woman of abandon
to play the part. 1t means | want Il
vivacious woman to play a vivacious
part-not dreamy eyed beauty, no
matter how well she may be able to
perform. Makeup plays a great role
in picture production, hut if make up
is too literally applied it can always be
detected.
The young girl who enters picture
work should DO talented or at least have
determination. l would much rather
direct a gii who is not first rate
actress, but who has sincere desire
to carve u career than to direct one who
has all the ability in the world and
no desire to back it up.
Nothing Is more trying to a director
: than a lazy artist. She hides her nat
, ural meauness beneath mask of tenn
perament and her sloth in taking direc
tion may hold up the production in.
definitely and run up the cost many
thousands of dollars.
Every scene which is done over make.
) the overhead soar and the entire com
pany sore.
! No actress can hope to succeed if sh,
! Il
hard work and the ability to do as tn,
director tells her while on the set,
TT is extremely hard really to act
, l. and by acting | mean to perform
, , naturally. Were acting but movinj
about and making meaningless gestures
j., every girl would be an artist and thcr
{, would be no such thing as a career alonj
: that line.
! A girl must have pleasing personal
ity and reflect it in her screen work
she must have ability; she must have
reasonable amount of looks, a arg
amount of intelligence and determine
ton to the nth degree.
9 There are many extra girls who ar
+ more beautiful than the prettiest stars
: but they will always play atmosphere
9 or "bits' because they do not NEE
h with the real requirements of the screer
+ In the making OF "The Heart 0
n Humanity" i chose Margaret Man
:, to play most important role-an
Il she had never been before a camera.
. cast her in the part because she locke
the type; she possessed intelligence, de
termination, screened well and had a
I appeal which i knew would touch tn
heart OF the picture. g0er.
A large part of the success of tina
picture was due TO Margaret Mann
That's the reason cast her I'm "NIpn
Woman, Marriage" and other picture
which followed "The Heart of Human
ity." She has made success of actinq
although size never attempted il unit
she was past middle age.