The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-03
Euening Story
Pep in the Picture.

pep into Pelton productions.
The three persons were Constance
Morton, Alfred Eldridge and Allen
Wexford. And the person whose
duty it was to furnish the missing in
gredient was the last mentioned
\ gentleman.
Something had gone wrong and old
Jarvis Pelton knew 1t. He watched
the pictures with a microscope, fig
uratively speaking, ever ready to pick
flaws. and he found flaws aplenty of
late.
There was no use talking, Peltou's
famous heart plays" were not the
drawing card they once had been.
They amt convincing, that's what's
the matter" grunted old Jarvis.
| Constance and Alfred can't make
love like they used to. I'll give them
a little longer to make good, and then
| That meant only one thing. The
big three would be looking for new
employment, and jobs were scarce in
studios even for stars.
/ Time was when the movie audi
ences USED to cry. they were so
wrapped up in the wonderful love
making of Constance and Alfred.
Now, according to old Jarvis, people
were known to laugh when the couple
| got into action.
And it was Aliens fault, of course.
\ He was the director. and wnen any,
4 thing was not convincing he was to
| blame. He was one of the best di-
rectors in the business, but he was
falling down miserably on the Job.
He had made Constance and Alfred,
and now he was unmaking them.
At first he Couldn't understand it.
This heart-throbbing scenes were so
listless they were pathetic. He sat up
/ several nights searching his worried
brain for the solution and at last he
hit upon it.
1t suddenly came to Allen that the
cause of the trouble was love-regular
| love. not the screen variety. He was
in love with the feminine star, and
the love scenes were apathetic be-
cause the director just couldn't bring
himself to coach the participants as
he should. Directing frequently calls
for a deal of shouting thru mega
phones and pleading and cajoling, and
Allen was finding it impossible to be
make realistic love to Constance
1t was gall and wormwood to the
director to have those two stand in
front OF him and utter endearing
terms, and embrace and even kiss. It
seemed to him like a mockery of a
thing divine. Allen was realizing why
he had made a failure of his own at
temptS, to become an actor. He SIM
ply couldn't pretend; he had to have
his heart in whatever he was doing.
L
were poor. He had lost heart in the
love making of Constance and Alfred.
If only he could get a chance to
speak his mind to Constance. But all
his associations with her were on a
business basis. He could stand on the
sidelines and direct hep in her love-
making, but there was no opportunity
to speak in his own behalf. She came
to the studio in her motor car just in
time for a scene to be snapped, and
she was gone just as soon as her
duties of the day were done.
One afternoon, when a distressing
ly poor love scene had been filmed,
Alfred Eldridge approached Allen
and said:
wexford. something has got to be
done. Our pictures are rotten, and we
know it, and you know it-and what's
more, old man Pelton knows it. May
be I'm at fault. perhaps it's Miss Nor
ton. but I'm afraid it's you. The two
of us did all right as long as we had
the proper kind of directing, but we're
lost without it. We can't get pep into
q scene unless you get pep into your
directing. Miss Morton and are los
ing our reputation as actors and you're
losing yours as director. First thing
we know we'll be down and out; and
who will want to hire trio of has
beens?"
Miss Morton was getting ready to
depart in her car, but Alfred called
to her and she approached.
miss Morton" he said, 1--WE were
just discussing the poor showing we
have been making of late. I thought
it was time a remedy was found, and
spoke to Mr.. Wexford. The three
of US have worked together so well
that It seems q shame we can't put it
across now. But something's got to
be DONE"
Were all at fault, think" said
Constance. 81 can't seem to get en-
thusiasm into my acting any more,
for some reason"
That's the way with me-" nodded
Alfred, land to be frank, think the
trouble is with Mr.. Wenford's direct
ling"
Allen realized the actor had hit the
truth, but he was not exactly pleased
at the others attitude.
Perhaps you could do 1t better" he
said testify
This remark did not squeIch Alfred
81 wouldn't be surprised if I could"
said the actor, unabashed. ITO tell
the truth, am sick of the acting end
of the game and would like to be a
director. I have had aspirations that
way for some time, and I would well
come a chance at it. If you could get
some one to take my palce in the
films
but that would deprive Mr.. Wen
ford of his job" protested Constance,
"and that would hardly be fair
Eyes, it would" spoke up Allen. "Pm
to blame for the fizzles lately, and
own up to it. There's no reason all
three of US should lose our jobs, just
because one of us has fallen down.
I'll resign as director tonight and Mr..
Eldridge oan take a whirl at it. The
people will miss his face in the films,
but you'll still be there, Miss Morton.
and If some one can be found who can
make love realistically the situation
will be improved. Another way out
would be to find an entirely new di-
rector
That would never do" objected
Alfred. He would not be able to
direct US as you have. because he
would have his own ideas about how
the thing should be done. We have
been successful, Mr.. Wexford. because
of YOUR peculiar kind of coaching and