The Washington herald., 1921-09-18
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INTRoDUCING ALLAN DwAs.

INTRODUCING ALLAN DwAS.
NEW YORK, Sept. H. Allan
pwan, who has such poetic name,
was born in South Bend, Ind, where
all, the wagons used to come from
Nearly, every boy in town got a Job
in q spoke, factory, and lived hap
PLY ever afterward-at least until
the automobile made its appearance
But Allan Dwan didn't take to
polishing spokes and fashioning
hubs. Folks around his neighbor-
hood said he would never amount to
much, and chorused: IT told you
so" when he went to Notre Dame
and became the greatest quarter
back the Middle West ever produced
As one old patriarch put it: That
Dwan boy has took up football.
Next he'll be shootin' pool and play
in seven up, and he'll never be no
good to his folks"
Allan Dwan is regarded today as
the director OF moving pictures who
ranks with Grifnth. He has directed
Mary Pickford. Douglas Fairbanks,
Norma Talmadge, and has, perhaps,
been responsible for more screen
stars than any other man in the
business.
So you can never tell how a boy
is going to turn out. Dwan studied
to be an electrical engineer, and now
look at him. He has sent spooled
romance to all far-hung corners Of
the globe.
He Is still a young man with
shoulders that loom up like those OF
Jack Dempsey. He has the aggres-
sive jaw of the born executive and
the winning smile of the royal good
fellow. He has a record that is
achieved by very few motion pic
ture directors-a record in which
there isn't one single black spot
one single case of meanness or pet
tiness or failure in sympathy.
He represents the virile type Of
courage OF honesty that is needed
now. and will be needed in the fu-
ture in the cinema industry. His
advent into movies was quite by ac-
cident-or, perhaps. IT was the ro-
nance OF destiny.
At any rate, as an electrical en-
gineer he went to Chicago. where
he was in charge of installing a
new-fangIed light in the old Essa-
nay plant. While experimenting
the installation he became interest
ed In a photo-play that was in the
making He decided II showed
room for Improvement, and with the
hue los hoN nn1N 80
bilious youth he went home and
wrote what he considered a better
one.
The next day the Essanay people
bought 1t, and they bought several
more. and wound up by offering
him the job Of scenario editor.
Money in those days was rather coy.
and the salary was so big that Dwan
decided to let the electrical indus
try struggle along with only Edison.
Dwan left II fat, and from scenario
editor he went into the business Of
directing.
He has . beautiful home at Hol-
lywood, Cal. and his New York
country home Is at Great Neck, l. l.,
where. with Ray Long. they occupy
an old colonial house that takes up
quite a bit OF Atlantic Ocean front.
Raymond Hltcncock lives next oooF,
and in the evening dusk tho cemo-
dian, the editor and the motion pic
ture director may be seen in snow
white fannels playing croquet. au-
thors and dominoes. when the moon
is riding high and breaking gently
through the cypress trees of Dwan's
front yard 1t makes quite a pretty
picture. Yes, sir.
Dwan has seen much OF the world
around the Horn on windjammers,
touched the pink coral reefs OF the
South Sea Islands, stood under the
blaze OF the Southern Cross,
pierced the London fogs, auaffed
schooners at the AdIon in Berlin.
drank tea with Geisha girIe in old
Japan, explored the Yang-ste I'M
China and played leap frog with
Charlie Chaplin in Hollywood