Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-17
Mrs. Natalie Talmadge Keaton
Turns Down $l04,000 a
Year Job in Movies to Be-
come Housewife

bride is giving up 100000 a year to
become what she terms "a plain
everyday WIFE" 1t was also learned
that she is of distinguished family
which boasts of two movie" stars of
the first magnitude, that but recently
she married movie" comedian,
and that she has appeared in num-
Der of successful films.
The bride, Mrs. Natalie Talmadge
Keaton, sister of Norma and Con-
stance Talmadge, and bride of Bus
ter Keaton, tells, in the following
article, why she would rather be a
queen in the home," instead Of a
queen in the films"
By MRS. NATALIE TALMADGE
KEATON.
/ am going to take up an expert
rnent costing me 100000 to deter
| mine whether / can become sue
cessful housewife.
In other words, am turning
down an offer of $1,000 weekly in
real, honest-to- goodness money,
which would be paid to me if / ap-
peared in the movies" because I
want to "star" in kitchen role.
/ think | know what some really
intelligent people will say when they
read this.
l feel right now that something to
this effect will be said:
"Oh, very we'll! She'll be glad
enough to get back to the 'fill-ums'
when the novelty wears off. Let her
stand over hot range and wrestle
with pots and pans like ! have done
these 20 years and she'll likely
change her mind"
Or this, for example, may be said:
1T will be cinch the way this lit
tie Keaton woman will keep house.
Why, any poor simp could bask in
ease half the time, with the conven-
fences she will have. There'll be
whole flock of automobiles to dash
here and there. Then there1l prob
ably be flock of servants and every
thing will be of push-a-button sort,
and, presto! the work is DONE"
And again, someone may volun-
teer an unkind remark like this:
ooh, she's probably going to wash
few dishes and hold out on some
film promoter to get a little pub
licity!.
Let me emphasize that if anyone
larhors such ideas as l have sug-
gested he, or she, is wrong.
In Search of Home.
I received not only one offer conf
manding salary of 100000 a year,
but several. One of them reached the
please sign here on the dotted line"
stage. But when l made up my
mind to marry Buster Keaton / also
made up my mind that I was to be
the real manager of our home, and a
real manager l will be-
At present / am looking over Los
Angeles and vicinity for "a site for
that home. I prefer that it will be
on high hill. 1t will be big and
roomy. There will be vegetable
garden, a flower garden, Bride
path for horseback riding, and
swimming pool. For years I have
been building a castle of Dreams"
and this is to be my castle. / will
be just an old-fashioned housewife
and plan to make the hours spent in
my home the golden hours of my
life.
I am studying the likes and dis
likes of my husband. / have learned
that he is fond of such plebeian
dishes as corned beef and cabbage,
pork chops, corn bread and corn on
the cob.
Riddle Of Movie" Struck.
! have not been so busy in films
but that l could devote little time
to domestic science. / could pursue
it only at odd hours, yet I managed
to learn to turn out what my rela-
tives said was fairly good cooking.
l can do considerably more than fix
a mess of corned beef and cabbage
for Buster. But if he prefers that
dish he will get it, and it will be pre-
pared in the best way / know how.
1t seems rather strange to me that
l have heard quite a few "movie"
struck girls sigh and yearn for a
career on the silver sheet. And here
I am sighing and yearning for a
career in a home-perhaps just the
sort OF home that some of these
girls would forsake for a career in
motion pictures.
But am yearning for more than
home. ! am yearning for content
ment. And just between you and I,
dear reader, l will tell you the un-
derlying cause of my decision. It is:
Because love my husband more
than anything else in the world. I
want to make him happy, so that he
can be successful. If he is success
full, than I will be pleased. For his
happiness will be my happiness.