, 1921-07-10
"MY LIFE"
AS Told By
MARY PICKFORD
To HAYDEN TALBOT
THE man at the door who blocked my way asked me If woul
tell him what Il was wanted before changed my mind.
"Why should tell you anything :" countered. 81 don
know YOU. came to see the manager. I'll thank you to let me pass.
could feel that everybody in the room was watching US wit
hawklke eyes
al am the manager" said the little man quite simply, and st
very serious won't you come into my offce?" And with that h
opened the gate in the wooden railing and bowed me through 1t as
were a queenl

TN HIS once told him briefly that
I was prepared to become part OF
his eompany-for the summer
months-as a stop gap between the
regular theatrical seasons
I know my tone was p~atronizins.
! couldn't help letting him see how
cheaply I held motion pictures. But
he didn't take offence. Whatever he
may have felt about me and my pre-
posterous assurance that the great
new art Of which he was to prove the
one guiding genius was at best moth
ing but a peep-show thing-the
mask-like gravity OF his eountenancs
gave no indication OF 1t.
Tho Conversation That "Made" Mary
Have you had any experienced"
he asked when ! had finished.
Experienced" I echoed. Ten
years of experiences, that's all! Tho
last three seasons with Mr.. Belasco!"
81 mean experience before the
camera" the little man said-quite
unlmpressed by my W announce
ment
"oh." I said. mo. I've had no er-
perience or that kind"
Ny tone implied that I was rather
glad I could say It.
Then you look upon motion
pictures" he was saying. "as merely
an easy way OF earning money dur
ing the summer months stop-gap,
I believe you said"
Ny common sense began to re-
assert itself. After all II was his
business I had been ridiculing. And
I did want 8 Job. And of course all
1 really knew about pictures was
what I had seen in the dirty, over
crowded. cheap Nickelodians l had
visttsd-
II II true I had hated to haye
Lottie and Jack go into the places
not 30 much because we couldn't at-
ford the niekels they had to have 10
buy admission. as because OF IN.
pictures
The cheap. lurid m~elodramas that
were screened IN those DAYS var.
not the kind OF things for children
to see. But even SO. pictures wa,
this mans business. I had no r,rbt
to show my eontempt-in his oases
where after all I had come seeking
work.
7 don't wish to be rude I said.
But I haven't a very high opin,on
OF motion pictures" and I tried yer
hard to make him understand thai
! was really sorry for what had gone
before. SUNS
He smiled. I've never seen a far.
SO completely transformed. Ever
DOUBT In my mind disappeared Like
magic before that smile. / knew
then had done him a tremendous
injustice. A man with a smile Iiks
mat was a good man. He had Ia he
Doesn't It occur to you" he said
that possibly your opinion of motion
may be due to the fact that
you know absolutely nothing about
admitted IT might be possibls
- moi pictures, what would
tinued. 9on-
told him how I had put IN N.
previous three summers. at The
country fairs in New England
You don't hold that kind n, uort
very high. do your" he asked. Cen
sidering the fact that you don't nee
your stage manner"
When l admitted the Impeachment
ne began a little sermon thai 70
V forgotten.
me slst Of it was that nothing q,
earth Is worth doing unless it's wortb
aolnG with all your soul and strength
enthusiasm. Above all Won mnst
belleTe in what you're doing. You
must be absolutely sure mai 81 :.
GOOD n worth while and b;g,
self. u your
Oh. # was very insnirinr o-
Ane-to listen 10 him. The f5-ve.r.
girl was responded TO his eyerv
word II never occurred TO me 70
. ~ 6A~