The New York herald., 1922-10-08
m eNeWs gfAfe ScreeD m Stage Notes
Fairbanks Beauty
Maid Is Principal
in Real Romance
Robin Hoods Eye for Pull
chritude Brings Rewards
Notes of Movies.
BY FRANK vREELAND.

By FRANK vREELAND.
T HE power of beauty on the
screen is tremendous, as the
conservative press agents
might say. For instance. there. are
the ten beauties of Los Angeles Sc
lected from all the fair flowers of that
city by Douglas Fairbanks for his
Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood
TO have their pulchritude employed in
scene wherein the famous bandit
chooses a bride for himself from a
bevy of maidens and comes out OF it
right side up, despite the obvious like
lihood of dizziness. Though none of
the young women had particular film
experience before this, they have all
received better jobs at increased sal
aries on the strength of having been
picked to form a background for
Doug's beard.
More than that one OF them has been
awarded a husband 1t is a real screen
romance. for the husband was drawn
right oIt OF the cast of the Fairbanks
production. He is Wallace Beery, who
plays Richard III. in the photo play and
who gets wife in Miss Gilman OF the
beauty bevy as a bonus for his work
Beery, one of the most notable villains
of the screen. has dragged many a young
woman toward the altar unwilingly be-
fore the camera. but now he Is TO lead
a voluntary subject. He will be remem-
bered the heavy of Jackie Coogan's
Trouble" and of various other pictures,
rebounding naturally to the Fairbanks
fold since he made his own mark In
''The Mark of Zorro
and Douglas Fairbanks remain at the
top of the movie heap, because in addi-
tion to vitality. a sense of humor and
assiduity they have that adjunct which
is more elusive than mercury in the
movie world-Nains. Listening 70
either one of them is like taking post
graduate course in the movies.
Mary is always on the watch for new
faces. new possibilities that might turn
the tide in the films. On the way East
through Canada, when their train
stopped for moment at some town
Moose Jaw or Medicine Hat or some
similarly euphonious name-she singled
out in the crowd a little girl who was so
pretty she looked like an accident. Mary
exacted from her a promise to write to
the queen of the movies, and later the
young miss is to go to Los Angeles and
try her face on the screen. It's not
| every actress who thus makes sure that
the supply of talent will be piped Ia
the screen as incessantly as the water
supply of Los Angeles.
Mary also has a remarkable memory
for faces. particularly as to their movie
qualifications. and II she hadn't been a
film star she might well have been n
feminine detective known as Camera
Eye Mary When she was running
over "rogues' gallery" of possible lead
ing women for herself and for Douglas
in their next pictures she heard one girl.
suggested whom she couldn't recall. hav-
ing seen her only once or twice. but as
soon as the girls face flashed before
her mind Mary could hit off the young
woman's facial proportions as accurately
as If she were Bertilon. She ended up
by saying Doug might very likely pick
out some show girl, take her back TO
Los Angeles and make her forever
famous.
She is so conscientious that in making
Tess of the Storm Country she threw
away three reels after they had been
shot and quivered through three more.
Even then she was dissatisfied with the
climacteric scene two weeks after the
picture had been finished and the com
pany dismissed, and she recalled the
whole troupe and had them go through
the scene again, practicing the tempo
until they had II as pat as on piano.
Tempo makes a great difference in a
scene" says Mary. thereby enunciating
a pungent truth that the average film
player loftily disregards. Now many
movie actor tells you, IT don't pay
any attention TO the timing of my ges-
lures before the camera ; Just go ahead
and act" Maybe that accounts for
some of the fearful results.
In spite Of having been married 10
him couple OF years and Travelled over
Europe with him Miss Pckford still
marvels at Doug's Niagara of energy.
Coming through Canada. whenever he'd
make speeches" she said, "rd actually
become tired myself watching him use
up so much vitality. But the more he
burns up the more room he seems to
make for further floods OF energy.
MY goodness" she went on, touch |
Of awe in her voice, that man could sell !
anything to anybody. When he is talk
ing to his organization. they just sit |
around with wondering open mouthed |
expressions, while he pounds the table |
and jumps in the air. Whenever he |
starts to tell me a new idea In picture |
u
No. Douglas. I'm just going to sit here |
and be crltical-you'll just have to con-
vince me on 1t. not sell me on It,"
Mary delights TO tell OF one OF those |
whirlwind impromptu Jokes which Doug |
las is forever playing on persons and \
which make him own brother 10 a colt.
This happened to writer who was trav-
cling West with them on their
previous trip back to the volcano of pic
lures.
HE sat opposite 10 Douglas in the |
train" says Mary, talking to him with
enormous earnestness. suddenly the
train entered a tunnel but Mr.. Black
went on talking In the pitch darkness.
When they came out into the light he
discovered he was talking TO an empty
seat opposite. He looked all around--no
sight OF Douglas. Then he discovered
Douglas perched gieefuly up In one of
these baggage racks above his head.
Whenever start 20 tell him any
thing ! always hold on to him tightly /,
for fear he'll disappear before my eyes