Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-03
THE MOVIE FANS LETTERBOX
BY HENRY NJ. NEELY

Betty Blythe. who is In Philadelphia
our little letter box family. She writes !:
'The fact that / am appearing in
your delightful city with my new pic.
ture enabled mo to SEQ the inclOscd
paper and also the article under your
name. / beg to correct the statement
therein made to my little admirer and
trust you will take no Offcnse by my
, SO doing.
"A woman's age you know Is her
neutrality-suspicious. one before the
public. and is it any wonder that my
sense of humor and sense of justice are
somewhat intiamed!
IF the public must know my age
please give it to them correctly because
when eventually attain some ap-
preciable artistic success in tn" future
| they will all think me not n day under
ninety. That success ] hope will be
both on tho screen and stage. although
the latter is my ultimate goal. These
ca reers. as you know. must develop
! slowly through time and heroic effort.
and therefore please let me be as young
as | am when that goal is eventually
attained.
II am twenty five years old and not
twenty nine. a> you state. If you don
believe me do call upon me and sec II
I have all my teeth and hearing and my
childish laughter.
Thank you very much. indeed. for
your interest in my behalf. and mas
much as you have printed news OF me
at all prompts me to extend to you my
gratitude and my exceeding good wishes
for YOUR continued success until you
arc twenty mine and twenty times
twenty nine for ever and Amen.
(And that's what | calls very nice
| specially the invitation to call. m
mighty sorry that | misstated Miss
Hlythe's age. but it wasn't my fault.
The birth date. 1893. is distinctly given
in the Motion-Picture Studio directory
and that's where | got it. But I've
taken my trusty fountain pen and COR
rected it,
, "Juanita D." writcs-"I am sorry
you don't have quite such high opin-
| ion of Tommy Meighan as ! do. 1t is
! true that he has been blessed with
awful pictures here of late. but | am
sure that it was Mildred Harris who
spoiled a Prince There Was Her
acting lacks animation.
Some one writes that Agnes Ayrcs
is poser. I'll say she is In The
Shcik she did little or no acting. As
you said. she is an attractive woman on
and off the screen. but. to use your
expression. her acting is 'b'ooi".'
II have tried TO class Betty Comp
son as one of my favoritcs, but without
success. although must give her
credit for her acting in The Little
Minister and 'Thc Miracle Man She
almost nut one theatre out of business
when she played in Ladies Must Live.
Yc gods. that was some picture. There
Is something distant about her That
dislike. Somehow or other she seems
TO be rival to May MacAvoy. think
NAV is about as charming a little ac.
trcsS as there is on the screen. and
think she is just as good as Betty
Compson both in looks and acting.
am patiently waiting for her to come
out in new picture. but l guess ! car
wait. Everywhere | look ! ser where
Betty G.. is coming out in some new
nict,ire. Why not give some other ac.
. tress a chance with some good pictures
instead of Betty all the time! She will
wear her welcome out with the public
II she doesn't watch out. ] suppose
Won are angry because ! have knocked
your favorite, but | just feel like fight
ing today
lNot bit angry. II ] went through
day without having somebody knOcl
my opinions I'd feel as though were
losing my grip on life.
While I'll admit that Betty'S rcpu,
tation would soon be ruined with a few
more things like Ladies' Must Live,
refuse to admit that there's the slight
est danger of the public firing of he
il the producers will give her half
chance. | don't see that she Is II riva
i of May McAvoy. May is very cleve
and fascinating little actress, but sh
! is best suited to roles quite differen
! from those in which Betty shines.
4 would almost say that Mays field /
j restricted, and don't think Betty
is. think Betty can play any kin
! of part.
"a Prince There Was was such
Z very ordinary material that 1t didn'
] require Mildred Harris to spoil it. Bu
I she wasn't very good, was she!
j I'm sorry that l almost have to agre