New-York tribune., 1922-10-01
There's No Such
Word as Luck ,
Says Meighan
Declares That Hard Work
and Perseverance, Will
Get You A ny w here
By Harriette Underhill

4 couple Of days ago we took Iunch-
con with Tommy Meighan, and it was
she frss time we had seen him in a
year. 1t was the first time a lot Of
other people had seon him, too, and
they kept fiocking TO the table to talk
to him. Most Of them were strangers.
but that did not prevent them from
claiming Tommy as q friend Of long
standing. We did not blame them, but
ts wnp difficult for us. And then, Just
rs wa rat down to write this our teIe-
thcns xeng and masculine voice
,ssaid: sWhsn are you going to write "a
sstory ahout Tommy Meighau? ! want
..tA be- ssiz's aad not miss IL, for think
me II the gre asest actor in the world.
I'm ase young man, named Mufligan,
who can % your table and bothered
Sycu xor 30 ipsse yesterday, but, hon
estiy. : souidssst. help II. I've raes Per-
shing std Foeh aad Clemenceau and
never 9elt the gay felt yesterday
when saw Tsoan s4sigfsan Sitting Right
in the same soosa WITH ms. There's a
man for yorss
Yes" we answseea, AshsEs's man
but not for re. Hep saksns We iden-
tilted Mr.. Mnlligan .(if we have the
name right as handsome youth who
looked as Tommy must have looked q
few years ago, He Is the sort that
Robert W. Chambers and title writer's
describe as "tall, broad-shouldered
rangy, and clean -limbeds This was
signifcant--his raving over Tommy
Meighan--becauss Tommy had Just
been telling US that nearly all Of his
fan mail was from men. II hardly ever
get q mash note such as Wallie Reid
and Valentino get. Most cf my letters
are from men who like my work or
from women who want photographs.
There is one thing which I notice in
my mail, and ! suppose every star finds
the came thing. People are forever
writing TO me that, having failed or,
grown tired Of other means Of iiveli4
hood, they think they will take fling
at the movies. Just to-day received
istter from young man who said 4
have been lawyer for four years ard
want to get away from Chicago. I
thought Of going to the coast and maxi
ing a few pictures for q change. Will
you tell mo whom to SO to out there to
start right Can you beat It! But it
isn't only the layinan that has an idea
that it is a simple thing TO be screen
star. Actors are continually saying to
me. You can't complain, Meighan,
you've been lucky.' never saw any
thing. for it sounds so egotistical to
intimate that luck has had no part in
your good fortune. But ! do feel like
retorting, What do you mean--Iucky p
You know I've been an actor for
~
five years that I've been lucky Be-
fore that just dubbed along trying to
get somewhere. So il that's luck, what
are hard work and perseverance WAL
lie Reid. too, has had years of expert
snee and SO have Gloria Swanson and
Jack Holt, and. of course, Mary Pick.
ford has been an nctress all her life.
Luck has very LITTLE to do with 1t. IL
you have an average amount Of inteili-
gence and good looks, and are willing
to work hard xor from FIVE to twenty
years, you're almost bound to get some
where at last.7
Whom do you consider the best di-
rector in the world?" we asked, not be-
cause Yrs we're interviewing Mr.. Meig- |
han, but because we consider the d.
rector the mos. Important thing in any |
picture, and IL is difficult to keen away
from the subject.
,.WelI. the best director isn't in the
In this world, at any rate. |
He was George Loane Tucker, and he |
would ba alive now if he hadn't worked /
10 hard. He killed himself! Never a
moment away from his pictures; ali
lay IN the studio directing; aii night
residing scripts and planning his work
sor the next day. ] used to try 20 in
luce him to so to parties or the the
tier or dance, but his absolutely re-
used to do anything but work. You
NOW love good tine," said Tommy
vith enthusiasm. "That's why I'm SO
ond Of New York
"Do you like 1t better than Los An
.eies 2" f
We'll. I'm pretty glad to be here, 4