The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-09-03

movie literature tho child as such
docs not exist Girl children are
often called for IN the first few
hundred feet OF Aim, TO be sure,
but only as a necessary prelude 10
their budding out into delicious
young objects of romance whom
tho hero can clasp TO his heart Just
before tho final fadoout. And these
childish appearances are invariably
played by the ingenues themselves
II is only a case for ringlets and
pinafore.
So Ma, with her strinRy young
progeny tasted tho bitterness of
extra work dragging about from
ono studio lot to another on tho
chance OF their needing n ragamuf.
fin boy or a fat old woman to mako
one of a crowd. 4
But the girl went on growing,
not only lineally. As her muscles
began TO overtako her bones sha
developed into flrstclass tomhoy;
sho learned TO swim, to ride, 20
throw cartwheels. She was com
pletely fearless, and she was pre-
ternaturaliy quick both TO uppre-
hend and to do; so almost before
Ma Swan had time 10 foresee Il
and plan her actions accordingly,
she found herself IN possession
again OF n personality, affection
ntely known TO directors as "the
Kid"
Those we're tho great days OF
what arc known as westerns"
drama replete with chaps. revolv-
ers. lariats, greasers and cattle
rustlers. reckless young bandits
whose cruelty and cynicism melt
away at sweet young girls caress
and reveal the heart OF gold be-
meath.
When II came TO being abducted,
gagged and bound across n horae.
after wildcat fight with the
"heavy." fiinging herself OF the
horse, rolling down canyon,
writhing out OF her bonds, stealing
another horse, sliding down a preci-
pice, swimming n river, tearing off
her rod shirt 20 fias train and
bringing UP help In the nick OF
time to prevent the hero from being
hanged by mistake. there was SIM
ply no ono In IT., back In those days,
with the Kid. She kept her hair
permanently bohbed and played
either sex with equal ease.
But during all that period, while
the world was getting 30 convinc-
ing presentment of the unguarded
child Of nature, running wild among
the mining camps and ranges OF
tho West. there was no location too
distant, no road too rough for Ma
TO so along too. In every pause
for breath between the dancehall
orgies, pursuits, lynchings. hair
breadth escapes, leaps for life and
so on, Ma was ready to spring TO
her post as sentry with a big cloak
to keep off the chill, bottle of
milk. and a basilisk eye for the
transhxatIon OF Il trespasser.
And then. Just as tho Kids easy
supremacy IN this field was bud
ding out and getting ready TO flower
into tame. Ma swan put down her
immoyable foot upon 1t. She said,
riding back to town from the loca,
tion whore The girl had just iin-
ished her part In picture by jump
ing off fifteenfoot bank into an
automobile passing in the road be-
low, That's the last Western lead
we're going to play"
And II was 80. Directors ragged.
made glittering promises, but they
imagined vain thing. Tho Kid
ceased TO exist like the fame of q
blown.out candle. The Princess
was to take her place.
Ma was right about II, OF course.
Tho star In any Western film must
always be n man. Then, Ma sur.
missed, on all the rough stun, and
the stunt drama generally, the sun
of public favor, though still warm,
was beginning TO shine aslant; It
was not going to last forever. The
trail, the sbanty, the cow-pony and
the long blue-barreled Colt were
already giving way to the boule-
ward, the limousine. the Long ISL
md country house, French frocks,
Palm Beach, the venomous little
pearlhandled revolver snatched
from a sable muff; In a word. TO
class. Well, Glass was going to be
her girls first name.
II Is quite possible that that last
jump Off tho tifteen-foot bank into
q moving car and It was a real
jump; there was no fake about itl
had lot TO do with Mas deci-
sion 1t was n hair-raising thing
10 watch, for ie It had been timed
o little less than perfectly IT. could
have produced a bad smash; q
broken ankle, for example, which,
falling TO knit quite true, might be
in a slight limp. And
thon where would one be1 One
could not 20 on taking chances like
that forever And when II was a
possibly priceless possession like
the Princess, tho chances had been
taken quite long enough. There
had been out there on the roadside
b few sweating seconds when Ma
had wondered whether she had not
taken ono chance too many.
have spoken of the girls extra
quickuess. She exhibited
Il now. for she put on the new thing
like a cloak II was In her very
first picture after that that her