The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-03
A GREAT DIRECTOR

GhEAI DIhEOlOh
 had been so interested in the yer bal battle between the girls in the dressing room that I was one of the last out of the door.
 To my astonishment when I reach ed the stage I found fashion show going on. Each girl was walking and twisting and turning with arms out stretched. before q faintly smiling, bald-headed man.
 50 this is Devore." I thought with awe.
 caught my breath as it came my turn to be inspected and sighed with relief as I finally left the presence Evidently there was nothing wroLg with my costume or my figure.
 When l turned by eyes to the set, I realized the master mind. It was exquisitely beautiful. if exotic and unreal. Imagination, poetical tenn perament, daring vision had all been brought to bear to produce something that the average person could not possibly live in without going stark staring mad.
 There was a faint hustle at the other end of the stage and l looked up to see two gloriously beautiful women coming in, each attended by a maid carrying a mirror and makeup box.
 bOIn naQ BOTBCOuS lbI CdptS thrown about them. And when one of the maids slipped the soft gray caracul from her mistress shoulders the woman stood revealed in a drap- ing of velvet which clung to her sim uous form and revealed every line of her beauty.
 On her black hair was a wondrou1 head dress made of carved and jew eled jade. It stood up from her fore ... n1 1 AAA the touch which made her as exotic as the room in which she was to act
 Beside her in contrast, was an other girl who, when divested of her cape of sables showed only a plain little shirt-waist and skirt suit. Her hair was very smoothly coited, and could not help but think that the maid looked better and trimmer than the mistress.
 I knew, of course. that she was a star for she contrived, even in her cheap ready-made costume, to nm press everyone with her impor lance.
 "Strange," said Jane, close to me- how these movie queens soon learn to ritz it., after they acquire maid and see their name hung up Tn tront of a theatre"
 "Don't be jealous. Jane" whisper ed Peggy, who was looking at potn stars with great admiration You would be the first one to put on o"s if you got a chance.
 Come on, Virgie. Let's finger near and find out how to act when we get there. Jane here doesn't need to learn" Peggy linked her arm Tn mine and I turned and said:
 How did you learn my nameE
 saw you with Jack Thompson. ] was on the set with you the other day You're a friend of Ri& sum mers. That makes you friend of mine. That girl is straight goods. Don't know just what she IS up to now. I know one thing though, ano that is if she is in it. it IS all right Of course, I'm no fool and so doni believe that bunk about her mother being i'll.
 By the way. has anyone seen Kit tie Dalton latelyT"
 The harmless tone ,sI the question made me intuitively understand that tbe oossin of the studios had linked up Gloria's absence with some story about Kitty Dalton. I determined to telephone Gloria that the only thing she could do was to come out in the open with the whole story.
 By this time the seven cameras were in place with seven camera men and seven assistants to the camera men ana seven dSSlsldHbs SC e'AS SSNep assistants to the~camera men--or so it seemed to me-were on hand.
 MT. DeVore and his corps or assist ant directors stood each at the camp chair marked with his name. The numerous assistants to the assistant directors were ranged alongside al strategic points.
 A regiment of electricians were busy with the kliegs and arc and sun arcs and baby arcs.
 The property man and his two as- sistants were running to and fro con sulting with the assistants to the assistant directors.
 Grips and stage carpenters, under the command of the art-director through his assistant, were hastily changing the tonc quality of scroll at the entrance or the staircase be- cause DeVore had intimated that per haps 1t might photograph too strong.
 The author of the continuity, fol- lowed by her two assistants, stepped up to speak to DeVore, who still was standing In a slouchy position with his hands thrust deep in the peculiar almost horizontal front pockets of his trousers.
 Even when answering the author of the continuity DeyorS did not lose his half blase. half bored smile.
 Curiously enough, hel reminded me of grandfather when he was trying to put Aunt Virginia and me in our places. It was the pose of "the mas. ter of all he surveyed"
 fConvwrf0hf Johu K Pilla s(aA