Evening star., 1922-12-17
sH0,u / Went
Int0the MOvies'
~ TURNED to the movies in the

~ TURNED to the movies in the
spring of 1912" says Charles
Ray. the noted screen star. after the
fashion of one who, spurned by the
girl he truly loves, marries another
| for spite. I had endeavored long
and artfully to WOO resplendent
stage career. but the most l had
achieved was a series of travelling
f, $ ock k engagements - interspersed
| with musical comedy and third-rate
ivaudeville-rare experience. by the
way.
The difficulties and reverses ! suf-
fered before the footlights had fairly
convinced my father that l had the
makings of a good bookkeeper. He
! had long suspected that my dreams
We're pitched higher than my talents,
; had felt that mine was the mooniness
of stage-struck youth. SO it was with
considerable trepidation that l faced
the imminent failure of vaudeville
! turn | was induiging in with Chester
! Conklin--he of the broad. paint brush
mustachios and the neglige trousers.
! For like the conJectured master OF
! the Raven in Poe's masterpiece, the
! burden of my experiences had been
; those of one whom unmerciful dis
aster. followed fast, and followed
I faster. =
'Then one day l met Henry Spear.
! of the Belasco stock company of Los
Angeles. In the course of conversa-
| tion-three or four other actors We're
! preSent-Spear remarked upon how a
! good many stage performers were be-
| ing lured by the siren cinema, due
to such considerations as three-fgure
salaries and daylight work.
None of us enthused much over
! the movies: absurd asst may seem.
! considering our economic status and
our hollow achievements, we all pos
SeSSed artistic ideals However, |
| decided that if | could get Il job at
J some studio I'd save up enough money
! to return to the stage. with perhaps
! Il company of my own.
"AS | had suffered rather keenly
from remarks concerning my pain
fully youthful appearance. and as
| Harry Spear seemed to think that my
! boyish physiognomy would handicap p
me. | decided to trick destiny into Il
| favorable mood by garbing myself
would have proven fitting for a mem
Der of the Octogenarian Society.
| Then T. bought a large and fierce
! looking black cigar. which | smoked
, at most savage angle. Thus groom
| ed for the ordeal / started for the
Thomas II. Incc studio. l might have
passed for a professor of dead Ian
guages, an art critic, or Il retired
street car conductor.
| MIR. Iuce himself was directing at
! the time. | applied to him for work
| and was assigned to the part of II
/ soldier in the Northern army. 1t was
Il civil war picture. Later. the same
day, l put on beard and gray
uniform and went over to the Con-
federateS.
This being my first engagement. I
became hopelessly befuddled. CLOUDS
! of dust We're raised which further oh
scurcd everything and added to my
| embarrassment. heard myself
roundly abused by n voice from no.
! where in particular. l blushcd. lost
| all control of my limbs, and found
myself isolated from the rest of the
army-riGht in front of the camera,
! The following day Mr.. Ince invited
several of us to See these scenes run
off. l paled with terror. and when /
saw myself. a forlorn, abject-lookinG
! specimen wandering about in the
I, foreground. l prayed that | could get
! away from the projection room with
! out having, to face Mr.. Ince. Then.
! in the darkness. / heard-above the
/ clicking of the projection machine
! the voice Of Thomas II. Ince. In an
other moment ! was transported to
! the seventh heaven and his voice
seemed that of an angel. for he was
! saying. clearly and distinctly: That
boy has something in him. That was
| Il clever and natural bit of acting.
| "Soon after that I was given a role
| in The Favorite Son in which Grace
| Cunard played the lead and Fran
| els Ford directed. l was so nervous
! during the time that picture was
being filmed that 1 hadn't the cour-
tage to see it pre- viewed. Some
months after I saw it at an obscure
! little movie theater in Los Angeles
! and came away sick and thoroughly
| disheartened.
/ Then l decided to state my case to
/ Mr. Ince. ! told him that If he would
only keep me on for another six
weeks or so / could save up enough
money to make a fresh start on the
stage. Then came the surprise. He
! said:
! II believe there is Il great future
] before YOU, my boy, on the screen.
and 1 hope YOU will stay with us for
! a long time.
! These words Of encouragement
We're too much for me. My eyes be-
+; came blurred with tears. His office
/ was on the main floor and l had to
90 upstairs for pay check. AS |
started upstairs. my eyes tear-dim-
| med and a big lump in my throat, l
awkwardly stumbled.
{ MIR. Ince came out to see what had
made the noise. Seeing me pick my
self up. he patted mo on the shoulder
and said. with a big sympathetic
! smile: Remember, it's good omen
! when a fellow falls upstairs"