San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-08

Here, you all-too-human film stars,
move away from that two-column PIE
|torial hitching place which goes with
this daily feature. Make way Tor
ben. The space is reserved for him
Today. Four-footed Ben, who puts
real kick into film comedies and
|rho- cantered to celebrity by honest
horse-play, despite the fact that he's
1.-The dumbest actor in the business.
Ben ate a perfectly scandalous
crop of wild oats, acquired spavins
and other penalties of riotous living,
and was headed for the pound house
syer the hill in his old age. He was
IN almost perfect example OF what
sast living leads TO.
But Scott Sidney, director for
Christie Comedies, spoiled the exam
pie by elevating the old horse to
stardom in pictures and to such de-
lights as seldom fill the nose bag of
he righteous.
:. I'm spelling the continuity, how
iyer. Let's cut back.
Ben is the son of the famous race
iorse. Todd, who was sold few years
.go in Madison Square Garden for
10000. Unlike some human stars
Who acquire aristocratic lineage via
he publicity mans typewriter, Ben
bad. authentic pedigree. He was no
iS6ch on the track himself. having
lone an official mile in 217.
By degrees he fell from his high
Estate, gorged himself in forbidden
pastures, after the way of all flesh
in paths of ease, was sold and sold
again. and, ruined for the track,
Tound up in the harness of milk
helivery wagon in Hollywood.
This, of'course, is the place to weep.
The score calls, for strains from
rWhere Is My Wandering Boy To-
bight?" But already opportunity,
that is to say Director Sidney, was
reaching out to gIab Ben by the
forelock.
Sidney was up against it for a
|ugubrious horse to play an equine
lead in Christie's Forthcoming "Green
hs Grass" wherein the country boy,
bne Jimmie Adams, gets an old nag
who goes like the wind every time
someone opens an umbrella-and wins
the Pike County Derby.
The director happened to spot Ben
at just that moment, balkily refus-
ling the final indignity of yanking
the milk wagon up a hill to new
customer. He was doing his stuff
DO well that he was hired for life.
Now Ben is so successful a come
dian that he's. had to 60 on diet
F1e SHES at differences to his past,
preferring to Re interviewed only on
his art.
The art of being funny, he would
have you know, is cinch.
All you have to do is to balk when
you ought to step out; pull a long
face and kick at everything; sit down
when someone tries to ride you, and
neigh when you ought to aye. That
is to say, you simply have to act
human.
Summer not quite here, but
Reginald Barker will defy the chilly
winds and take a big company TO
the wilds of Canada TO "shoot"
scenes foI "The Law-Bringers.
keTexaib are going to get treat.
Le;M Bird will visit San Antonio,
Dallas Ind other Texas points and
speak Il connection with the show
ing Older latest, as Divorce Fail
|ure ~ Leah isn't telling her press
agent fhow she will answer the in
tersstig question.
Haze you a little wolf in your
|hometf "Billy" Reiter, property man
for Joseph Schenck, needs one for
Norma Talmadges new film, "Ashes
|of Vengeance. Send it to Billy by
parcel post.
Age will be served as well as youth
n the movies. For many years Theo-
lore Roberts has yielded the honor
bf his name in electric lights TO
lick haired heroes and frizzled-haired
lappers while the public has acclaim
ID him the actual star of many
pictures.
In Grumpy" Roberts has his first
legitimate opportunity to make the
picture all his own. And what a pic
ure he makes of it Grumpy, as
Roberts plays the role, is probably
be most clearly etched character
ne screen has ever seen.
Any of our foremost character
Etors could have made the figure Of
tie irascible old criminal lawyer an