Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-19
Continued from Yesterdays Starr
CHAPTER XIV.
Doug and Mary.

I may say that I have never had the
same opportunity to observe him pro.
fessionally as that which favored me
in the case Of his famous wife. 1t Is
natural. therefore. that I should think
of him first as the adoring husband
That he is very deeply In love with
Mary no one who sees them together
can doubt for an instant. Not by any
means a self-effacing person. he is
nevertheless always trying to turn
the spotlight upon her and her
achievements. or the latter he Is In
ordinately proud. 1t seems to me. In
fact. that he is almost as much In
love with Mary's pictures as he is
with Mary herself.
I recall that once I attempted to
talk to him about a certain picture
of his. You were splendid in that
scene," I began.
Glad you liked it," he interposed
politely but carelessly. And then
a really significant subject, he asked
Have you seen Mary's new picture
YETI"
1 shook my head.
He looked at me almost reproach-
fully. "Oh. it's great-best thing
she's ever done"
Feebly 1 tried to turn back the
conversation into its original chan
mel. You certainly were great in
that scene with the"
"Oh, yes. but Mary" he interrupted
again; my. how that girl does know
how! She has the sure instinct"
- I'D fv,cv DC
wife's superior talents. Fairbanks is
as consistently uplifted as wall
motto. He is no less sensible of those
attributes of hers which arc not d.
rectly connected with the screen.
Mary has so much common sense
hasn't She? friends of the celebrate ed
pair have heard Doug say this time
and again.
AS to Mary. have already stated
my certainty that Douglas Fairbanks
life. To see her with him is to see
Mary at her best. She never calls
him "Dous"-indeed, l have an idea
she doesn't much like to hear his
name thus shorn by other people
and somehow into her utterance OF
how casual the speech. the way she
really feels about him.
Mary Pickford. according to her
most intimate. friends, fell In love
with Douglas Fairbanks the first
time she saw him--fell in love in
terms in which she had never known
1t. AS years have gone by this first
mad infatuation has been directed by
real understanding, by the closeness
of their professional interests-mosi
part for the care with which he SO
constantly surrounds her.
Only last October. when Douglas
and Mary came on to New York for
the openings of their latest pictures,
had dinner with the two.
Mary" said 1 when for a moment
Fairbanks left US together, you re
looking wonderful. 1t seems to me
you are ten years younger than when
I last saw you. :,
yes" replied she. land It's all due
to Douglas. He's as wonderful Il
always, his first thought is of me,
and YOU know what that means TO
me-
| did know. Remembered the gall
liant battling little figure OF Famous
Players days, of how she had always
protected others-her mother and her
family-and was touched by the
thought that now this great gift OF
protecting love was hers.
When I first met Mary she was
married to owen Moore. Regarding
this marriage. Mack Sonnet has told
me an interesting story.
MARY and Moore were working to-
gether in the Biograph when Crit,
nth and I were there" said he, and
I don't think they ever once thought
of each other in any sentimental
light-not until the rest of Us put 1t
into their heads. But you see it was
looking girl and he was such sweet
looking girl mad he was such sweet
looking boy-Owen Moore used to
make you think of kid whose
mother had scrubbed his face and
brushed his hair and got him all
tidy for school-well, altogether they
seemed to the rest of US so exactly
suited that we got to teasing them
about each other wed go up to
owen get more friendly?' and then
we'd go after Moore in the same way
about her"
It will be seen from this that
Mary's first marriage was not a case
resents zonly a girl and boy fancy.
and that stimulated much after the
fashion that brought Shakespeare S
Beatrice and Benedict together.
One thing which always impressed
me about this phase Of Mary's life
was that, no matter what the differ
ences which severed Owen and her
she always spoke of him with great
kindness and affection. With him 1t
was the same. I never heard Owen
Moore say anything Of his former
wife which was not admiring.
AS to their differences, 1 have heard
people say sometimes that all would
have been we'll had it not been for
Mrs. Pickford's determined efforts to
keep them apart. Even though this
original assumption were true; l &C.
even ascribe the break to certain
temperamental defects of Moore's. To
me il Is explained by Sennetts story
showing, as it does, that the match
came through the prompting OF 9TH
ers rather than through any lrfeslSt-
ible attraction.
Undoubtedly Mary's romance with
Doug has been sustained by their SOL
idarity of interest. He Is as much
Immersed in pictures as she is. He
has also the same capacity Tor hard
remark that when Doug and Mary got
back from their famous visit to Eu-
rope he walked around the Fairbanks
lot looking as happy as an american
boy who has got back to baseoall
after a trying experience with musty
churches and tnterminaole art sai-
Nothing like system-a regularized
life" he conflded at intervals to
those about him.
Socially Fairbanks is just as full OF
dash as he is on the screen. He Is
a deughtful mimic He talks well
and he talks with great emphasis
Frequently he losses off a phrase dis
tinguished for verbal nicely or real
wit. For 1t must be remembered that
Douglas Fairbanks brings to his pro-
fession a much greater educational
and cultural equipment than the
average screen performer.
Doug likes to surprise by his re-
marks, Occasionally when listening
to him I have had the feeling that
he was opening one Of those paper
favors-first the snap as he tears II
apart and then the whimsical paper
1--WE must leave more plumber here
Merne," said he. I'VE can't get into