Evening star., 1924-02-05
noed from Yesterdays STAY
CHAPTER III.
Morv pickfnrl

1 II was some months after L nrst
met our competitor that I receiv-
ed my first impression OF the
most noted screen actress In
America. AS / walked into Mr.. Zu-
kors office one evening l noticed a
girl talking to him. She was very
! small and her simple little navy suit
Contrasted with the jungle OF fur
,woman.
They've offered me five hundred
for the use of my name" 1 heard her
say, but do you really think that's
enough? After all, it means a lot to
those cold-cream M. people"
Hooked at the lovely profile, where
every feature rhymes with every
other feature. l listened to the love-
ly light voice. And I was struck by
the disparity between sentiment and
equipment.
Yet somehow she did invest these
lWords Of mere commerce with quail
tty quite apart from their substance.
There was something in her tone,
something in the big brown eyes.
which made you think OF child ask
ing whether 1t ought to give up It's
stick of candy for one marble or
whether perhaps it could get two. As
I saw her slight figure go out the
door 1t was the appeal of her man
ner rather than the text OF her ques-
tion which made me ask Immediately
who she was.
what" MI luxor exclaimed.
"Dfdn't you recognize her? Why, that
was Mary Pickford."
That was just about eight years
ago. Miss Pickford was already
star and she was twinkling under the
auspices Of Adolph Zukor; for. early
in his career of producing, our com
petitor had been fortunate enough to
secure the services of that great pan
tomime artist. who has undouptedly
contributed more than any other sim
gle person to his present emtnence.
Mr.. Zukor made Miss Pickford a
star. This is a mere formal state
Slent of the case. In reality she made
Jong resisted any one possessing such
standards OF Workmanship. am
aware that here I sound suspiciousiy
like the press agent, who invariably
endows his client with "a passionate
devotion to her work" 1t Is unfortu-
nate. indeed. that the zeal of this
functionary has calloused public con-
seriousness to instances where the
statement is based on fact. All
screen stars are not animated by de-
H'o it she has sacrificed pleasures, per-
eonal contacts, all sorts of extraneous
Interests.
Several years before I walked into
the theaterSwhich inspired me with
my idea, Mary Pickford was working
under Mr.. Griffith in the Biograph
Company, which, you will remember.
was a unit in the trust. Then she
was not a star. She was getting $25
a week, and the most vivid reflection
Of those early days of hers is afforded
by woman who used to work with
her
How we'll I remember her" this
woman has told me. ''as she sat there
She nearly always wore a plain little
blue dress with a secondhand piece
Of fur about her throat"
Not long ago ] asked Mr.. Griffith
idea in those days that Mary Pickford
was destined for such a colossal sue
cess?" His answer was a decided
You understand. OF course" he i'm
spiediateiy. qualified. my mind was al
However can say this: 1t was due
to me that Miss Pickford was retain
ed at all. for the management did not
care for hor especially. To speak
plainly, they thought she was too
L gasped at the impiety Of the word.
~ was some time before could rally
TO ask him another question: Then,
was there anything that set her apart
St that times e
Work." he retorted promptly. Il
soon began to notice that instead Of
running of as soon as her set was
over, she'd stay to watch the others
ing and looking. She was determined
to learn everything she could about
the business"
While considering these remarks Of
~,
greatest screen actress, it is interest
Ing to parallel them with Miss Pick
ford's comments upon Mr.. Griffith.
One evening not long ago I was en-
dinner including Charlie Chaplin and
Mr.. Griffith. After the meal was
served Doug took Mr.. Griffith out to
see his swimming pool. Mary and
were left alone. and, as we looked
after the tall. bent figure of the d.
rector. took advantage of our soli--
tude to ask her a question which had
often occurred to me. Mary" ask
ed her. how did you ever come to
break away from Griffith
WELL" she answered. promptly, ut
was this way: I felt that I was get
ting to be a machine under Mr.. Crit
fifth. I got to be like an automatic
doll. If he told me to In move my LEFT
'L.ook up did that just as unques-
tioningly. So, I made UP my mind
TO see If could really do anything
by myself"
I doubt IL Mr.. Zukor himself real
tied at first the tremendous potential
ity of Mary Pickford. It was some
months. indeed. before the Famous
Players starred her. and Mr.. Zukor
has often told me how during that
, probationary time she used to say to
him, "Oh, Mr.. Zukor. IL / could only
see any name in. electric lights I'd be
the happk0St- -Etrl Iinithe wOrldy,
When the great moment to which
She had so long and so eagerly looked
forward finally did come. the scenario
@Eitsr Of Mary Pickford's own life