Evening star., 1924-02-07
from Yesterdays Starr
CHAPTER Nv.
Fascinating Fanny Ward.


* Zukor's office that evening,
OF which 1 had spoken pre-
viously, when Mary Pickford
was consulting him about the proper
recompense for her Endorsement OF
the cold cream, I was, of course, al
ready launched on my own adventures
with the stellar world.
Through my account of the diff
culties experienced by Mr.. Zukor and
Mary Pickford in arriving at a mutual
the reader my perhaps have gathered
that the intercourse between pro-
ducer and star is often clouded by
the individual viewpoint. story of
my own contacts will not weaken
that impression. In fact, before the
l had discovered that the need for
adjustment between these two SUI
preme functionaries OF the motion
picture world covers wide ground
! where salary represents only a linn
, tied space.
Among the first of the stars whom
engaged was Fanny Ward. 1t
was shortly after we made our
this widely known actress in the ele-
vator of the Hotel Claridge, New
York. Fanny was not in her first
youth. There was nothing, however,
except her birth certificate to indicate
this fact. If Ponce de Leon In his
Search for the fountain of youth had
seen her that day he surely would
have cried, ''Ho, man, We're getting
warmi'
I was so struck by that air of youth
full witchery which she has so often
conveyed on the screen that I ulti-
rnately asked her If she would not
make some pictures for US. Up to this
time her fame had been confined to the
speaking stage. But she was at once
enthusiastic about the opportunity
presented TO her, and in short time
we concluded arrangements for her
trip.
The vehicle which we selected for
her was The Marriage Of Kitty" But,
| alas and alack! The vehicle was un-
equipped with shock absorbers or
even ordinary springs. After some
very rough going in California. dur
|, ing which time Mr.. de Mile had eX-
pressed by wire his dissatisfaction
! with my newly found star, the picture
the picture was shipped Fanny her
self.
Almost Immediately / was appriSed
of the latter fact. Miss Ward phoned
you just now" announced my secre-
tary on an otherwise pleasant morn
ing. she wants you to call her I'M
| mediately."
That 1 did not heed this request was
due to a misplaced confidence on my
part in the healing quality of time.
When the actress finally succeeded in
seeing me. / found that time had done
no more for Fanny than 1t does for a
| tireless cooker. Instead of cooling, II
had merely conserved those inner
| fires.
1 had just ordered my dinner on
! that night when she consummated
my capture, and as I saw her bear
down upon my table l resigned myself
| to the inevitable. The inevitable was
! punctual you" cried she. slaring
up at me, what have you doneT"
1 was, however, given no time for
| this solicited autobiography. Instan-
| taneously the actress proceeded to
enlighten me upon the one predomi-
nant and vital activity of my career.
! You have disgraced me in the eyes
! of Hollywood and New York." she
| asserted: that's what you have done
| Did I ask to go into pictures? Not
! much! I had a big reputation on the
| stage, and then-you come along
You tell me what future I have in
pictures; you persuade me to leave
now here I am. disgraced, absolutely
made a laughing-stock-
| / took advantage of this, her first
pause. "There. there" murmured
| fully conscious of the limitations OF
my soothing technique, what's the
/
Natter" she storned. every
things the matter. Your photog.
| raphy's rotten-absolutely no good
And as for you director-say, haven,
! been on the stage some years
oughtn't I to know something abou,
! the game? And am I to be told whats
| what by Cecil de Miller" Et cetera
! Et cetera.
| The dinner cooled. Not so Fany. For
! fully half an hour the outraged staI
poured into my ears the tale Of her
| wrongs in that faraway studio. Only
my assurance that I would look at the
/, film, which had arrived simultaneous.
ly with her. succeeded In stemmine
! the f1oodgates.
! / did look at 1t, and my impression
| was much more favorable than / hao
| hoped. 1t seemed to me that she had
! screened we'll, and I wired to De
Mile and Lasky to ask a second op-
portunity for Fanny. When 1 com
muuicated this decision to Miss Ward
, she was so happy and SO grateful fol
my Intervention that I felt quite reck.
| less about any financial outcome.
| AS 1t happened. however, the LaskJ
company was not penalized for CIV
ing Fanny her second chance. The
| next play we assigned her was ''1'he
Cheat" This film did four things Its