Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-05-21
CLOSE-UPS
Screen Folk and What They Are
Doing at Home and at the Studio
Beggar in Movie Scene Looked $50
Pathetic" That Passersby Insist on
GIVING Him Aims

New York may have a. reputation
for being a cold, heartless city, but 1t
has it's generous moments-moments
of curious, unreasoning generosity.
On a recent Sunday morning Her
bert Brenon, Percy Marmont, Mary
Brian and John Harrington were
driven down Fifth Avenue in an ex-
pensive automobile. Following them
was a light truck in which a camera
was concealed. for they didn't want
to draw a crowd The car and truck
parked on the west side of the avenue
diagonally opposite st. Patrick's
Cathedral. Services were still in pro-
gress.
Mr., Brenon, Mr.. Marmont and Miss
Brian were dressed nattily, like the
other Sunday morning strollerS, and
attracted practically no attention as
they rehearsed scene near the
cathedral. Mr.. Harrington, however.
was attired like a beggar. His hat
looked as though it had been run
over by few trucks. The suit
wouldn't have brought twenty cents
in a Salvation Army store. He had
sign hanging on his neck: Il am
Blind
Brenon can't explain - Harrington
was sitting in.the seat of an automo-
bile. A chauffeur was on the front
seat. In spite of this sympathetic
persons dropped coins into Harring-
toms can. In less than ten minutes
he received three contributions to-
falling twepty-seven cents.
In the mean time the camera truck
no haou y,,nUa6 m tho nfhar side IF
the avenue and Harrington was sta
toned on the corner near the cathe-
draL Mr.. Marmont and Miss Brian
were to walk down the avenue and
drop a coin or two in Harrington's
tin can and proceed.
Harrington had badly taken his
place when an elderly, well dressed
woman walked toward him and
dropped a coin. One of Director
Brenon's assistants tried to intercept
her. She looked at him coldly, made
a cutting remark about heartless de-
tectives and proceeded.
BY this time Mr.. Brenon was in
sistent that no further money should
be received. He ordered his aides to
prevent contributions, as he didn't
want to appear to have taken advan-
tage of anyone's generous impulses.
The scene was hurried, but before
Mr.. Marmont and Miss Brian could
get near Harrington two more women
had tried to put money in the can.
The assistant director, Lynn
Shores, held his arm out to prevent
one of the contributions He received
a sharp reprimand from the strang-
err. He explained the scene was for
a motion picture and the woman ex-
claimed:
isn't that too bad: he looks so
pathetic!"
BY this time Harrington was be-
coming embarrassed and Director
Brenon was afraid a crowd would
gather If a beggar refused any fur
Their aims, so the scene was complet-
ed with passersby dropping coins at
will. In the few moments that this
took, sixty-eight cents was collected,
making total Of ninety-five.
When Mr.. Brenon started filming
1.-The Street of Forgotten Men" for
Paramount he called for advice from
some city officials and was told most
beggars were fakirs and that most of
them also made large sums daily.
This apparently proves these state
ments, Mr.. Brenon points out be-
cause the whole episode lasted less
than fifteen minutes at an hour in the
morning when pedestrians were few
in number.