Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-05-20
APRIL DAY


again. n will be as soon as I can get a
new leading woman"
An operator had the stuff right handy
in the projection room. IT think we've
got, a surprise for you, boss" suggested
Andy Moore, the director.
What is it2" demanded Ernest, as al
ways, eager and boyish.
You wait and see."
Ernest scanned every foot of the flm as
they reeled it of without finding any
thing to warrant any enthusiasm. On
the contrary, he was ~fearfully d~isappoint-
ed in the scenes which had been taken
J between himself n Miss Stanley. He
knew why they were SO bad. 1t was be-
cause he was SO s-elf-conscious, SO cog
infant of the fact that he was only a
clown, while she was the greatest emo
tional actress in the business. The mere
fact that he had tried so hard made him
more than usually wooden.
Then came the shot of himself riding
the mule. That was a little better. His
facial expression meant something there,
probably because he really had been I'M
certain was going to happen. And
where the mule threw him over his head
there was a good comedy climax. Ernest
had to smile at his own awkward fall. 1t
was good for a laugh with any audience.
A few days in the hospital was not too
high a price to pay for the roar that
would go up from several million Threats
all over the world when that particular
clumsy sprawl was flashed on the screen.
Ernest thought that was all. 1t was all
ne remembered, anyway. He was about
to get up and go out. But the projection
room stayed dark and the film ran on.
What was this?
A girl ran into the scene. a girl in
nurses's uniform. She lifted the head
of the unconsciou comedian from the
ground, held it in her lap, and began
/ Il AL - It- 4AIJ@. ~A- kaon j
the time registering extreme concern and
womanly pity.
h fool strip of film held you. You
felt that 1t was real amidst a mess Of
footage that was only hokum.
The girl was a pretty girl. h wore
her hair severely and she had no con-
scious charm devices, but her eyes were
marvellous and her expression was one OF
inefible sweetness. Her movements were
lovely, deft with unsteadied grace and
%sureness. And she had nice hands and
feet and ankles.
which the camera had caught n which
no one else had ever noticed. She ap-
lparently thought that n Ernest Ham
ilton was one Of the finest men that
I ever drew the breath Of life on this or
any other planet.
The lights came on.
What do you say. boss?' demanded
AN AASSbOA
I'm a darn good actor when I'm un-
conscious"
But what do you think of the girl?"
1.-THE girl is q wow"
IT though you'd say so. h do you
think of getting hold OF her and rewrit-
ing the story so we can use that one
scene and make her the lead all the way
through"
II believe it can be done. In the first
part where I first meet the peasant girl
she can Just as we'll be a nurse in the
Don't forget that / am here" Naomi
reminded him with just enough ice In
her tones SO that any married man and
a good many others would have put up
a counte barrage.
Pardon me-" Ernest had forgotten.
"Ill have you taken home. I'm going to
stay here with Andy n work u this
new sequence. George, will you hunt up
a studio car and
II came in my own car" said Naomi.
and then added as she swept away, and
80 did you"
"She acts as If she were sore," deduced
the famous comedian perplexedly. II
wonder why. Well. as I was saying, we'll
take out all the stuff about h peasant
BY dinner time they had it all thrashed
out.
And Ernest Hamilton's casting director
called up Naomi Stanley on the telephone
to find out the address Of her ex-nurse.
Naomi had been expecting that call. SO
she was all prepared.
II don't know her address, but 1t Just
happens that she t%elephoned me this very
morning and / have her number. She
said she was out on a case"
"The telephone number will do quite
as well, thank you"
She gave 1T to him. Ernest himself
called her up.
When he got her on the wire: Gould
you come around to the studio tomorrow
morning, Miss OyDea?"
She laughed. I'm sorry, but I cannot"
Ernest was not in the habit OF being
turned down like that. Still he was not
a bit egotistical. Then can I come
where you are?"
THAT can't be done, either. I'm ter
ribly sorry"
Ernest was slightly nettled. But his
voice did not show 1t. II wanted to offer
you a part in my new picture and
what's the matter? Are you there?
. She wasn't there for almost q minute.
Pardon me, did / hear you correctly"
she finally inquired, family.
III you heard hat I was Offering you
: q part-just a sort Of a tryout-in my
new picture, your hearing Is quite per-
feet. Did you hear that?"
Eyes. What is it? A clowns part?"
mo, tits a kind Of a leading lady. OF
course, in my pictures the woman part
isn't anything wonderful, but 1t would
give you a chance to break IN and"
u have to support my mother" Stella
suggested. ia have to have my regular
salary"
How much is that2"
Seven dollars a day and food"
A i right, I'll pay you that n enough
more 30 that you can find yourself. Re-
port at the studio in the morning"
But I can't do that. / told you I was
on a case"
Get released. This is more important.
1t costs me a thousand dollars a day to
hold up this picture"
"Oh, dearl"
"Why?"
This case is a scarlet fever case and
the entire household is ~quarantined for
three weeks. That's twenty-one thousand
dollars worth of time. SO, you see, Ill
have to thank you and"
wait a minute! How did you come to
get this case?"
Miss Stanley fixed it up for me. The
people here are friends OF hers. and she
told them about me. 1t was awfully
sweet Of her"
Ernest thought SO himself, especially
II she had lone 1t since afternoon.
1t was Just that little touch which
aroused hts stubbornness. Otherwise, he
probably would have given up the idea,
hired some well known professional to
play the part, and continued shooting.
As 1t was. the opposition only made air
the more eager to carry out his plan as
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