The Washington times., 1931-02-07

he answered: That's Just as
bad as the other one. RetibenS
is a fine old name; one that
anyone should be proud Of; q
name that no one can despoil.
II ought to be good enough for
you"
I was so touched with this
epistle that I showed it to
Griffith. He read the letter
through, and thought before
commenting:
TITS a beautiful thought, but
I think your old man Is all
wet. Your name is hard to
spell and it ought to be
changed if you expect to get
anywhere in the movies"
After considerable argument,
friendly, Of course, Griffith,
ever the most democratic fel.
low in the world, agreed with
me, the poor extra, that my
real name might do if I would
cut out the letter "e" in the
first syllable.
So, for the purposes of the
screen, I became Alma RubenS,
and have stuck to it ever since.
BY some freak of fate, in my
next picture for Griffith, THE
Half Breed" I was chosen for
the lead, opposite Fairbanks.
The first scenes were to be
shot at Redwood. Allan Dwan
was the director and there
were IS in the company besides
Doug and myself. The camera
man was Victor Fleming, and
it was in this picture that
Winifred Westover, who later
married and divorced Bill Hart,
crept into prominence.
Never shall I forget this, my
first trip over night on loca-
tion. The company was quar-
tered in a queer little mountain
shack resort in the widest
country I ever saw. No sooner
had dusk settled down over US
than the coyotes-I thought
they were timber wolveS-began
their Internal yapping, which
they kept up until dawn.
The Half Breed" was Fine
Arts last picture. The company
went broke the day after my
parents-whom I had sent for
on the strength of my contract
arrived in Los Angeles. I had
rented a furnished flat for
them on Seventh Avenue, and
We had quite a celebration in
honor of the event.
Ill at Ease
When learned that Fine
Arts was going out of business,
I was frantic. I had used my
last cent in getting my parents
settled. And they had used
their last penny in making the
long trip from San Francisco.
dreaded the ordeal Of tell.
ing my mother. I dawdled away
as much time as could, simply
to postpone meeting her. I
never was any good as a liar,
and even If I failed to tell her,
I knew she'd find out anyhow.
Then I got one Of the great
est-and sweetest-surpr1Ses Of
my life. My mother met me at
the door. She was waving a
telegram.
It was from Thomas Ince,
then head of Triangle, with
their studio in Inceville. He
wanted to know if I would
play in Truthful Tulliver,"
with William 8. Hart.
Would I? It was mama from
heaven. And I lost no time in
sending him word that ] would
be there first thing in the morn
ing.
It was during the filming Of
this picture that Hart met Wini-
fred WeStover, whom he subse-
quently married. She had a
small part, and at the begin
ming he high-hatted her some
thing terribly.
darC complmenCeO me on GLle
work I had done in the Half
Breed" with Fairbanks, and ex-
planned to me what 1 would
have to do in his picture. I
listened intently and assured
him that I could carry out the
role.
Then we went on location.
I made two more pictures for
1nce in which Hart played the
leads.
It was during the filming of
the last of these that I met
Franklyn Farnum, who became
the first of my three husbands;
a marriage destined to last but
a Scant "a hours.
(TO Be Continued Monday