The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-07-28
By GEORGE II. BEALE
United Press St-f Correspondent

frrrrrrsHH 1888. OH NA.teG EEeeet
HOLLYWOOD. July "a. II Marie
DRESSER started her professional ca
reer a. The age Of 4 and az a sal
AIRY % 50 a week
A. S.. when she was forced 10 a
sick bed from which physicians fear
She never viii arise. she drew $4,000
weekly.
Between the SO and the $4,000
was a most amazing pOor-to-rches
story
BEGINNING as a general utilities
woman Iu a travelling stock troup
She worked her way ~ the top Of
tho American stage. Then her for
frra --lrrcd and for nine years she
could got no work. She was prac-
rra.v destitute when she made her
Grst hJln talking motion pictures.
AS She reached her present age, %,
sha became the best box oihce al
traction in al Hollywood
when Leila K0erber, the Can
a6,an-born daughter OF a retired
German army officer and reilneo
ENGLISH woman. earned her first 50
She thought She was rich.
Her father taught music, but the
vanderlust in his makeup kept nm
moving from one city 70 another De
fore profitable chenteles could D
set up
So. from her first weeks earhlIsS'
the Young girl-now travelling unoel
tho name Of Marie DRESSER, Whlch
ene borrowed from an aunt-sent -
To her mother.
ALWAYS Helped Mother
Ever after she was able 10 heip
rer mother in a financial way ana
Tho comedienne always was happy
fbar she could enable her mother
to mass her last days In luxury.
Between the lack Of funds and the
constant changing Of homeSiteS
Marie never went to school IN
stead she was tutOred by heI
mother. when Marie left home a
IA She promised her mother 10 Iedo
a GOOD newspaper every DAY
NV whole education since /
wont on the stage" she related IN
after wears. has been gained
through newspapers and through
studying people
The Young actress toured for sew
oral wears through Canada ana me
r-rited states. She lived In the
rbcapcst lodging houses. Her purse
6cnied her every luxury. Graouai-
H. however. she worked her way up
Producers began 10 realize that she
had possibilities OF gIea1
coincidence. She still was IN heI
earrv twentics when she was first
featured in a New York muSlcai
show.
Appears in One-Reeler
Then followed series Of sue
cesses with Lillian Russell. WeoeI
and Fields and by herself. Perhaps
tho greatest was TITLES Night
mare which played two years IN
New York and three more on the
road. II was in this production tha1
She sang the famous song heaven
VIII Protect the Working Girl
shortly after IT concluded It's run
She was persuaded by Mack SEN
nett To make 4 one-reel motion PIC
ture The film was entitled "Illlle S
Punctured Romance supporting
her we're two unknOwnS AZ that time
charlie Chaplin and Mabel Nor
mand. both OF whom were 10 so 70
the TOP of the screen ladder
She did not take screen work Sc
riouslv and few people did at that
early date. so she returned 10 inc
stage. 80
During the World war she did
heroic work in Liberty bond drives
once It was over. however, her posi-
ton became precarlouS-
The postwar period demanded
cirlv-cirIy shows and good-looAln-
vounr women There was no place
for the elderly homely comeolenne.
Popularity Returns
There came a period when Tor
nine wears she could set no WORK.
She was practically destitute. FIN
ally. she got a bit in pictures ana
then 10 her fell the part Of Marthy
In Anna Christie" She handed
Nlarthv So well that she stole the
show from Greta Carlo.
Miss DreSsler now shot again 10
stardom and a high salary she
was i'm demand ~ all studios. For
her acting in Min and Bill she
was given the award Of the Academy
Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
for the best performance of the year
by an actress.
DreSSler was made again. Every
picture in which she appeared was
assured Of success She became
more and more popular. both with
her fans and with those with whom