The Washington times., 1936-02-12

9~eS@S
squeaked: "YOur performance
is superb, young fellow, but
those socks Of yours viii ruin
my play" I was wearing . pair
Of violent socks, red and white
striped, the kind the English
schOOlbOys used to wear. I'll
never forget Bennett. He
wasn't much to look, at GER
tainly no beauty. His nous
tache stuck straight out and
he had very little chin. But
that made no difference. /
saw him as the writer Of "Old
Wives Tale" and would have
given my life to have changed
places with him.
I was to meet Bennett again
a few years later and I was to
work with another idol, Milne.
Milne was very good to me when
was in "Mr. PIN Passes BY" I
wasn't the star of it. Rene Van
borough was and Boucicault
played PIN. But it was a film
venture that brought me into
closer contact with Milne. That
was in the winter of 1919. de-
cided to be an English film mag
nate, although I had no money
at all. went to Bennett with
my scheme and he laughed at
me. whats the idea of all this
nonsense?" he asked. I told him
that films should be owned by
the people who made them and
that I wanted him to be on my
board of directors. He could help
write the pictures and share in
the profits. It was a good idea
and still believe in it. But
Bennett would have none Of it.
Milne would. I put him on the
board. Aubrey Smith and Nigel
Playfair were also on the board,
We called it the Minerva Film
Company.
We made six two-reelers and
they were pretty good. One was
called 1.-THE Bump and Audrey
Smith was the star. 1t was a
funny picture. We had no money
and we made it, and all the
others. in alleys and streets.
But, after the pictures were
finished, we found we had made
q mistake. British theaterS paid
for films by the foot, and ours
were only twO-reelerS, so we got
little or nothing for them.
It was in New York that met
my first film star. There was a
glamour about pictures for me. I
was supporting Katharine Cornell
in "The Green Hat" and was
quite we'll known in New York.
One night, when the run Of
"The Green Hat" was well on
its way, Miss Cornell told me
there was a motion picture ac-
tresS in the theater. "She'S
coming back stage after the
show" Miss Cornell said. "Her
name is Norma Shearer." 1
asked If she minded If I stayed
around and had a look at this E.
woman from another, more en-
trancing world, and she said she
didn't. / was in Miss COrnell's
dressing room when Miss
Shearer, a vision Of IOveliness,
came in. and I sat and stared
at her.
If the screen had remained ST.
lent would have remained on
the stage. When it gave voice the
producers began looking to the
stage for talent. Before that they
had ignored us. No scouts caught
the good plays in those days. In
1927 I was in outward Bound"
and Warner Brothers offered me
contract. I thought it was folly
and talked it over with Gilbert
Miller. He said I might as well
have a try at it and drew up my
contract for me-a six months
straight ticket which gave me the
right to choose my story. chose
"Outward Bound" and when the
six months were up Mr.. zanuck
would have no more Of me. so I
went back to the stage.
I was in Chicago when a call
come from Metro -Goldwyn-M Mayer
offering me another contract. I
jumped at it forgot all the good
advice Miller had given meek
cept one thing, and that was to
make it only for six months. And
when I reached Culver City and
they handed me a script and told
me I was to be in that I knew I
had made mistake. For the pic
ture was "Never the Twain Shall
Meet" protested to Irving Thai
berg.
"This will be a great picture"
Thalberg said. '1t will make a
lot Of money! great deal more
than that Outward Bound
thing" He was right about the
money. He wasn't right about
it being a great picture. It was
awful.
And when the six months were
up I ran away, afraid that he
would sign me to another con-
tract and that would have to
make another picture like the
Kyne thing.
I went back to the stage and
this time I knew it was for good.
I was in 1.-THE Animal Kingdom"
Again a film company got on my
trail. And signed with RKO, but
7 1at Miller drau, Y1Yo the contract