Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-11-22
Byrnie Foy.
Maker Of
1000 Movies
He Also Created The First
Taking Pictures
BY DAMON RUNYON

RR Az biNNOLAN - SILn-
~ AID FOY, who m d e the
first talking pictures and who
has turned out b out 1000
movies of all kinds in his time
probably more than any other
man aliye-was born in Chicago
AZ years ago.
His father, Eddie Foy. one Of
the greatest performers in the
history Of The American theater,
was playing Lincoln. Nebraska.
when his first son came into the
world. Hence the Lincoln in
Bryan Lincoln Fitzgerald Foy's
array of names. The Fitzgerald
was in recognition Of the correct
{ "a m ~ name, Eddie having
d o pied Foy for professional
purposes.
The Bryan was for the politi-
cal hero Of Nebraska and the
West generally in those days,
William Jennings Bryan. Eddie
F'6y Was a terrific Bryan man at
all times. but il appears that
there was an inducement beyond
mere sentiment for naming his
son for the Great Commoner.
A gentleman in Lincoln who
was interested in a realty deVel-
opment in Texas town called
the Nebraska Syndicate Tract
offered to give Eddie two lots
there if he named the infant for
Billy Bry2rl. So for many years
Bryan Lincoln Fitzgerald Foy,
who is just "Brynie" to his
friends, has been paying taxes
on those lots.
SfxIo her children, all still
~ alive, followed Bryan. They
were. in order. Charley, Dick,
Mary. Madeline, Eddie Jr. and
Irving. They became the most
famous kids in the country when
they all worked on the sta ge
with their father as the Seven
Little Foys. 1t is said Eddie Sr.,
contemplated naming the last
son for Lee Shubert. the New
York theatrical producer, but
thought Lee Foy would sound
too Oriental.
"Brynie' Foy, who was
brought Up in New Rochelle,
N. Y, is tall and trim and good
natured. He is one of the most
beloved men in the Hollywood
picture colony and throughout
show business. He never has
forgotten his old friends and is
always doing nice things. He was
with his father and his broth
ers and sisters on the stage until
the first World War when he
enlisted in the navy. If you ask
"Brynie" what he did in the
act. he says:
"Well, 1 was the tallest."
After the war he turned to
writing stage material and songs
and turned out a song that be-
came the hit number of its day
Gallagher and Shean." He
made a present of il to Ed CAL
lagher of the team of Gallagher
and Shean. who used it with
enormous success in the Fol-
lies. Gallagher, who has been
dead some years, gave "Brynie"
a cigaret case.
WINNIE S II E E Fl A N, then
w head of Fox Pictures, in
duced "Brynie" to undertake
Hollywood career as a writer.
That was around 1922, and
"Brynnie" has been a figure in
Cinemaburg ever since. He
worked for Sheehan for about
two years. then went into the
picture making business for him.
self with Monte Brice, another
writer, as partner, and William
K. Howard as sales chief.
They made pictures called
"Hysterical History which
were travesties on great events,
and incidentally turned a profit.
One of the firms most famous
efforts was "Elysia. Valley of
the Nude" taken with a nudist
colony background. 1t fairly
lifted the toupees Of the cash
customers Of that era. Then
"Brynie" went. to Warner Broth
ers as a gagman to remain with
that concern Ia years.
LIE BECAME a director and
IL later producer and he made
30 pictures year for seven
years, which was almost half Of
the company's product. He was
the inspiration for such pictures
as "knute Rockne." The Fight
ing 69th,' and made Under
ground. y
II was during this period Of
service at Warmers that he made
the first talkies. though we think
we will reserve that for another
chapter later on. In all the pic
lures he has made. "Brynie"
Toy has had no story any more
interesting than his own.
fffr- frft- warmers not long ago
TO become a producer at 10th
Century-Fox where he already
has six pictures in work. "Bry-
ME" likes TO make what he calls
exploration" pictures. which are
pictures based on timely events
things that he finds in the
news Of the day.
He is tremendously fast
worker. He married non
professional and has home in
n