Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-11-22
Continued from Double Page)

80 VI NfAn hAlAbAAh AAlNAlAf anu
when / looked down at him. he
stood and bowed, as if 10 say, IT
told you So" With him were
representatives from all the lead
ing film companies including
those of Hollywood.
When the lights were turned
down and the film began 20 run
/ could not concentrate for lis
tening to the immediate COM
ments Of the audience.
And long before the last reel
the picture had been acclaimed a
tremendous success. II was the
first film / remember where the
audience applauded during the
showing.
At the end there was a wild
rush toward my box. Strangers
reached for me, lifted me 10
their shoulders, cheering and
crying. was carried through
the theatre, out into the lobby,
where everyone cried: you
were magnificent" Bravo"
Wonderful" And thousands of
hands touched me.
On and on the fans carried
me, out over the heads OF the
cheering. milling crowd!
was hysterical with JOY, over
come by the demonstration-and
all the while / was trying 10
keep my wrap about me, trying
TO gather my skirts but all my
efforts were futile.
BY the time | had reached my
car, ! was almost nude, My err
mine wrap and velvet gown, and
most Of my lingerie had been torn
from me- for souvenirs
! scrambled into my car and
pulled the lap rug over me, tell
ing my chauffeur 10 drive away
as fast as he could. A few min
utes more and even the lap rug
would have been torn TO shreds!
My car rushed down the boule-
wards, lined with applauding fans
and | marvellcd that ] got
away with my life
The following morning the en-
tire continent had been told by
press releases that Passion"
was a triumph
It was the first motion pic
ture success after the World
War-and with it l became an
overnight sensation as a cinema
star.
When Passion" was shown on
Broadway within the next few
weeks, hundreds Of cables with
congratulations reached mc-Thc-
first boats brought the fore
most producers from Hollywood
20 meet me.
Now I was offered contracts
to come 10 America The salaries
they offered were fabulous but
] could not accept them yet. ]
was already under contract and
four more pictures were on my
studio schedule.
These pictures went into work
as quickly as they could and
everyone met with sensational
success and everyone was re-
leased in America There was
Carmen. first. then The
Flame. lone Arabian Night"
which was an adaptation of
"Sumuun. and "Sappho.' Ernst
Lubitsch played with me as well
as directed in most Of these
Now I began 70 receive fan
mail from all parts Of the world.
And "a I could read Russian,
Polish, French. German and some
English. I occupied many hours
reading and answering letters.
Isn't il strange that years
later I remembered a letter !
received then from Hollywood
California ? The letter was writ
ten on ordinary white RotePaFrf.
in a sensitive but quite mascu-
line hand.
II was ono Of the first letters
m English l received and l was
delighted that I could translate
the simple letter with its simple
request. II read
Il Just saw YOU as pu Barry
You are divine. VIII you
please send me your photo
graph?
Rudolph Valentino"
I can't explain why the words
Of that letter and the writer's
name STAYED fixed in my-mem-
ory-unless coming events really
do cast their shadows ahead. Be
cause years later, when l lived
in Hollywood. and friend intro
duced me 10 Rudy. then the idol
Of the screen l recalled the
letter.
Il remember" ne said And
he afterwards showed me that he
had kept my autographed pic
ture, in a silver frame in his bed
room.