Camera (May 1922-April 1923)

■ Vol. V. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1922 No. 28 ■ = "\V T HAT human tragedies these are — the stories of M ^'^^ girls who want to be famous "Hke Mary Pick H ford and Norma Talmadge" . . . the girls whose hopes are skilfully roused by alluring word pictures = and promises of the "professors" of film acting and M make-up. . . . whose ambitions are finally crumpled with their young spirits when realization comes. ( Mary g"oes to Los Angeles. M Take the case of one girl. Mary, we'll call her, for B Mary symbolizes many. And her story is the story of a many girls. = Mary lives in a small town in Oregon. She attends high school. She has admiring high school beaux, who = assure her that she puts Katherine MacDonald in the H shade. Perhaps her mirror supports the flattery. Why ^ should Mary doubt her destiny to shine on the silver screen? H Mary, in deviltry, one day answers a blind ad that B tells of new talent needed for pictures. In reply she receives a form letter telling her the H glorious possibilities of Hollywood. Of the great dearth ^ of film actresses. Of the fabulous sums that stars res ceive. How even the extra girl can afford fine clothing = and many luxuries. ^= Mary reads, believes, makes up her ambitious little H mind. ' .Somehow, somewhere she gets enough money to come to Los Angeles. B The "course" in motion picture acting. H She finds the school housed in a $25-a-month office ^ in one of the shabbier downtown buildings. M But the luring statements of the school promoter draw her on. M \\'\\y, next week a picture is casting — a course of H make-up now, and m a few days — just think! — she'll be s really acting before the camera! She'll appear on the ■ screen, be seen everywhere! Won't her old schoolmates H be proud they knew her! Won't her mother weep with . joy and pride when daughter sends a fat check every ^m. week ! ^ She pays her $15. She goes to a regular, profes H sional make-up store — just like an actress — and buys H $2.50 worth of supplies. She pays $12 for a dozen pho M tographs — professional pictures, to give casting directors ! M How thrilling! Six lessons of an hour each, and the course is com ^ pleted. She is a full-fledged actress. Now she is told to ^ register — as all the film players do — there's no charge. She does so, then every day primps up in her pret H tiest, comes hopefully to the registration office expecting H the great moment when she gets her first studio work. ^ The key to Studioland? | Goaded to impatience, one day she makes complaint. ^ Then, maybe, she's told of a "club." Its members ^ are friends of an agent. They're on the "inside," and are called to work before anyone on the regular files. ^ Club "dues" are only $1 a month. I\ (■ ' (■ \ I to find at last the key to the magic land be ^ hind studio gates, she pays the "dues." New hope. Again she calls day after day. Her ^ finances are getting low. Even $500 doesn't last long in H Los Angeles without a steady income. Maybe she hasn't H nearly that much to start on. She finds a cheaper room ; ^ doubles up with another "graduate actress." H But finally comes that morning when she finds, with quick sinking of her heart, no money left for breakfast. = She is desperate. She demands an interview with the ^ manager of the registration bureau or the promoter of ^ the school. , H He may be able to help her. He may not. If he does ^ he can obtain a further price, perhaps. But in any case, M. he cannot get her steady work. Even a "graduate act ^ ress" is somehow considered unexperienced by casting ^ directors. H Behind the scenes of tragedy, m Disgraced by failure, home would be unendurable. H There remains what? Clerking in a department store? H Dancing in a cheap musical comedy chorus? A profes M sional habitue of the dance halls? The streets? ^ Mary makes her choice and we hear of her no ^ more. (Unless some time, arrested, she gives occupation ^ as "movie actress."] ^ That is the story of Mary. ^ We may not be able to help the Marys who have ^ been swept through the tragic mills of the movie schools. ^ But perhaps we c^m do something to prevent other Marys from following in their footsteps. That is Camera !'s aim. ^ —TED TAYLOR. ■ f'aiTicral The DiKCSt of Ihc .Molioii I'icliir. Inilu.slry. Kiilirc coiilfnts copyriKli 1 . i;i22, l>y Ted 'I'aylor. ] 'iililiKhcil weekly at ir>i:i .Siiiisel i;()iile\ard, Hollywood, L.O.S Angeles, ("a!. Telin>hoiu; r/).")-]?!). Price, 10 cent.s a copy, $2. oil a year (.^2 in l^o.'s Anuelc.s eounly, .fli in Canada, %:i.:M foreign). Entered a's .second-class matter October IT), 1920, at the po.stoflice at I>os Angeles. Cal., under the an of Mardi :i, 1X79. JOntered Jis "C^amera!" AiiguKl 11, 1918. Ted Taylor, piibli.sher .and managing editor; liulh Wing, editor; Doris Mortlock, stiidi<i editor; Ktigene H. Klimi, art editor. S. W. Law.son, business manager; Fred W. Fox, advertising manager; Ora Hiook, c iiciilation manager.