The filmgoers' annual (1932)

Intimate Lives of the Stars 155 "The King of Kings." Then P.D.C. starred him in " Dress Parade," " The Night Flyer," " Skyscraper," " The Cop," " Power," " The Leatherneck," " High Voltage," " Officer O'Brien," "His First Command," and "The Painted Desert." Boyd is 6 feet 1 inch; weighs 170 pounds, and has blue eyes and brown hair. EL BRENDEL Born at Philadelphia on March 25, 1891, he ran away from school to become an actor, worked in cheap priced motion picture theatres in Philadelphia, where he sang, told stale jokes and did sleight-of-hand tricks. After this experience he joined a medicine show, went on to variety and finally arrived on Broadway, where he played character parts in several productions, including " Cinderella on Broadway," " Spice of 1922," and appeared on the Century Roof for a season. Bill Boyd was starred in 1925 in The Volga Boatman " and has been starring ever since. After this he went back into vaudeville with his wife, Flo Bert, and toured for twelve years. Up to the time the war broke out he was a German comedian. Then decided he would make more of a hit in Swede character parts. He is a natural comedian on and off. In 1926 played character parts in several silent pictures, and is best remembered as the rookie in " Wings." Later he played Olesen in " The Cock-Eyed World" with great success. He is 5 feet 9 inches, with fair ha:r and blue eyes. EVELYN BRENT School teaching as a profession almost claimed Evelyn Brent, but circumstances decreed she should have a different career. No one incident of her early life gave evidence that some day she would be recognised as one of the foremost character actresses in the world. She did not appear in amateur theatricals. The usual school plays bored her. Church socials and things of that sort were of no interest. At this time it was Evelyn Brent's ambition to be a school teacher ! She entered a normal school in New York City and for two years kept at her studies. At this time the World Film Studios were struggling for a foothold in the new industry at Fort Lee, just a few miles from New York City. Miss Brent and several of her school friends decided to visit the studio and see how the " movies " were made. They spent a day at the studios. An assistant director, assigned to show the embryo school teachers through the studio, became interested in Evelyn Brent and offered her extra work in a picture to start in a few weeks. The offer caused much joking among her friends, so her announcement accepting it fell like a bombshell. Several months of extra work followed. The strain of the work began to tell and her doctor advised a holiday. She went to England, but was not destined to get much rest. She met Oliver Cromwell, an American playwright, who was looking for a girl to play an important part in " The Ruined Lady," which he was to present in London. Cromwell pleaded with Evelyn to /accept the part, to which she finally agreed. This engagement marked the beginning of a four-year stay in England, during which she appeared in feature films produced by Stoll, Ideal, Samuelson, and other prominent British producing companies. Wishing to return to the United States, she arranged for what was supposed to be a three weeks' trip, but upon her arrival she was approached by Douglas Fairbanks and signed to a long-term contract. Months passed and Fairbanks could not select a story which he liked well enough to proceed. Meanwhile, Miss Brent was idle, which did not agree with her active temperament. She left Fairbanks and went with Associated Authors. It was with this company that she first played a "crook" characterisation. Her employers found she portrayed this role to such advantage that they turned their entire writing staff to producing stories for her. In two years with Associated Authors Miss Brent played featured roles in fourteen crook melodramas. Then revolution came into the movies ! Al Jolson starred in an all-talking picture and overnight the horizon of filmland was changed. Everyone was taking voice tests. Actors and actresses who formerly had been successful be cause of their appearance found that real ability was necessary to succeed in the " talkies." Evelyn Brent was asked to take a test for an important role in " Broadway," one of the early all-talking pictures. Her voice was found to record perfectly. She was signed for the part. Following the termination of a contract with another studio, Miss Brent was signed by Radio Pictures. MARY BRIAN Hollywood's Wendy has grown up. Six years ago Mary Brian went to the film capital from Dallas, Texas, a high school girl in her early 'teens. She won the part of Wendy in " Peter Pan " and made such an impression with it that she has had a hard time ever since making the public forget her as a child. She presented her own views of the situation recently while working opposite Jack Oakie in the comedian's first starring picture, " The Social Lion." " Getting into pictures was hard enough," she said, " but that was easy compared with living down Wendy. For the next two or three years a cast announcement of me was never printed without some reference being made to my having played Wendy. People spoke of me as that ' little girl.' But the years have remedied the fault, and Hollywood at last realises that I am grown up. Talking pictures had much to do with the changed impression." Although she played roles in more than twenty silent pictures, it was the audible screen which gave her the big chance to display her dramatic capabilities. With the exception of " The Marriage Playground " all her talking pictures have brought her before the public as a grown-up young woman. The eight other talking productions in which she has appeared show her to be the adult she has wanted to be known as since that initial role in " Peter Pan." These pictures are " The Man I Love," " The Virginian," " River of Romance." " The Kibitzer," " Burning Up," "The Light of Western Stars," " Only the Brave," and " The Social Lion." Born in Texas, February 17, 1908; height 5 feet 2 inches ; hair brown ; eyes blue. RONALD COLMAN Further copies of the beautiful coloured frontispiece of Ronald Colman may be obtained for framing. All requests should be accompanied by stamps, or a Postal Order to the value of one shilling, for each picture required. Upon receipt copies will be carefully packed and sent to any address. Orders should be sent to "Portrait," The Filmgoers' Annual, Simpkin Marshall Ltd., Stationers' Hall Court, London, E.C.4.