Motion Picture Classic (Jan-Aug 1919)

MOTION PICTURE CLASSIC means of a paste of which I had never heard. My hair fresf from the irons of a hair-dresser curled at the mere mentioi of Restorer Brothers’ wonderful fluid. I radiated comfor after walking ten miles in a pair of shoes that pinched so could scarcely keep from registering pain instead of pleasure “One day while I was posing for these innumerable things an advertising man suggested that I try moving pictures. “ ‘What? Start as an extra, and stand around hour aftei hour waiting for some director to condescend to gaze at me and then pass by? Not if little sister knows it,’ I replied. (1 had already done some fashion posing for Vitagraph and hac seen the life of an extra at close enough range to suit mj ambition.) “The advertising man said I wouldn’t have to start that way, He knew that Pathe was looking for a girl of my type whc was willing to work hard at a small salary until she had made good. I cant say that I had much faith in the proposition, but I went to see the man — and I got the engagement. It wasn’ talent or anything as worthy, but six-tenths blufif and fourtenths independence. The contract said thirty a week to start. I was averaging sixty posing, and tho I was willing, even eager to sacrifice the thirty for the sake of the work, I did not wear that’ eagerness as a hat-trimming. If a girl could only be born] with the knowledge that a little independence goes a great way tow'ard success, she would be saved many a heartache. “And now for the bluff. ‘Could I ride? Could I swum?’ Of course I could. That was true in a way,, too. I knew that other girls' rode and sw’am. I could, but 1' just didn’t. That was a nice distinction in words, w’asn’t it? Perhaps the secre-, tarial course had done some good after all (Continued on Mge 73) The second horse Helene ever attempted to ride was for a movie melodrama. Miss Chadwick stuck — and got a w a \ with it “ ‘Why dont you, come up and try it some Satui'day ?’ she suggested. “Even at that age I had visions of appearing before the public, but I had not yet decided in w’hat capacity. The copy-book said something about ‘grasping the Golden Opportunity.’ “ ‘This is your opportunity,’ I said to myself. ‘You’d better grab it while it’s near.’ “I did, and every Saturday found me posing for pictures which would later flash on and off the screen in some little theater wdiile an embryo Caruso would sing some ballad about ‘parting at the garden gate.’ If you could have seen some of those gates you would have understood the reason for the parting. “Right after graduation mother had me start a secretarial course. Stenography, with its tantalizing lines and dots and curves, could never equal the camera in its power to charm me. “ ‘Helen,’ my mother said one day, in a tone that I knew^ meant ‘Here beginneth the first lecture’ — ‘I dont see any use of my paying for your course if you’re going to spend half your time at studios.’ “I agreed with her perfectly and begged permission to take up posing in earnest for advertising, posters, subway and car cards, and so on, just to see what I could do with it. At last it was granted. Then I began. 1 drank coca cola with a broad grin, just so the public would know I was enjoving it and go and do likewise. I exhibited my teeth kept in perfect condition '