Motion picture studio directory and trade annual (Oct 1916)

166 m MOTION PICTURE NEWS iiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Vol. XIV. No. 16. Section Betty Compson, according to one of her admirers, should be known as " the prettiest girl in pictures," and every one who knows Miss Compson on and off the screen admit this correspondent is a good judge of beauty. This petite actress is a Salt Lake City girl who did her first professional work as a violin soloist in vaudeville. Later with a partner she played over the big time vaudeville circuits. About one year ago she came to Los Angeles en tour, and Al. E. Christie, seeing her work in the playlet "Wanted a Leading Lady," immediately sought her services, and since she has been " a leading lady " in films. Her first subject was titled the same as the playlet, but had an entirely different story. It showed her discovery by the producer and her first work at the studio. Many screen fans will remember her second release, in which she appeared as a Scotch lassie in " Where the Heather Blooms." For a year she has been featured in leading parts in one and two reel subjects. Included in the list of her releases are " Love and a Savage," " Those Primitive Days," and a number of others, all of which were made under the direction of Horace Davey. Miss Compson is a pretty blonde with blue eyes, five feet two inches in height, and has a very attractive personality. Horace Davey, for seven years the right hand man of Al. E. Christie, is now and has been for the past year a director of comedies, and so well has he learned Mr. Christie's style of production that it is almost impossible for one to tell from the finished subject whether Christie or Davey directed it. Mr. Davey is a native of Bayonne, New Jersey. Al. Christie induced him to leave a printing office where he had served an apprenticeship. That was seven years ago, and to this day his employer has never regretted it. For about six years Mr. Davey was assistant director to Mr. Christie, beginning work at the Bayonne studio where the first Nestor brand was made. Mr. Davey came to the west coast with the original Nestor Company, but it was not until about a year ago that he directed his first picture. When the Christie Film Company was organized in January, Mr. Davey left the Universal to become a director for this company, and since that time he has made a Christie comedy each week. Besides his work as assistant, and later as director, Mr. Davey has written a number of original scenarios, practically all of which have been produced. These are all of the light comedy type. Some of the most recent pictures made under the direction of Horace Davey are " His Baby," " The Making Over of Mother," "Those Primitive Days," "Pretty Baby," "For Five Hundred Dollars," " Miss Billy Buttons," " He Loved the Ladies " and others. Neil Burns, leading man and comedian for the Christie Company, and for more than a year featured in Nestor comedies, hails from Bristol, Pa. When a boy he went to Atlantic City and took up stage work. In 1907 he had his first road show experience, playing the jockey in "The Sporting Duchess." Later he appeared in "Just Out of College," where he did his first stage dances. In " The Stubborn Cinderella " he appeared as Skeeter; was Berry in "The Girl in the Taxi." and played juvenile in " The Girl of My Dreams " and " The Winsome Widow." While playing a musical comedy engagement in Los Angeles he was induced to take up screen work by Al. E. Christie. That was more than eighteen months ago. He first played in the Nestor brand, and then remained with the Christie organization when the Christie Company was formed in January. That Neil Burns is a versatile comedian is shown by the wide range of parts he has played, he taking everything from a Wall Street bank clerk to that of a downand-out coon. In addition to being original with respect to comedy stunts, he is also the author of a number of comedy scenarios. He has written and played in "A Looney Love Affair," "Saved by a Skirt," "The Boy, the Girl and the Auto," "His Neighbor's Wife," "A Leap Year Tangle," and " His Baby." iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiM Be sure to mention " MOTION PICTURE NEWS " when writing to advertisers