Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1920)

74 Photoplay Magazine to avoid in dealing with beautiful leading men and purposeful ladies of the screen. Here is a signature, for instance, that looks just like the writer. Marguerite Clark has the flowing hand that goes with an impressionable nature — one sensitive to outer influences. Energy and ambition, two wonderful assets, are shown by the angularity of the writing. The long, flying loop of the small / inilicates a nature in which ideality dominates. You'd know that William S. Hart wrote a hand like this, wouldn't you? A good, sane, firm, reliable signature. The and sure reso strong crossing of the t the firm down stroke are signs to the initiated of a lute nature. There is a saying among those who study handwriting, "as the slope is so is the tenderness of the writer," which would show that Mr. Hart is a man of kindliness. The slope, in modified form, also shows trustworthiness and sincerity. If your signature is anything like Dorothy Phillips' you may congratulate yourself on possessing most of the finer qualities of the mind. The square formation of the capital D gives evidence of imagination in abundance, combined with lucidity and a frank nature. The person who writes a hand that is generally round, like Miss Phillips, is responsive. There is an abrupt angle in the y that shows a good deal of impatience, but this is counterbalanced by the large, open It's and curve of the small r — sure signs of a large fund of kindliness. Enter Harry Houdini — with a flourish. When you want to find out something about a person's writing and haven't time to analyze all the letters it's a good plan to look for the flourish. Taken in any form the flourish indicates a love of admiration. When the flourish is extravagant and of thick strokes it shows defensiveness and .self-assertion. The width between the down strokes of the capital H shows a generous, liberal nature. Speaking of neatness, did you know that the Italians produce the most beautiful specimens of handwriting to be found in the world? Next to the Italians come the English. English writing is dignified and di.stinguishcd. but seldom graceful. The worst? Experts admit that it is the average handwriting found in America. They ascribe our lack of expertness with the pen to hurry, nervous excitement and lack of poise. Caruso gives a good specimen of the Italian handwriting. The heavy strokes and fantastic flourish with which the signature ends show vanity, self-esteem and a great love of admiration. The statements of such a writer are always positive. If your handwriting looks like Caruso's your family and friends have probal)l\' learned by this lime not to oppose your wishes. The handwriting of John Barr> more is quite as typical of the writer as that of Caruso. The thin, fine and small-sized script always indicates great powers of concentration, combined with interest in others. Mr. Harr\moro has a nature that is excitable and sensitive but not unkin<l. ((f Here is Wallace Reid, as an example of the perfect H'. As tration of the latter quality. Mr. Reid writes that letter it shows a vigorous and active nature. Unless his writing has been trained to dissimulate. Mr. Reid is always on hand to keep his appointments promptly If you make your upstanding strokes as he does it proves you to be the possessor of acuteness and energv-. There is a world of self-revelation in the signature that Thomas H. Ince affixes to his letters and business documents. Whenever the capital T is written in this extravagant form imagination and self-assertion are found. In a man of lesser attainments this would mean ego tism. Letters that var> extremely in size as in this writing — glance at the comparative smallness of the capital E and the size of the small e that completes the signature — show a nature of unusual originality. If you are looking for evidences of will power in a handwriting the best thing to watch for is the crossing of the small t. If the writer has plenty of firmness and determination this letter will invariably have a firm, thick, long crossing. The person who neglects to cross Vs, or who crosses them in a loose, uncertain manner, hasn't much strength of character. A good example of the connected letter is shown in Pauline Frederick's signature. The expert could tell at a glance that Miss Frederick is logical and thinks out her course clearly before acting. The long loops of the / and k showplenty of imagination. Where the handwriting ascends with a decided slope toward the right hand comer of the paper an ambitious nature is indicated. Priscilla Dean's writing is a good example of this admirable trait. Whenever you see such a careful joining of the small a as Mary MacLaren's writing shows you have a good example of concentrated brain power. The evenness of the writing and uniformity of letters in this signature are e\ndences of a calm and logical mind. The person who procrastinates, who is going to do ever\-thing "tomorrow." but who never gets at it to-day. that kind of person can be detected by the crossing of the t falling to the left instead of the right of the letter. Irene Castle, evidently, has none of this fatal defect in her nature, for the crossing of her t is almost entirely on the right side of the letter The extreme curve with which her capital / begins shows that the writer believes in self-preser\3tion. Look at the right hand slope of Cecil deMille's signature if you want to see the handwriting that indicates ambition in unusual degree. Mr. dcMille is impatient of delays of any kind, as the irregularity of his capitals bears witness. A good specimen of the cautious nature is shown in Elliott Dcxlcr's signature particularly by the straight dash after a woni The calm, well-balanced nature can be deiluced from throundness anil smoothness of the writing, while the persor. whose mind is acute rather than restful writes an angular han.: In the specimens shown Mabel Xormand gives a good ex,imp.i of the former, while Hiilie Hurke's writing is an admirable iiUi-