Picture Play Magazine (Jul - Dec 1929)

Over the Teacups 31 pictures, but who was in the chorus of 'Show Boat' in New York last winter." "Is that the same Marjorie King?" I started to ask, and Fanny assured me thai it was the very same one who made such an impression on us more than a year ago. We were at the Metro-Goldwyn studio when the prettiest little slip of a girl you ever saw came to make a test for the lead in 'White Shadows.' She didn't get the role ; didn't even make a test for it, because she realized she was unsuitable. But at the time we were so impressed by her youth and beauty and charm, that we predicted immediate success for her. Which, as you see, she didn't get. But there are high hopes for her now. "It's funny how few newcomers there are in pictures, except for the people who have stage reputations," Fanny remarked. "In the old days directors were always discovering some girl in the extra ranks and promoting her to featured roles, but now only some middle-aged woman, who can point to ten years on Broadway, is looked on as promising screen material. Bill Beaudine is the only director with real courage — or perhaps it's keen eyesight. He's found a youngster by the name of Virginia Bruce who has never had any stage or screen experience, but he has such confidence in her ability that he has signed her to a personal contract, and intends using her in big roles from the start. "I doubt if this craze for stage players will last. We're so used to youth and beauty on the screen, we'll never work up the same enthusiasm for mature and rather colorless creatures of dignity. After all, you can't have the same friendly feeling for a person who is introduced to you at the height of her powers, that you have for some one like Clara Bow, whom you have known from her first crude efforts to the day when she convinced you beyond a doubt that she could act." "But what about her voice?" I inquired, just by way of being disagreeable. "Well, what about it?" Fanny answered belligerently. "You couldn't really expect her to have a melodious voice, could you ? I didn't mind her voice in 'The Wild Party'; that is, not much. It was the general rowdy air of the picture that annoyed me. It was a sort of extravaganza of burlesque beauties in such a college as never was seen even on the musical-comedy stage." "But didn't Marcelinc Day look lovely?" I exclaimed. "And she made me like her even if her part was prudish and unsympathetic," Fanny assured me. "In spite of all I've said in favor of talented guttersnipes on the screen, I think there really is a place for a few nice girls. And Marceline and Alice Day are my favorites of these. "Evidently producers agree with me, as Marceline and Alice are being kept awfully busy. Marceline is under Undismayed by poor recording and photography in her first talking picture, Pauline Frederick will try another. Photo by Apeda Once again Bessie Love plays a trouper in "Eva the Fifth." contract with Fox and is working all the time. Alice is playing with Richard Barthelmcss, in 'Drag,' and as soon as she finishes that she is going to Warner Brothers to make a jazz-mad picture, with Ted Lewis. Alice grows more beautiful every day. "Sharon Lynn played in Marceline's last picture for Fox. Every once in a while between scenes some one would ask her to play the piano, and one day while she was playing, one of the studio executives came by and heard her. 'What's that you're playing?' he asked, and to his surprise learned that it was a composition of her own. He had her play it for some of the other officials and they all liked it. so it is to be used in one of the new Fox pictures, probably 'The Cock-eyed World.' So. if Sharon's beauty fades — and there is no danger of that for years and years — she can get a job com] ing theme songs." "But I'm tired of theme Mings." T wailed. "Still, just think what some smart song writer may do with Loretta Young's picture. 'The Girl in the Cilass Cage.' He might perpetrate something like that classic. 'Only a Bird in a Gilded Cage.' " [Continued on page 100]