Picture Play Magazine (Sep 1919 - Feb 1920)

14 "Don't Do whole picture, you see. He said to tell you that he was awfully sorry, and that he'd have been glad to give you the part, but couldn't because you aren't the type." My heart sank as the girl went out. She was beautiful, fashionably dressed, and had had experience — lots of it. What chance had I ? The man I'd given my letter to came out in a few moments and took me into the next office, where he said I could wait till Mr. Rowe could see me. So I sat there near the door, trying to be calm and quiet, though I couldn't help feeling a little frightened as I saw all the other people who were waiting, too — all of them to see Mr. Rowe. I couldn't help hearing what they said to the man in charge ; they all had special reasons for seeing him. Some had letters, some were old friends, some had worked with him. One girl came in whom I'd seen in a big picture just a few months before; she'd had a pretty big part, too — next to the leading woman's. And now here she was, obviously looking for a job, though she tried to be very casual about it and act as if she'd just dropped in for a friendly visit. I heard two men who were sitting near me talking about her ; one of them said she'd just been working by the picture, instead of by contract, and hadn't been able to get anything for some time that was as big as the parts she'd always played. "She's got to begin to play Avomen — not girl parts any more; she's getting too old," one of the men said. "She's been holding out for two hundred a week, but I guess she'll have to come down now. They costarred her with N you know" (naming a famous actor), "but the company wouldn't release the pictures, and that kept her off the screen so long that she's having a hard time getting back." That didn't make things look much brighter for me — except that if the experienced actresses got too old for girl parts, surely the directors would have to get younger ones to fill those roles — and maybe that was where my chance would come in. Finally Mr. Rowe sent out for me, and I went in, feeling very trembly, but pretty confident, even so. And when I saw the kindly, interested smile with which he greeted me, the flags flew in my heart. "I've read Jeanne's letter," he began immediately. "And I'm glad indeed to meet a friend of hers — but I'm afraid I'm going to be awfully discouraging to you." I swallowed hard and tried to smile. "Child, much as I want new faces for our pictures, and anxious as I am to get in touch with new talent, I'm going to urge you to go back home," he went on. "Yes, I know," as I started to speak, "you're pretty — and have had some experience, according to Jeanne, and you're a type that screens well. But child, I can't make a place for you in a picture already full — and in the two that I'm just casting to-day there isn't a thing that would fit you. One of them calls for two women besides the star; one plays her mother, and the other is a heavy emotional role for a woman much older than you are, and just fits an actress who's on our payroll and hasn't worked for three months. The other picture is one of our girl stars, not much older than you — you're too near her age to appear in it with her. You see, It, Marjorie" you'd have to wait on here in town and take a chance on our putting on a picture that would have something in it for you — and that's pretty uncertain." I didn't want to cry; I was trying desparately hard not to, but the big sobs were welling up in my aching throat, and it was hard work to keep them down. "How much money did you bring with you from home ?" he asked presently. "Five— five hundred dollars," I answered with a little gulp as a sob threatened to escape me. "Well, let's see — that will keep you going quite a while, if you're careful. Now, I'll tell you what I'll do. Next time I cast a mob scene — a ball is coming along pretty soon — I'll see that you're in it; perhaps there'll be a small part. That'll give you a taste of working before the camera, and of course I can't try you on anything much bigger till I know what you can do. See all you can of the city in the meantime — have a good time, and if you can get over wanting to get into pictures, for the love of Mike do it!" "Would I — would I stand a better chance if I'd gone to one of the schools that train people to be actors?" I asked. He smiled at that, rather disparagingly. "Mary Pickford never went to such a school — neither did the Gishes or the Talmadge girls or Dorothy Phillips," he answered. "You see, when I'm casting a picture I want people who look the parts and can be natural in them — not those who've been told to 'register' this emotion in that way until they can't think of anything but the fact that they're acting. No, I certainly wouldn't advise anybody to go to such schools in order to get an engagement." I went away soon after that; not discouraged, but with a good deal to think about. I was just as anxious as ever to get into pictures, but not quite so sure that all one needed was a little "pull." I was quite ready to wait everlastingly till Mr. Rowe would send for me ; somehow he'd been so kind that I felt sure I'd hear from him soon. Yet even so I wasn't quite ready for the summons that came the very next afternoon. It was one of his assistants who phoned from the studio that somehow plans had been changed — I was too happy to ask just how — and they wanted me for a big restaurant scene. "Report at the Perfection Studio at Fort Lee, at nine in the morning, and bring evening clothes," the assistant told me brusquely. Can't you just imagine how I flew to my own little room and began looking over my things? I was awfully worried about what color to wear — I'd heard something about how different colors photograph — but finally selected a light green dress that mother had made for me to wear to one of the high-school sorority dances back home. It was a darling thing, and I had slippers and stockings to match, and a little wreath of French flowers for my hair. I felt so dressed up and so happy, when I tried on my things before my mirror that evening. And I washed my hair and did everything else I could think of to make myself look my very best the next day — this might be my big chance ! To be continued in the February issue.