Picture Play Magazine (Oct-Nov 1915)

PICTURE-PLAY WEEKLY 17 exclamation of fury, grew violently red, hen pale, but at last sat down and controlled himself. ! He looked off into space, and then rned his eyes back on the telegram, e was carried away by the news he sUad received — far away into a little kilountry town in France. A scene rose ii i e fore him vividly, lit A low, dull sound broke the intense sience that had held the little group in J^jhe church as though spellbound. The couple who stood at the altar a urned and faced each other as they heard it — it was the priest closing the book, and, to them, meant the beginning of a new life. The wedding was over. "I hope, sir, that you have received no very bad news," said Jim solicitously. Henry Breval dropped the letter in his lap and looked up, with a face in which sorrow and whimsical humor were mingled. "I must admit that it is bad news — to me," he answered; "but for you, young man, I believe it is very good news. My son, my beloved Etienne, writes me a confession. He has deceived me. Several months ago, while in France, he was married to his old sweetheart, Mademoiselle Gabrielle d'Ornay. He has been waiting to earn money enough to support his wife here in suitable style, and she arrived in New York yesterday." Jim looked blankly at Lili, and saw a wondrous light in her eyes. Henry Breval and the elder Pemberton saw it also. The expression on Lili's countenace told a story — the story of her secret love, that she had hitherto concealed through respect for her uncle's feelings, and it showed that soon she would no longer be the little mademoiselle if Jim Pemberton so wished — and he did. Screen Gossip By Al Ray A LL is well at eight bells. The Tri!*■ angle shows at the Knickerbocker Theater continue to show to packed i , louses, and sometimes S. R. O. Romaine Fielding, the actor-authorlirector of the Lubin forces, is at work jtn some stirring Western features that jie declares will rival anything that he pas ever accomplished. Great was the excitement at the Federal studios in Rockville Center, the „)ther day, during the filming of "Smashing the Thief Trust," one of the company's special productions. The first hing to be done was to fill a small -rrame house full of dummies, and blow |t up sky-high. The explosion sent wood, dirt, and rocks in all directions, and everybody but the camera men ;ought seclusion. The director would lave beat it, too, but he was busy .grinding one of the cameras. Fortunately, all escaped without injury. Not "satisfied with this, the director hustled Ibis company to a near-by cliff, to watch jan automobile and motor cycle, with riore dummies, plunge over it, down on the rocks below. What was left of i):he machines after their fall could be out in an eyecup. Altogether it was ,a very exciting day. David Horsely emphatically declares that his wonderful comedian, George •Ovey, "the funniest crutch in America," will not leave his company, as has been rumored. It seems that David was the only one to hear these rumors, for no one else did. David is a "wise person," and he admits it, but we, or anybody else fail to see where he is doing anything so wise in tying the can to George Ovey by calling him the funniest man in America. Being a "wise person," Dave is fully aware that his favorite fool is far from being the most foolish, because he is aware that there are men equally as funny, and more so than his own funny man. Ovey's make-up is not his own, in the first place. It belongs to Harry la Pearl. When Harry played leads, and directed for MinA, the same company Dave owns now, although under the brand of Cub, he wore identically the same make-up that Ovey uses now, and yet they talk about the latter's originality ! This is not meant as a knock to George, because he is funny, and would be more so if given a chance to wear a different make-up, but as long as Charlie Chaplin, Mack Sennett, Syd Chaplin, Mr. Smaltz and Mr. Fish, Harry la Pearl, Chester Conklin, and Roscoe Arbuckle remain alive, Ovey will not be "the funniest man in America," even if David Horsely says so. Poor Smaltz ! He is walking about a sadder, but much wiser man these days. Having nothing special to do, he decided that he would ride the motor cycle that was needed in "Smashing the Thief Trust," down to Rockville Center himself. Fish, who had read over the scenario, decided that he did not care to play in the picture, so jumped into the automobile for the sole purpose of watching Smaltz and his motor cycle. All went well for a time, and Smaltz went so fast on the motor cycle that he was lost from sight several times, and he was having the laugh on Fish. But, alas and alack ! Something happened that neither Smaltz nor Fish had counted on. Anxious to show them what he could do, Smaltz put on another burst of speed, and drew away from the automobile again. Fish and the rest of the occupants of the car saw nothing of him for some time, although they passed several dead horses on the street, and Fish became suspicious. When they reached the Washington Arch, there was Smaltz sitting on the curb, with his mount lying in front of him. He had run through the arch at full speed, and a watering cart had preceded him. Before he could stop, he skidded, and over he went, ruining his clothes and bruising himself. Fish laughed long and loud, but the leading lady made him get off her lap to let the injured Smaltz sit down. Fish had to share seats with the camera man, and he stopped laughing. Madame Blache, the Metro woman director of the Popular Plays and Players Company, is directing Olga Petrova in a forthcoming Metro feature, "My Madonna." Guy Coombs, the former Kalem star, will make his bow to Metro fans in this feature. I