The theatre of science; a volume of progress and achievement in the motion picture industry (1914)

136 Cl)e Cfjeatre graph Company in 1911, and was almost instantaneously accorded important parts. It is hard to believe that this painstaking artiste never even studied for the stage; yet she has becom.e one of the foremost stars of the screen. It is a singular fact, too, that despite her youth and physical attractions, the directors have invariably cast Miss Theby for what are called adventuress roles, perhaps because of no alternative in that this type of character is usually poorly presented on the screen. After leaving the Vitagraph, Miss Theby played leads and heavies for the Reliance Company, where, under Oscar Apfel, she made rapid strides, revealing marked versatility. Crane V/ilbur, of the Pathe organization, had an important stage career, and for a period had his own company on tour; but this virile, im.pressive player found far greater favor with the public when he became a film star. At the tim.e of this writing, Mr. Wilbur is appearing in the Pathe-Eclectic production, "The Perils of Pauline," and as a result of a forceful portrayal and an amazing national publicity has become one of those celebrities of picturedom v/hose fame extends throughout the world and whose face is known to half of mankind at least. Blanch Sweet is the name of a former Biograph player, whose fame would be far greater to-day but for the long-time policy of that organization to place an embargo on personal publicity. But when D. W. Griffith left the Biograph Company to become conspicuous as the $100,000-a-year director of the Mutual brand of films, he took with him to Los Angeles a number of youthful screen favorites, all of whom have now become recognized as of stellar timber. That Miss Sweet represents to a great extent the