Exhibitors Herald (Jan-Mar 1920)

EXHIBITORS HKRALD PEGGY SHANOR UNWILLING VAMP Featured Player in "The Mystery Mind" Takes Exception to Public Applying This Term to Her Particular Form of Acting r7T!Luaii.iuiiiiiitlliUKtii^iiiLtlititriiiiTMMMrtiiiiMiiriujjiiftiillli nii:iii;iitiiT< iiJn>»]tiiiritii[iii]ii]iiiiiii:iiiiTituTi:jrin>;[j it] j :iTi>i:nri i^i i> >i : 1 1 uiMtutiUHMMHHMMMMMHBHMWHHHaMMHnMMMMJMHMHniHa^V^^^K critic, and Billy Crane. Here she accepts the invitation of Maxwell to stay two weeks, an invitation offered to save her from embarrassment at the hands of Clonberry. The three men are captivated by their pretty visitor during her stay, Maxwell, avowed woman hater, falling in love with her and refusing to admit it. How the return of Clonbarry brings about his declaration of love and the happy ending is interestingly told in the last reel, a well executed and altogether satisfactory culmination to an interesting story. William Farnum in HEARTSTRINGS Seven-part drama; Fox. Directed by J. Gordon Edwards. Published in January. OPINION; If there is truth in that old claim that variety is the spice of life and fiction, the followers of William Farnum will welcome "Heart Strings." It would have been difficult to select for the star a vehicle differing more widely from his recent Western productions. Here he is cast as a musician whose happiness, when success has crowned his efforts, is clouded by the ill fate of his sister, a young lady who has yielded to the wiles of an unscrupulous wooer. As is common in pictures of this nature, the violin has been selected as the star's instrument. No instrument is more difficult to "fake." It is strange that no one employs the simpler piano. To Mr. Farnum's credit be it said that he scores despite the handicap. There is much sentiment in the tale recited. Love, of varying varieties, is the mainspring of the action. The brawny Farnum is accustomed to love stories, but he is usually given those of more actionable type. The present production, however, is doubtless valuable as a change of pace. It provides the variety which is so prized in manv quarters. SYNOPSIS; Pierre Fournel, a violinist of talent, after a long struggle, finds his success made bitter through the misfortune of his sister, whose betrayal at the hands of an unscrupulous wooer demands redress. Abandoning for a time his devotion to the muse, he goes in search of the wrongdoer, brings him to justice and the picture ends with the marriage and the insured happiness and success of the musician. Report "Invisible Hand" Popular With Exhibitors Report from the headquarters of Vitagraph contains the statement that "The Invisible Hand," the serial in which Antonio Moreno is featured, has already been booked by more exhibitors than any other serial in Vitagraph history. More than 5,000 theatres, it is said, are showing or have contracted to show the picture, among them houses that never before used the serial form of entertainment. It is also stated that a new serial producing company has been started with Toe Ryan and Jean Paige as the featured players. "I don't know why the public persists in calling any woman character in a play or picture who has red blood, brains or allurement a 'vamp.' The word irritates me excessively," recently declared Peggy Shanor, who is playing "Vera Collins" in the new serial "The Mystery Mind" by Arthur B. Reeve and John W. Grey. These authors remembered Miss Shanor's excellent work in "The House of Hate" and selected her for the part of Vera. "Managers and directors seem to have me slated for 'vamps' but really I've played very few," Miss Shanor continued. "I've done better and more interesting work in other characters, yet the minute my name is mentioned some one says 'vamp'." Vera in "The Mystery Mind" is said to be more than a vamp, for certainly no ordinary vamp part it is claimed ever called for such versatility and character acting as Reeve and Grey have allotted to Vera Collins. Doesn't Look Very Wicked That Miss Shanor doesn't look very wicked is evident from the fact that Benben the famous Roumanian impressionistic artist has asked her to pose for the Stage Beauty I II II LESLIE Whoae wide staee experience hn« e»pecially fitted her for the role of Lady Blaneho in the Metro-ClaHMirs* production, "The Best of Look." r>6 head and face of the .Madonna in his latest painting. From vampire to Madonna is a long step but it only adds another to the list of the portrait gallery she is acquiring. "In the prologue of this serial I play a maiden priestess of a South American Head Hunter tribe, whose soul is transmigrated into a serpent before I am reincarnated as Vera. In the story itself I am by turns the woman leader of a band of crooks, a society girl, a sculptor's model and a telephone lineman. There are further disguises ahead of me." As the society girl Miss Shanor had to wear a blonde wig and the Madonna resemblance was most marked then. She doesn't know what she will be bofore the serial is finished but she loves character work and would like to play a different one in each episode. Apropos of the disguise of the telephone lineman, Miss Shanor had some amusing experiences while playing it. The first day she entered the studio in the makeup she passed several members of the company in the hallway but being in haste she did not pause. Shortly after Morgan Thorpe, who plays Dr. Sutton in the serial, stopped at the door of the studio office. "When you get a chance look at that boy from the telephone company," he said. "He's a dirty looking youngster but he has the handsomest eyes I've even seen in a boy's head." A few minutes later Mr. Thorpe was on the scene when the "boy with the handsome eyes" walked in. Only then did he discover that the boy was Peggy Shanor in a particularly clever make up. Make-up Is Too Effective While she was playing the lineman they had an exterior location. It was late when they finished and being near her hotel she merely put a long motor coat over her boy's clothes and drove home. She had forgotten her strange make-up until she was stopped by the hotel doorman. It took some explanation and the removal of her wig to convince that gentleman of color that she really belonged there and by that time a curious crowd had gathered. "It has cured me of ever going home in make-up," Miss Shanor laughed. "If that poor darky ever saw me in my Head Hunter's dress he would send for the police at once." Despite her dislike for the word "vamp" Peggy Shanor bids fair to be one of the most popular leading heavy women on the screen. She bears rather a striking resemblance to Blanche Walsh, and her work is said to show promise of the same tragic note with the added advantage of a lighter comedy touch than Miss Walsh possessed. Some of Miss Shanor's past performances were: the heavy in "The House of Hate," heralded as a new type of vamp; the ingenue in the "Queen of Hearts" with Virginia Pearson; in "Here Comes the Bride" she played opposite Jack Barrymore. Her last serial work was in "The Lurking Peril" in which she played heavy.