Exhibitors Herald (Oct-Dec 1920)

December 25, 1920 EXHIBITORS HERALD 133 Why Talmadges Welcome the New Year NORMA AND CONSTANCE TALMADGE will spend even a merrier Christmas than usual this year, and are about to begin an extraordinarily happy and prosperous New Year, because 1921 rinds them in possession of a contract to continue under the First National banner for another three years, under terms said to represent the largest individual transaction in all film historv. With a deal involving S20.000.OOO. Mr. Schenck can naturally afford to give his stars bigger and better productions than ever before, and already has bought no less than eight successful Broadway productions, paying anywhere between forty and seventy-five thousand dollars each for the picture rights. The past year has been an unusually happy one for the sisters, because the entire family is now living in New York, and with the enlarging of their studios — the Oliver studios adjoining the Talmadge studios, having been leased for a long term by Mr. Schenck — there is no likelihood of the sisters again being separated. * * * Another milestone which the past year marks for the talented Talmadges is that for the first time in their lives they took COXST.pCE TALMADGE Xow engaged in making "The Man from Toronto" for First National. a three months' vacation abroad, the party consisting of Mother Talmadge, or "Peg," as she is familiarly called by her daughters; Mr. Schenck, Norma, Constance and Natalie, their chums, Ann Pallette and Dorothy and Mrs. Gish. The Talmadges are distinctly a family group. A strong comaraderie and interest exists between the sisters, and the mother is just a fourth sister. Norma and Constance see each other's pictures run in the projection room and are critical or enthusiastic, as they honestly believe the action demands. There is a nice air of being "regular girls" about both Norma and Constance, which augurs above all else, a sane perspective, a nicely balanced sense of things, equipoise. There is none of the irrational about them and no bizarre evidences of temperament. They get a real enjoyment out of their work, which amounts to almost a consuming passion. "I could never stand the gentle art of doing nothing," says Norma. "The summer before last I took a two months vacation and went to a camp in the Adirondack Mountains. Atlantic Cits', and took a motor trip to various places, "but after one month I nearly went mad. I wired the studio every two or three days to get the news of what was going on. I love the whole atmosphere of the place so much that I cut my vacation a month short and hurried home to get back into harness." Both the girls are quite unconcerned about the eminence they have achieved. The same comaraderie which exists in the family exists in the studio. They are interested in the life of every member of their companies, and can even tell you the first name of every property man. They love peopje. and they love good times, and best of all, they have ideals, and do not attempt to conceal them. They believe in people and they believe in things, they even believe in Santa Claus and fairies. W hen asked about their plans for the coming year, Norma said she wanted to play strong dramatic emotional roles, which have in them something more than just the opportunity to act, which besides being true character portrayals would at the same time be helpful. Miss Talmadge explains her great popularity with young girls, who compose a tremendous percentage of her admirers, as follows: "I have often been asked why it is that I have such a particularly large following among young girls. I get on an average of between 2.500 and 3.000 letters a week, and I think it would be safe to say that approximately 1,800 of these are from young women between the ages of 14 and 25. I think it must be because I truly love them and sym XOHMA TALMADGE Popular motion picture star, who will appear under the Fir.st Nntional banner for another three years. pathize with them, and strive to understand them, that young women are particularlv drawn to me." When Constance was asked what sort of stories she wanted to do next year, she said: "Although no less than sixty manuscripts .are submitted ,to me every week, it is exceedingly difficult to get exactly the kind of comedy I especially want. I want comedies of manners, comedies that are funny because they delight one's sense of what is ridiculously human in the way of little every-day, commonplace foibles and frailties — subtle comedies, not comedies of the slapstick variety. I want comedies chiefly because I enjoy making people laugh: secondly, because this type of work comes easiest and most naturally to me. "I am not a highly emotional type. My sister could cry real ears over two sofa cushions stuffed into a long dress and white lace cap. to look like a dead baby. That is real art, but my kind of talent would lead me to bounce that padded baby up and down my knee with absurd grimaces that would make the same nine hundred people roar with laughter. You see, in my way, I take my work quite as seriously as my sister does hers — I would be just as in earnest about making the baby seem ridiculous as she would about making it seem real. That. I think, is the secret of being funny on the speaking stage, as well as on the screen. One has to be serious in one's levity. This gives the whole distinction between being funny and being silly."