Motion Picture Classic (Jul-Dec 1928)

Good Little Sport A Close-Up Of Bebe Daniels By CAROL JOHNSTON SHE'S Hollywood's favorite child. She has grown up with the movies, and the movies, with a bow to Mother Nature, can be congratulated on a really good job. Yes, sir, that's our Bebe — and the cinema city points with pride to this Miss Daniels who started almost ten years ago as Harold Lloyd's chubby little leading lady in those two-reel comedies for Hal Roach. She and Harold went together in girl-and-boy fashion. He used to take her riding in his little old rickety Ford. They went to the movies together, sharing a bag of peanuts between them. Today Harold is a multi-millionaire married to blonde Mildred Davis and the adoring papa of Baby Gloria. Today little Bebe is also rich, and famous. She isn't married, but that's her own fault. She has had and is still having plenty of offers. But somehow Bebe and domesticity don't seem to go together. To look at she is Spanish and seductive. The Spanish part is authentic, by descent. But the seduction — well, Bebe, personal, is the most honest, direct, and straightforward of femmes. She is almost boyish in her frankness. She looks straight out at you from honest brown eyes. No. coquetries of the obvious kind. But when there are men present, she directs her remarks to them. Resting in Mid-Air SHE is absolutely fearless. She's one stunt star who needs no double. In fact, she refuses to tolerate one on the set. She has been badly injured scores of times making dangerous scenes, but she keeps on. She's one of the few genuine equestriennes among picture people — and, you'll notice, moreover, one that rarely poses for pictures with her horse. She has been thrown from steeds as regularly as Edward Windsor and as regularly remounts. One of the first stars to fly, she is the first to venture a transcontinental airplane trip. Her idea of rest was to hop an airmail plane in California — and if you think a mail plane is a fitting vehicle for an expensive screen star, you're Rin Tin Tin — endure the journey with good humor, emerge in New Jersey, motor to Great Neck and the home, of Mr. and Mrs. Meighan, meet reporters, go for a swim — OiwniiJ^ and then, duly acclimatized, proceed to see all the shows in Manhattan, watch all the polo games, and be rumored engaged to a scion of a prominent New York family. This last, I'll admit, through no fault of her own, either. She was upset about it and insisted upon broadcasting a denial. She has been reported engaged before. Since she was almost-engaged to Harold, her name has been romantically linked with Michael Arlen's, Charlie Paddock's, and Jack Pifckford's. She remains Miss Daniels. Her Herd of Hobbies SHE is highly strung and nervous — temperamental in the best sense of the word. That is, she is mentally versatile. She dashes from one hobby to another. For a while it was golf. Then riding. Now she's crazy to fly a plane but Paramount won't let her. Around the studio she is adored. It isn't too much to say that she is the pet of the place. She's Paramount's pride and joy. She has grown to womanhood under their banner. The studio publicity force swears by her. She keeps appointments on time; she never lets people down if she can help it. As a worker, she's a wonder. She has the reputation of being the gamest of all the picture girls. She finished "Take Me Home," for instance, while she was running a temperature. She refused to stop work. Her doctor ordered {Continued on page 78) 51