Motion Picture Magazine (Mar-Jul 1918)

(pM0; TION piCTURF MAGAZINE U eight hundred miles to an Indian reservation. When we got there we found braves playing tennis, the squaws riding around in Fords and the pappooses dressed up in Buster Brown suits." This anecdote testifies to the reality of Miss Leslie's smile. It is not affected, but is inspired by a genuine sense of humor. It sometimes is rather upsetting to her associates, particularly when she institutes a period of joyfare, and just wont stay put in any set, but dashes around like a kitten on a1 catnip orgy. Recently when Edward Earle and Agnes Ayres were filming scenes of the one-reel domestic comedies in which they starred, Miss Leslie came dashing into the set wearing an attire that was betwixt-andbetween that of a Swedish housemaid and Mrs. Noah of the Ark. "My!" she exclaimed. "You people certainly have a beautiful set. You o Light to see mine. It looks like something that the rats couldn't rent. Let me play with you. Wouldn't it be fun if I played your cook — or something?" "A cook on a star's salary! Nothing doing!" cried Earle. "No, and I'd never have a maid with a million-dollar smile serving grapenuts to my husband," broke in Miss Ayres, who plays "Sweetie" to Earle's "hubby." Just then Director Earle arrived in search of his vagabond star. He quietly approached her, knelt down and with great care took her dimensions with a tape-measure, then scratched his head. "You wont do," he replied gravely. "Their kitchenette is three by four and you are two by five." "You win," exclaimed the Smile, and trotted back to her garret ready for work. Had the director assumed dictatorial methods, however, she would probably have insisted upon playing prune-bearer in the comedy, but when worsted with her owns weapons she readily acceded. Another evidence of the Smile's autocracy is the smileage tax which she levies on every one from the colored porter to the president. She seems to have an inexhaustible supply of coupons. Indeed, some have accused her of counterfeiting, because they claim the Government couldn't turn them out fast enough for her consumption. "I am tempted to believe you are giving aid to the enemy," remarked Webster Campbell, as he made his twentieth contribution to the smileage fund. And Webster should know, for is he not foiling spies every clay in the New York State picture in which Governor Whitman appears? Webster bases his suspicion on the argument that Gladys, thru the medium of her smileage fund, will have all our troops in the movies when they should be in the front-line .trenches. You probably know that the object of the smileage campaign is to provide Sammies with amusement while at rest-billets behind the lines. As Miss Leslie has two brothers "Over There," she is particularly interested in the propaganda. But the smileage girl does not spend all her time in pranks— not by any means. I w3: told that she is one of the hardest wo:kers in the studio. Miss Leslie may smile and yet be serious. She has made a very extensive and intensive study of picture production during her short career before the camera, and she is quick to catch any false note. When her director had returned and the party adjourned to the home set, the star suddenly found a flaw in the 'script.' It seems that she was supposed to enter the place for the first time, glance around with a smile and exclaim, "Oh, aint this a nice place !" "That will never do," declared the star, "because I have registered that expression in two other scenes, and it is about time I become a little sophisticated." As she was about to make her entrance, she exclaimed, "Do you know the dome light isn't working? We must have more light on the scene." _ The man who manipulated the illumination had not noticed that the "dome" had gone out; thus little Miss Leslie had saved several feet of film and a "retake." When I was ready to make my departure, I said: "I am going to call you the American autocrat." "Autocrat? — American?" murmured the star, giving me only about $500,000 worth of the million-dollar smile. "There isn't any such thing as an American autocrat — unless you mean a person who makes people do the right thing in a democratic way." "I do," I replied. "All right," she cried, turning on the illumination full power. "Then buy a smileage book !" And I did, and I hope that when you see that smile of the best little autocrat that ever plugged for democracy, you'll rush right out and buy a whole book of smiles for the boys she's working for. PRESENCE OF MIND OF DIRECTOR REICHER SAVES EDITH STOREY FROM 600FOOT FALL Edith Storey, .Metro star, feels that she owes her life to Frank Rcicher, her director, for only Reicher's presence of mind saved her from a plunge of 600 feet from a precipice into a rocky abyss. Miss Storey and her supporting cast in "The Claim" were on location in the mountainous region about twenty miles outside of Hollywood, Cal., where Metro has its Western studio. The scene being filmed was one of two men in a contest to the death on the verge of a di, zy cliff, and altho Miss Storey was not required to appear in it, she became absorbed in the situation and gradually edged closer and closer, without realizing how near to the verge of the precipice she was approaching. Director Reicher also was deeply engrossed in the scene, but he had warned 'the two actors of their danger and had instructed one of them that he was to stop on cignal three feet from the rocky rim. Before it was time for the signal, however, Miss Storey was a scant yard from the edge of the declivity, her back to the yawning chasm. Then Reicher saw he peril. He feared to shout a warning, for had Miss Storey made an involuntary backward step she would have plunged over to instant death. So, thinking quickly, he turned to her and quietly said : "Just hold that pose, Miss Storey! Dont move a bit !" With an actress' instinct, the star stood rooted in her tracks. Reicher advanced to her, took her hand, and then slowly led her back to a place of safety. And she wasn't told until her return to the studio how narrow had been her escape. THE COMFORTER By L. M. Thornton I hadn't anything to do With Jimmie gone to war ; I'd read the magazines all thru, Some comfort seeking for. But all the while I missed the lad In training camp away, And so, to keep from being sad, I sought a picture play. And would you guess I did just that, And think of what I found — A bunch of soldiers busy at A Southern training ground ; A mimic battle, trenches, foe ; Thru eyes a little dim I watched, but leaving, felt as tho I'd had a glimpse of Jim. Here's another of those "Hashimura Togo" postcards which has just reached the management of the Rialto Theater, New York City: "Dear Sir — Please excuse me to communicating you. Am one of the most admirers of movie. Of late I have a habit to collect every movie theater's program in world, and I can collect as many as I cant count. But I am very sorry that I have no program of Rialto Theater, the most opulent and most beautiful movie hall in the world, every man say. By above reason I should be much obliged if you will kindly send me one program. If you wish, I'll send you some Japanese programs. "I remain, "Yours sincerely, "Masao Kato. "176 Chome Idamachi, Kojimachi Ku, Tokio, Japan."