Motion Picture Magazine (Feb-Jul 1922)

Mrs. Reid Returns (Continued from page 25) the matron, but rather as the debutante. "I left pictures just before baby, Billy, was born," she said as soon as her duties as hostess permitted. "There was never any reason why I shouldn't go back, and Wally was perfectly willing I should act if the right opportunity came along. "There were various times I put on my make-up. First, to play the lead in one of Wally's father's plays, 'Mothers of Men,' and, more recently in 'The Fighting Chance/ at Lasky's. "I believe that any woman who has ever been before the public in professional life always has a desire again to be before that same public — even if she is married. When you're used to a life replete with excitement, 3rou find you miss it terribly when you sit at home day after day with nothing to do but amuse yourself." Our conversation drifted to what is the greatest part of any woman's life — her husband. Mrs. Reid's eyes shone when I remarked that Wally is one of my screenfavorites, and we commenced to discuss his Anatol in the De Mille picture. "Heavens !" she exclaimed, "All during the making of that play we could hear of nothing else. Wally was crazy about Anatol. Anatol was exactly Wally himself. "Wally has so many moods that it is impossible to concentrate. Tonight he may come home from the studio and sketch or paint like mad. Tomorrow the sketching is forgotten in favor of his saxophone, and after he's played that for an hour his thoughts turn to writing poetry fervently. "A. woman is always fascinated by a man of moods. She never knows what he is going to do next — and the watchful waiting is interesting." The chief difficulty in her returning to the screen, she said, has been to get the proper vehicles. "Inasmuch as I am to use Wally's name, I feel that I owe it to him and to the Lasky company not to play anything that will discredit them. Personally, I have always liked 'heavy' roles. They are far more interesting than mere, straight leads. Yet imagine me," — and she laughed — "with this, snub nose doing 'heavies'!" But, to be a good ingenue, you have to be born with the spirit of youth in your soul, she says. "Why, at fourteen I was playing the mother of a four-year-old child on the stage. Mother needed a leading woman and couldn't afford to get one so I did the part — but I was as big then as I am now." Every film fan knows that Dorothy Davenport (Mrs. Reid) is a niece of the late Fanny Davenport, one of the truly brilliant figures in American theatrical annals. And, tho thoroly representative of latter-day theatricals, she is in herself the soul of acting. "No matter," she said, "where I may be or what I am doing, I shall always remember the public. I'm so surprised, tho, that they haven't entirely forgotten me, even now, after being off the screen all these years, I continue to get a number of letters, which always please me and make me just a bit hungry to get back. "But, somehow, nobody would ever believe that I have really zvanted to act and that Wally doesn't object if I do act. For no reason at all, everybody has married me off and finally retired me from the screen." But, as I was saying, Mrs. Reid is one of those scintillant souls who've been born with a sense of humor. Furthermore, she knows how to make use of it. Her conversation hits on all six all of the time and her train of thought keeps running in high. «0TMK'SIURR Her first story was bought by D. W. Griffith And she won the first cash prize of $2,500 in the J. Parker Reade contest against a field of 10,000 scenarios Frances White Elijah learned how to transfer her natural story telling gift to the screen. Will you send for a free test of your ability ? When Frances White Elijah was doing war work in her Chicago home, she never imagined she would become a successful photoplay wright. What reason had she to think she would ever write such ? letter as this to the Palmer Photoplay Corpoi ition : "I have Jin t received your check in payment for my story 'Waget ?d Love' which your sales department sold to D . W . Griffith. "It has scarcely been sixmonths since I registered with you and your assistance and encouragement have made my success seem like magic." Think what that means ! Her first story sold to one of the most discriminating producers in the world. And she had only started to train her story-telling gift six months before ! Today she enjoys fame and income; and the distinction of having written the best of 10,000 scenarios submitted in the J. Parker Reade contest. What does this story mean to you? If it causes you to ask yourself, "Could / sell a story to Griffith — or Ince — or any of the producers ?," this will prove the most interesting advertisement you ever read. Perhaps you could do that very thing At the outset, let us correct one false notion many people have. Literary skill, or the writing style required for novel and magazine authorship, cannot be transferred to the screen. The one and only requisite of photoplay writing is ability to think out and tell a good, dramatic story. Given that ability, any man or woman can be trained to write for the screen. But, you say, how can I know whether I have that ability? To answer that question is the purpose of this advertisement. The Palmer Photoplay Corporation will gladly apply to you a scientific test of story-telling ability, provided you are an adult and in earnest. And we shall do it free. Send for the Van Loan questionnaire The test is a questionnaire prepared for the Palmer Photoplay Corporation by H. H. Van Loan, the celebrated photoplaywright, and Prof. Malcolm MacLean, former teacher of short-story writing at Northwestern University. If you have any story telling instinct, if you have ever said to yourself when you left a motion picture theatre : "I believe I could write as good a screen-story as that," send for this questionnaire and find out for yourself just how much talent you have. With the active aid and encouragement of the leading producers, the Corporation is literally combing the country for new screen writers. Its Department^ f Education was organized to develop the writers who can produce the stories. The Palmer institution is the industry's accredited agent for getting the stories without which production of motion pictures cannot go on — stories for which producers are glad to pav from $500 to $2,000. It is the story tellers opportunity The same producer who bought Frances White Elijah's first story has rejected the work of scores of famous novelists and magazine writers. They did not possess the kind of talent suited for screen expression. Mrs. Elijah, who was absolutely unknown to the motion picture industry, and hundreds of others who are not professional writers have that gift. The Palmer Photoplay Corporation cannot endow you with such a gift. But we can discover it, if it exists, through our questionnaire. And we can train you to employ it for your lasting enjoyment and profit. We invite you to apply this free test Clip the coupon below, and we will send you the Van Loan questionnaire. You assume no obligation, but you will be asked to be prompt in returning the completed test for examination. If you pass the test, we shall send you interesting material descriptive of the Palmer Course and Service, and admit you to enrollment, should you choose to develop your talent. If you cannot pass this test, we shall frankly advise you to give up the idea of writing for the screen. It will be a waste of their time and ours for children to apply. This questionnaire will take only a little of your time. It may mean fame and fortune to you. In any event, it will satisfy you as to whether or not you should attempt to enter this fascinating and highly profitable field. Just use the coupon below — and do it now before you forget. Sample copy of the Photodramatist, official organ of the Screen Writers' Guild of the Author's League, the national photoplaywrights magazine, will be sent free with the questionnaire. Advisory Council Thomas H. Ince Thomas H. Ince Studios Cecil B. De Mille Director General Famous Players-La sky Corp. Lois Weber Lois Weber Productions, Inc. Jesse L. Lasky Vice-President Famous Players-Lasky Corp. C. Gardner Sullivan Author and Producer Frank E. Woods Chief Supervising Director Fa mo u s Players-Lasky Corp. James R. Quirk Editor and Publisher Photoplay Magazine Allan Dwan Allan Dwan Productions Roe Wagner Author and Screen Authority PALMER PHOTOPLAY Corporation, Dept. of Education, M-2 124 West 4th St., Los Angeles, Cal. Please send me, without cost or obligation on my part, your questionnaire. I will answer the questions in it and return it to you for analysis. If I pass the test. I am to receive further information about your Course and Service. Also send free sample copy of the Photodramatist. Name Address 85 PA£ i