Motion Picture Story Magazine (Feb-Jul 1912)

134 CHATS WITH THE PLAYERS Not only is "Genie" a player, she is also a writer, and her ambition is to write a great psychological novel. Among her writings are a great number of successful scenarios. Not only is she a writer, she is a reader, her favorites being Browning, Mark Twain and biographies. She likes the seashore and the mountains, is very fond of sea voyages, but does not care for the farm. She does not care for receptions, dancing and society, and is wedded to her profession (the only wedding she ever had), which she loves dearly. She never appears before picture audiences, but is very fond of seeing herself on the screen, altho she is never entirely satisfied with her work. "I wonder if any Photoplayer ever lived who did not like to see his or her work on the screen," she said, and I guess she is right. I have received a letter from Miss Gauntier, which is so bright and breezy and so characteristic of this picturesque little woman 's personality that I will here quote the main part of it : Our little band is always called upon to do the unexpected, and so we should be used to surprises by now. But even the O'Kalems may be pardoned for being startled when, on Saturday, November 25th, in Jacksonville, Mr. Olcott called all to his room, told us to take off our "make-ups," and begin to pack up — that we were to leave Jacksonville (where we had just got comfortably settled for the winter) on the following morning for New York and sail on the Adriatic the next Saturday for Egypt and Jerusalem ! We had no time to question — there was such packing to be done, a hurry call sent to our dear Jacksonville friends to come in and say farewell. There was a supper set for us at midnight — toasts and expressions of love and tender leave-taking. There were five wildly delirious days in New York, getting together wardrobe, wigs, suitable clothing, passports and letters of influence (which, alas! I fear we will need badly before our trip is ended). And when finally our little crowd stood, flower and present-laden, on the deck of the big liner, gazing out eagerly for a last look into the faces of the friends who packed the gateways — not till then did we catch our breath and realize the many thousands of miles — the many long months that would separate us from our dear ones. But even this last moment was not to be ours, and theirs — or, perhaps, was to be theirs over and over again, as they sit in some picture house and see projected on the screen that very leave-taking — for the voice of Director Olcott rang out "Let 'er go, George!" The purr of the picture machine became audible to trained ears as it ate up yards of film. And then we reached the end of the pier and faced about for a last look at the friends, only to find ourselves gazing into another camera on shore, with the smiling face of Mr. Dobson at the crank, flanked by our firm, Mr. Long and Mr. Marion. So we folded the flags of all nations and the green and white Kalem pennants and passed away from New York — slipped by the well-known landmarks, the rows of piers, the Metropolitan Tower, the Singer Building, Coney Island — down, down the bay, and out into the ocean. And in all our minds there was a big wonder of when we would return and who would be there to greet us. All of you, dear friends, we hope, and we want you all to know — whether you live in Florida, in California, in all the length and breadth of our United States — that your names will be on our lips daily. In our thoughts you will cross with us the desert sands of Egypt and stand within the sacred temples of Jerusalem. "We will speak your names in sunny Italy and beside the River Jordan ! And you, friends, whom we do not know by name, but who nightly watch and recognize us on the screens of the picture houses — you it is whom we will strive to please in this, I might say, gigantic undertaking. We mean to give you the best work, the most interesting pictures it is possible for the O'Kalems to turn out. And if we meet with your full approbation we will feel amply repaid. Au revmr! MAE HOTELY, OF THE LUBIN COMPANY "X to, I have no idea when Miss Hotely will be in; she's out in her car, and |^ may be away for hours, ' ' the maid informed me. I emerged from the Metropole and stood looking down North Broad Street, wondering dejectedly what I should do next. There were two reasons for my dejection. I didn't want to go back to the office without my interview, and I had been looking forward to meeting this popular actress, whose pictured acting had pleased me so many times. It certainly was hard luck for