Motion Picture Story Magazine (Aug-Dec 1913)

170 TEE MOTION PICTURE STORY MAGAZINE applauding Grant ! Memorial Day, fathers and children meet in the cemetery, and reconciliation follows, and all are happy in a united North and South. Martial airs of both sides were played, and I never before saw so enthusiastic a house over Moving Pictures. The scenery in the "Girl in the Orange Grove," a Florida story, is natural. It might all have taken place near Tampa. The water scene where the girls were drowning themselves was probably taken on the Tampa Bay Hotel ground, a few feet from where I frequently sit to write, as that curving stone sidewalk had an extremely familiar look. But the orange grove girl was 'way behind on bloomers. She should come to Ruskin and see the dainty, pretty suits our college girls wear. Hers were just overalls and waist, very convenient to pick oranges, but not at all artistic. Our Ruskin girls wear suits of middy and khaki trousers for work, and pretty blues and whites, and one color trimmed with another, for school and play. With white stocki!;5Ts and slippers they look very dainty and Turkish, and those who are inclined to scoff soon learn to admire. Why do we not have more Florida plays? Florida scenery is unique and picturesque. The State has had Indians and Spanish and French and plenty of romantic history that ought to be good material. The colony life of the present ought also to be of interest. 1 hear there is a new company starting at Tampa, so perhaps we will have more of Florida some day. You ask for hints and suggestions for the magazine. I have three to offer. The first is applicable to a large number of magazines. 1. Why, oh why, does not every magazine put name of month and year plainly on the cover, not merely on the back, where the date is always at the bottom, and is sure to wear off, so when you have a pile of old magazines to file, you have to hunt sometimes for both month and year? It is exasperating and bad for one's temper. It makes so much entirely unnecessary work. Life is too short to spend that way. Month and year should be plainly marked on both back and cover of every magazine. Wish you would set the example. 2. Give us a good letter department every month. We are all interested in knowing how it is in different states and countries. 3. You are making us acquainted with the players ; now make us acquainted with the authors, the writers of the good picture plays. Who are they? How many of them are writers known in other fields? It seems to me that it must take as much mental ability to work out a really good picture play as it does to write a good story or a good novel. Who is doing this work? A multitude of unknown writers who study out a play or two and then stop? If so, it would of course be impracticable to make us acquainted with them all. But if there are writers who are sending forth a succession of good plays, we, the public, want to know about them, just as we want to know about the men and women who write the books we read. Please tell us how it is. Here's a charming little letter from "Little Mary," written while she was in bed, in the hospital, a couple of months ago: Dear Editor — With my nurse's special permission I'm going to write a few lines of explanation. This morning the Famous Players forwarded my mail, and in it was a letter from your magazine, stating that you had requested me four times to send my picture to a Miss Caldwell. I wrote Miss Caldwell a letter and autographed two pictures, parceled them, but didn't mail the letter nor the pictures, as I was taken so terribly ill. I was in bed over two weeks at home before being moved here, making, in all, nearly a month since I've been on my foet. However, I'll write the young lady today and have my mother send the pictures. There are three other young ladies I've neglected to send the pictures to, but I'll have mother attend to it. Miss Edna Wright gave me that little book you sent me, for which I wish to thank you. I'm going to read it over several times. Miss Wright told me you were going to print that snap^ shot of me taken standing by the machine. I'm going to ask you please not to, as I dislike it. If you care to have some of my pictures, I'll gladly give you as many as you wish. Marceau took several poses, and none of them have been used. I would love to thank the dear people, thru your magazine, for the beautiful flowers, letters and telegrams I've received since I've been ill. Many of them have only signed their initials, so I cant write them personally. God -has been good in giving me back my life. One time (the night of my operation) I was fully prepared to die. In fact, no one expected me to live, not even the doctors or nurses, and consider my recovery most wonderful. It is a splendid feeling to slowly gain back one's life and strength. I'm sorry for the grief and terrible anxiety I caused my dear family and friends, but, thank goodness, it's all over, and I'll be up in another two or three weeks. I'll close now, as I'm beginning to feel tired. Wishing you and the entertaining Motion Picture Story Magazine continued success. Sincerely, Mary Pickford. P.S. — I hope you will be able to read this. I'm not permitted to sit up, so have written this with only one pillow under my head. M. P. Mr. George W. Gauding, proprietor of the Lyric Theater, in Pittsburgh, writes as follows: It has been some time since the writer has had occasion to write you, but if you recall when your publication first made appearance, in 1911, I corresponded with you on several occasions— sending different items to you. Now I am conducting the above theater, in conjunction with my other business. I have not had an opportunity to write you before this regarding The Motion Picture Story Magazine, which I consider the best ever, not forgetting the fact that it was the pioneer in the field. I have been interested in it since its organization and am, at the present time, a client of the Photoplay Clearing House, having two scripts listed with them. Concerning the magazine, will say the Greenroom Jottings is certainly a valuable addition. And from the Gallery of Picture Players I have succeeded in assembling a very attractive gallery. Am enclosing one of our feature schedules, devoid of advertising except for the theater. Later we expect to publish a four-page bulletin regularly ; having my own printing establishment, can do it economically. Wishing you continued success, beg to remain. Yours truly, Geo. W. Gauding. Miss M. M. G., of 559 Evergreen Avenue, Brooklyn, pays us this high compliment: The Motion Picture Story Magazine is the book that made Brooklyn famous. In fact, it is the best thing that ever "happened*' in Brooklyn.