Moving Picture Weekly (1915-1920)

14 THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY H ere s How Far Tkey Travel ^ND now new fields are being conquered. Far across the sea went "The Virgin of Stamboul" — far away to merry Amsterdam, Holland, where it was received with the greatest enthusiasm and loudly acclaimed by all critics, when it played at the Rembrandt Theatre there. It is some record that "The Virgin of Stamboul" is building up for itself. In every big city in the United States where it was given a showing it went over in great style. In every town, in every village and now in every hamlet that has a picture house, it is being gradually booked, and from all sides comes nothing but words of appreciation. "The Virgin of Stamboul" is a picture which lends itself easily to the most interesting and entertaining kind of publicity because of its romantic setting and the glamor of its story. Hence it is a showman's picture, an easy picture for the exhibitor to handle from the viewpoint of exploitation. Then, ton, it has a star, Priscilla Dean, than whom there are few more vivacious and spirited on the screen and who is popular whereever pictures are shown. Rembrandt Theatre, Amsterdam, Holland, where "The Virgin of Stamboul" went over "big." PRISCILLA SPEAKS HER MIND <*JT has never been my habit to poke fun at the screenstruck girl," recently remarked Priscilla Dean, the twinkling Universal star, "because I have learned to take her seriously, and many of the present day stars of the motion picture world were at one time screen-struck girls. I was not one myself because my mother was a prominent actress before I was born, and I went on the stage when I was four years old, playing little Gretchen in 'Rip Van Winkle' with the late Joseph Jefferson. The screen naturally followed. "Producers and directors are not concerned with what a girl was before she joined the motion picture profession; it's what she does afterwards that counts. "All belief to the contrary notwithstanding, the screen to-day is sadly in need of girls with ability and intelligence. A pretty face is an asset, but it will not carry a girl to real success unless supported by gray matter, ambition and common sense. Given ordinary good features, a good carriage, the ability to wear smart clothes and quantities of gray matter, and I'll back any girl for success against the merely pretty face which lasts for a year or two in the lightest of screen comedies. "The chief trouble with the majority of screen-struck girls is that they do not regard the films as a serious profession. They only see the glitter of the arc lights, and do not appreciate the hard work, bitter disappointments and constant worry that lies behind them. They do not realize that those who have won success have done so by years of constant endeavor and closest application. "Success on the screen is won not through any one characteristic, but through a curious combination of many. She must possess good health, for the work is ofttimes hard and trying. She must possess an enormous capacity for work, and she must have a certain amount of personal charm and magnetism. The scenario writer can supply an interesting story, the director can give her the most carefully thought-out 'business,' and the producer can garb her in the most attractive raiment, but unless the screen actress has that quality called magnetism, which makes itself felt by thP audience, she cannot hope for success. Magnetism usually has its basis in sincerity; sincerity is built on brains — the gray matter which is really more important an asset than a Cupid's bow mouth or a dimpled cheek." While Miss Dean's success on the Universal screen has been considered meteoric, one must not forget that she has been acting under the very finest masters of the drama since she first learned to speak. She has appeared in "The Wildcat of Paris," "The Wicked Darling," "Kiss or Kill," "A Silk Lined Burglar," "The Exquisite Thief" and "Pretty Smooth," on the screen. She is now taking the country and lots of other countries by storm in the current Jewel release, "The Virgin of Stamboul." And she has been working steadily for the past few months on a new picture called "Outside the Law," which was written for her by Tod Browning, the director, and for which he is handling the megaphone. Miss Dean will again be supported by Wheeler Oakman, who was her leading man in "The Virgin of Stamboul," and by such superb artists as E. A. Warren and Lon Chaney. If there is any one who is qualified to give advice to the screen-struck girl it is Priscilla Dean. She started in at the bottom and went tlirough all sorts of hard work and ^'en drudgery until she reached the heights.