Motography (Jul - Dec 1915)

582 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIV, No. 12. BILLIE BURKE OFF FOR COAST Latest Triangle Star Obtains in Motography First Glimpse of Bungalow and Yacht Prepared for Her On Wednesday of last week Chicago had the pleasure of entertaining dainty, dimpled, debonaire Billie Burke, from the East, with the red gold glinting in her hair on the first stage of her jump west to engage in moving pictures with the new Triangle Film Corporation. Billie Burke is the first Frohman star to go in for moving pictures, and she certainly has the best reason thus far advanced for the artiste to enter motography. Primarily Messrs. I n c e and Sullivan have written for her exclusive appearance the quaintest and cleverest scenario on a Scotch theme in eight reels in which she will appear in roguish, elfish, win aime mime. , r i some sort 01 a role, one peculiarly adapted to her protean powers. She will have in support a cast embracing one of America's greatest character actors, W. H. Thompson, and other notables. Secondarily Billie Burke is to receive for her five weeks' work in the one picture the tidy fee of $40,000, together with an allowance of $2,000 for her costumes, and seven fares to and from New York to California, not to remark a spacious bungalow on Catalina and a private yacht at her disposal, all of which easily establishes a new high water mark for moving picture service. Billie Burke and her husband, the famous Flo Ziegfeld, were met at the Twentieth Century Limited by George Bowles who has "had 'em in line" for five weeks past at the Illinois and now has 'em at the Colonial to see "The Birth of a Nation" at the regular one and two dollar tariffs ; together with Mason Peters who is to manage the Triangle attractions at the Studebaker, and representatives of all the daily papers doubly armed with pencils and cameras. It was an imposing welcome and quite fussed the modest little lady, but her husband urged her to do her duty, so she posed graciously and gracefully. The LaSalle Station is not as bloomingly light as the land of the Midnight Sun and she was asked to get back into the train, look out of the window and wave for the uplift of ambitious photographers. Miss Burke did and climbed back on the train, but she had only one wave to the responsive chorus of clicking cameras when the switch engine, that knew nothing about the art, began to briskly drag the empty train out toward the yards. She gave a scream and started for the rear platform, but the train had gained headway and it looked as if some rival picture concern was about to kidnap the star. Then George Bowles, who was once an athlete in jumping in and out of the pit on the Chicago Board of Trade, caught the fair lady and with a flying leap she was restored to her friends with her hat on straight. "I do not mind surprises, but kindly give me a hint after this," said Miss Burke as she climbed into a taxi and was whirled away to the Blackstone cuddling her Scotch doggie that had been her accompanist in all the commotion. When Miss Burke gave audience to the representative of Motography, she was engaged in looking at that periodical and taking the first view of her bungalow and yacht, pictured therein. "The Triangle is certainly on the square," she remarked appreciatively as she studied the look ahead. "This will be my sixth visit to Los Angeles and I have agreeable anticipations — for the people of California are the most courteous and hospitable I have ever met, and the very air out there is a tonic to me. I do not wonder that it is fine for photography, for one necessarily looks pleasant — Ince is a prince and Griffith a genius — I shall certainly get along. I do hope I will not be camera shy !" "Nonsense," interrupted her admiring husband, "It's nothing but a click, don't pay any attention to it ! You will be all right." "You see," continued Miss Burke, "I take my art very seriously : and I never could quite understand why people called me cute and cunning, until I saw myself in pictures. A winter or two ago the Kinamacolor people came up to my home on the Hudson and caught me sledding and snowballing. They presented me with a reel of myself so that I saw my celluloid self and was agreeably surprised at the playful results. "My costumes for the Scotch fantasie have been made from specially designed plates and my mother thinks they are charming and she has exquisite taste — so has Flo — and he is the last word in costumes. My best friends and sincerest critics and the home jury are satisfied, so that is a hopeful beginning. Presently it will be up to Motography and the other papers to pass upon the substance in the shadow and they will speak for themselves. "I have been repeatedly urged to appear in pictures and Tom Ince finally won me over. Now do not for a moment get the idea that I am leaving the stage for the screen — I am doing this one picture for Mr. Ince and then I return to my vocation on the theatrical stage. While I believe that pictures is one of the most ingenious entertainments ever devised and has real artistic values, I am strong for the stage with its spoken word, the influence of the dramatist and the personality of the artists. Moving pictures are wonderful beyond compare, interesting and attractive ; but, I do not just know how it will be without the inspiration of the audience." Mr. Ziegfeld corroborated his wife's statement that she would be on the stage this season in a play under his management, as yet untitled. He further declared that Thomas Ince was anxious to sign up Miss Burke for a three-year contract at $150,000 per annum, but she did not want to give up the stage. He is an enthusiast in pictures and was one of the first managers in New York to introduce moving pictorial effects in play — the famous tiger chorus being one of the pioneer effects of music and animated photography on the theatrical stasre.