The Moving Picture Weekly (1920-1921)

20 THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY — Publicity Page for "The Triflers ' SOME DON'T FOR SCREENSTRUCK GIRLS. JUDITH ROBERTS, Universal's youngest star is a New York girl who began as a singer and dancer in a musical comedy. After a year in vaudeville, she was engaged for "cute girl" parts in Christie comedies. Then she went to Universal City to play in the Lyons and Moran comedies, and her youth, ability, tireless energy and intelligence soon won her important roles in more serious photoplays. Featured roles followed in such Universal successes as "The Love Swindler," "Beans," "A Taste of Life" and "The Deciding Kiss." In "Lasca" she was co-starred with Frank Mayo, and in "The Triflers," the newest Universal feature, she has a stellar role, supporter by David Butler. As Miss Roberts has achieved success while yet in her teens, her advice to aspirants for screen honors should prove interesting. Here are some of the youthful star's •don't. Don't imagine you are cut out for the screen just because you are blessed with a pair of dimples and a head of blonde hair. Mary Pickford has more than that to recommend her. Don't aspire to a screen career just because your friends tell you "you ought to be in the movies." It may be subtle flattery. Don't think of motion pictures unless you are prepared for hard work, rigid discipline and bitter disappointments. It is play for the audience only. Don't depend on "pull" to land you a soft berth in the films. It won't get you far. Don't expect a director to supply you with brains. That is nature's job. Don't travel to California with nothing more substantial than the hope of getting a position with a motion picture company. Hope is not legal -tender. Don't spurn an "extra" part. You must begin somewhere. Don't give way to discouragement. Talent will tell. Don't believe all you hear about ■"movie folks." They're just human. A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD STAR PLAYER. LITTLE Benny Alexander, a child marvel of the screen, plays an important vole in "The Triflers," the Universal photodrama which will be shown at the Theatre on . At the age of seven, Benny A'f.xander is regarded as a finished actor, able to depict the delicate shades of emotion with the accuracy of a veteran of the drama. Benny has been before the motion picture camera for three years. At the age of five, he was noticed by George Seigmann, the man who recently directed "The Trembling Hour," at Universal City. Some days later, D. W. Griffith asked Seigmann if he knew where he could find a clever little kid player about five years old. Mr. Seigmann suggested that Benny be given a trial. So capably did the little fellow depict a minor role that he was given an important part in "Hearts of the World." Through such productions as "The Turn in the Road" in which he was featured: in "The Better Wife," with Clara Kimball Young; "The White Heather" and "Tangled Threads;" he achieved a screen reputation that resulted in his being called to Universal City to appear in "The Triflers." SOME STUDENT! pORREST STANLEY, the Universal player, says that two cities claim his birth; New York claims it was Brooklyn and Brooklyn claims it was New York. However, his early life was spent in New York, where he attended grade school and won recognition as a diligent student. So diligently did he persue his studies that he spent five years with McDulTy's Fourth Reader and at the end of that time he knew more about it than McDuffy. After dashing through the preliminary school, Mr. Stanley entered Columbia University. At the famous old King's College, he excelled in such studies as penny-ante, kelly pool and the scientific analysis of Broadway musical comedies. At the completion of his college course, he went on the speaking stage, appearing in "The Bird of Paradise," "The Devil," "When We Were Twenty-One" and "Soldiers of Foi-tune," the last named production being his own show. Mr. Stanley's photodramatic career includes screen appearances with such stars as Edith Roberts, Ora Carew, Constance Collier, Blanche Ring and the late Anna Held. FOUR STARS SEEN IN "THE TRIFLERS." pOUR leading players, each of whom has been featured many times in his own right, have been assembled in the cast of "The Triflers," a late Universal special attraction, which will lead the program at the Theatre beginning next . Edith Roberts, the charming little hoyden "Lasca" who carried the title role in the picture made by Universal from the famous poem by that name, has in her support David Butler, Nell Craig and Forrest Stanley. Edith Roberts was widely known on the comedy screen before she was summoned to Universal City to star in such productions as "The Deciding Kiss," "Beans" and "Lasca." David Butler has been known for several years as a matinee idol at the Alcazar Theatre in San Francisco and on the Morosco stage in Los Angeles. Forrest Stanley is equally well known as a matinee hero, having appeared for ten years in such speaking stage .successes as "Fine Feathers," "The Bird of Paradise" and "The Light That Failed." Completing the role of fame in support of Edith Roberts is Nell Craig, who was a star in the pioneer Pathe filn: dramas of six years ago. Before Miss Craig's screen dynasty, she was a featured player with the Chestnut St'-eet Stock Company in Philadelphia. "The Triflers," will continue at the Theatre until . THIRTEEN NO JINX "The Triflers," the Universal photodrama, which is to be seen at the Theatre on , disproves the old superstition that thirteen is an unlucky number. Production on "The Triflers" was started at Universal City on October 13, and there are thirteen featured players in the supporting cast. "The Triflers" is the story of a shop girl who aspired to a higher soci^ position. Edith Roberts who was featured with Frank Mayo in "Lasca" is the star. Her leading man in the present production is David Butler, who has been seen of late in such Universal successes as "Bonnie, Bonnie Lassie" and "The Pointing Finger." In addition to Miss Roberts and Mr. Butler, the following named players appear in the supporting cast: Forrest Stanley, Frederick Vroom, Lillian Langdon, Katherine Kirkham, Charles Arling, Arthur Shirley, Arthur Hoyt, Olita Otis, Nell Craig, Colin Kenny and Benny Alexander.