The Moving Picture Weekly (1916-1917)

12 ■THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY Carter De Haven m in "The Sody Clerk" / f, The First Episode of •"Timothy ^ j ' I jr . v Dobbs-Thal's Me" ^ ''^t WRITTEN by Bess Meredyth and pro ' ""^-^ duced by Wallace Beery. Our hero \ first realizes that he is a star — ' _ Timothy admits he has talent, consents to . -^-.^kii^ ^ ;« )1 place it at disposal of movie magnates. So he deserts the Sody Fountain. ^^^^^B^SSl^Blt: Timothy Dobbs Carter De Haven ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H^,'* Jeff Robert Milash ^^^^^^^^^H^PlB ^ Mary Vola Smith i^^H^^HB^^^R^ •r '^nB Millie Helen Leslie Clarkson L. M. Wells Tiviothy prepares to leave TREMENDOUS amount of publicity has been expended upon the nattily clad person of Carter De Haven. As a dancer and singer in musical comedy and in vaudeville he has been before public for some years and always with increasing popularity, and always with the aforementioned publicity. But it is safe to say that he is embarking in the "Timothy Dobbs — That's Me," series on a new era even in his well known career. This series of two-reel features has already been booked in the majority of large picture houses in the larger cities and the smaller places are waiting eagerly for their turn. And this merely on the strong and convincing talk which the advertising and publicity departments have made. The officers of the Universal have a tremendous amount of confidence in this star and in this feature series, and inasmuch as they have already seen eight of the episodes, they feel justified in taking the lid off the publicity valve and letting her "screech her head off." The general idea of the series is well known by this time and needs no comment here. Carter De Haven is the star of the series and as a soda clerk we introduce him. He does not stay by the fountain long as he has visions which are much more effervescent than any that the one-horse Centreville fountain ever could impound. Timothy Dobbs in the first episode hitches his wagon to a start, but there is too much dead weight. Then there is Jeff, the gigantic and single-minded servitor, who now becomes his valet. The role is played by Robert Milash, whose six and a half feet of towering flesh and bone have kept him absolutely at the top of the theatrical profession for a number of years. He is twice the height of Carter De Haven. The other characters do not appear in every chapter, but they will be intro Their hero. duced here at the beginning. There is Mary Clarkson, the druggist's daughter, a loving and plain-minded miss, who never aspired any higher than a soda clerk. Vola Smith plays Mary. Gwendolen Bates, on the other hand, thinks of nothing else than movie actors and can't see Timothy at all until he invents a moving picture contract. This character is taken by Helen Leslie. L. M. Wells is cast as the druggist. Wallace Beery, who directed the series, plays occasionally in the studio scenes, which will be shown later. The story opens in a drug store in the small town of Centerville. The elite are there, and Timothy Dobbs, the elegant dispenser, the male Pavlowa, is dispensing drinks to Mildred, the banker's daughter. The girls all adore him, and the boys despise him accordingly. The place is patronized by all the fair sex, who flock to see Timothy. Mary, the plain daughter of old Clarkson, adores him in secret. Timothy lives with Jeff in an old farmhouse which his mother left him, with incidentally an income of three hundred a year. Jeff adores him, is his valet, cook and protector. The boys stand it as long as possible, then frame up to catch Timothy on his way to the dance hall. Mary overhears this and goes to warn him, but he has gone, so Mary tells Jett. The two rush out and rescue him as the boys toss him into the water. Jeff catches him in his arms so that he does not even get wet. Timothy is more of a hero than ever. All goes well until Gwendolyn Bates comes to visit Millie. It is Gwendolyn who sows the movie hero-worship seed (Continued on page 45.)