The Moving Picture Weekly (1916-1917)

•THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY 23 Now Priscilla Dean Breaks Her Arm lUST after the Universal Publicity Department had finished writing a story about the tremendous struggle in which Priscilla Dean had taken part with Emory Johnson, lavishing all of the sympathy possible upon it (see last week's Weekly for details), comes a wire stating that she had broken her arm in two places, and will be unable to appear before the camera for nearly a month. It is unusual for a director of motion pictures to support his own leading players, but this is what Stuart Paton had to do the other day, after a scene for the Universal serial, "The Gray Ghost," which he is producing from the Saturday Evening Post success by Arthur Somers Roche. The director had staged a scrap between Priscilla Dean, the young beauty who plays Mom Light, the heroine, and Emory Johnson, who plays Wade Hildreth, the hero. Heroes and heroines do not usually indulge in fights in photoplays, but this serial is extraordinary from every point of view. The heroine is ejected from his room by the hero, and when Johnson went through a rehearsal of the scene he was surprised to find how easily Miss Dean shook herself free. "Here," said Paton, "there will have to be more punch in that. Try it again." This time the muscular leading man put forth all h i s strength, but he found i t impossible to move the leading lady, who clung to the door frame like a leech. "Why, your'e as strong as a wrestler!" exclaimed Johnson. "I'll have to treat you like a man." There was a real fight which lasted several m i n utes before the director called "Cut!" "Best battle between a man and a woman I ever filmed," he said; "that was fine. Move over to the next set." After fifteen minutes to regain their breath, Paton started rehearsing a scene in which Miss Dean and Emory Johnson, imprisoned in a dedeserted and mysterious house, seek an avenue of escape. As they search about, suddenly they drop through a trap-door into a small dungeon beneath, built entirely of steel. Paton "No, no, Mr. Paton. She can't work with that arm,' Mr. McRae. "Let her take a little rest." Priscilla looks the rest. says mm. St <^f?EATEl? WHO Will pktatethe TLI?M5 OF PEACE didn't think it necessary to rehearse the fall, as it was getting late. The height was only eight feet, and no accident was anticipated. "The stunt had been carefully planned and mathmatically measured in such a way that the players were expected to alight safely on their feet, but as the trap was sprung they lost their balance, and Miss Dean struck heavily on her left side with her arm doubled up under her body. Johnson had no bones broken, but was badly bruised in the fall. When the two players were rushed to the Universal emergency hospital, however, it was discovered that Miss Dean's arm was fractured in two places between the wrist and the elbow. The fracture was dressed by the hospital surgeon, and Miss Dean was taken to her home in Mr. Paton's car. But it will be fully a month before she can appear before the camera. Production work, however, will not be held up, as Paton is <Juite a ways ahead now, and he can work on sets which do not require Miss Dean's presence, until she is able to appear. The story is being slightly re-written, too, to enable her to appear in a few later scenes with a bandaged arm. Striking drawing by Hy. Mayer for the Universal Animated Weekly. "THE LAIR OF THE WOLF." (Continued from page 11) order, and is so quiet yet forceful that she cannot fail to make an unqualified success of her recently chosen profession. As her stage name was derived from that of a family ancestor, there is a possibility that she may be a relative of the celebrated Drew family in the theatrical profession. At any rate. Miss Donna hap proven herself a remarkably able screen actress> and her talent is bound to expand.