Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1926)

Proved to be a Fine Painter That was after he went through a camera test inspired by Anna Q. Nilsson / -.. [ an I was having my hair curled by Betty Compson and Anna Q. when Anna said I was just the man for the lead in her next picture shaved just before leaving the hotel, so I felt more or less sure they would not insist 7^5 on much more than ^ ^Js^^'tt^iSui^ tlu' hair cur1' Even if they had meant to do more, they couldn't have, ^5&^1 Sfc^^ as -d that point I was ordered by big Jim Cruze, in his most authoritative " director " voice, to come out, have a chest expansion contest with him. I figured this was something an initiate had to go through with, and obeyed. We put ten dollars on the outcome and I won. Hezi Tate was the judge — I don't think he was prejudiced — well, anyhow I had my coat off and my hair curled and I'm pretty big and — well, anyhow, very suddenly Anna Q. said: "Say! you're just the man for the lead in my new picture." Well! I felt that, up to the moment, my masculine pulchritude had never been fully appreciated and I began looking for a mirror so I could enjoy it as well as they. But Anna continued, "He's a tramp." I stopped looking for a mirror. "At any rate," I said to myself, "it is an opportunity for some fine acting.'' And I began to feel better. "Come to the studio tomorrow morning," Anna said. "You'll have to have a test, you know." A test! what could that be? It sounded very ominous. I went home and dreamed of being tested. I was dropped from a balloon, run over by a [ continued on page no ] Peter B. Kyne and H. C. Witwer watched me and Anna get tested Anna Q. 31