Photoplay (Jan 1921)

Stellar Supports M Or, one way to climb that ladder of fame ANY a woman has climbed to fame on a good pair of legs." said the old gateman with a chuckle. "Now what put that into your head?-' I asked, as the mournful notes of Wallie Reid's pet saxophone began to float down to us from his dressing room in the wardrobe building. "Well, there goes Julia Faye," said the gateman. 'They call her the legs o' the Lasky lot,* you know.'' "The legs of the Lasky lot!" I Rasped. "What in the world — " "Sure. Tisn't so surprising. There's a sight of mighty fine ladies can't qualify below the knee. Did you ever happen to think why all the Lasky women have such nice lookin feet, an' ankles, an' — an' limbs? In the close-ups^ " 'Cause then they're Julia Faye.'' "Goodness !" said I. "Makes her a mighty useful little person to have around the place, don't it?. Yep, Julia' a nice girl; and she's been the legs of most every close-up picture that ever got posed 'round this studio. I'm not mentioning any names, 'cause it's my policy to be friendly with everybody on the lot. but we've had stars an' leadin' ladies on this lot who never graced no Follies show, "The legs of the Lasky lot — and or almost every close-up ever posed around that studio. They belong to Miss Julia Faye. At the left — Lila Lee 9 perfect hands, 'which figure in all the inserts. I'wtogriph by VV. R. Scott. A little bit more of Julia, who has furnished jhi^orin^iDalsupportfo r so man unless Mr. Zeigfeld's changed his ideas on dressin' em considerable. So if they have to show their legs, they send for Julia." "Not Gloria." I pleaded. "Nope. Gloria Swanson never had to have nobody double for her for nothing. Besides, when you see her feet an'— an' so forth, they're usually attached to her, if you know what 1 mean. But Miss — No. I ain't goin' to mention names." Wallie had started on "The End of a Perfect Day" and 1 was about to take his word for it and go home when the old gateman let out another wild guffaw. "An' by gum, there's the hands o' the Lasky lot. too We're settin' pretty."' I peered down the driveway, golden in the Hollywood sun, and beheld Lila Lee, wrapped in a bedquilt. "Must a' been doin' a drownin' scene.'' surmised the old gateman, "Looks kind o' ratty, don't she? She'^ our hands, though. I bet I've seen her pose for a thousand inserts and hand close-ups. since she's been with us. Some sculptor guy we had out here buildin' sets, said her hands were perfect. Right there he elected her for a lot o' hard work. Next time you see a close-up. or an insert, of a woman's hand, I don't care who's supposed to lie attached to the other end of it. ten to one. it's Lila's. "I dessay there's fewer ladies in pictures with nice hands than with good — er — ankles. The girl with the prettiest face may have hands strong and heavy and red enough to do the housework. I knew a girl once, worked here, too. that had a big name tor beauty ; she started in the chorus but didn't stay there, the managers figuring that the chorus was no place for a dame with a face artist > raved about. They were right. But when she came out here to work in pictures she fell down. Flat. Julia Faye had to work so hard posing for knee close-ups for her they figured it would be cheaper to can the beauty. The saxophone announced that Wallie had the "Prohibition Blues" and I quit, feeling I'd cone quite far enough into the Lasky lot anatomy for all practical purposes.