The Photo-Play Journal (Jul 1919-Feb 1921)

16 Photo-Play Journal "Pretty Soft For Lloyd!" Says Earl Hughes But — when the tar-and-feather stuff comes along, Brother Earl admits that acting for the films isn't ALL play! W ISH I were a bank clerk!" Lloyd Hughes mourned, addressing his younger brother, Earl, on the morning of October 12th. "You make me sick!" Earl replied in true brotherly fashion. "Here you are, making a million a minute playing around the Ince studios— though Heaven knows how you do it — , while I toil from dawn to dark — ." "Except on bank holidays, which average three a week," Llovd interrupted. "Can that bunk!" was the terse, if inelegant reply. "Just for that, I'm going out to watch you work today." Then he added fiercely, "Work — you don't know the meaning of the word!" "And just for that," Lloyd retorted, "I'm going to show you !" Ten minutes later the two boys were speeding down Hollywood Boulevard in their Hudson, bound for Culver City and the Thomas H. Ince Studios, where the first Lloyd Hughes Feature, "Wheelbarrow Webster," is in the course of production. Arriving at the studio, Earl was "personally conducted" about the studio by Brother Lloyd. Offices, electric plant, wardrobe and property rooms, dark stages — Earl saw them all. A studio graflex man, notified of the presence of the "Young Visiter," made several pictures of the two boys ; and when at last the pair arrived at Lloyd's dressing room, Earl was more than ever of the opinion that studio life and real work were far removed from each other. Emerging from his dressing room after a session with the make-up box, clad in the somewhat dowdy garb of young "Wheelbarrow," the correspondence-school attorney who struggles for recognition in a country town, Llovd was greeted by a shouted: "Hey— LLOYD ! A little more speed, there ! What d' you think this is — a garden party?" "What's the mad rush?" the boy complained ; and then, to his brother, "That's John Griffith Wray, who's directing this picture— he's always hurrying me ! S' long, kid! See you later!" And Lloyd was off to "work." The "kid," left to his own devices, followed Lloyd over to a corner of the lot, where he established himself behind a friendly camera and awaited action. He had not long to wait. The hum of angry conversation arose from some two dozen burly-looking individuals who were gathered about a huge iron pot from which were wafted clouds of black and an evil smell. A little to one side, a gentleman of Satanic aspect was busily engaged in ripping open a feather bed with a pocket knife. "All right, Lloyd," Director Wray was saving, "Remember, there isn't a chance in the world Earl and Lloyd for escape — you're being tarred and feathered by an angry mob; but you're innocent, don't forget that! All read v. now— ACTION !" The angry hum becomes a roar as Lloyd was fiercely seized upon and borne struggling towards the steaming kettle. Then came a three-minute struggle, at the end of which Lloyd, rescued in the nick of time by a declaration of guilt from the culprit, emerged with tattered clothing, a black eye, and several other souvenirs of a very genuine conflict. "So you think I earn a million a minute 'playing' around the studio, do you?" said Lloyd to the skeptical Earl, caressing the while a rapidly-swelling lip. "Accept my heart-felt apologies, Brother," retorted Earl, in mock humiliation. "Why, 1 wouldn't work like that for a billion a minute!" "Oh, it isn't like this all the time," Lloyd hastened to assure him. "Yesterday I did nothing but play around with Gladys George, my leading woman — which wasn't half bad!" He finished boyishly. "I should say not !" Earl, a bit enviously conceded, "Shouldn't mind being in the business, myself." It is a matter of give and take between brother Lloyd and brother Earl. If Lloyd wakes first, Earl has the chance of swearing at Lloyd for rising too early, and Lloyrd has the chance of swearing at the director for making him get up at 5 :30 of the morning to go on location in some swamp where the snakes are none too friendlv. A matter of give and take it is, only in this instance more a matter of give than of take, for few brothers get on so well as Lloyd of the Hughes clan and his kin. Earl.