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

22 HAPPY-GO-LUCKY ALICE ! That's what they call winsome, vivacious Alice Lake, Metro's popular featured player. The description fits her to perfection. For if you saw her tripping in and out of the studios, for all the world a care-free creature of moods, refusing to take the whole work of acting before the camera as anything but a glorious jollification, you would not question that she has qualified for the title, with all the qualities implied in the term. Persons who work with her say she is a wonder for getting the most out of life and never worrying about happening:that others would fret over. They say she is alive in every cell of her body, with a fund of nervous energy that permits her to expend a tremendous amount of force and yet have enough left for her diversions outside of work. We certainly believed it all after catching a glimpse of her in the studio, whither, we went determined to corral her into a leisurely interview about herself. She came bouncing into a spacious setting on one of the enclosed stages and beckoned to a group of fellow players nearbv. Tt was just after lunch and the director was absent. "Here, quit your gabbing and let's do something. We have time for a few dances. Somebody ask me to dance, quick !'' Nobody could resi>t her infectious spirit. In a second, all had caught her enthusiasm and were dancing to the strains of jazz from the victrola. ''That's Alice — always on the go and never tired," someone remarked. After this little intermission. we were prepared for the more or less exacting adventure of attempting to capture her attention. If she proved so mettlesome in this brief interval, we would hardly expect her to have enough patience to sit down and answer questions. But we promised ourselves to be severe and insist on her giving us as much time as we required. Neediess to say. our resolve came to naught. Her exit from the set was folloyed by a whirlwind search for her hat, and a wild rush into the street, just as if she were in New York and were bent on catching a subway express in twenty seconds or so. P h o t o P i ay Jo it r n a I ALICE LADY OF THE LAKE B) JACK LEWIS "Wait a minute, Miss Lake," we shouted frantically, as we saw our prey slipping out of our grasp. "1 came here to interview you." It -was an important moment, let us confess. We really felt she would not have time even to turn around and give us a wee word of consolation. But she did, and the unexpected happened. "Certainly you can do that, but I can't wait a minute. I'm off this afternoon and I've an engagement for a horseback ride. Am awfully anxious to get there." Thus it was that we started the talk, enjoying the odd sensation of interviewing at a pace that seemed ungodly and absolutely unnece->ar_\. "Isn't it great to be alive!" she exclaimed, after we had dropped a furtive remark about her being an exceptionally good walker. We had hoped in this way to call attention ro her haste, but it fell fiat. Then we switched the talk to another vein. "Of course. m\ work on the screen means everything to me." she confided with a smile. "It is the most perfect medium for calling into play faculties that otherwise would lie dormant ! It is wonderful because it gives you such opportunity to project your many-sided self and develop. 1 think the fact that I can watch myself on the screen, after a film is finished, is of vital importance in showing me my own faults and helping me to eradicate them, so that the next effort can be more flawless. I want to be varied and perfect."' "Tell me what you consider the big events of your life." we demanded, panting, for she was leading us a merry clip and we were out of practice. "Two things that are really different sides of the same coin. When I was a high school miss my brother took me to a Broadway show where Bert Lytell and Irene Fenwick were co-starring in 'Mary's Ankle." That was the time I vowed I'd be an actress. Then, about a year ago, the wonderful thing happened, and I was summoned to the Metro studios and asked to be Bert Lytell's leading woman. It was thrilling to play