Pictures and the Picturegoer (Jan-Dec 1924)

APRIL 1924 Pictures and Pictvretyver going to earn. For I am superstitious enough to believe that such prophecies will never come true." " Hope is an Irish girl, but she was horn in Texas." said Mr. Brulatour. " Raised and educated in Philadel plii.i." added Hope. " Twenty-three years old— at a venture," 1 murmured rashly. No one contradicted mc. "1 came to New York when I was nineteen as a result of my photograph appearing in the papers." said Hope. " People were very kind to me and seemed to admire my looks. They advised me to go to a dramatic school, ■o I took a course at the Sargeant Dramatic Academy which resulted in my first film engagement." " Hope was a featured star from the very first," broke in Mr. Brulatour. " She never played insignificant parts, nor was forced to make her way as an extra." " Except,' Hope interrupted, smiling at him roguishly, " that little bit — do you remember? — that I did in that picture of Tourneur's just for fun." " That doesn't count," said her husband. " That was unpaid work." "Her first engagement," he said, turning to me. " was with the French producer, Leoncc Ferret, who saw her at the dramatic school and chose her for her very remarkable talents to play the leading part in his new film A Modern Salome." " I have always liked the French," said Hope. " I love travelling, and some of the happiest years of my life have been spent in Paris. I have studied the methods of the most famous French actresses, and made many friends among them." " Hope is very popular there," said Mr. Brulatour. " Indeed," Hope went on, " the best offer I have ever had in film work came to me recently from Paris. I was offered the lead in the big super-film Kocnigsmark, which was to be produced in Hungary, Germany and France ; but my contract with First National made it impossible for me to accept it. I was terribly disappointed." " You may remember her in The Bait," said her husband. I didn't, but with Hope's charmingly ingenuous smile dazzling me I couldn't very well say so. " A very fine film," I murmured — never having seen it ! " Oh, I'm so glad you thought so," said Hope, " Mr Tourneur and I took immense pains with it. But I was still very young in those days, and I'm afraid my work must have been very immature. It was not until The Power Of Love that followed, that I began to feel that I was really progressing, and beginning to express the essential me." " No, no, even in your student days you did that, Hope," interrupted Mr. Brulatour. His wife laughed at him. "Then I did it very badly," she said, " I don't think there was an essential me in With Lon Chaney and I:. K. Lincoln in " The Light in tin Dark. those days. At least, if there was, Jules, it was very much in love with a nice boy — called, if I remember rightly, Bob, whom my mother never allowed me to sec without a chaperor In fact we were really thinking of eloping when — well, when I went to the Dramatic School and forgot all about him !" " And your later films?" I murmured, not daring to be more specific. " Oh, Associated First National took me up," said Hope, and signed a contract with me for three films — The Light in the Dark, The Isle of Dead Ships, and Stardust. And since then I have been working for Fox in The Gold-diggers." " And has made a big hit," interrupted her husband. " She always makes hits wherever she goes. Her personal appearances are supposed to be the best of any film star's; in America." " I don't stand any nonsense," Hope broke in. " They can't get my goat, however hard they try. I'm Irish, and they soon find it out." " It's queer for me to be making personal appearances," said Hope. " Fancy me being an attraction to fans, when really I'm the greatest fan in the world ! I'm not in the least critical about films — except, of course, my own. I just love them all. In fact going to the movies is about my one recreation." " And who are your favourites, Miss Hampton ?" " Well, best of all I love comedies^ so I naturally worship Charlie Chaplin. I like Louise Fazenda too, but Mae Murray I simply adore. And speaking of stars I can't understand why so many people insist that it's difficult for a girl to get on to the screen. In my opinion practically any girl can get into the movies so long as she has beauty — and brains. " The fans are always asking for her," said her husband. " They've A l-'ancy Dress occasion. formed a club now, called, ' The Hope Hampton Club,' and there are over three hundred members already." " And what are the qualifications of membership?" I asked, wondering if I was expected to join on the spot. " The candidate must declare that I am his or her favourite film actress," Hope said, " or some such silly nonsense." She waved an airy hand. She didn't ask me to join, so I took my leave. When I got to the nearest post office, I sent a cable to the Editor of PICTUREGOER. I said " Thank you." Silas Hounder.