Pictures and the Picturegoer (Jan-Dec 1924)

66 Picture s and Pichjre puer DECEMBER 1924 enYe^s A&o When people get together round a fire they commence reminiscing When they're movie stars their talk is usually worth hearing. They were gathered round the fire in one of Hollywood's numerous clubs — a little group of film stars chatting idly of " shoes and ships and ceiling-wax, and cabbages and kings." Presently, as people do when they get together, they started to reminisce. Little Mary Philbin was the first to begin. From the depths of a big ,armchair in which she lay curled up like a kitten, she turned dreamy eyes on the rest of the circle. " I wonder," she said suddenly, and then stopped. " Well, what do you wonder, my little che-ild?" said Eileen Sedgwick, patting Mary's long curls in mock encouragement. " I wonder what we were all doing ten years ago !" ETileen laughed. "For my part," she said very deliberately. "I was being arrested." Regardless of the startled looks of the others she went on. " I had just finished a contract to play child parts in stock in Louisiana and was playing in vaudeville at the Olympic Theatre in Chicago. I was in the middle of a speciality dance when, without any warning, I was unceremoniously hustled off the stage and taken to the Court House, for violation of the child labour law. And who do you think I met there, arrested for the very same thing? Why — " " Me," broke in Buster Keaton, solemnly. " They hauled me off just before I was due to go on and do a tumbling act with my father. I remem ber their chief objection to Eileen's appearing on the stage was that her religious training was being neglected. < But we both thoroughly satisfied them | by going through an impromptu test in theological knowledge, so they withdrew their objections." "That's funny!" said Mary, smiling reflectively. " I wasn't doing anything so exciting — only dressing paper dolls and playing around. But I think I / dreamt a little, v Mary Philbin was dreaming of a stage career even then. Above : Eddie Polo "was doing an aerial act in Europe; and Lee Moran. of going on the stage, even at that early age." " I was at school, too," said Gladys Walton. " Went to the Kenton school in Portland, Oregon. I guess I was a regular little torn-boy — used to go rides on the boys' handle-bars whenever 1 got the chance. I was always getting into hot-water about it, but it didn't do me a bit of good. I never was cut for a ' teacher's pet.' anyway." Above : Ten years back Eileen Sedgwick was a speciality dancer. Left: Gladys Walton was a schoolgirl at Kenton, Oregon. " And while you were all being good little children," said Lee Moran, with a most unvillainous smile, " I was stabbing my first movie victim. I was playing in vaudeville in San Francisco whai I met Al Christie, and at his suggestion I joined the Nestor Comedy Company. Some of my fellow players at that time were Harold Lockwood, Jack Conwav. Victoria Forde, Dorothy Davenporr, and Russell Bassett, and Al Christie was our director. We used to have great times." " I'd just finished a contract with Barnum and Bailey's circus, and was doing an aerial act in Europe," Eddie Polo said. "And you Herbert?" " Directing a stock company in Los Angeles," said Herbert Rawlinson. " Our cast included Hobart Bosworth, Lewis Stone, Frank Camp, Richard Vivian. Howard Scott and Ida Lewis. After that I went into pictures with Selig, and I've been playing in then: ever since." There was silence in the little room, save for the crackling of the fire. Presently Mary Philbin opened her blue eyes drowsily. " I wonder what we shall all be doin^ in ten years time," she whispered. And nobody answered. Elizabeth Eden.