Pictures and the Picturegoer (Jan-Dec 1924)

70 Pictures and P'chjreouer l.O. DECEMBER 1924 3e^wtu Mary Pickford " Thought moulds character, and the face is the mirror of the mind," says Mary Pickford. Mary is the Eternal Child of the screen. But she is also the First Lady of Filmland and her face is beloved all over the world. There is little one can say about beauty — little, I mean, that has not been said before. It is skin deep or is a quality of the soul, depending entirely upon the viewpoint of the individual. Perhaps you will consider this statement vague, so let us analyse : What constitutes beauty in the eyes of one person frequently has no aopeal whatever to another and for that r> ason, it seems quite illogical to fix a set definition for beauty. While^ it is very true that kindred spirits will define a thing as beautiful, the degree to which it is beautiful in the mind of each varies, depending on the individual concept. So after all, beauty is in the individual concept. Perhaps I can illustrate my point best by taking a beautiful sunset as an example. Several persons may look at a sunset and declare it beautiful, but were it possible to measure the vibrations set up within the soul of each, we would discover a wide divergence in the figures on the scoreboard. Which serves to prove that beauty is not a constant quality. VV/'ith reference to persons, I do not ™ think beauty relates so much to physical features as to character. Of course there is nothing new in saying this. In spite of that fact, however, it seems to me that beauty lies in thought. I do not mean to imply by this statement that one can disregard appearances. But on the other hand, to consider appearances, one has to think. The action of caring for one's complexion, for instance, is first fathered by the thought. Naturally, it is the ambition of everyone to appear at his or her best. My recipe is quite simple — a bit old fashioned, perhaps, and if it is, I hope you will forgive me for not being original. First of all, I believe it is necessary to establish a right line of thinking. Misshapen thoughts cannot help but reflect themselves upon the face. Street make-up may erase the result for a time, but not for long. So I would say that cleanliness of thought is even more important than cleanliness of body. Let us take all of the other things for granted — care of the complexion, hair, body and all that ; surely it would be too absurd to mention these. However, the need for a right amount of health-giving: exercise should not " The world is a lookingglass and gives back to everyone the reflection of his own face," is one of Mary Pick ford's /•t'/ quotations. be overlooked. Please do not think now that I am advising any girl or woman to become athletic. That is f?rtherest from my thought. But it does seem to me that too many women fail to get into the out of doors often enough. "This in itself is, I believe, responsible for much unnecessary illness. What sets the blood pounding quicker than a brisk walk? Golf, horseback riding, hiking — all of these when not overindulged in are splendid tonics. Summed up, then, it seems to me that the best " Beauty Secrets " consist of clean thinking and sane exercising, coupled with obvious hot water arid soap requirements. A hobby is a very good thing to have — it helps you keep young. I suppose everybody has one, some favourite little pursuit he or she indulges in just for the love of it — with no ulterior motive and no thought of gain. I think everyone ought to have two, an outdoor one and an indoor one. I have several. One of them is swimming and that Douglas taught me. I never learned to swim when I was a child, I was too busy to learn to play really. So when I made The Little American, I had to have a double for the scenes where I was shipwrecked. But shortly after we were married, Douglas insisted upon teaching me swimming and now I can hold my own with anyone at our Sunday swimming parties. ' I 'he best beautifier of all, though, is love. I have seen a face you might call plain, so transfigured by love as to appear really beautiful. Love of something or someone, be it a child (a child is the loveliest thing in the world *o love) or just a stray dog, it is the biggest thing in life. For thought moulds character and character shines through the eyes upon the face. And so I say Love can work wonders and move mountains, and it can beautify as nothing else in the Universe can do. As I read this over, I realise that I have said nothing new — that it has a'l been said before, and perhaps in most cases with a better choice of words than I have used here. So permit me to contribute one more thought. Only two things are forever beautiful — a flower and a smile.