We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
MARCH 1925
Picture s and Pichure poer
47
ardirgPod La Rocque
He is one of the very youngest ot our leading men,
despite his long experience and sureness of touch.
Rod is twenty-seven, with twenty years of acting
to his credit.
" Nothing,"' 1 lied cheerfully. 1
happened to know that Monte WEI busy working tor Warner Brothers at the moment, only a few thousand miles away, but 1 wouldn't have said so for
Six foot three of lean strength aptly describes Rod La Rocque.
I^he news came to me that Rudolph Valentino had been seen coming out of, or going into — the stories differed — the SavoyHotel, and, as I happened to know that he was in New York at the time, 1 set off post haste to Savoy to interview his ghost. A conversation with a ghost, thought I, would be an interesting new feature for PICTUREGOER. I have never written nor read an interview with the phantom of a film star. And, anyway, Valentino's ghost promised to have attractions quite of its own. . .
But I had a very shrewd suspicion of what I should find when I got to the Savoy and mentioned the matter to the lordly gentleman behind the enquiry desk. And I was quite sure of it when I turned into the bay of Savoy Court and met Another Sleuth with a pencil and a notebook in his hand, and the expression that we all put on our faces when we are about to conduct a serious interview.
" I suppose," said he, " that you are lookir.g for Monte Blue?"
" Not to my knowledge," said I.
" Well," he told me graciously, " the man's here. He's been seen. A report came to our office not long ago that Monte Blue had been recognised coming out of the Savoy Hotel."
" Or going in," I murmured.
"What's that?" asked the other Sleuth, looking at me suspiciously.
" Yes, madam," he said promptly, and vanished with it.
And so it happened that the interview with Rudy's j^host had to be cancelled, and the interview with Montc's phantom postponed, and I found myself face to face with a very real live man of six foot three inches of lean strength.
" You want to sec me?" asked
Rod, in his pleasant, clear voice.
" I've always wanted to see
you," I told him, with perfect
truth.
" You're sure," he pursued, with a twinkle in his eye, " that you are not mistaking me for someone else?"
" Oh, no," I said in shocked tones, as if I had never heard of the ghosts of Valentino and Monte Blue.
" I've been recognised a
He doesn't believe in fersonal appearances.
The Rocquc-cy road to typewriting.
worlds. The Other Sleuth could find that out for himself. It was his job. But I generously told him that he wxauld find himself with two interviews on hand, apparently, for Valentino's ghost had also been seen in the neighbourhood of the Strand.
"The Other Sleuth pricked up his ears and looked happy. He saw fat cheques beckoning to him. He advanced majestically to the enquiry desk, and I heard him explaining in tones even more lordly than those of the lordly gentleman behind it that it was no good denying that Mr. Blue and Mr. Valentino were staying in the hotel; they had been seen and identified.
" But neither of these gentlemen — " I heard the answer come, and then I caught sight of a small page boy and beckoned to him.
" Please take up my card to Mr. La Rocque," I said.