Picturegoer (1921)

JUNE 1921' THE PICTU RE-GOE-R conspicuous by its absence, people promptly said that it would never be possible to find another actress of equal beauty and talent. " I made We Can't Have Fverything with Wanda Hawley in the chief feminine role. Miss Hawley had played a minor part in the preceding photoplay. Both Miss Hawley and the picture scored a decided success. And the world said she could not be duplicated. " Of course, she couldn't. Her success in that production and other Paramount productions won her a place as a star in her own name And once again 1 was forced to cast about for another leading woman for ray own productions. " Gloria Swanson was my next choice. As everyone knows, she played the chief feminine role in a quintet of successful screen productions bearing mv name. Her success in the first of these, Don't Changi Your Husband, was truly phenomenal. Then followed For Belter, For Worse, The Admirable Crichton, Why Change Your Wife? and Something To Think About. Increased glory for Miss Swanson followed on the heels of each succeeding release. " And now I am working with Agnes Ayres occupying the position in my cast so long held by Miss Swanson. And the world asks, as you did, whether it will l>e ever possible to find an actress of Miss Swanson's calibre. " What is true of the feminine players is equally true of the men. Wallace Keid played the male lead in a number of my early productions. When he was promoted to stardom, the public promptly decided that Cecil B. He Mille's future productions would suffer by the loss of this versatile young actor. Elliott Dexter appeared in support of notable feminine stars under my direction. Then he won a leading role in my first non-star production, The Whispering Chorus. He continued to play the principal masculine role in succeeding pictures until a serious illness interfered with his work over a year ago. " The public mourned, and said in so many words that it would never be possible to find another leading man of Dexter's genius. But Thomas Meighan won instant recognition in the chief role of The Admirable Crichton and Why Change Your Wife ? " Now I am starting two players new to me on the road to success. Agnes Ayres I have mentioned. She has talent, beauty, and personality — the trio of qualities which spell success on the screen. " 1 selected Forrest Stanley for the type of role formerly played by Dexter and Meighan. Stanley's work on the screen has not been Forrest Stanley and Agnes A vres in ' Forbidden Fruit.' opposite extensive, but it has shown great potential qualities. He has done admirable work in Forbidden Fruit, Miss Ayres. " But I'll venture to say that when the tune comes for the parting of the ways between these talented young people and me, the world will say : ' Will there ever be another Agnes Ayres or Forrest Stanley ? ' " I would hesitate to prophesy that I will discover a star to follow in Fonest Stanley's footsteps who can boast this screen giant's huge physique. I am not yet in business as a discoverer of modern Hercules. Yet by means of that sixth sense which enables me to discover screen talent with the ease that is associated with the water-diviner's art, I am confident that somewhere I will rind a worthy successor who will fill the gap left by Forrest Stanley. " And I shall answer then as 1 answer now regarding Miss Swanson : ' There will never be another just like these people, but there will be successors who will achieve equal fame and show equal merit.' ' Wanda Hawley.