Picturegoer (1922)

46 THE PICTU RE-GOE-R JUNE 1922 part, though it was a strenuous one), and my first big chance came through Cecil De Mille." Wally thinks there is no finer director than De Mille. He engaged Reid to support Geraldine Farrar in Carmen, Joan the Woman, and Maria Rosa; and, very shortly afterwards, the leading man became a star. Laskys found he had brains as well as good looks, technique as well as dare-devilry, and they . tried him with half a dozen different kinds of story before Believe Me, Xantippe, a breezy, light comedy, established him in public favour as the ideal matineeidol type. Then, in his next, The Roaring Road, he co-starred with a motor, and the combination was irresistible. Wally has " stills " of most of his early Lasky successes. He showed me himself and Cleo Ridgely in The House of the Golden Windows, The Chorus Lady, The Love Match, The Yellow Pawn, and The Selfish Woman. Later ones were Man of Music Mountain, Rimirock Jones, The Squawman's Son, and one tiny faded print of an old Griffith picture, Old Heidelburg, with Wally as " Karl," and Dorothy Gish as'" Kathie." ' Reid has been ornamenting the Lasky " lots " close on seven years, and his contract has still some time to go. Recently an Exhibitors' Circuit offered half a million dollars for his release, but Famous-Lasky do not want to lose him. Neither does he want to leave them. He reckons some of his 1919 work amongst his best : his later productions are so well known that they hardly need enumeration here. " Peter Ibbetson," he said, " gave me my chance to be serious, and also some fine opportunities for characterisation. But I had to grow my hair long, and be marcelled. " Monte Love took out some of the ' marcel ' when we had that big fight, though I " he chuckled. " It has been comedy more or less ever since, except for Anatol. Did I like Anatol ? Well, some of it. It wasn't a great acting part, but I liked being back, with De Mille and many former" friends." He has lots of friends. Every other movie star you name will elicit " Oh, he's (or she's a great friend of ours." Wally Reid's most recent feat was boxing Kid McCoy for the middle-weight championship belt of filmland. He has also, he confided, entered his new car for one of the forthcoming races and means to drive himself. We discussed I* his other hobbies before I left. He is very proud of his Laboratory, where he sometimes spends half the night. Surgery is another fad of his, and he is unofficial surgeon in ordinary when out on location. His son Bill, too, it is easy to see, is his best beloved hobby, and Wally has some interesting theories of development, both mental and otherwise, which he looks to Bill to prove. Conjuring is a side-line, too. He told me about his two short excursions into stageland. The first time he played the part of " The Chauffeur" in "The Rotters," at a Los Angeles theatre for three weeks, and received a thousand dollars each week-end. It was quite a small part, as picturegoers who have seen the play will remember. Sick-a-bed, which is a film he starred in, was also put on at Los for a week or two, and Wally played hero in that, with Kathleen Clifford in Bebe Daniel's r&le, and King Baggot, Otis Harlan and Vivian Rich in minor parts. Wallace Reid's proposed trip round the world has not yet definitely materialised. He wasn't certain what he'd do with his vacation ; said he'd wait till after the races, anyway. Mrs. Reid is contemplating another film soon, she having long finished her first Lester Cuneo production, an open-air story, in which son Bill faced the cameras for the first time. ' ' J ust time for a swim before dinner, ' ' Wally announced, as I finally closed my note-book. " Come on all." But I preferred to watch. All three are proficient performers ; the youngster swims better under water than otherwise, and Mrs. Reid's summer swimming parties are famous institutions. I exchanged somewhat damp handshakes, and left them to their watery delights. Left : In " Double Speed." Below : frith Bebe Daniels in " Sick-a-Bed."