Picture Play Magazine (Jul - Dec 1929)

12 Continued from page 10 In Memoriam. Silence on the Warner set! The bugler in the studio orchestra sounds taps for one who has passed on. Gladys Brockwell, a real old-timer in the movie racket and an accomplished actress, has been taken from us forever. But her fans will have memories which no one can take away. Such pictures as "Stella Maris" and "The Hometowners" are more than sufficient to make her immortal in the memories of those who have watched motion pictures rise from the time Gladys Brockwell got her start on the screen. She was the first real actress with a soul. Let us pay silent tribute to a wonderful artist. Eddie Hill. New York, N. Y. Ah, Alice Is Defended! Ye gods and little fishes, what on earth has come over the fans, slamming my favorite actress, Alice White? Kathryn Snyder relates that Alice thinks she is Clara Bow's twin. That shows how much Miss Snyder reads the magazines. There are interviews with Miss White in which it was stated that she had cried, because some one said that she resembled Clara Bow. I have never seen nor met Miss Snyder, but I have my opinion of her. She hopes that all the foreign players who come to America will fail. I wonder if she has seen Nils Asther? And another thing, Joyce Alliston, of Canada, says : "When Alice White was put on the screen, it was just a case of adding insult to injury; she isn't good looking and she can't act." All I can say is, that if you don't like her pictures, don't go to see them. You won't be missed. Who gave you the idea that she isn't good looking? I suppose your idea of a choicelooking girl is Polly Moran. The only ones who have the authority to take her off the screen are her fans, but as long as Jacksonville, Florida, is on the map, Alice White will be on the screen. She is one of the biggest box-office bets here. I know, because our closest friend owns a theater. Betty Harrison. 2225 Post Street, Jacksonville, Florida. Eddie Dowling Gets a Hand. Of all the stage stars who have appeared in talking pictures, there is only one I would include among my favorite screen stars. He is Eddie Dowling. He has personality, he has whatever it takes to win the hearts of fans. In my opinion, "The Rainbow Man" is one of the best pictures to date, made so by Eddie Dowling's sincere and stirring performance, aided by Frankie Darro and Marian Nixon. I noticed, too, that Eddie Dowling not only acted in the picture, but wrote the story ; not only sang the songs, but composed the music. How I would love to shake hands with Norbert Lusk, Picture Play's reviewer, for expressing my thoughts exactly in his review of "The Rainbow Man" and his opinion of Eddie Dowling. Here's to Picture Play for giving us a picture of Eddie Dowling in the rotogravure section of the August issue. A. Herman. 723 East 8th Street, Little Rock, Arkansas Can't Clara Be Serious? Let me say that I think Ruth Chatterton's Madame X was the most exquisitely human character ever portrayed on the Wkat the Fans Think screen. With her beauty and that thrilling voice, she ought to go far. She is real and human, and I believe that with "Madame X" to her credit she has placed herself high on the ladder of fame, and I know I'm not the only one who thinks so. What's the matter with Clara Bow? Her interview in August Picture Play was laughable, to say the least. She is taking the wrong stand when she makes excuses for her jazziness and love of life. That "laugh-to-cover-a-breaking-heart" attitude sickens any one. We admire Clara for her joyousness, her daring, and youth; we love her for that, not her "nobodyunderstands-me" pose. I suppose criticism has troubled her, but she should remember that any one is criticized who is different and lives his own life. Charlene Carol. 2230 Sixth Avenue, Los Angeles, California. Barthelmess' Doubling Upheld. Two letters which appeared in "What the Fans Think" slamming Richard Barthelmess' singing in "Weary River" urge me to come to his defense. For years Dick has been my favorite. I have stood up for him in spite of many criticisms by the fans. And I intend to say a word or two right now ! Why does every one think it so dreadful that a -double did Dick's singing? Surely that was better than Dick singing, if his voice was not suitable. His admirers would have been disappointed if his voice were poor and unappealing. And, besides, that would have spoiled the picture. I think Dick should be praised for the clever way in which he »faked his singing. Perhaps all his fans do not realize what a really difficult task that must have been. As to Barthelmess' "publicity act," that is all foolishness. It shows how really selfish the fans are becoming. They are not satisfied with the age, height, coloring, et cetera, of the stars. They must pry into the home life of their favorites. How annoying and unpleasant this must be to the stars ! The fans demand to know whether or not the stars are engaged, married, divorced, and how much salary each gets. This, to me, seems only the affairs of the stars themselves. Perhaps if the fans were to be a little less curious and a little more considerate, they wouldn't have quite so much trouble receiving the pictures for which they write. A True Barthelmess Fan. Attention, Joan Crawford! It is sickening and tiring to read the unkind letters about Alice White. Just what has Alice done to deserve the treatment given her by the fans? I can hear the answer to that question by those who read this. They will say, "That's just the trouble, she hasn't done enough to warrant her being on the screen." But I do not agree. I enjoyed her performances in "Show Girl" and "Naughty Baby" very much. She is cute and peppy and while of the same type as Clara Bow, she is not similar. There is room for both these girls on the screen, and I hope Alice gets a better deal than she has been getting. Also, all the yelling about the old and new stars is rather silly. Why not like them both? One fan cries for youth, the other wants the older stars. My favorite is Norma Talmadge, and I am pleased to read that she' is making a talkie. It will be a pleasure to hear her voice, and she is at present looking younger than she did five years ago. She is a vivid, refined, charming personality, and I hope she never retires. Just a word for Connie Talmadge. Oh, come, fans, demand her return. No other comedienne can give the same inimitable touch that Connie can. But don't think I don't like the youngsters. I think Sue Carol is adorable, and also Joan Crawford, Billie Dove, Anita Page, and others are nice. To say nothing of Charles Rogers! His voice quite measured up to expectations in "Close Harmony," and Nancy Carroll gave an excellent performance. But then she always does. As Norbert Lusk said in the August issue, "She's one of those rare things on the screen, an actress." I've been trying to figure out whether the person who wrote the letter signed Fraser MacDonald is really serious, or just trying to be sarcastic. It is one of the silliest letters ever published. How can that fan let another person's opinion influence his ideas? Has he no brains to form opinion for himself? Whose business is it, anyway, what Gary Cooper is like in real life? Do these fans expect to get a chance to go to Hollywood, and meet him personally, that they are so worried for fear he might not care to recognize them after they get there? I think the ruling that no more photos be sent out, unless they are paid for, is the silliest ever. We fans should not be expected to pay for our favorites' pictures. It is the least they can do for us. And Joan Crawford had better watch her step. It is deplorable the way she ignores her mail. She won't have to bother with it after a while— she won't have any fans. In answer to the fan who wrote for Evelyn Brent's photo, and didn't receive it, I wish to say that I wrote twice, enclosing only a two-cent stamp, and both times I received the photo. This was before the abovementioned ruling was made. Another thing that is absurdly ridiculous is the no-fan-club ruling at some of the studios. It cannot possibly hurtthe stars, because if a club is dishonest it is soon found out. And to stop them from becoming honorary members of other fan clubs is just plain mean, as it helps the the other club along. I just hope some of the stars break this rule ! Marion L. Hesse. 154 Elm Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey. Miss Chatterton, Yes; Miss Eagles, No. The article "Are These Your Stars?" reminds me that, having seen in pictures several of the stage actresses mentioned, we fans owe it to these splendid actresses to voice our admiration, so here goes! Especially when I think of Ruth Chatterton, to my mind the finest actress on the screen to-day. Pauline Frederick runs her a close race for genuine acting ability. She throws so much heartrending feeling into her roles, Jhat her personal beauty is always secondary to her acting. I mean, in scenes where other actresses would strive for mere beautiful effects, such as Jeanne Eagels did in "The Letter," Ruth Chatterton forgets self and plays the person she is portraying so vividly that she doesn't care whether she is showing the best side of her face to the camera! This is unusual and puts her in a class by herself. Not only that, but her voice is lovely. Its tones and depths of feeling are wonderful. I heard so much about Jeanne Eagels, in "The Letter," that I went to see her. I was disappointed — terribly disappointed —first of all in Miss Eagels' voice, which