Picture Play Magazine (Jul - Dec 1929)

Continued from page 13 Honored By Joan. In July Picture Plav there was a letter signed B. F. U., Omaha, Nebraska. The caption of this letter was "Stamps Wasted on Joan." May I not say to B. F. U. that I think Joan Crawford is not the lea>£ bit highhat, as B. F. U. will realize when he knows the truth. When I first wrote to Miss Crawford, requesting her photograph, I received no reply, although I had enclosed twentyfive cents. I wrote a second time, about three weeks after the first request, asking why I had not received the photograph, and still no reply. While awaiting an answer to my second letter, I thought I would try writing to Miss Crawford's home. I did, and was certainly surprised and pleasantly shocked to receive, about two weeks later, not only a small photograph, but a personal note as well. In the meantime I received a larger photograph from the studio, where I had first written. I don't know whether one has to have patience, or the ability to write the kind of letter that succeeds in getting an answer, but I certainly appreciate the fact that I have been lucky to get a personal reply from my favorite. Helen Haxrahax. 174 Nagle Avenue, New York City. Rapping Kathryn Snyder. What I have in mind at present is the letter of Kathryn Snyder in which she expresses her hope that all foreign players fail in pictures. My, my, what a loyal American! Vilma Banky can't act? The very idea is ridiculous ! And such beauty! None of the commonplace flapper type that one sees every day, gumchewing, whoopee-making, but an example of pure, womanly beauty that would have been an inspiration to artists had she lived a century or two ago. They would have made her immortal. Camilla Horn "an odd-looking foreigner"? No personality? What does Miss Snyder consider beauty? The mascara-eyed, heavily rouged flapper? As for Greta Garbo, thank Heaven she is no empty-headed, dollfaced ingenue, but an actress. Could any one have surpassed, or, for that matter, equalled her performance in "A Woman of Affairs"? And here's to Dolores del Rio ! She is not faultlessly beautiful, but she has more than beauty — a stamp of refinement, culture, breeding, besides acting ability. Oh, I've almost forgotten Nils Asthcr, who, in my opinion, has no equal. Not only is he handsome and can act, but conveys to every one that he is the perfect gentleman so rarely found now, alas ! Should we shun foreign players? I dislike to think of having nothing to see but pictures of the wild, jazz-mad and vulgar modern girl of fiction. I do not like to mention the players I have in mind ; I leave that to the imagination. And still I do not hope they fail. Let them go on and succeed, if they give amusement and enjoyment to some. If we ban foreign players, shall we also put a stop to opera, music by foreign composers, literature by foreign authors, poetry, painting, et cetera? Certainly, if we are to be one hundred per cent American. Oh, I dread even to think# of it! Horrors, if I should be able to hear only jazz that reminds me of cannibalism, and see modern dance steps that trace their rigin to African jungles ! I can picture not a few real Americans packing their bags and baggage, off to Europe. For What tke Fans Tkink hasn't Europe basked in culture and knowledge, while America was inhabited by savages? Where would you be, Miss Snyder, if a foreigner had not discovered America? Marii.ynw Urban-. 1043 North Damcn Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. To Arms For Gary! So Gary Cooper is high-hat! So says Fraser MfacDonald in August Picture Play. Some people believe everything they read. Where would every one be if they believed what others told them? It is always the same — as soon as an actor or an actress gains a little popularity, some one says something against them, and the consequence is that every one believes it. I, for one, do not believe it. Just because Gary is quiet and reserved does not mean he is high-hat. We like stars for what they are on the screen, not for what they are in private life. People who believe that he is high-hat are not sincere in their views. Never believe anything until you have proof of it yoursel f . Gary has been my favorite ever since he made "The Legion of the Condemned" and I will always love him — even though some say he is high-hat — until he proves to me that he is. Mary Venables. 504 Neville Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Step Up, Mr. McKegg. In a recent issue. Picture Play's most brilliant writer contributed an article dealing with the treatment interviewers receive at the hands of some of the players. Previous to this he had written other very interesting articles on unique subjects. Subjects not commonly dealt with, and for this reason, more interesting. I am referring to "Youth Is Triumphant," "Carrying On," "Objects of Wrath," and "Whom Fortune Would Destroy," all by that capable journalist, William H. McKegg. These articles proved to be interesting variations from stereotyped interviews and trite publicity tales. Let's hear from Mr. McKegg more often ! M. Logan. Royalton, Minnesota. Southern Generosity. For quite a long while I have been collecting photos of the stars, and at the present time I have 1,611, many of which are duplicates. Of course such a collection is ungainly, ^ind I have very nearly 500 photos which I should like to give away to fans desiring them, if they will mention the actors in whom they are specially interested and enclose postage. Leonard E. Eury. Box 85, Bessemer City, North Carolina. That "Weary River" Double. I would like to register my first objection to the otherwise splendid "talkies." Why have movie stars, and even stage stars, belittled themselves by allowing some unknown double to speak, sing, or entertain for them? Surely if their own abilities are such that they are not capable of carrying the role themselves, why have them do it at all? For instance, "Weary River !" The fact that Richard Barthelmess allowed a double to sing for him, and then permitted advertising which boasted of his "splendid singing voice," such things as this entirely spoiled the picture for me. 103 Mr. Barthelmess was splendid in hi lent pictures, and no doubt then were dozens of other roles waning, in which he would not have been required to And likewise there were probably ; really good singers who could have played that part to good effect Then why mi-cast our favorites? Why s]K>il them for the future? No doubt the whole world would be indignant if it were discovered that some famous singfr ware being doubled ! Then don't le( it happen iii the movies! "Show Boat" Was another splendid film, and 1 must say that Laura La Plante was magnificent in it, but again I object to the deceit fulness of the sound portion of the film. My collecting days arc over, alas and alack, and as tar as I can find "lit, I am not the only one. I feel sure thai are going to have fewer and fewer fan letters from now on. Imagine -ending quarter after quarter and receiving no reply! I have never done it, as my collection has thrived on the old-fashioned way of letters for photos. No doubt the photos arc worth much more than the requested quarter, but every one I know has experienced trouble in receiving photographs for the selfsame quarters. One could hardly call it getting money under false pretenses, since the stars do not ask us to send our money for their pictures, but we do it out of common courtesy, and what do _ we receive? Nothing! I think there is something wrong somewhere and it does not lie with the star, but perhaps in the studio system there is error. Pearl H. McLaughlin. 137 Wilson Street, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This and That. Fans from all over have been criticizing stars with such slurs as "I don't like the way Greta Garbo does her hair." Or "What made Nils Asther shave his mustache?" I should think the fans would praise the stars instead of making remarks that probably the fans would not read if they were not loyal to Picture Plav. I would like to speak a good word for Paul Muni. I don't believe there is a person who saw him in "The Valiant" — unless they are terribly hard-hearted — whose eyes were not filled to overflowing when they came out of the theater. I, »for one, bawled like a baby, especially when Marguerite Churchill, who should be given a great, big hand for her fine acting, repeats their childhood prayer, "Good night — good night! parting is such sweet sorrow " Heavens, when I think of it my eyes fill ! For goodness' sake, fans, don't miss it. Also a word about those players who have been "discovered" by actors and directors. For instance, James Ford. What has become of him? Two years ago he was "discovered'' by Corinnc Griffith, and the magazines said that he was to be given parts in large pictures, but it ended in his not getting anything. Billy Anderson. Manchester, New Hampshire. A Friend in Need. "Holly" should have refrained from sending a letter such as she did to any magazine to be published. She mentions that she read in a newspaper a letter, which a former friend of Gary's sent, saying that Gary high-hatted this friend ! I think perhaps this is a good time to mention the old and quite truthful saying, "If Continued on page 112