Picture Play Magazine (Jul - Dec 1929)

1UZ Information, Please A department where questions are answered, advice is given, /-? and many interesting phases of motion-picture making and pertinent side lights on the lives and interests of motion-picture players are discussed. B^ The Picture Oracle v THE MYSTERY GIRL.— So if I answer all your questions, I deserve a putty medal. All that work, and all I get is putty ! As to the story in Picture Play, "How Stars Are Made," you needn't be alarmed that interviews are dictated by publicity departments. Interviewers are usually quite honest in giving their real impressions — and frequently their articles are a source of great annoyance to the subjects! The publicity departments get in their work of building up a studied background with the pictures of the stars they send to magazines, the little paragraphs they send to newspaper movie columns, and so on. The romance between John Gilbert and Greta Garbo was quite genuine. As to why Buster Collier has never been starred, probably it's because he is not dashing enough to appeal to the romantic fancy of the .fans. I forget on what grounds Leatrice Joy and John Gilbert got their divorce, but incompatibility is usually mentioned in a Hollywood divorce suit, whatever the private reasons are. Lya de Putti's husband was Ludwig Christensen, now dead. She is not married now. Lya is in her late twenties. H. F. P. — You can reach Leo Kelly in care of William H. McKegg, 6233^ De Longpre Avenue, Hollywood. Sorry I have no record of his description. Inquisitive. — And you underestimate yourself with that adjective! If I answered in detail all the stars' nationalities you ask about, I'd have to devote the whole page to you. They're all American in -your list except Norma Shearer and Pauline Garon, who are Canadian, from Montreal, though Pauline is a naturalized citizen. David Rollins is five feet ten and a half. Matt-Iuka. — Ah, my missing Japanese valet ! Mary Nolan was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1904, and christened Mary Imogene Robertson. She was a famous Ziegfeld beauty later, as Imogene "Bubbles" Wilson. Then she went on the screen in Europe under her real name, was "discovered," and given a role in "Sorrell and Son," which began her American screen career. Yes, Nazimova played in "The Redeeming Sin" for Vitagraph, in 1924. Al Jolson signed up with Griffith a few years ago to make a picture, but there was a disagreement and the contract was called off by both of them before the film was started. Leslie Fenton is twentysix. He was married two years ago to Marie Astaire. He made six films for Fox before "What Price Glory?" — "Havoc," "Thunder Mountain," "Road to Glory," "Sandy," "Shamrock Handicap," and "Black Paradise." Miriam Mintener. — Is Clara Bow a snob? I should say not! Bebe Daniels is twenty-eight and is of Spanish descent. No, she is not married, but is said to be engaged to Ben Lyon. She weighs one hundred and eleven pounds. Her next film is "Number, Please." She has several fan clubs : Dorothy Helgren, 146 Ballou Avenue, Dorchester, Massachusetts ; Evelyn Bode, 2745 Myrtle Avenue, Glendale, Long Island. Mary and Doug divorced? That's just ridiculous. Bill Boyd is thirty-one and married to Elinor Fair. Billie Dove has brown eyes. Next! A George Duryea Fan. — Yes, indeed, I'll keep a record of your new club, "but George Duryea has not yet been seen enough to acquire many fans. And he is not under contract, so I have no permanent address for him. He doesn't give his age. C. E. W. — Rudolph Valentino was born in Castellaneta, Italy, May 6, 1895. Your latest "crush," Don Alvarado, was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 4, 1903. He is married, and has a little daughter, Joy. Ralph Forbes is not under contract at present, but as you say, with his stage experience I shouldn't think he would have much trouble keeping busy in the talkies. He is now at work in "The Green Goddess," for Warner. Just Eighteen. — Why doesn't Stan Laurel have big roles like Chaplin and Keaton, because he's your favorite comedian ! I think it's because not enough •movie fans agree with you about that. The reason you see so little in print about Estelle Taylor is that she plays in pictures only now and then. She has not been cast for anything Isince "Where East Is East." Charles Rogers' next film is "Magnolia" ; Janet Gaynor's "Lucky Star"; Eddie Quillan's "Joe College"; Dorothy Sebastian's "Squads Right." Dimples. — Think of being born with dimples ; some girls have all the luck and others just complain. The leading man in "Mademoiselle Modiste" was Norman Kerry. Madge Bellamy's supporting cast, in "Ankles Preferred," were Lawrence Gray, Barry Norton, Marjorie Beebe, Allan Forrest, and Joyce Compton. Bellamy is pronounced Bell-a-me. Short a. Yes, it was undoubtedly Nancy Carroll's sister you saw in vaudeville. Boy of Winona.— Well, I've never been called a prophet before! The future is just a closed book to me. Or even such things as your question, "Does Mary Brian answer her fan mail?" Sue Carol is in Hollywood, working for Fox. Loretta Young is seventeen. And questions about stars' religion are barred. Erline of South Dakota. — Shucks, you are an inquisitive girl, aren't you? But it's all right ; I have to work, anyhow. The leads in "The Kentucky Derby" were played by Reginald Denny and Lillian Rich. Ben Lyon was opposite Gloria, in "Wages of Virtue." Ramon's supporting cast in "Flying Fleet" were Anita Page, Ralph Graves, Edward Nugent, Carroll Nye, Gardner James. The difference between a featured player and a star is that a star's name appears over the name of the picture in programs, and that the story is built around him, or her. For instance, "Gloria Swanson, in 'Sadie Thompson'," rather than " 'Sadie Thompson' with Gloria Swanson." Mona Palma was the heroine in "The Canadian." The leads in "Adventure" were Pauline Starke, Tom Moore, Raymond Hatton, Wallace Beery, Walter McGrail. Lane Chandler comes from Montana, and attended Montana Wesleyan College. He was a passenger agent in Yellowstone Park when he played his first movie 'bit, in a two-reel Western being made there. When this turned out well, he went to Hollywood. Richard Arlen was formerly a newspaper man in Minneapolis ; he went to Hollywood and did odd jobs for years before he made good on the screen. No, I don't know of any stars with birthdays on September 10th. A Lad of Twenty-five Summers. — And how about the winters, or do you crawl in like the ground hog? No, Mae Murray is not on the screen at present, but is due to return. The last address I have for Florence Lawrence — four or five years old — is 1938 Argyle Street, Hollywood. Continued on page 120