Picture Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1921)

The Revelations of a Star's Wife 23 "You'll simply have to decide, Carol," I heard Danny say. "Come on— let's get a license and get Hugh and Sally to stand up with us this afternoon ! " of a job. And it really wasn't her fault that she'd been brought up the way she had. But it was too much for me when she began to babble on about the wonderful contract Danny wanted her to turn down, and what a kid he was, anyway. "If Danny were rich, like that man Cleo Phillips married, and could have given you a company of your own, you wouldn't think he was such a kid," I told her. I shouldn't have been so rude to her when we were in my house, of course — I excused myself to my conscience by remembering that it was just a rented house, anyway. "And you'll find that Danny's got a big future ahead of him." "Yes, in serials," she cut in contemptuously. "Maybe, for a while," I admitted. "But serials are the best means in the world of getting a following in the small towns, and that's the part of the country that makes or breaks a star, you know. Look at the following Tony Moreno worked up that way. I'll tell you, Carol, there's more to this game than just this year's releases." She gathered up her vanity bag and parasol and turned to go, as Hugh came whistling up the street and cut across the lawn. "Perhaps," she answered, with a fluttering little laugh, and tossed him a kiss as she ran down the steps. "And there's more to it than just making love — in pictures, Mrs. Beresford." CHAPTER III. "Well, I wired Madga and the Independent people," Hugh told me, as we settled down on the porch and watched Carol Burnet drive off aown the street. "So now our bridges are burned behind us. Do you mind very much, honey?" "Mind? Why, I'm glad — it brings the ranch and our trip around the world and everything else that we've wanted so much nearer," I answered. But in reality my heart was just a bit troubled. You can't ever tell much about these independent organizations — sometimes, even when they have lots of capital, they blow up. higher than a kite. "Well, we've got to get to work right off the bat, finding a story ; I'll finish up here this week, and begin on this new contract the minute I've got something to work on. Seen any good stories for me lately?" "Only one or two — and the}' weren't anything extra," I answered. Of course, with the Madga people Hugh's stories were usually picked out by the scenario department, but the best picture he ever made was based on a story I'd found in an old magazine, and I always kept an eye out for anything I thought might suit him. All the rest of the time we were down in Florida I read stories like mad, but you've no idea, until you've tried it, how hard it is to find a good story. You have to go over all the action before you can tell anything about it, and evening after evening Hugh and Danny and I would rehearse stories, playing all the parts, and then have to throw them aside because the} just wouldn't do. The picture Hugh was working on had been held up ; the character woman had broken her ankle and couldn't walk, and nobody could double for her, so things were hopelessly delayed. And the director decided to improve the shining hours by traveling up the coast about fifty miles with Hugh and Carol and getting a bit of scenery that was particularly beautiful. Then he'd get back in time to catch the character woman's stuff, and so not completely lose the time after all. (Continued on page 83)