Picture Play Magazine (Sep 1921 - Feb 1922)

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Wesley Barry recently played "Penrod" on the speaking stage in Los Angelas with great success. The Dumb Speak People in Los Angeles have the pleasure of seeing more than the shadow self of many of their favorite players. Some of you can't go there, perhaps, but you can learn from this article what sort of plays your favorites give — and how they appear. By Edwin Schallert IT was the night of a benefit performance in Los Angeles. There was a momentary lull on the stage that only served to heighten the warmth of seeing the great screen stars acting in person. Of a sudden there burst upon an excited vision Charlie Murray. He was dragging a much-disturbed young woman by the hand. The audience thrilled. It began to applaud. The applause grew into an outburst. On the stage there was a tug of war between the comedian and the girl. There were cries and guflfaws, the waving of handkerchiefs, and heated though subdued comments. Murray turned to the audience. "This young lady," he gave her a final tug to be sure she had ceased her resistance, "this young lady is one whom you all know. At least you should Icnow her. Meet her, anj'way. Give her a good hand because you won't make any mistake by doing it, believe me, for she's one of the greatest swimmers, tight-rope walkers, and bareback riders on the screen. Aren't you dear?" (sotto voce). "But" — and here he raised his hand for silence — "but she's deaf and dumb. If she wasn't she would perform for you in a minute. As we have no swimming tank here, no tight wire, or no horses, she can't do her little stunt. But meet her anyway. She's " Just for fun we won't reveal the lady's name. I may mention though that she's quite a clever lead in comedies. However, as I learned from Murray afterward, that she ivas frightened dumb. "You see, the trouble was this," said Charlie. "That act just ahead of her filivvered. Nobody was ready to go on the stage, and she was standing in the wings. To fill in the time I made her come out and be introduced. But, believe me, it was some job ! "I didn't know whether she'd ever been on the stage or not, and didn't have time to ask, so I couldn't take any chances. That's whv I told the audience she was deaf and dumb. Generalh they can talk, but once in a v/hile they can't." The tag line of Murray's explanation, of course, refers to the cinema folk. He might possibly have added that the Western film metropoHs is one of the few places where you can discover a cinema player's ability to use his voice. However, Charlie had more important concerns, for, as is his wont, he was acting as official announcer for the benefit. He is an old hand at the impromptu stuf¥, for when he was in musical comed}' he was routined in the art of improvising. Consequently he is nearly always elected to preside at entertainments given by movie folk. In the Western film metropoHs there are many stich programs. They always draw large audiences, especially from the tourists, for they af¥ord a rare opportunity lo learn just what kind of stage trouper a cinema player is. And everybody seems to have a tremendous interest in a reel actor's real voice.