Picture Play Magazine (Sep 1926 - Feb 1927)

22 Von Stroheim Plays Aladdin Though Miss Wray, when off the set. appears to be just one of Hollywood's many pretty girls, she acquires, under the influence of Von Stroheim, a strange and thrilling spirituality. bloom was glistening under the high-powered lights. The blossoms, five hundred thousand of them, were hand made and dipped in wax. The trees were also of the "made in Hollywood" variety. Yet, under the pale glow of the summer moon and the concentrated glare of the lights, those gnarled trees appeared to have been sending roots down into the ground for a century or so. However, there was other witchery present than a hand-made apple orchard. Beneath a tree, which bent under its weight of blossoms, sat Prince Xicki, an Austrian officer, making love to Mitzi, a little harpist in a Viennese wine garden, illumined by an inner light of love. Gone was the prettv little girl called Fay W ray. In her place was a fragile, lovely creature with curls piled high on her head. In her ears were quaint coral earrings. She wore a white muslin dress with a blue sash. Draped over her shoulders was the white military cloak of Prince Xicki, with its crimson lining sending a wealth of color up to warm her face. Each time Von Stroheim touched her hand, the light leaped to her eyes and gave onlookers a thrill. The immaturity of appearance which had seemed heretofore to characterize Fay Wray was completely lost in a revelation of awakening womanhood. While acting with Von Stroheim, the girl seemed lifted out of herself, and was indeed an Old World heroine of that period when Germany was urging Austria to join her in making war. photo by French This far the revelation went — but no further. \\ hen the scene was over and Miss Wray picked up her skirts to come over to where I sat, the illusion was lost. By the time she had reached me. little Fay Wray, one of Hollywood's many pretty girls, was again present, and Mitzi, frail and intangible in her charm, was gone. She talked like an eighteen-year-old girl upon whom life had made but few demands. She was afraid to speak frankly on any subject for fear it might not be the correct thing to do. She was amazingly certain that from now on, life was going to be a perfect unfoldment of a dream. Xo more worry about being a failure, no more struggle for success. This much faith she put in Von Stroheim. It is a fair exchange, for the fact that he had faith enough in her to choose her without once having seen her on the screen is probably the most perfect thing that has happened in the uneventful life of Fay Wray. She has always had a Von Stroheim complex. She has dreamed that he would direct her. And so, when she walked into his office and expressed her desire to play the heroine in "The Wedding March," she was hoping the role might possibly be given her. But not even she was prepared for the instant decision which gave it to her without further preliminaries. Von Stroheim asked about her previous pictures. She told him that he wouldn't like them. "Then I won't see them," he announced — and that was that. Is it any wonder that Fay Wray expects that this film with Von Stroheim will open all doors to her? Of course, she is more or less right. If she responds to the opportunity which is hers in "The Wedding March." undoubtedly many interesting things will be offered her. However, being discovered by Von Stroheim isn't the sure step toward fame which it should be. Though he can look at a girl and see something in her which others overlook and though he is able to bring that something forth into fulfillment, other directors are apparently not able to take the same material and do likewise. Players discovered by Von Stroheim seem to lapse into comparative mediocrity, under the direction of others. The Von Stroheim spark is not contagious. Although Rupert Julian completed "Merry-go-round." it was Von Stroheim who commenced it and who visioned and developed Marv Philbin in the role which brought her fame. But where since, in the career of Mary Philbin, has there been another "Merry-go-round ?" Mae Murray is still vainly hoping to appear as lovely again as she was in "The Merry Widow," vet every one but Miss Murray seems to concede that it is a vain Continued on page 105