Picture-Play Magazine (Sep 1928 - Feb 1929)

86 Photo by Louise Anita Page made a grave mistake which ruined her chances of success — almost. AWEARY vaudeville act, consisting of a father and son, disbanded — the son to seek a more promising future in Hollywood. He hoped to be a screen actor. Days and weeks were passed in looking for work. The little store of money was exhausted. In succession the young man worked as a super in a movie presentation, as an usher in a theater, as a handy man in various jobs in and out of the movies, as a property man in a small studio, and as a stunt man in serials, risking his life in unnamed bits, because he thought it brought him nearer to his goal. One afternoon the unit he was attached to tried to get a beach scene. The crowd persisted in watching the camera instead of being itself, and the director was in despair. Just then he saw his property man grotesquely cavorting about at the edge of the water. The crowd immediately stared at this clown, realism was restored, and the scene was successfuly taken. All the youth received was a few thanks and a wrenched back due to his vigorous antics. An hour later the hero of the minute was entirely forgotten. It was When They Almost every one in the movies has experienced difficulties and setbacks, but to some has come a dramatic moment when failure to hold on would have meant lasting defeat. This unusual story recounts triumphs over almost tragic handicaps. then that despair almost blanketed him. Everything had failed to get him a hearing, even a freak opportunity. He was nearly giving way to the accumulation of defeats, when the director sent for him. To make him an actor at last? No, to give him a job as a gag man. It wasnot until he had ground away for some time at this alien job, that his persistency got him a test for a role in "Our Dancing Daughters," and when he came out of the test there was not only the role, but a contract, too. And that is the story of Eddie Nugent, now a featured player for Metro-Goldwyn, and acclaimed a star in the making. Nugent is a type in the obstacle race that is being run every day in Hollywood, as well as in the other centers of activity in this country — for prizes other than celebrity on the screen. And the chief qualifications in this race are the qualifications of every important race, qualifications the naming of which has become trite and hackneyed : grit, endurance, and faith. There is no lack of talent in the world ; rather a superfluity of it. Pick up any newspaper and you will find in it letters written to the editor by absolute unknowns, in as fine English, with as a good a sense of composition and, expression as any recognized author. Throughout the country you will find hundreds of men and women singing in little churches and local concerts with as good voices as you can hear on the metropolitan stages. In every city, town, and village there are enough amateurs to present a really creditable performance of a play. And so you can trace talent through all the arts. There is no end to it, but only comparatively few succeed ! It is the accompanying qualities that push the talented person out of the ranks. For success on the screen, grit and endurance are needed in great abundance, for the competition is concentrated in a small area. Without grit and endurance the aspirant is in for a losing race. Take the case of Richard Arlen, another of the younger screen arrivals. Arlen came to Hollywood six years ago, with twenty-two dollars in his pocket. He had lived through a restless career previously, having been through college, the war — in the air service — news Edward Nugent's ambition to act was handicapped by his being a property man.