Picture Show (May-Oct 1920)

1? Tin Picture Show, June 2bt/,. 1920. THE YOUNG PERSON IN PINK. A Cinematic Chat With Joyce Carey. Lillian Braithwaite's Clever Daughter. STRICTLY ppeaking, " The Young Person In Pink " was not living up to her appellation when I called upon hor the other afternoon, for I found Miss Joyce Carey attired, not in garments of that roseate hue, l.ut in a fascinating negligee of quite another colour. However, l"d counted on this interview appearing under the above heading, and in view of Miss Carey's treat success as tho " young person " of Gertrude .lennings' clever comedy, I think I'm quite justified in sticking to my original title. And, anyway, I'm quite correct in designating Miss Carey as young — she is, very, with all youth's enthusiasm ; tall, dark, and with more than her share of good looks. I might remark on the resemblance sho bears to her famous mother, Lillian Braithwaite, both in appearance and. I think, in voice, only we ail know the handicap of having a famous relation, and then, too, I'm sure Miss Carey prefers to be taken on all counts simply for — herself. At the beginning of hostilities it seemed that there might not be an interview at all owing to the vigorous demands of a second party for attention, said party being " Mimsey," a very diminutive " Peke given to Miss Carey by Constance Collier : but upon my promising to include him in the interview he consented to subside gracefully in his mistress's lap, and peace was restored. Cold Bloodedness of Film Acting. " I'M afraid I haven't anything very thrilling I to tell you," said Miss Carey, when I asked her for some details of her picture experiences, " because I have appeared in. so few films — just ' Because,' ' God and tho Man,' and * The Newcomes,' or. as I believe it is being called, ' Colonel Newcome.* " " What prompled you to take up film work T " I asked. " Well, I entered pictures for the most prosaic of reasons," admitted Miss Carey, _ because I happened to be out of work, and receiving a film offer from an agent promptly took it, but I must say that I found the work interesting, though the stage holds first place in my affections. "To my min^ there is a cold -blooded ness about film acting winch is never found on tho stage. 1 refer to the manner in which one must depict an emotion before the camera without anything to lead up to it. And then, again* thero are tho long waits between the scenes. And in addition to those little things there is my preference for working at night as I do at the theatre— and my dislike of earlv JOYCE CAREY. (Photo : Doro'.hy Wilding.) rising ! For instance, one may catch the b.30 train iivtbe morning en route for the studio, and then not be used for a scene till four o'clock in the afternoon, by which time," Miss Carey remarked somewhat alarmingly " one's face is all gone ! I mean," she explained, seeing my surprise, "that all one's sprightlincss has vanished by then. However," she concluded, " beside these disadvantages one must place the advantages, among the chief being tho interest the work affords, and the. value of being able to study one's pcrlormance afterwards on the screen." 1 Her Face Is Her Fortune." (HAT is your opinion of film acting as a career for a girl. Miss Carey t " 1 next asked. " Supposing a young friend of yours, with dramatic inclinations, asked your adv ice on the possibilities of tho stage v. screen, in which branch of art would you consider she had the best chances of a speedy success, provided, of course, she seemed suited to either 1 " " 1 am afraid I cannot speak with much authority," confessed Miss Carey. "You Ree, I was fortunate in making mv screen debut in FILM TlXJLNm A Household Martyr. Pketty Film Wife: •'Here I am, roasting myself to death cooking you a nice steak, and you are making fun at mo ! " Handsome Film Husband : " I was only laughing, my dear, to think what an easy thing it is to be burned at the steak ! " A Noble Sacrifice. Alcy : Mother, I may as well tell you tho truth. I've married a film actress." Mother : '•' Oh ! Oh, how could you ?" Alcy : " I did it to save father. He was desjicrately in love With her." — ♦-» — No Waves. THE small boy was sitting on his father's knee watching his mother getting ready for tho studio. (She was performing the very delicate operation of doing her hair in a most becoming wave effect. "No waves for you, pa!" said the infant philosopher, as he fondly polished his parent's Laid head. " You're all beach ! " — ** — The Wrong Man. BERT WYNNE, tho film producer, v» ho lias just finished " The; Town of Crooked Ways," tells an amusing story of a chase after an actor whom hewanted to play in a picture. He had motored up to town in connection with tho "casting" of the film, and was held up by traffic in Shaftesbury Avenue. He espied Bertram Burleigh — the very man ho wanted walking quickly along in tho direction of Wardour Street, and Bent his chauffeur after him, with instructions to " bring back that man with the parcel." The chauffeur wended his way among the stream of vehicles, and presently returned with a funny little man of the "soft goods" persuasion, carrying a big parcel wrapped in a waterproof cloth. Needless to"say. the F. L. M. was not Bertram Burleigh, and Bert Wynne, in spite of his apologies, was severely rated for liis " poor sense of humour " by the man who had been brought on a wild-goose chase. Charlie Chaplin's Double. AN amusing adventure recently befell Cyril Percival, the film actor, who plays the i6'e of " Clarence t^iiampordene," in " The Town of Crooked Ways.' The c har, ncter demands that he shall wear a small moustache. A scene had to be taken from the roof of one of the shipping offices in a big part — in ' Because ' — and so I have never known the struggles of the film aspirant : but. as far as my limited experience allows me to form an opinion, I should say that it is easier for a girl, once she has got her film entree, to succeed on the screen than on the stage, especially if she -has A pleasing and expressive face. So much depends on the face : in fact, to my mind, it is the chief asset in film work, and if a girl had that asset, then I think she stands a reasonable chance of success, even though her dramatic abilities are not above the aveiage. Of course, there are many players on the screen who are great artists as well as being ' good-lookers,' but I was speaking just now of people with' just average dramatic talents, and these. I think, if their features possess fine photographic qualities, will win greater success in pictures than on the boards." From January to August. " I I AVE you had any amusing experience* 1 1 during the making of your pictures, Miss Carey ? " " Nothing wildly so, I'm afraid," was the reply, " though there is always a certain amount of humour — -and a very great deal of embarrassment— -attached to working on exteriors in I/ondon. The remembrance of being dressed as a Puritan maid, and having a violent scene with the villain of the piece outside my cottagedoor in the [lounslow Road, at the busiest time of the day, will always remain with me. You can imagine my feelings, with a great crowd gathered round watching us, and even tho people in the trams standing up to form an appreciative audience — at least, I hope it was appreciative ! At least, it wasn't hostile I " And Miss Carey laughed at the recollection. " This scene," she added, " occurred in ' God and the Man.' " Then do you remember the bill-room scene in ' Because ' ? I remember when Mum and Mr. Ben Webster and I first made it the weather was so cold that our breath was quite a photographic difficulty, and yet, token it was taken again— for some of the film was burnt — the heat was so great that wc couM hardly endure it.. Rather amusing to think that we entered the room in January and made our exit in August ! " " Do you think you will be appearing in any more pictures ? " was my parting shot, tesj having joined in Miss Carey's mirth, I rose t<> depart. ! There is every possibility of my doing so,*' she replied, " but I am afraid, at present, I am not at liberty to divulge t.ny details." , May Herschei. Clarke. Trafalgar Square, and, going up in the lift, tho liftman asked Percival if his little daughter, aged three, might bo allowed to shake hands with him. The liftman explained, " It will be so nice for her to say. in after years, that sho shook hands with Mr. Chaplin." Cyril Percival was too iionplusaxl to dispel tho illusion. His Scheme. " X/OU seem to have no ambition," asserted J the high-spirited film artist. " But I have/' said the leisurely film hero. " I intend to be rich." "Then why don't you woik. like Gordon, for instance." " Ah, said the leisurely hero, " I've l.ad niv eye on him for some time. Good fellow, Gordrnv 1 like to see him piling up wealth. He's working for me." " Working for you ? " "Yes ; he's killing himself making a fortune, and I plan to get it by marrying his_ pretty widow. Like Another Language. WHEN Bill Biggs, the picture eowboj from the Wild West, went to London for the first time, an Englishman, who did not feel sure of Bill's nationality, asked him, " Do yuii understand English ? " " We-el ye-es." said Bill. " tol'rable. tol'rpole, sure I kin git it if y' go slow."