Tess of the Storm Country (United Artists) (1922)

Stories That Will Tell Your Public About the Cast FAILURE AS COWBOY, SUCCESS ON SCREEN David Torrence in Mary Pick- ford's New “Tess of the Storm Country" When David and Ernest Torrence packed their bags and shook the dust of native Scotland from their •hoes, they were actuated by the all- compelling idea of invading the New World to make their joint fortune in the cow-punching business. Hence they landed in Mexico and lunged into the hazardous tasks of erding cattle and for two years they combatted the onslaughts of dis¬ couragement born of unrealized am¬ bitions. But, finally, they became "onvinced there was no hope for them as wealth-acquiring cowboys. In fact, they experienced difficulty in making a bare living and besides they were harrassed almost con¬ stantly by revolution-bent peons who did not give a rap whose steers they slaughtered while out to upset the government. Consequently, these brothers from Scotland sadly but wisely gave up in despair and wended their weary way into the United States. In the course of events they drifted into New York, where they met a Samaritan good enough to apprise them of the fact that they both possessed excellent singing voices and to suggest an attempt to get on the stage. The temptation was overwhelming and the brothers did get onto the boards with an aus¬ picious vengeance. Now David Tor¬ rence is one of America’s really rominent actors, his latest triumph eing scored in support of Mary Pickford in her notable 1922 produc¬ tion of “Tess of the Storm Coun¬ try,” a United Artists release coming next . to the . Theatre, while Ernest Torrence has won his spurs as one of the fore¬ most comedians of the musical com¬ edy stage and lately impressed his 'versatility by registering as . just about about the meanest villain in all screendom. David Torrence was selected by •Miss Pickford to play the part of ‘lElias Graves,, the rather heartless inch man against whom the lovable Tess is arrayed throughout the un¬ folding of Grace Miller White’s greatest story, because he was not only the type, but on account of his fame as a delineator of such characters. Prior to his appearance in “Tess of the Storm Country,” he had met success in noteworthy film produc¬ tions. His previous stage record was long and brilliant, he having elicited most applause in support of Jane Cowl in “Smilin’ Through” and dur¬ ing an eight-year engagement . in Maude Adams’ company, appearing in prominent parts in such successes as “The Little Minister,” “Peter Pan,” “What Every Woman Knows” and “A Kiss For Cinderella,” all Barrie plays. Two members of Mary Pickford’s company presenting her revival of “Tess of the Storm Country,” at the . Theatre, are champion mariners. Mme. de Bodamere leads with a record of forty-seven round trips across the Atlantic Ocean while Forrest Robinson is second with GLORIA HOPE HOPED TO TEACH SCHOOL Now Plays Leading Part With Mary Pickford in “Tess of the Storm Country" Gloria Hope, who plays the part of Teola Graves in Mary Pickford’s notable new production of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists release booked for next . at the . Theatre, never once dreamed of becoming an actress until she chanced to go to Holly¬ wood once on a vacation. Upon get¬ ting her first glimpse of a motion picture company “shooting” scenes on a prominent boulevard she got what she thought to be “a silly no¬ tion” to smile into a camera just to see how she would look. Subsequently she called on one of the big producers and confided her ambitions. Much to her surprise he engaged her promptly. Even after she had started to work in her new field, she had no idea. of. forsaking her most cherished aspiration, which was to be a school teacher. In fact, she had made extensive preparations to take up pedagogic work and was prone to regard her adventure in the studio more in the light of a lark. However, this producer liked her work and her beauty so much that he prevailed upon her to sign the dotted line of a contract which precluded the possibility of imparting knowledge to the younger generation for a good long while and by the time she had seen herself in several photoplays, she had decided to re¬ main loval to let someone else take her place in the school room. The first picture in which Miss Hope ever worked was called “Free and Equal” and she says she never looked forward to an event with as much pleasurable anticipation as she did the promised release of this pic¬ ture. She was “just dying” to see herself on the screen for the first time, but she was doomed to bitter disappointment, because “Free and Equal” was never shown to the pub¬ lic—it was barred on the charge that it was too replete with racial prej¬ udice, but that was 'not the fault of Miss Hope, because her performance in this initial effort was so far above reproach that she was retained with an increase in salary. Among her more notable screen successes were scored in such pro¬ ductions as “The Grim Comedian,” starring Jack Holt, and “The Guilty Man,” an Ince special. She also ap¬ peared in support of Jack Pickford in two of his hits, “A Burglar By Proxy” and "Bill Apperson’s Boy.” Although Miss Hope was born in Pittsburgh. P/h., she was educated in Newark, N. T. In private life she is Mrs. Llovd Hughes and “Tess of the Storm Country” is the first pic¬ ture in which she and her husband have ever appeared together, Mr. Hughes being Miss Pickford’s lead¬ ing man. thirty-four such voyages to his credit. During the taking of scenes laid in a fishermen’s village on Chatsworth Lake, these players vied with each other in winning honors in the number of rowing trips across the lake, which is about two miles in width. Mme. de Boadmere won, her high rec¬ ord being seven round trips in one day, she operating the oars unassisted.- FILM ACTRESS HAS RULE OF AMBITION Mme. de Bodamere in Most Im¬ portant Role in Mary Pick- ford's Latest Photoplay In many instances natives of for¬ eign lands upon settling in Uncle Sam’s domain excel in ambition. There are many demonstrations of how a surpassing zeal controls men and women who have come from afar to strive with the millions in this great American melting-pot. Mme. De Bodamere, who plays the part of Mrs. Longman in Mary. Pick¬ ford’s noteworthy new production of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists release coming to the .. hails from France and she came to this country with a surplus of 'aspirations. Although she had crossed the. Atlantic Ocean more than forty times prior to finally set¬ tling in the United States and had visited practically every center of population in the world, she says the ambition to become an actress never occurred to her until she met Miss Pickford in New York several years ago. “After I had seen this most charm¬ ing of all screen artistes in several of her pictures, I found myself con¬ trolled by a desire to go into the movies and I yielded to the lure of it without hesitation,” Mme. de Bodamere says. Subsequently, she became a mem¬ ber of Miss Pickford’s company and appeared in several of this celebrated star’s successes including “The Love Light,” “Through the Back Door” and “Little Lord Fauntleroy.” Now in her latest characterization in “Tess of the Storm Country,” she plays her most important role. “Ambition should be the rule with everybody, most especially those who come here from foreign lands and I think every earnest man or woman should go the limit to measure, up to the rule by keeping at ambitious tasks until success comes,”, she says. Undoubtedly she is right, but measuring up to the rule of ambi¬ tion is not nearly as common or as prevalent as it should be since , the late world war, according to various savants all of which should suffice to inspire a general awakening to the importance of raising, the onward- march banner much higher. HERSHOLT IN NEW PICKFORD PHOTOPLAY Plays Important Role in New Version of “Tess of the Storm Country” Jean Hersholt, who plays, the im¬ portant part of Ben Letts in Mary Pickford’s notable new screen pro¬ duction of “Tess of the Storm Coun¬ try,” in the original version of which she won immortal fame eight years ago, was born in Copenhagen, Den¬ mark, where he received his educa¬ tion in. the Jesuit College. In early boyhood he dreamed of making his mark as an actor and as soon as he finished his studies of books, he SCREEN PIONEER IN NEW PICKFORD FILM Gus Saville, at Seventy-six, Has Role in “Tess of the Storm Country” Gus Saville, who portrays the character of Old Man Longman in Mary Pickford’s own and new ver¬ sion of “Tess of the Storm Coun¬ try,” is seventy-six years old, but no young man of twenty-five could be sturdier or more lively, for he can put on the gloves with most any. of them and mete out as much punish¬ ment as the next one in the manly art and he is among the champion long-distance swimmers of the Paci¬ fic Coast at this late day in his long life. Forsooth, he is a veritable mar¬ vel in the way of “everlasting pep” and he seems to be destined to round out the century mark with ease.. Mr. Saville is one of. the real pio¬ neers of the show business, he hav¬ ing been in this game continuously for forty-five years. He was an old- timer when the first motion pictures were made back in 1896 and he was in the cast which presented the first movie ever made in America. This was “The Dreyfus Court Martial,” considered a great sensation in that day. He was also a veteran when many years ago he ventured into the practically unexplored Yukon terri¬ tory and took a job playing in a stock company managed by Ralph Cummings, brother of the well-known Irving Cummings, in Dawson City, when that present-day “metropolis” of Alaska was a “shoot-’em-up” camp of the roughest, toughest prospectors on earth. Among the more memorable, old- time stage successes in which Mr. Saville played prominent parts were: “Charley’s Aunt” and “A Bunch of Keys.” He was featured in. a com¬ edy called “Unneighborly Neighbors” back in 1886 before many of the modern stars were born. Prior to that engagement he was a member of the vaudeville team of Cunning¬ ham and Saville, who were billed as “Jumbo Coons,” and he was con¬ sidered one of the funniest of the minstrels in the country. He tipped the scales at something like two hun¬ dred pounds in those days, but he has since trained down to a pound¬ age of about 175. In the last few years he has been quite active on the screen. availed himself of the first oppor¬ tunity to make his debut on the stage. For twelve years he worked to win recognition as a leader and at the end experienced the gratifying thrill'of being proclaimed a real star by the press of his native land. With such a foundation, he came to the United States. He had come to a full realiz¬ ation of the possibilities of the screen for m man of his type and talents, and he encoun¬ tered no difficulty in getting his chance. Then he joined another company and distinguished himself especially in directing “The Servant in the House.” Later his artistic character interpretation in making “Whom the Gods Would Destroy” elicited very decided praise. He enhanced his directorial reputation with “A Certain Rich Man,” “The Mysterious Rider” and “Man of the Forest.” Among his most notable screen characterizations was in “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” His very latest work—that in support of Miss Pickford in “Tess of the Storm Country”— is his very best and is eloquent proof of the fact that in coming all the way from Denmark to make his mark on the American screen, he did not travel in vain.