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

More Interesting Stories About the Cast STILL PLAYS A BOY ON SCREEN AT 26 Danny Hoy in Juvenile Role in Mary Pickford’s New “Tess of the Storm Country” The secret of the screen success . of Danny Hoy, now appearing in support of Mary Pickford in her own 1922 version of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists release coming to the . Theatre next .. is his ability to be convincing in his portrayals of the characters of a sixteen-year-old boy despite the fact that he is twenty- six years old. He made his advent ^Anto the theatrical world at the age "f nine years as a boy artist and he is. to this day, seventeen years after¬ ward, still a boy artist. Danny Hoy was literally born in the profession, his parents being Crimmins and Gore, famous vaude¬ ville headliners with whom he played for several years before venturing into other fields. He later made creditable marks on the musical com¬ edy stage and then entered pictures. For the last six years he has been giving an extraordinary demonstra¬ tion in versatility by playing most every kind and color of boy parts before the camera. In “Tess of the Storm Country” he has the part of Ezra Longman, a half-witted boy who persists in an¬ noying the lovable Tess with his ridiculous wooing until she slaps him into a lake, where his ardor is cooled sufficiently to make it occur to him for the first time that she is in love with a rich man’s son. Not so long ago he played the part of a black¬ face comedian. On another occasion he enacted the role of Abraham Tin- coin as a boy. In this case he suc¬ ceeded in convincing the most eru¬ dite critics that he was not a day over fourteen years of age. In other productions he registered strong in . a very emotional part and played the part of a desperate juvenile crook. As a capping of the climax in his versatility he enacted the “character” of a cat. Hoy declares he intends continuing jkp his line of “extreme juveniles” for Ynany years to come, not only be¬ cause he finds such pursuit remuner¬ ative, but because the element of make-believe in his artistic work tends to keep him feeling extremely youthful. “I play like I am a boy so much that I feel like one all the time and I am sure it pays in two ways,” he says. An alluring offer to be co-fea- tured with his brother, Ernest, in a musical show to be opened by Char¬ les Dillingham in New York, has been rejected by David Torrence, who plays an important part in Mary Pickford’s new “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists release coming to, the . Theatre next .. because, he says, his engagement with Miss Pickford has been so delightful and enlighten¬ ing that he has decided his forte lies in interpreting silent drama in¬ stead of the spoken variety with which .he had been identified for twenty years. His experience has all been on the dramatic stage in support of such stars as Maude Adams and Jane Cowl. HOW MARY PICKFORD DRUBBED AN ACTOR Trimmed Her Finger-Nails to the Quick to Avoid Actual Scratching One of Mary Pickford’s most strenuous efforts in enacting the role of Tess in her new version of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists* release coming next . to the . Theatre, was to get Robert Russell, playing the part of Dan Jordan, down and to give him a decisive drubbing. Inasmuch as the manuscript called for some promiscuous scratching of the man’s face, and knowing she would go through all the motions of accomplishing such an end, Miss Pickford had her valuable fingernails trimmed down so close as to make it impossible for her actually to scratch. When this scene was “shot” at Chatsworth Lake her purpose in the sacrifice of her fingernails was accomplished, but as a “reward,” she peeled much skin off of her own knuckles in her zeal in registering realism in her encounter with the character who had incurred her ire. Although the courageous star refused to be sympathized with on account of her injuries, they were extensive enough to require medical attention and between subsequent scenes she was compelled to keep her fingers in bandages. “It was a great fight,” enthused John S. Robertson, her director, af¬ terwards. “But, I am sincerely sorry there had to be any such injuries.” “I don’t mind , so long as the fight was a good one,” Miss Pickford re¬ plied laughingly. “My knuckles and fingernails will all be normal again just as soon as I am satisfied Tess has been} restored to the screen.” FILM ACTRESS WINS ROWING CONTEST Mme. de Bodamere Successful in Keen Competition with Forrest Robinson Two members of Mary Pickford’s company presenting her new produc¬ tion of “Tess of the Storm Coun¬ try,” a United Artists release coming to the . Theatre next .. are champion mariners. Mme. de Bodamere leads with a record of forty-seven round trips across the Atlantic Ocean while For¬ rest Robinson is second with thirty- four such voyages to his credit. Dur¬ ing the recesses between the taking of scenes laid in a fishermen’s village Miss Pickford had built on Chats¬ worth Lake, thirty miles from Los Angeles, these two 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 Bodamere won, her high record being seven round trips in one day, she operating the oars unassisted. “Of course it was not that way I made so many trips across the At¬ lantic,” she laughed afterward. “Yet, I made it a point to become pro¬ ficient at rowing and also at swimming in case of any sea emergency that might arise.” MME DE BODAMERE FAMOUS TRAVELLER Actress in Mary Pickford's New “Tess of the Storm Country” Noted Globe Trotter Madame de Bodamere, who plays the part of Mrs. Longman in Mary Pickford’s new version of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists release coming to the.Theatre. next ., had crossed the At¬ lantic Ocean a total of forty-eight times before she joined ‘this star. In fact, she has traveled all over the world, visiting all the European countries and venturing into Africa, the West Indies, Mexico and Cuba. She has even toured China leisurely and there are few lands she has not set her foot upon. This is the pro¬ duction of Miss Pickford’s in which Mme. de Bodamere has made a screen appearance. Besides being an inveterate globe¬ trotter, Mme. de Bodamere is an excellent linguist, speaking, reading and writing various languages in¬ cluding English, French, Italian and German. She was born and educated in Paris, France, but has never es¬ sayed the dramatic art in any other country but the United States nor has she ever supported any other .star except Miss Pickford. Besides “Tess of the Storm Country,” she has appeared in “The Love Light,” “Through the Back Door” and “Little Lord Fauntleroy.” When asked why she had made so many voyages across the mighty At- lantic, Mme. de Bodamere declared it was “her favorite ocean” and that journeying by steamship was her favorite mode of transportation. “Many times I have made ze trip across just for ze grand ride over ze waves,” she adds. And thus far she has been im¬ mune to any of the discomforts of seasickness, being a perfect mariner. Two of her transatlantic trips have been made in company with Miss Pickford. DIRT FOR ART’S SAKE There was a shampooing event of usual interest at the Pickford-Fair- banks Studios when Mary Pickford’s million-dollar curls were washed for the first time in six weeks. This celebrated cinema star had returned from a five-week sojourn on “loca¬ tion” at Chatsworth Lake, and as her whole time away from her studio had been occupied in enacting the role of the lovable though not im¬ maculately “hair-dressed” Tess in her own new production of “Tess of the Storm Country,” a United Artists re¬ lease coming to the . Theatre nex t . . . the pleasure of even the slightest cleansing of her tresses was prohibited by the de¬ mands of the story as written, by Grace Miller White. Consequently, this famous American. beauty was forced to endure the inconvenience of neglecting her much adored locks for the sake of realism and art. After working one full day in an interior setting in her studio, Miss Pickford was overjoyed to hear Di¬ rector John S. Robertson’s announcement of his readiness to “shoot” the scene in which the star could have the pleasure of washing her head to her heart’s content and delight. WHAT THEY WERE BEFORE FILM DAYS Supporting Cast in Mary Pick- ford's New Photoplay Had Many Occupations The past and present of Mary Pickford and the cast of players sup¬ porting her in her great new produc¬ tion of “Tess of the Storm Coun¬ try,” a United Artists release coming next . to the . Theatre, compel interest due to the striking contrasts in the lines of en¬ deavor once embraced and later dis¬ carded for careers as dramatic artists. Hence witnesseth that: Mary Pickford is the only one of her company who has ever been any¬ thing else excepting what she is to¬ day, for at the tender age of nine years she was starred in “The Fatal Wedding” and has been recognized as a star of the first rank ever since. But— Lloyd Hughes, her leading man in “Tess of the Storm Country,” was formerly a shoe clerk in Bisbee, Arizona. Gloria Hope was once a school teacher. David Torrence was for two years a cowpuncher in old Mexico. Forrest Robinson was a farmer. Jean Hersholt was a match manu¬ facturer in Copenhagen, Denmark. Danny Hoy was an acrobatic dancer in vaudeville. Robert Russell was a bookkeeper. Gus Saville was a horse-trader. Mme. de Bodamere was a Parisian modiste. This almost runs the gauntlet of human vocations and is a good ex¬ ample of how most any group of present-day entertainers represents the majority of occupations, for out of this total of ten only one, Miss Pickford herself, has been in her present profession a whole lifetime without exception. NO CANES FOR HOLLYWOOD David Torrence, well-known char¬ acter actor, has carried a cane all his matured life, and he’s meandered over most of this mundane sphere. In his twenty-year service on the stage he carried a cane as a matter of habit. Hence when he landed in Hollywood to appear in support of Mary Pickford in her new produc¬ tion of “Tess of the Storm Coun¬ try,” a United Artists release coming to the . Theatre next ....., he clung to his trusty walking stick. Cane in hand and hat on head, he was strolling down Hollywood Boule¬ vard when he was stopped by a tall, well-dressed Englishman, who be¬ trayed strong-scented signs of not being any too much aware of the existence of Mr. Volstead. The Englishman, unsteady and bleary-eyed, surveyed Torrence from head to foot and finally fixed his gaze on. the cane, he carried and shook his head vigorously in the negative. “Not in Hollywood, my boy, not in Hollywood,” he warned in broad English accent.