Reel Life (Sep 1914 - Mar 1915)

REEL LIFE Twenty-one Real Tales About Reel Folk IN The Truth of Fiction, Anna Kromann makes her debut with the American Company. Miss Kromann plays May Burton, the rancher's daughter, a character into which she puts just the required spice of willfulness, and in which she has opportunity to ride a horse as only this charming new star of the Flying "A" can ride a horse. The snap-shot at the top of this page shows her and her beautiful mount, just previous to a cross-country run in the film. Miss Kromann is the fair, American girl type, with dark-lashed grey eyes, most expressive under the broad brim of a sombrero. As the picture shows, she has a keen sense for costume. Her tan corduroy riding skirt is topped off by a picturesque belt of Mexican embossed leather, her hat is banded with Indian bead work, gauntlets encase her slender arms to the elbow, and her riding boots are high and of mannish cut. A handsome Mexican saddle has a bridle in keeping, with ornately studded bands across the horse's nose and forehead. Miss Kromann thoroughly enjoys life. Work which keeps her in the open — especially in the saddle — is her ideal of an occupation. She finds Santa Barbara even more beautiful than she had imagined, and the personnel of the studios very congenial. studio daily brings numerous postal cards from Miss Drew, who at present is sojourning with the company in Bermuda, telling her friends, who have stayed behind to support the one-act productions, how much she wishes they also might have been with her on the trip. She asks to be remembered to "everybody at 29 Union Square — the director, Milly, who 'cuts' the film, the telephone girl, and all the players." Anna Kromann, Who Makes Her Debut with Flying "A" in "The Truth of Fiction" Ince realism appears to have no limit. In Shorty's Secret, the Broncho hero becomes embroiled in a fight with the brother of the sheriff. His enemy "squeals" on him and the astute official of the village, followed by most of the population, goes to arrest Shorty. The cowboy, meanwhile, has been hidden by his friends in a wagon containing a shipment of eggs. Waking to find that he is about to be taken into custody, he uses the egg wagon as a fortification, and pelts the posse with its contents. Mr. Ince had a dozen crates of eggs purchased for the production, each crate containing twenty-four dozen. Therefore, there were exactly 3,456 eggs fired by Shorty in the fusilade. It took him ten minutes to throw them all while the camera recorded the storm. With eggs at approximately five cents apiece, the scene cost Mr. Ince about $172.80. Elizabeth Drew comes to Runaway June, already familiar with its author's ideas, for, previously, she was starred in "Get Rich Quick Wallingford", and is a type especially approved by Mr. Chester. She has the enviable reputation of being one of the handsomest and best dressed young women in the theatrical world — assets which she uses to good purpose in her impersonation of Mrs. Villard, the restless wife of a millionaire. Her chic appearance in the accompanying photograph is typical of Miss Drew, who possesses a remarkably w e 1 1-proportioned figure, on which the very newest modes seem to realize their fullest possibilities. Her personality is frank and gracious. The mail at the Reliance Elizabeth Drew of the "Runaway June" Company Is a Favorite Chester Type "Johnny" Weiss, who has assisted Reliance directors with unflagging zeal, for several generations of big productions, is a New Yorker, who deserted a profitable business cutting out togs for the sailors at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, in order to learn the show business. His first experience was with Barnum & Bailey's. After selling programs for a few days he was put in charge of the property department. As property man he soon made his way into the legitimate, and became connected with the Academy of Music in Fourteenth Street "The bug was in the blood," said Mr. Weiss. "My family were all musicians, and my uncle a well-known comedian. I act a bit myself," he added modestly. Six years ago Mr. Weiss went to the Kinemacolor, remaining with that company until it was dissolved. During that time he came under the tutorage of some of the eminent directors in filmland. In the Reliance he has proved himself an obliging, all-round man, always ready in any emergency. In fact, "Johnny" Weiss is popular with everybody. Johnny Weiss Is Popular With Everybody