Screenland (May-Jul 1926)

SCREENLAND 9? In Hollywood They're So Darned Athletic (Continued from page 31) "Rooney" is just a scrub Airedale that was brought to the studio to be a companion to a big St. Bernard that Doug and Mary brought back from Europe. He has since become a great football fan and spends the livelong day carrying a football around, its lacing thong in his mouth, entreating someone to kick it so that he may retrieve it. "Kick it for him," my actor friend said. I tried to, Ed., but the grass must have been wet or something for I slipped and fell backwards over a hedge and a goat butted me around a little bit before I could get out of the way. Doug, Harold Lloycl and Jack Holt are three motion picture stars who keep plugging away at their sports although Kathryn Perry is an excellent golf player; Norma Shearer, a swimmer; Patsy Ruth Miller, a tennis player, and Buster Keaton a baseball player. George O'Brien and Fred Thomson, of course, were once champion all-round athletes and, though picture work takes up most of their time now, they have never "broke training". "Chuck" Lewis is another old time athlete who has a good job in Hollywood. His performance on the Olympic team attracted Doug's attention and now Doug has him permanently on his staff as a trainer, taking him East whenever he goes, and even to Europe. From Fairbanks' we went over to Harold Lloyd's picture factory. It really consists of a handball court with a studio annex for Harold works hours every day on the handball court. While Fairbanks' sports are varied Lloyd sticks to the game he likes best. Harold was playing handball when we arrived and finally this actor I had on my payroll went up and talked to him. He must have told Lloyd who I was for Lloyd asked me to play a hand with him, or whatever you call it. We started in and say, Ed.. Lloyd hit that ball so hard that I stopped in the middle to watch the ball go past and the next thing I knew I was at home in bed. The doctor said I had turned my neck around completely three times trying to keep my eye on the ball. I tried to explain it to my wife but she said: "Quite a likely tale. You were probably standing in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard trying to watch all those movie gals at one time." The next day, Ed., we went to see Rudolph Valentino box. And now I know why Jack Dempsey quit fighting and went to acting. He was afraid Valentino would quit acting and go to fighting. Over at Warner Brothers' studio Monte Blue was doing pretty much the same thing only he was working out with one of these dummy looking things. "Why don't you show him how to hit it?" my actor-guide asked me. Well, Ed., I missed it the first time but the second time I hit it right on the end cf the nose. It must have had round heels or something, Ed. Anyhow it bounced right back at me and knocked me down and smashed my new Derby hat. I returned home from the beach that night, Ed., to find my wife sort of mysterical. The afternoon papers were carrying a story about a little incident I had had and she had already seen it. "James Tankard, well known writer," the headlines read, "loses eye while viewing bathing beauty parade." I couldn't make my wife believe that I been spending the afternoon with George O'Brien and one or two other people. We hadn't been closer to that parade than — well, about fifty feet. It was only my glass eye that I lost, anyway, and besides the newspapers got my name wrong. "Oh, well, they got the tank part of it," my wife said, "and everybody knows that means you." The next day, Ed., we had quite a tour. I was beginning not to think quite so much of my $7.50 a day actor, but he took me to see Kathryn Perry playing golf; Florence Vidor on her own tennis court at home; Lola Todd, Margaret Quimby and Marian Nixon skipping the rope, running foot races and turning cartwheels, Olive Borden was practicing sprinting and Joan Crawford, the Charleston. "Why don't you give Joan a few Charleston lessons?" my actor says. But, I'll ask you, Ed., what would a fellow tell his wife if he should come home with a leg missing? On our way over to Betty Compson's and James Cruze's home we saw Bebe Daniels playing golf. "A little light exercise like that is great for putting on a little weight," this actor fellow tells me. On the way back we saw Bebe again. This time she was riding a horse. "That's a great way to reduce," my broadcaster says. Gee whiz! Ed., what can you do with a fellow like that. Right then I was willing almost to believe that he had the entree or anything else I heard about him. The next day we went over to the William Fox studios to see Tom Mix do some fancy riding and roping and then we went out to Universal where Hoot Gibson and Art Acord were doing some of the same. They tell me that those fellows used to be the champion this-and-thats of the whole rodeo industry. The money the three of them make together every week probably would buy every cow outfit in Texas. "You spent two weeks down in Arizona once, didn't I hear you say?" my hired man says. "Why don't you show these birds how to ride?" I wasn't feeling any too good but I don't want to offer any excuses for myself, Ed. Maybe the horse had eaten something that didn't agree with him. Or, maybe his wife nagged him. I don't know. In any event, I had no more than mounted the brute when he humped his back and went bounding away in a most appalling manner. I soon saw that the horse didn't want me to ride him. I was not enjoying it very much either, so I decided to get off and walk back. We hadn't gone very far. But, as I dismounted a wild cactus that was going by at the time actually went out of its way to reach out and claw me viciously on the hands, arms, face, legs, chest, abdomen and back, not to mention other parts of my person. Then it seized one of my thumbs in its mouth and dashed away with it. Well, Ed., I got home eventually and the The CRYSTAL CUP By Gertrude Atherton Author of "Black Oxen" is the story of a woman, beautiful, healthy and young, yet incapable of love. With the scientific insight for which she is famous Mrs. Atherton tells her amazing story. All women — and men — will find this book a revelation. Send $2.00 to Dept. C, BONI & LIVERIGHT, 61 W. 48th St., N. Y., and the book will be sent you postpaid. The July SCREENLAND will be rich in beauty. a special bathing girl rotogravure insert will show exclusive photograps of Screen Stars on the beach at santa Monica. g^3 On Sale— June 10th STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION, ETC., REQUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS OF AUGUST 24, 1912, of SCREENLAND, published MONTHLY at NEW YORK, N. Y., for April 1, 1926. State of NEW YORK, County of NEW YORK, ss. Before me, a NOTARY in and for the State and county aforesaid, personally appeared J. THOMAS WOOD, who, having been duly sworn according to law, deposes and says that he is the PUBLISHER of the SCREENLAND and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and belief, a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, embodied in section 443, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this form, to wit: 1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor, and business managers are: Publisher, J. THOMAS WOOD, 236 WEST 55TH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y. ; Editor, ELIOT KEEN, 236 WEST 55TH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y. ; Managing Editor, ELIOT KEEN, 236 WEST 55TH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y. ; Business Manager, NONE. 2. That the owner is: (If the publication is owned by an individual his name and address, or if owned by more than one individual the name and address of each, should be given below: if the publication is owned by a corporation the name of the corporation and the names and addresses of the stockholders owning or holding one per cent or more of the total amount of stock should be given) THE MAGAZINE BUILDERS, INC., 236 WEST 55TH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y. ; J. THOMAS WOOD, 236 WEST 55TH STREET. NEW YORK. N. Y. ; ERNEST ADAMS. 236 WEST 55TH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y. 3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: (If there are none, so state\ NONE. 4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, and security holders, if any, contain not only the list of stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is given ; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct or indirect in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated by him. J. THOMAS WOOD, Publisher. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 30TH day of MARCH, 1926. (Seal.) MAE LEVINE, Notary Public, New York County, No.724. (My commission expires March 30th, 1926.)