Screenland (May–Oct 1927)

82 SCREENLAND Gardner James' Work Party Marguerite catches it if she looks at it!" The guests arrived about eleven o'clock in the morning, and each was given a pair of overalls and a smock, both men and women. These they donned, and then they drew lots for the work. Patsy Ruth Miller drew a job of shovelling dirt for the fish pond, but traded off with Percy Marmont, who had drawn a slip telling him he must make curtains, and Percy declared that was altogether out of his line, but he put on a sunbonnet and gave us a funny imitation of a woman sewing. Commodore Bluckton was head carpenter, and put in a couple of windows. The house is a pretty bungalow on top of a hill, with a lot of ground space about it. John Bowers did some heavy shoveling, and looked exceedingly handsome in his farmer's outfit. He sang as he worked, "A farmer's life is the life for me," so loudly he scared the goldfish in the bowl which had been set outside the door. Patsy Ruth Miller chided him for not letting the goldfish get their natural beauty sleep. "It's perfectly awful to keep those goldfish up!" she declared. Patsy looked awfully cute in her overalls, which were a lot too long for her, however, so that she had to roll them up. Priscilla Bonner was there, and also looked very cute in her outfit. She sewed curtains, and proved herself as clever a seamstress as she is an actress, which is saying a whole lot, as everybody knows. Marion Blackton, Gardner's wife, made the sandwiches, and after a while Patsy Ruth gave over making curtains to help her. Dan Van Trene, a director newly arrived from New York, was there, and aided Gardner James in shovelling dirt for the fish pond, and also in putting shakes on the roof. Even the dignified Henry Kolker got into his overalls, and helped plant some flowers in the garden. Everybody worked like mad v for two hours, and then began to cast longing eyes toward the lunch; so Marion relented, and everybody changed back to his or her reg ular clothes, following a shower bath, and gaily ate the excellent food prepared for them. After lunch, Patsy Ruth Miller and Marion played the piano, and the boys gathered around and sang. "And," said Patsy the Party Hound, "a good time certainly was had by all." "Speaking of everybody in the world passing by you when you sit at the sidewalk cafe tables in Paris!" exclaimed Patsy. "That stunt hasn't a thing on attending a party at the home of the Duncan sisters. If everybody isn't here tonight, I don't know my Blue Book!" The Duncans are living in that supposedly ill-fated house where Mary Miles Minter once lived when she was quarreling with her mother, where the unhappy Max Linder dwelt during his stay in Hollywood, and where later somebody tried to shoot a certain beautiful actress: but they say, do the Duncans, that they adore a little excitement that way, and that they don't believe in hoodoos anyhow. "I think a hant is a great thrill!" exclaimed Rosetta. The whole house was alight at all events when we arrived, and the Duncans brought to their social hospitality the same warm, radiant, genial, spontaneous spirit that they bring to their stage entertaining — a spirit that reaches right out and takes everybody to their hearts. Johnny Hines brought May McAvoy, but we hear there is really nothing at all serious between them, even though they do go about together a great deal. Lois Moran danced for us, — a marvelously graceful dance, a sort of waltz. She wore a sheer black lace dress, and looked too lovely for anything. Then she danced a sort of idealized Black Bottom — even making that dance graceful. "Oh, look at John Considine holding his eye in!" cried Rosetta Duncan. Mr: Considine went over and sat down by Lois as soon as she had finished dancing, and we wondered if his interest wasn't at least partly professional, as he seems to be signing up all the talented people for United Artists that he can find. " Continued from page 21 C[ Colleen Moore and Donald Reed in "Naughty but Nice". Fannie Ward, looking as though she had just refreshed herself at whatever fountain of youth she patronizes, was there with her husband Jack Dean, who is looking quite distinguished these days in that little French beard he is wearing. "But I do hope the style doesn't spread to Hollywood, so that all the male picture stars come on the screen looking like French duelists." remarked Patsy. "Mr. Gillette hopes so too!" exclaimed Rosetta. Ben Lyon was so disconsolately far away from New York and Marilynn Miller that the only comfort he could find was in talking about Marilynn apparently. "He is such an awfully nice boy that I am sorry he is going away so soon," said Vivian Duncan. Jetta Goudal was dressed in her usual individual fashion, — this time in a lace dress, long and with wide panniers on the sides, so that she had rather a hard time navigating through the crowded rooms, but managed somehow to appear graceful. Belle Bennett has allowed her hair to grow dark, and looks exceedingly nice that way. Of course she was with her husband, Fred Windermere. "What a lot of girls are letting their bobbed hair grow'" exclaimed Patsy, as we looked about at Claire Windsor, Carmel Myers, and some of the other girls. "I think it is awfully mean," confided a certain director's wife. "You see it does give us old girls a chance to look young to have our hair bobbed, while young ones can look young anyhow." "Well, did you ever see anything look handsomer or younger than Lois Weber does?" demanded Patsy, indicating Miss Weber who had come with that nice husband of hers, Capt. Harry Gantz. "She has never bobbed her hair!" Claire Windsor came to the party alone, and Patsy suggested that she and Ben Lyon really ought to go to parties together, letting it be socially stipulated that they were simply two lonely souls. Bert Lytell, Claire's husband, is away on a vaudeville tour, you know. That awfully good-looking Gilbert Roland was there, flirting quite impartially with all the young actresses, and making a very favorable impression on everybody. "Talk about your sweet young married couples," confided Pat, "Where did you ever find anybody nicer than Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Hughes?" Charlie Farrell as usual danced quite kindly and dutifully with every lady he saw C[ Betty Bronson practices her morning eye exercises on James Hall.