Screenland (May-Oct 1929)

14 SCREENLAND if it must come, why not a process of selection and elimination? Why must we poor fans be subjected to such torture and discomfiture when we seek an hour of rest, art and beauty? So much for the talkie farce! Where are some of the beautiful faces we used to watch? Our 'souvenirs' may inelude memories of such talented persons as Olga Petrova, Louise Glaum, Barbara La Marr, Kitty Gordon, Carlylc Black well, Bessie Barriscalc and Nazimova. I would welcome interviews and pictures of these old favorites. Of the present-day stars I enjoy Greta Garbo, Lily Damita, Nils Asther, Gary Cooper, Gilbert Roland and Jack Gilbert. It is sad that we have lost the glorious, glamourous Negri. And what's happened to Ricardo Cortez? I'm a Garbo fan from start to finish. I consider the GarboAsther combination the greatest duo in the history of the movies, even eclipising the Garbo-Gilbert team. Sincerely, Gerald Rhines, Oil City, Pennsylvania, (South Side.) Seeing Stars Dear Editor: Some people get all the breaks! However, I am not one of them — in spite of my being Irish. I have gotten so close to elbowing stars, but — no closer. Let my friends and family take the bows! My sister-in-law's college boy friends from the University of California met Joan and Doug Fairbanks, Jr., coming up on the train. They unanimously agree that Joan is nothing short of an optical knock-out and that Doug Jr. is a nice kid. And — that the two are madly in love with each other! A nautical but nice friend, who has appeared in several naval pictures, was stationed at Camp Lewis, when Richard Barthelmess was making the "Patent Leather Kid." He deplored the fact that 'our Dick' of necessity used a double for the more dangerous scenes, but said that Barthelmess was a good scout and a real actor. The boy-next-door, who dances professionally, met Bebe Daniels while he was an extra in "The Crowd," King Vidor's production. Bebe was working on "Senorita" with James Hall. She is not only pretty but clever — and listen, my star-struck children who have a goodly space reserved for him in the cardiac region — James is amiable and natural and not one bit upstage. The first time the mater, one of the few residents of L. A. who did not sell real estate, ever saw Miss Daniels, Bebe was powdering her nose publicly — and in those days public nose-dabbing was to be frowned upon. But Mom decided that Bebe was nice enough to trespass upon ettiquette. The maternal parent used to act as big menu and calory woman at the Beverly Hill Hotel. In the course of her daily hoofing from table to table she met many of the silversheet's stars — people for which we'd cheerfully give the gold-mining rights to our back teeth to the nearest pawnshop to see — but she wasn't properly thrilled. She usually served Elliott Dexter in his room. Of all the male notables she met he vwas the most charming and gracious. Jack Pick ford and Tom Moore were two of her steady customers — pleasant chaps both of them. Mom was strolling one day when she saw Douglas Fairbanks hop over the cow catcher of a streetcar and a few other things by the way of morning exercise while Mary Pickford remonstrated gently. True to type. Six years ago my one and only sister was fresh from the portals of high school and was drawing what she considered an immense salary. Kenneth Harlan dropped into town unexpectedly and announced that he was looking for a girl to act as both secretary and extra. He spent so much time trying to convince my sister that she was just the girl he wanted that he missed his train. I know you won't believe this because it is the fashion to believe that stars are temperamental and fussy creatures, but he didn't even show annoyance at her renunciation of art as he had a right to do. But he did show his disappointment. Jeanette Loff was a back-door neighbor of Mom's for several years outside of the city proper in a little locality called Roseway. One Hallowe'en Jeanette was sadly in need of a large rose ribbon to wear in her hair as a part of her party costume, so she ran over to Mom's for one. That ribbon, since her rise to fame, has since been used as an embellishment on a boudoir pillow — and my sister-in-law is the proud possessor of what we refer to as the 'Loff pillow.' Jeanette has blue, blue eyes and golden blonde hair and is small and sylph-like. But in spite of her loveliness she has no conceit and her feet are planted squarely on the ground. A theatrical girl friend had the honor of being introduced to Eugene O'Brien and Virginia Valli when they filmed a picture here several years past. S'easy if your uncle's a film executive. They were most gracious about autographing her memory book. She's quite ambitious. She numbers among her autographs that of Anna Pavlowa. While another acquaintance was bemoaning the fact that she was financially unable to attend the theater to see Sally O'Neil in person — this winter — Molly O'Day and Sally herself passed by so closely that she could have touched them had she reached out her little finger. The two were dressed in swagger fur coats which only emphasized their Irish charm. Not long ago in San Francisco, her seagoing musician brother had the pleasure of meeting Sally — and she gave him a personal snap of herself and autographed it, to boot! Her family must have been born under a lucky star — the whole tribe of them. Her other brother is the one who met Bebe Daniels and James Hall. And her family used to flock to see William Powell when he played stock in the City of Roses. The train pulled into a small and sleepy hamlet one drowsy afternoon. A fairly tall and good-looking chap in a dark way, disembarked, got out his camera and started taking pictures of the town — or lack of it. A press agent fluttered nervously into the station restaurant. "Know who's outside?" he asked the mater. To her "no" the p. a., who proved later to be George Ullman, replied: "Rudolph Valentino!" At that the entire force made for the great outof-doors. Mom, who had met Vafentino through one of the large theater owners of L. A., had not seen him since his marriage to Natacha Rambova, but he spoke to her as if he had seen her only yesterday. Buddy Rogers, girlish America's secret sorrow, used to attend the University of Kansas with a couple of musician friends of the girl who met Sally and Molly on the main drag one evening. The three youths renewed old acquaintances just recently while making "Close Harmony." Buddy and I have one thing in common — we were both born in the Sunflower State. Most sincerely, Marjorie Pangborn, 720 East Morrison St., Portland, Oregon. A Stroll On Hollywood Boulevard Dear Editor: I live right in the midst of Hollywood, am a senior at Hollywood High School, and have been to most of the prominent places of Hollywood including Henry's, Roosevelt Hotel, Cocoanut Grove and the Chinese, Carthay Circle, and Warner Bros. Theaters. I also have been through two studios. Often times after school as I walk down the boulevard I say to myself, "Do you realize you are walking down the most famous boulevard in the world?" Of course it is the most famous boulevard when such things as this happen: Seeing Neil Hamilton in a tailor's shop. Clara Bow making scenes for "Ladies of the Mob." (I'll have to omit I ditched fifth period to watch her!) Gertrude Olmsted trying on a hat in Bess Schlanks. Adolphe Menjou waiting outside the same store for Mrs. Menjou. Also another big event was the appearance of Mary Pickford at our school. She showed us some of her old pictures including "Lena and the Geese," "New York Hat," and a reel from her latest, "Coquette." She was a very different Mary than we expected, dressed in a tan sports frock and bobbed hair, but we loved her as well that way as with curls. Sincerely, Mary Sheahan, 4610 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Calif. Lois Moran's Career Dear Editor: I do not think a word or two to the fans about Miss Moran will be amiss. Her sweet simplicity blends into one of the most charmingly beautiful personalities I've ever been privileged to meet. I've followed the career of Lois Moran, from her very first entrance into the Land of Pictures.