Talking Picture Magazine (Oct 1929 - Nov 1930)

December, 1929 TALKING PICTURE MAGAZINE Page 19 i By Helene Going through the shops, the other day we realized more and more the radical change that has come over our styles. Our very tall and thin girls view with alarm the new silhouette. It tends to accentuate height. However, with a little feminine cunning, the clever woman can manage to rectify this fault by compromising with the fashion. Study your figure. If you can't wear a long skirt, perhaps you can drape it up in front. Or if you don't like the high waists, why not try the tight hip effect, merely wearing a high belt to indicate where the waist should be. On the other hand our stout sisters will rather welcome the long straight outline, perhaps catching the skirt up a trifle on the side. It is only the average, well-rounded woman, however, who won't have to wear some kind of foundation garment underneath to mold the figure as dictated by that tyrant, Dame Fashion. She commands and we, her slaves, obey. Thus, a foundation for sports wear, with the straighter line, will have to be somewhat different from one for formal dress, with the rounded effect. In skirts, too, we found a great difference. Tn the afternoon dress we noticed that the flare doesn't begin until well below the hip line. Then it falls suddenly into deep folds as far as halfway between the knee and ankle. In formal wear, the flare starts at the waistline— which is high — and gradually descends to any length wished — usually to the ankles, sometimes even to the floor. The hem line tends to be straighter although a slight dip mav be used. Shirring in front and Patou's bows are seen a great deal. The bows may seem to be placed casually, though an experienced eye will see that they are used as a finishing touch to some special design or effect such as a side or front drape. Tabot collars are also being used effectively. We were shown a stunning model with a zig-zag, modernistic line worked out in fagotine. So vou see, we can still depend upon "old faithful". Sleeves tend, for the most part, to be straight and rather tight. However, variations can be seen in the form of the handkerchief cuff, which is quite becoming, and the bow tie at the wrist. The latter proves to give a chic effect and can be depended upon to show off an especially nice hand. As for colors, almost any fall shade can be worn. The new dahlia, though, as introduced bv Patou proves to be a popular favorrite. All shades of green and blue, and some new shades of brown are seen. The combination of burnt orange and fall or miuntain brown is striking. A new shade appears which is called amethyst. This would bp especiallv becoming to a dark comnlexioned person. Nevertheless, every type of woman with anv complexion and coloring can be satisfied with the wide range of fall offerings from the leading dress houses. TAINTED ROMANCE John Rupert Farrell DETECTIVES Sheridan and Graf, two resolute appearing men of middle age, stumble upon a tragic scene when, on the lookout for Tommy Verone, an escaped convict, they walk into a back room of the Joyland Cabaret and find Jim Kelvin, a trusted stool-pigeon of the police, limp and unconscious. He soon dies, freeing all parties present from guilt and the drama concerns itself with finding the murderers. Cardio, Gates, Tommy and Dana are present when the murder takes place, and the last scene is the home of Tim's brother upstate, wherein the . ?tectives get their man. "Well, in he came, unsuspecting," Gates continues grimly. "Dana accused him of turning stool-pigeon — of tipping her brother off to the nolice. She told him she was through with him. Then Cardio butted in with a hard name, and .Tim knocked him cold with a rap on the jaw. At that, I jumped for him myself and get bumped off into dreamland with one biff. He could hit quick and hard, that bird could. There lay the two of us, dead to the world, when Tommy sneaks back into the room, unnoticed. Jim's back was turned to him. He picked up a bottle and threw it at him, hitting him on the back of the head and dazing him. Then, according to the kid's story, he jumped on his back and tried to choke him. But Jim managed to throw him over his head, landing him on the floor with a crash, alongside me and Cardio. He was too groggy. I think, to realize who'd hit him. He'd have cut his right arm off before he'd hurt that kid." "Jim fell back weakly in a chair, after he'd thrown Tommy over his head. She thought he'd killed her brother. He lay very still. To get even, she whipped out the gun she'd taken from Tommy, and shot at Jim as he slumped in his chair, only half -conscious. When Tommy and I came to our senses Cardio was already on his feet, standing behind Dana, lookiner on. She was staring at Jim. gun in hand, heartbroken at what she'd done. Neither Dana nor Jim knew that the f*un was loaded only with blank cartridge. If t-h^v'd known, there'd have been a different storv. We knew Cardio had a .3 8 in' his possession. But we didn't see him use it." And later — ''You're a good pal, Tonv. Nothing'" ever come between you and me!" "This is the gun that got that snuealer!" Cardio admitted with drunken pride. "If Dana didn't get him. I did! But she didn't see me ehnnt or h^ar the bark of this .3 8. I stood b=hir»d her when I let go. It thundered like hell. :ust as we both pulled the trigger. VoU couldn't a thing except the thunder. That's whaf fooled Dana. God! That was some storm, boys." CAROLINA BELLE Mary Lawton Metcalfe IT is the beautiful city-by-the-sea, — Charlestown, Carolina. The gentle Madame Bouneau sets forth her fears for her little daughter, Suzanne, to her husband, Peter Laurens, aristocratic head of a leading family of the South. She says she is afraid that Suzanne is lovesick but her husband reassures her. He says she has had no chance to "meet with the country swains". At midnight, two lovers are seen' in the garden of the Laurens estate. Suzanne has come there to meet Jean Reno, son of the plantation overseer. Suzanne's room is found empty and her father comes to search the garden. Suzanne implores Jean to go but he delays and is whipped by the Master of the house. Relatives of both sides of the family are sent for. After a council in which every one makes shocked comments, it is decided to send Suzanne to a convent in France. She is put in the care of her cousin, John Laurens, who will turn her over to her chaperone when they reach the other side. Suzanne leaves a tragic love note for Jean in the garden. Aboard the boat, she discovers her plebian lover who has taken a position as a sailor. He tells her that he plans to elope with her as soon as they reach Liverpool. She is to meet him at sunrise. The next morning, Suzanne sees Jean and tells him that she made a mistake. She does not love him any more. Jean, in a rage, grabs her and threatens to drown both her and himself. Suzanne screams and her cousin John saves her. Jean is put in irons for the rest of the journey. Suzanne stays at the convent for six years. At the end of that time, she becomes lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie Antoinette of France. Meanwhile, in America, the Revolutionary War breaks out. John Laurens, who is in England at the time, leaves in disguise and comes to America by way of France. He becomes one of Washington's military family. The Commanderin-Chief realizes his worthr and appoints him Ambassador Extraordinary to France to secure aid. At the advice of Dr. Franklin, he waits for some time. But affairs at home come to such a pitch that he decides upon a novel stroke. At a court reception, he unexpectedy presents the petition to the King and Queen. The Queen is so pleased with this new idea that it receives her special attention. Suzanne, who has witnessed this little scene, begs the Queen to do what she can. She tells Her Majesty that John is her cousin and that she loves him. The petition is granted and John Laurens starts for home. As he is about to sail, he receives a note from Suzanne telling him of her part in the affair. She begs him to return after the war is over and take her back to her own country — which he does. THE BEAST Anna Killian Barwick AT Jim Pettigrew's birth, the doctor had said to his attendant, "Put him over there and let him die." But Jim had not died and now he is a man with a body like any other man's but with legs that are different. They stick out from beneath his body as mere pegs, short and thick. His eyes, though, are so intense that they attract more attention than his legs. Janet, pampered society belle, is fascinated bv Jim when she sees him registering at her hotel. He is so different from all the men she knows. At the horse races, she sits beside him and he attracted by her perfume, turns to look at her. Before leaving the hotel, each gets the other's address from the clerk. A correspondence starts. Thus begins ah adventure of a ''beauty and r beast." They meet several times and finaP-marry. They are nappy for some time, until on'e day Janet becomes lonely for the old crowd. She asks Jim to take her to a dance which he reluctantly does. There he sits in the corner, lonely and miserable, while Janet dances on and on. Janet on her part sees Jim for the first time among other men. She becomes restless and longs for the companionship of other men who are physically perfect. Jim sees that he has made a mistake by going to the first dance. Tanet begins going out without him, which nearly breaks Jim's heart. One day he goes to Janet's room and finds her gone. She has left a letter saying that she could not stand their life any more. Jim spends the night in Janet's room, his face in his hands, the letter dropDed to the floor. The next morning he goes home to his mother for comfort. Five years later, a man is seen steering a rickety car into the noorer section of the town. He stops b»fore a small cottage. As fast as his short le<»« can carrv him, he makes his wav across th~ little yard, and opens the door. He is received b" arms from a body so weak that it is support ed on crutches. Poor Janet! She still cannot "nderstahd how Jim can be so Tcind to her in her need. For since her bodv was so horribl-*^anHed in an automobile wreck, Tim has snen* k's last cent on her. But Jim only whisoer^ "Yes, I gladlv gave all for you, Janet, because I love you so." THE HOTEL "HANT" By Elizabeth C. Harllee Two scientists. Dr. and Mrs. Emerson, occupy an apartment in an immense family hotel in a flourishing Florida city. They are interested in insect life, and have collected many specimens of all classes of insects. They have several chameleons and other specimens of the reptile kingdom, butterflies, birds in cages, and glass cases containing many kinds of insects in their laboratory. The feeding of so many different kinds of pets necessitates much effort on Mrs. Emerson's part in' procuring food for them. As the food on which thev subsisted principally was more plentiful at night, it was at that time she procured it, first waiting until a late hour in order to avoid meeting the guests in the hotel. It was a customarv habit of hers to put on a thin white wrapper and to place over her head a long gauzy veil, in order to protect her hair from stray insects. Then she would take her "implements of war" — a longhandled mop with a bushy gathering of white cotton strings. To this she fastened a bug-catcher's net. Armed with this unique paraphernalia she would venture forth to hunt for candle-flies, spiders, and whatever else presented itself in the form of an insect. The hotel, a ten-storv one. covered almost a block. Consequently the halls were long and dark after a certain time at night, except for a few scattered red lights over doors and elevators to designate them. These lights cast a dim red flow over any object that passed beneath them. Hence, anyone coming within the ray of light often had the appearance of a flame. The "bug woman" often passed to the different halls by way of the swinging doors or the stone stairways. Thus she avoided the bellboys, the elevator boys and the guests in the hotel who might be coming in late. Whenever she heard a noise she would take refuge in one of the openings. Then she would "vanish", holding the mop uo in front of her face to prevent being recognized. As she was all in white, when she happened to pass one of the red lights the effect would be a sudden changing from white to red, giving the impression of a flame. Although unconscious of having been seen bv anyone, yet she caused the loss of the peace of mind of manv in the hotel. The employees, the guests and the servants in the hotel became Erreatly^ excited over the constant appearance of "hants". The ladies held meetings to formulate plans to meet the unaccountable emergency. The negroes got busy securing that most wonderful protection against "hants',, the all-powerful rabbit foot. Old Ben. the head porter and all-round man. bethought himself of old Snide, the hotel yard dog. as a protection, and kept him in the elevator during a night watch. He was kept in hot water as a result, for it was strictly against the rules for a dog tto be in the hotel. Hence Ben had to resort to strategy to have Snyder with him. There was among the guests a ventriloquist who had afforded his friends much amusement, although his accomplishment was not generally known among the more recent arrivals at the hotel. Among some of these was a couple who made themselves most obnoxious to the other Mention of the Talking Picture Magazine is the best introduction to advertisers.