Universal Weekly (1923-1925)

26 Universal Weekly March 29, 1924 EXHIBITOR PUBLICITY AIDS A RUT'S ALL RIQHT FOR AN AUTO WHEEL, BUT NOT FOR STAR, DECLARES VIRQINIA 66TF 1 P' you wish to amount to something in life, don't be a plodder," is the advice of Virginia Valli, motion picture star. "If your first goal is too difficult of attainment, strive for something else." This novel recipe for success will probably jolt some of the most prominent bank presidents and public figures, who boast of having .started humbly at the foot of the ladder and, after years of diligent adherence to duty, "arrived"; but fame and fortune may be achieved more easily, according to Miss Valli. "Success doesn't necessarily imply attainment of a goal — it must include contentment with one's chosen vocation. Many so-called successful figures of today have reached the top of the ladder, but they're mighty discontented, just the same. They may have accomplished what they set out to do, but in so doing, they have sacrificed certain ambitions and ideals. "Do what you want to do. Many a genius has died unhappy and unrecognized because he or she did not have the courage to follow his natural bent, but followed the well-meaning advice of parents or relatives who did not recognize the hidden talent of the genius. "My parents wanted me to be an interpretive dancer. Like a dutiful daughter, I spent several years studying that art, although I didn't really want to devote my life to dancing. I plodded and plodded until I eventually attained a certain degree of proficiency and became fairly well known throughout Chicago. But my heart wasn't in it — I always had been a little bit nutty about getting into pictures. I decided to start afresh. I might have eventually become one of the best known disciples of Terpsichore, had I followed my friends' advice of 'stick to your dancing,' but I knew I never would be really happy until I had tried the silver-screen as a profession. No NOTICE: '^f^^. t^-r stones to your local editor and have him run them in advance of your runs on these two sure-fire Universal productions. Their publication will bring additional patrons to your theatre when you present Virginia Valli in "The Signal Tower" and Hoot Gibson in "Forty-Horse Hawkins." doubt the years I spent studying dancing have benefited me in teaching me how to stand and walk gracefully, but, on the other hand, I might have been starred that much sooner had I begun my movie career that much earlier. "The movies were not such a cinch as I had imagined, I soon discovered. Opportunities were few and far between, and I found that the 'bits' with which I had to be content at fir.st seemed to offer little chance of recognition by my directors. That was at Essanay. The old discontent was beginning to manifest itself again, and I was getting ready to try something else, when I was given a chance to do something worth while. "'How would you like to go to the Coast?' my director a.sked me one day when I was feeling particularly 'blue.' 'They want a girl of your type to play a big part in our next production.' " 'Quit your kidding!' I retorted, for I had about given up hope of ever getting a real opportunity. But I went. "I appeared on the Essanay 'lot' for several pictures, in leading roles. Then one day I was asked to play the only feminine role in support of House Peters and Matt Moore in 'The Storm.' The Universal seemed to like my work so well, they offered me a starring contract, and I next appeared opposite Lon Chaney in 'The Shock.' Next came 'A Lady of Quality' and now 'The Signal Tower.' "It looks as if the rolling stone had decided to settle down. I may get the old wanderlust again, and try something else, but I doubt it. The pictures always were my first love, and I think I'll stick to them. But — well, you never can tell." 1? "I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M QOINQ, BUT I'M ON MY WAY," SAYS QIBSON HOOT GIBSON has a grievance. He wishes the public would make up its mind on what roles they prefer to have him play. And, what's more, he wishes they'd quit changing his name. Hoot isn't one of your "drugstore cowboys," but is a real product of the West, having been born at Tekamah, Neb. He left the range to go to Australia with Bud Atkin's Circus, and on his return entered the movies, riding in old Western thrillers, and thence to the Universal fold. Several years ago the powers-that-be at Universal City, Cal., tried to Ritz Hoot's name by calling him Ed, and putting parentheses around the "Hoot." Poor Hoot got so dizzy figuring it out that he didn't have the nerve to squawk when the company officials attempted to dress him up in evening clothes. Now boiled shirts may be all right for city slickers and, once in a great while, even for dude wranglers ; but when you take away from a puncher his two-gallon sombrero, his thousand-mile shirt, silk handkerchief, chaps, spurs and .sack o' Bull Durham, you're goin' to jes' natcherly cross him. Particularly if you try to replace those articles of attire with a hard lid, white dress tie, and a lot of foolish store clothes. Hoot didn't let out so much of a bellow when they tried to make him look like an Arrow Collar advertisement. He was willing and ambitious and wanted to get up the ladder of screen fame. Maybe it was because he rather fancied himself in his soup-and-fish. Quien sabe? Gibson didn't care a Hoot about his name being parted in the middle, or give a rap how fancily they dressed him, but the public did. A howl went up from the Gulf to the Great Lakes, and from Maine to California. The "fans" wanted Hoot, but they didn^ want him dressed up in evening togs. So back went Hoot to his cowboy regalia, and all was serene until — Carl Laemmle, president of the Universal, decided that "Westerns" were "out." Rranch stuff was passe; Hoot was to be starred in "service pictures." First they starred him in a Navy picture, "Out o' Luck." He made such a hit as a gob (Continued on Page 38)