Universal Weekly (1914-1915)

12 THE UNIVERSAL WEEKLY UNIVERSAL MISCELLANY AL. CHRISTIE'S VISIT. Everybody knows that Al. Christie is the man who puts on the Nestor comedies. He never appears in the film themselves, however, and that is the reason why we are showing Universalites at large what this able director looks like. See the back cover. He was in the Universal offices the other day on the first vacation he has enjoyed in nearly six years. When he left New York on his return it was with the personal regard of every one in the home offices increased and with some big plans concealed in his little bag Sartorically his visit was a complete success, as will be seen by the picture. Just before Mr. Christie left the coast, he was the guest at a very select little dinner party which celebrated three things, the completion of his two hundredth picture in three years in California his birthday, and his departure for New York on the first vacation he has had in the six years. The dinner was given to him by the Nestor Comedy Company and, strange a it may seem, with the exception of two members, that com pany is the same in personnel as it was two years ago at this date. Mr. Christie went out to California with David Horsley and helped to build the first studio of the Nestor company, one of the first studios in the neighborhood of Los Angeles. He has stuck to his post and has kept his company in tact from that time to this, and when he reaches the Pacific Coast again he will have an important commission from the home office to execute. FRANCES NELSON JOINS THE VICTOR. Former Biograph Leading Woman to Support Ben Wilson. At present Miss Frances Nelson is playing opposite Ben Wilson in "Ambition", a two-reel Victor feature. It is a picture in which she plays the part of an actress who struggles against a false ambition, and who finally realizes the futility of her misguided combat. This charming leading woman has just joined the Victor company, coming from the Biograph, where she played leads. She is not so very tall and, yet not so very small. In fact, she is just about the right size. When she smiles the faintest suspicion of dimples flashes on her cheeks, and she is generally smiling. "My full name is Frances M. Nelson", she told the interviewer in her dressingroom at the Victor studio, "and I suppose you will want to know what the middle 'M' stands for"? This time she blushed through her grease paint. "Not particularly interested, but then you might tell me", came from the interviewer . The blush deepened to a rosier hue. "Well, if you must know" (pause ; "it's — a — it stands for Maude". And the clever little lady showed distinct signs of embarrassment. Imagine it ! Miss Nelson isn't a bit in love with her middle name, "Maude". And it's not such a bad name, either. "I was born in St. Paul twenty-two years ago", she continued "While I Frances M. Nelson. was still a wee wisp of a girl we moved to Boston. I went to school in Boston until the death of my parents four years ago, up to which time I had never seriously considered going on the stage. Circumstances changed, however, with the result that I went on with Lew Fields' 'The Wife Hunters', playing the part of Florence Lang". Although Miss Nelson refrained from any self-praise, it was evident that she made a success in her first role, for as soon as she closed with "The Wife Hunters" she was offered a good place in a prominent Philadelphia stock company. She played there for five weeks, going later to Indianapolis, where she also played in stock. After this came a season in "Ready Money", in 1 Miss Nelson played the lead in the Western company. By this time Miss Nelson had made rapid strides toward success on the legitimate. When Tom Wise formed the company for "The Silver Wedding" she was chosen for the leading role. Aft»r this she went with the Biograph com pany, and in a short time was among the leaders of the motion picture profession. Incidentally, Miss Nelson is an atb letic little lady, being an expert swimmer. When she was but thirteen years old she swam eight miles in Boston harbor, a performance which caused much press comment and for which the girl was highly lauded. While Miss Nelson has been cast prin cipally in light comedy roles on the stage, her work in pictures has been more in the direction of emotional roles. In factshe believes her forte lies in the heavy roles requiring thought and deep feeling She will be seen, supporting Mr. WilsoD in the lead femnle roles, in Victor plays done by him . MARDI GRAS SUCCESS DUE TO UNIVERSAL. The Hollywood Mardi Gras has come and gone. The banners have been taken down from the gaily decorated streets : the strains of music that floated on the soft California air have died away, but with the passing away of these things that meant success to the city's festival, there has sprung up among the citizens of Hollywood a motto which runs some thing after this fashion: "If you want a thing well done, let the Universal do it". The name "Universal" achieved new significance. For with the aid of the menagerie and people of Universal City, the celebration stripped itself of local color and became a fiesta of nations . There were cowboys and cowgirls, Oriental dames, Scotchmen with the proverbial bag-pipes, sweet American girls with flower wreathes, battle-scarred Indians and French monks, dainty Japanese maids and army veterans. Every member of the Universal studio, general manager, director, actor, office man, stepped up to contribute something towards the successful termination of the fete. Henry McRae, director of the "101 Bison" company, had, perhaps, the most remarkable display. On Peacock, one of the show horses of U. T. W.. McRae led a long train of cowboys, cowgirls and Indians. Floats of pioneer Western forts, log cabins and woodland scenes added to the interesting procession. After the parade the company put on a Western rodeo of the sort that was once bp common to the land west of the Rockies. Other directors had unusual and interesting shows after the pageant.