Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, July 3, 1921, Page 8

wv hy Mary Pickford Changed Her Name fe On Be ‘ is Lee} aR Copyright. 1921, by The MeCture Newspaper Synticate ana Hayden Talbot. ee in ER mother had warned her against strange men! LF Yet bere was a strange man blocking her path and gazing No down into her eyes with a gimlet-like stare. Mary Pickford felt an odd, peculiar sensation run’up and down her spine. iS S Peano tow The little man with the piercing eyes was destined to have a remarkable part in her career—but she did not know-it then. In her own personally dictated life-story, Mary already has told of her early barn-storming days in Canada, when she appeared in stock companies with her brother Jack and sister Lottie and with ~ the two Gish girls, Lillian and Dorothy. Then finally came a wonderful day when David Belasco, wizard of the theatre, engaged her to appear in one of his productions, Today, Mary tells of her seasons under Belasco and how she met the little man with the sharp, shrewd eyes. » “MY LIFE” <t Eee = a Ke mat As Told By [Pp MARY PICKFORD are To HAYDEN TALBOT Ny UT on this especial day, when A Sacrifice of Salary. T entered the outer ofce—the The wonderful days that followed haughty stenographer and the can not be told here. After all it ent office boy w smiling would mean nothing to laymen. All antly they caught I can say {s that in those goldea of me. The shock almost weeks of rehearsals I learned more bowled me over. T hadn't believed about acting, more about human fee!- there was a smile in their systems. ing—under the guidance of Mr. Bo- “This {s your lucky day.” volun- lasco—than I had erer dreamed I teered the boy with a grin. “Mr. should know, Belasco’ll see yuh at ‘leven thoity.” Inside the Wizard's Den. It was then only 10 ovclock. 1 J” the oval, a Ricture of the girl mumbled something which T meant Who thought that it would be too to conrey my intention to return at Greadful to act in motion pictures. the appointed ho the narrow, street So and faint. The unexpected announce meent that I had hoped to he " walked down They were awful! felt very weak to the long, din my f 4 as bringing me 2 kind of . Joy——eame now as a mortal huri! Ses: Temper: 2? 1 suppose it ‘was wy His own magnificent understanding of the heart of a girl—the fmagina- tive girl T was to play—was a revela- tion to me. Many times he brought tears to my eyes, real tears, by his self-eeffacing, almost impersonal way of pointing out to me the emotions the part called for. Naturally my family were in the seventh heaven of delight. When I finally told them how I'd kept my ambition secret so long, for Big Part For Mary. fear my failure to realize it would hurt them too much—they realized Mr. Belasco was wonderful to me. why I had been so silent and. dis- He was so gentle and quiet and eo couraged in the weeks that had gone full of understanding. He never once before. I to play the lead—ot : made a direct statement in that first je) me mate ebay rel cotta talk he had with me. There was al- this point: it was not the leading ways a question mark at the end of role in the usual sense—the leading evarsinadibenne child part in “The Warrens of Vir eeere a3 ; At that time I had never even Simia’-—in New York. under the management of David Belasco! And heard of Socrates. I only sensed the that was quite enough to make me effectiveness of this new way of prov- mother and my sister and brother tever it was—it left me shaking utterly incapable of thinking I reme Tr vaguely I wan- dered over into a mearby park, and eank onto a bench,’ quite dazed. Then, after a bit,"I began to take hold of myself. At 11 o'clock I left the park and walked to a drug store. There Ihad a hot malted milk. It did the trick. I was myself again! a > ; Mary looking in a mirror, making the most of the opportunity of seeing herself as her friends of the picture houses see her a the Blograph offices. It was one ‘nf haughty stenographer who could do the old-fashioned buildings, formerly as she chose about taking their a privaie mansion, that had not yet names into the inner office, the poor been torn down to make way for a things found it expedient to play ap- modern skyscraper. In what had preciative audience to her impromptu ~formerly been the high-ceiled library comedy. of the house was now ‘he business But I was in no mood to be the office. Across the hall. running the butt.. I had not risen to near-star- entire depth of the building, was the dom under the management of David so-called stage—once upon a time a Belasco only to be held cheap in the Victorian drawing room. eyes of an employee in a motion pic- ing things. The stage directors I the happiest three people in the si ture office! So I was very quiet anh had known-had all been dogmatic in Whole’ world! A Supercilious Steno M. erformance in that - the extreme, Halt consciously I com- eq Mr. Belasco, car mae ate pared them with this greatest of cause he proved it by keeping me them all. I understand the differ- under his management for three ES vanclig ane" ver Tae he nie ine Where they obtained their results There is nothing ia, tha Pe eatme: with a great, thick club, he employed the infinitely more potent, slender rapier. Where they “shouter, he whispered. Where they declared flatly that so and so had got to be, he asked gently if I did not think that probably so and so might work gut best! He was going to produce a very wonderful new play with a young girl the lead. It was a big part, a very big part. He wanted the one child actress in America who could play it superior—or tried my best to be— But just then I saw only the office. as I addressed her again. and entered {t.. Behind the railing “I haven't the faintest {dea sat the <sual, epee eving. eke whether pee be Rlsased oF not to latest T itenographer. an. she learn that I have consented to come Dns of the photographs Sieatran languidly what’I wanted I downtown to see him, and what is of Mary and her brother Jack [cit ‘ner. 1 wanted to seo the man- more to the point it ‘really deems from a picture in which they ager. 1 had no idea what his name interest me in the least whether he was. At that time I didn’t know. the is or not. But what I want to know name of one solitary individual in js whether yop intend to announce the picture business. .1 wonder how my name or to continue to try to be many people did know—in 1908! funny.’” As I had entered the room I had “Well, what do you know abont noticed out of the corner. of my eye that?” repeated the ‘stenographer. a little man, leaning against the wall Evidently it was her stock phrase. —apparently waiting for someone. She got no further, for I decided I In the one glimpse J (got of him I had wasted enough time—and turned noticed his eyes. They were piercing, on my heel and started for the door. almost hypnotic eyes. In the tiny Man Eerred Her Way moment I gave thought to it, I set down their owner as belonging to the The little man with the piercing kind of men my. mother had always eyes suddenly straightened and left warned me against! his place against the wall. Before I never had the misfortune of en- I could reach the door he was stand- Ee Mana Gate ee countering one of Shoes individuals. ing with his back Against it, bacriay He had had inquiries made about me. Drove that, had I remained with him, When my third season ended 1 motion pictures was too dreadful. that transfer may strike you as ft had been my luc t none of my way. I stopped short and looke: He knew almost everything I had niente ar bara realized that setter took it 9% erarcet wee the same They ee. awfulle I had had one funny. .It was a trick I had learned ue Hnapeenatle. type Pearse ean a auacely op cla gh peas ‘i 2 ‘tion—-to become a recognize ing again. It didn’t hurt my repu- tiny gli e 0 hem in Chicago, in those days when saving five cents in any 0! compan: if - bod Sone. Twas astonished. "'\l iter ta the spabenierime Atti But, tation to do this, because in the sum- which I'll tell i Bhaat, later e tcwes 2 really important matter. ‘The had played. But anyway they would very plainly. But before I could myst let him see: it- I didn’t remain with him. ; i began to talk. mer I uged my real name, Gladys was enough to make me sure I.could idea was simple. never have bothered me.” It tak: speak he 2 Sh vas tf £0 very strange,” he asked - I had every intention in the world Smith—which Mr. Belasco ‘had dis. pasecyOue! anything todo with them. wy) Bee Css aa Ioneliness to make a girl willing to “Just what is “it you want?” he auickly, noting my expression, “is it of continuing under the Belesco ban- carded when he first engaged ms. But mother wa iamologt Ama 1, When a ‘Transfér Comes in’ Handy listen to one of that kind. And, with asked. strange I should know about BCT 2% long as he would have me. He objected to Gladys altoneiher, being obedient, did as she bid me— With that transfer I could change my mother and brother and sister There was a low musica! note tn f There was no reason under the sun Smith he considered not at all the and peveres sie town one day to from the downtown car to a cross- always with me, I had never known the roice that went far to dissipate you—when that is the only way I for me to do anything else. There thing for the theatre. He asked me see if 1 could earn money before the town car. From the crosstown car loneliness. tt the instinctive fear that I'd had of can hope to find what I am looking was nothing betier in America—so to tell him all the names I could motion picture camera! conductor I could (and did)- get an- The stenographer asked my nams the man. He was very grave. There for?” far as the stage was conéerned. Bat think of that belonged to various 1 had so little faith in the motion other transfer that would let me ride and address and “experience” in pic- was no suggestion of the flirt in his I could only smile by way of then came the end of my third year branches of my family. I remember picture idea that to me it seemed an ‘on an uptown car on another avenue! tures. Her listless manher and bored manner. My impulse was to accept ponlggonly 3 y of 20° with him—another June—another his smile when I said my mother was utter waste of time to seek work in In this way I could make the round tone made St evident that she re him as he now appealed to me to be ayer I felt vaguely ashamed. Why period of several months {nactivity. a Henn y. It seemed that such a quarter. trip for one fare instead of two. Of garded me as mérely one of the hun- —a good man, well-meaning. rised at anything this IT had gone with Mr. Belasco at a wouldn't “do”, either. Then I re- It was simply because of m¥F course the time was Punched on the dreds of girls who came and went But then I suddenly recalled an man might do?’ His doing {t must Much smaller salary than I could called my father's mother’s name mother that I did it. She wanted me transfer, but conductors were gener- and came again—a nobody! I made my mother’s warnings about strange make it the right thing to do! Re. Pave got from a dozen other man- was Pickford. should I be s to try; that was enough for me. Of ally too busy to note that detail. up my mind I'd let her know I wasn't men who spoke to girls without a agements. Even at the end of the One of the Pi:kfords, I remem- course I’d try. But as I left our I wonder {f I'll shock anybody by one of those girls. jknowing them. I drew myself up member, if you are inclined to smile third year I was atill receiving less bered, had been killed in an accident little boarding house that morning I this confession. Accordnig to the “I have asked you to let me see to my full height, even then almost indulgently at the thought of such than I had earned the season before in London. He liked the name. Pick- hated to think of spending the five laws of the street railway company, the manager,” I said with 2ll the as tall as the man fating me. I was utter hero-worship, that I was then “The Warrens of Virginia.” Any ford would do nicely. And Mary was cents.it would cost to take me down it was wrong to do it. But soniehow majestic dignity my 15 years would dignity on a pedestal. At least I 13 years old! actor will gladly cut his salary in much better than Gladys, he said. to Union Square. Twas never able then to understand permit «me to show, I was trying hoped I was! : oa half—for the privilege of appearing So, under the Belasco management, It seemed such-a witked waste of (and still can't quite see) why any- hard to be impressive.. “You may “I did want,” I satd with large This admission—not at all by way in a Belasco Production. They not I was Mary Pickford. At the country of apology—TI make for the benefit of only will; they do! perfettly good money. I never had one should respect rules made by a tell the manager that Miss Pickfor: hardened synics. The truth is quite fairs I was Gladys Smith. to spend money for carfares in visit- edrporation which in its open de- Mis: How. Margi Giatonneas My mother, however, ad other ing theatrical offices, because we fiance of the people's wishes oven bgp’ f ideas for me. She didn't want me were in the heart of the theatrical rode s hundred laws of the State. * But the point is that—in spite of traveling about all the same today—so far as I am con- summer. Sho district, within easy walking distance After all, wrongdoiag is only a mat. tha mimicked the stenographer. I. The piercing eyes continued to cerned. My respect, my reverence, my success—we still found it dificult suggested I go down to the then new of all the managers. “But ‘the day ter of one’s own conscience, isn't it? s'pose the manager’lI be Just tickled search my own, but now a twinkle for David Belasco is not one whit te xcep i in z financial w: fo, cera mpion Eictire nee near was hot and the GH ‘nce too great Az’ my conscience never bothered to death to know it.” appeared in them. But his voice less today than it was then. € e previous two summers ad Union Square. cou’ e in ‘town for me to walk it, if I were not to me for getting the best of any of ¢ continued grave as he ke again. dey it Socatbty tans ese tees ‘i, Wotked——with carnival compantes-— all summer if I could cates ro on or limp rag when I got there. these public servico corporations! Indoor Sports at the’ Sindto “Tam the manager".be std auite eer ae a atl ees pte ee at funny, little country fairs in the them. So I boarded a ear, paid my fare— With my transfer in my hand I The loungers in the room snick- simply. ea. small towns of New England. But to me the mere thought of and got a transfer. The reason for climbed up the high steps leading to ered. Themselves dependent on the (To be continued) . emphasis on the second word, “to Mary Pickford, wishés to see see the manager; but now I have no wish whatever except to get out of “Well, what do you know about here and never come back.”