Show c i j Inner Life Lif Story Of of Mary Pickford x N w. w S w. w. w w. w S SS W. W X w. 1 1 How tIow the Queen of Movies Rose to Fame and Fortune STAGE CAREER ARE J BEGAN AT ATS 5 AS liTTLE EVA I 1 Telegram Offers Years Year's Most I Interesting Serial t. t I I By JY One Who Knows Her Edited by Daan Copyright 1920 by the W World Wide Wide News Service Inc 15 School St. St r U Boston Mass jiE IE controversy th that t rages round l I the pleasing p personality of ot the therle JL famous film star Mary Pickford the worlds world's sweetheart Is J j est rest when It touches the questions of ot ber aber birth and n nationality It Is an particle of ot faith with all good Amen Amerl- cans that Mary Is a true American and and the date of her birth Is advanced or put back according to the prejudices dices of friend or foe There Is however no mystery about the these two points and there ther ne need d be flo controversy for Gladys Mary t to give her real name was born 8 3 and nd is of in Toronto i in 1893 good Brt- Brt Ish stock 1 y My people did not belong to the 3 States she confessed to the writer quite recently I am British born and i and have bave a bit of Scotch Irish and English blood In me with Just a little of French Canadian n to season it CAREER IN INFANCY Jy Her entry on to the stage stage was settled settled set- set In her Infancy by circumstances t rover over which she had no control Her Smother mother nother had acted before her marriage E and if and when left with three children to provide for on the death of her hus- hus band she ran a boarding house for theatrical people thus keeping up her er 1 y association with the leading actresses to of that day In America It was from these boarders that the Jf j j suggestion first came caine that the Smith children sho should ld redeem the family fortune fortune for- for l tune by going on the stage The Idea was resisted strenuously by the mother at first her experience of ot stage stager r life had not lessened her sense of the risk to young girls who embark on that career without Influence behind them LITTLE EVA FIRST I r. r In the course of ot time however her scruples were overcome and at the age age of ot 6 5 Mary made her debut as Eva In Uncle Toms Tom's Cabin The child child- 1 actress wa wa wag not a a. very great success 4 though sh she continued her association with the stage and had the best trainIng training train train- Ing th that t a a. stage aspirant could wish f j for thanks mainly to the kindly Interi interest interi Inter- Inter i- i iest i est taken In her for her mothers mother's sake sakei 4 1 i by ly powerful professional friends i 1 Mary will wUl never make an actress She Is la wasting her young life Ufe on the A stage This was the deliberate and considered l verdict of one of the friends 0 of the family after he had watched the girls girls girl's stage career for five years and not not or or the first time the he family thought of seeking a new profession 1 I for her BELASCO HER ANGEL r One man however clung firmly to the belief that Mary would make I go good d sooner or later and It Is mainly to to David Belasco that the world owes t the perfection of Mary Pickford first 1 dI dIas as a star atar of the legitimate stage and M th then n of ot the screen r 4 He It was was who refused to accept the judgment of the critics and told the they were foolish to think of removing her from the stage The lIttle little littie fairy will make good her own good time he said h And very soon after the adverse Judgment referred to Mary did justify J 1 the faith of ot her friend by leaping Into r modest fame as leading lady of one of 1 ithe the best known touring companies In vj the States She he was then in her teens and even g 4 4 4 t k r ii 1 3 4 r v X r the the critics who had been so scornful in n the p past st were quick to acknowledge their error and fly to the other ex extreme extreme ex- ex of painting her future In glowing glowing glowing glow glow- ing colors MOST DARING DARIN DECISION It was Just when this new world was opening out before her when critics were talking of t her as likely to tobe tobe to tobe be Americas America's greatest actress actress if it not the worlds world's greatest that Mary Pickford Pickford Pick- Pick ford Cord was called upon pon to make the decision de de- de deCision decision that altered her whole future and made mad her name name a household one everywhere At that time the possibilities of ot picture picture pic pic- ture playing w were re just being recognized recognized recognized and one day a a. a friend suggested to the young actress that she should strike out In this new line She was n not t Impressed with the suggestion 1 at first but talked it over with her family fam fain ily and some other friends Dont do It it she was was urged on all allhands hands and all the friends who had guided her successfully so far were unanimous In saying It Is is' is on the speaking stage you will make your name Picture acting requires a name and qualities that you yott do not possess DISCOURAGED AT FIRST Mary was discouraged and gave up the idea itea for fOt the time being in spite of ot th the persistence of the frie friend who was as convinced that she sho would make good goodon I I on the movi movies s. s In the belief that she would be throwing away her chance of success success If it she made made the c change ang she opened negotiations negotiations' with Belasco for tor or a new contract on terms terms' that were were considered considered considered consid consid- ered more than generous for a girl of 17 and had that contract been signed It might have ended the talk of Mary Pickford as a film filth actress Fortunately it was not signed and the circumstances under which the young actress changed her herS mind are regarded by some of her friends as a striking illustration of the destiny th that t had shaped her ends from the start of her career careen on the stage while waiting for the compLetion completion completion com com- of the new contract for a com com- pany pan then preparing f for i r ran an ext extended tour she was persuaded to go and seethe see seethe seethe the conditions cOI under which pictures w re produced FILM FASCINATION Mary was greatly fascinated with the work and for the first time began to have doubts of ot the wisdom of her decision i. i It was after atter leaving the studio she said that I first b began gan to td realize that picture playing had possibilities that I had not se seen n at first that by the expenditure of less energy one might appear night after night in thousands of ot theatres In all the cities clUes and towns of the ci civilized world As we sat over dinner that night my Iny friend enlarged on ori the p possibilities In hi this direction and I found myself more and more more sympathetic tow toward rd the id idea a. a Later that evening the young actress talked the matter over with other friends and and they urged the uncertainty uncertainty uncertainty of the new venture the proba probability that It wo would ld take years to fo make a name for herself In th the new field whereas on the speaking stage her name was already made and she could command salaries that were the envy of all but the worlds world's foremost ac ac- ac tresses Finally It was suggested to her that If she made the change chang it it might af affect affect at- at feet the financial position of her mother and the rest other family who owed so much to her at this time This argument seems to have carried more weight with Mary Pickford than an another any other and she put I from her the thought though t once more SLEEPLESS NIGHT NIGHT However that night was a sleepless one for Jor or her because as she herself herselt says she found her mind reverting back to the p possibilities of the film and arid in spite of her attempts to ex exclude exclude ex- ex clude elude the subject from her thought it kept on n forcing Its way ay In driving away sleep and tormenting her with the thought that she might be missing the chance of her hel life As I r lay there that night she said afterward I could not get away from the feeling that through t the e es I might annihilate space and time and at one and the same time be appearIng appearing appearing appear appear- ing before audiences s in France Great Britain in America Americ and In the far faraway faraway faraway away corners of the world Thinking thus I fell asleep toward morning It was a sleep troubled by dreams In my ray dream L saw myself on the tile screen first before a New York audience and t then en I s seemed em d to pass across the whole of the known world re receiving elving the applause In turn of people people peo peo- pIe of all lands and climes clime the climes the white skinned European with the dark hued races in showing their appreciation tion of my act BELASCO FURIOUS In the morning I arose alose with this this dream firmly fixed In my mind and also with the settled determination that I would take the risk whatever might happen First thing I got through on the long distance phone t to Belasco and told him that I had de decidEd decided de- de to give up the tour he was plan plan- ning He was furious and told me me I was throwing away the chance of a life Ufe time My mind was made up however however however how how- ever and I knew that nothing would turn me from my decision I felt happier for having made up my mind and that morning I went straight to a friend in the movie business business business busi busi- ness and arranged with him to be fixed up with the best contract he be could make for for- me Once her decision was taken Mary Pickford was not to be turned from it though all her friends in the profession profession profession sion Joined with Belasco In telling her hershe hershe hershe she was ruining the prospects of ot a aI I splendid career by giving up the speaking for the motion theatre I MONTHS OF SUSPENSE i But Dut Mary adhered firmly to the J idea ed edI and Ip due course made her debut in I film turn acting Her success was not as immediate as her adviser had predicted predicted pre pre- I and there were for her months of suspense and torture in which she sheI was haunted by the fear that she I I might after all fall fail At first she was told b by very candid candid candid can can- did friends that she had not the art artof artof artof I of acting for the pictures that her acting lacked go and pep and she herself hersel ascribed this to the lack of the inspiration o ot the audience In front o of her herIt It Is wonderful she said how 0 much it puts one on ones one's mettle to tc I feel that ono Is acting before living critical people people who are ready to applaud and encourage one spurring spurring spur spurring ring one to give the best expression of ones one's art in return for the generous meed of ot recognition It Is true that there ther is is stage fright but one gets over that and in acting for the film one finds It hard hand to put ones one's soul Into It at first because of the friendly audience watching every move and ready to applaud when one gets them T To Td be continued |