| Show How I Broke Into The Movies Copyright b by Hal C. C Herman HermanI W. M- M I S hF W s M By MARY PICKFORD N I INSIGNIFICANT T little str streetcar street et etcar AN A car transfer turned Mary Pickford's PIck Pick- fords ford's career from the stage stae t tu to u wide world fame on the screen On her wn way to a n theatrical boolIng bookIng booking book book- Ing agency In the Times square district Mary at her mothers mother's bj behest be- be be hest best stopped in the old studio on Fourteenth street New NeT NewYork NewYork York before using the transfer Thus in a n nutshell you have tb the story sory of the rise of Mary M ry Pickford Her lIer theatrical career began In tb the tho Valentine Stock company in the city of Toronto Canada where she was wa born Her IIer first appearance on th the speaking stage was made at the ag age of five fl when she took the part o oa of ofa ofa a boy in a play called The SlIver Silver King At the age of eight AmerIcas America Sweetheart went on on the road with wit The Little Red Schoolhouse an anat and at the tha age of nine Mar Mary was starrein starred starre in The liThe Fatal Wedding In the par part of Jessie the little mother When but eleven she was appearing with Chauncey Olcott In Edmund Burke To Miss PIckford belongs the honor of ot originating the part o of Betty Warren In The Warrens o ot of Virginia a David ld Belasco R F i l y Mary Pickford Ion tion which was her first play on Broadway From Flom Belasco's management she went ent into motion pictures but let lether lether her tell teU the story in fu her own words Dt at t this point You see ee she said I 1 did not thInk hink much of the movies at that time Ime In fact people on the legitimate legitimate mate late stage considered It a disgrace to o work in pictures But my mother mothr moth- moth er r had asked me to go to the Bl Bio Bio- graph raph studio on Fourteenth street and nd try to see Mr Ir Griffith Although I I demurred she Insisted and of course ourse I could not disobey But I too toot DOk the precaution to route my trip so 0 that I could mal make e five Ove cents do dolie dothe dothe the lie work of ten Those were times when when hen five h-e cents was always doing the lie work of ot ten Instead of taking a street car from rom where we lived on Fourteenth street treet I I. I walked the ten blocks took the le car on Fourteenth and asked for r a transfer The old studio was on Fourteenth street be- be between between tween veen Broadway am and Fifth FIrth avenue Thus bus when I I had satisfied mother by y dropping in at the studio I could walk alk back to Broadway and use my transfer to ride to the Times square and nd the theatrical district where the booking offices were located I felt certain that In the end It would be necessary to visit the booking book book- Ing ig offices to obtain another theatrical theat- theat cal engagement which at that moment moment mo- mo ment I 1 needed very badly Imagine my iy surprise then when I was ushered ush ush- ered ed Into the august presence of oC Mr Ir who after a n short talk gave ave me e my first motion picture engagement engage engage- ment ent From such a simple beginning a anew anew new jw figure In world orld history was horn born rn Even today few people realize how w far into the distant corners of ofle the le earth our Marys Mary's popularity has reached ached Her mail mall brings letters in nearl nearly ever every language Furthermore Furthermore Further- Further more ore Mss Miss Pickford Is the only woman oman In motion pictures who Is socially honored by the real royal royal- ro royalties al ties tics es of Europe Europe- When she travels people ople at every station crowd the platform for a glimpse of her And with all aU this she Is a charming wIstful ful 1 young oung woman happy happ In the love of a u devoted ele husband Still there are e many simple pleasures which she sIle ie has hns had hud to do without pleases pleasures pleas pleas- ures es which her less famous neighbors neighbors neigh- neigh bors irs accept as us a n matter of course You may wonder from this If she Is s happy with her ber lot The answer Is yes es But even the reason for forir her ir being happy In spite of or missing things Ings which other people enjoy enjo Is In Itself a simple thIn thing Her Ber work makes dices others happy Therein lies liesT her T compensation She has learned that at servIce her to others Is the one coin In that pays pa s 's the debts we vre owe ur cur ir hearts Service Santee |
