Show l w I Broke Into The Movies Copyright by Hal C. C 5 Herman 4 S I- I P.- P. 5 By RICH RICHARD RD DIX DIXS engagements In a stock STAGE S company in Los Angeles led to tomy tomy tomy my motion picture debut I got Into pictures almost against my will I had several chances to do acre screen n work before I finally took the op op- op- op Oliver saw me In a 11 pla play and had offered me a n job In his stock company fully two years before be be- fore foro I had any picture o offers JIe rs I l' l played In stock for Marosco for tw two and a n half years and that was what really renny led to my rny screen debut Our stock company enjoyed the patronage patron age of ot many motion picture people and naturally I met many members of or our audiences u lences P Picture o offers resu resulted re re- su suited although few of them ever ever got beyond th the conversational stage I never took tool them seriously until 1 po politeness po- po 0 and nothing more forced force me Into having a screen test I had met Jeannie McPherson a prominent scenarist socially and she he had tried to o persuade me to have a t screen en test made But I- I refused persistently I wanted to tobe tobe o be t n n. stage star but hut she kept reo repeating re re- ro- ro her ber request and I 1 had hatlI agreed I. I r J I never was so shocked In my i life ce fis as when when I s' s sv saw v myself t on the the I t 4 f fi L Lie ie 9 y Richard Dix screen I was vas glad the tho projection projection- rp room m. m was dark dark so my blushes blushes' wouldn't be seen I cannot tell you what my emotions were they were so confused confuse I only know knor that my I hands looked like hams and I was was' hardly ardY able to r recognize my head My reactions were Justified however however how how- ev ever r for the part Cecil De hatlIn had hadIn hadin In mind for me me-In me In his pl pi picture ture tufe Why Change Your our Wife WICe was was' given ito give to Low Lew Cody y I continued with my my work In In stock The same expo was vas repeated with L LOts Lois rs Weber the director r Shortly after this my stock engagement en en- ended and New York Three stage roles roles New w York York vo t J l. Hops and one fairly su successful left eft nie ri Just jus rit ut ut- where I h had started except cht t for r. r i a ii l f experience qi p en gained I fl P I ally the most s 's successful of ot th the J pl plays S was t Yo you h t by I William who w is s an au associate lat l e i r. r a big a 1 Lon gr Island Our Oui pleasant n association was pert per l gg thing I got ou out of oC Z ZAll the tJi tay In NeW York All In all the N New W York trip been a failure and inid I was at fi n loss los what to do next I was iti iJ almost ready reldy to give up the stage j entirely I I had three chances s A llan ready reddy to finance me me meIn in the i rn t m bile business In Chicago And Antl O Oliver Oe e offered tl me a return r reng eng engagement engage g meat ment with his Los Ang Angeles Angeles' les' les st stock ck k company t a t tI I came west again and signed d a contract to be starred in ten weeks of ot stock Before I I. I st started on on the Hie engagement ment i I entered pictures 3 Amo Among g plc picture r people I met in in iii Los Angeles w were re Sidney Sl ney Franklin a a d director rector and Joseph seph Schenck pro pro- ducer er They were Fero planning n n a apie picture pie pic ture Not Guilty and I t was Cof Coffered ot- ot fe ferd d the l leading iding My screen test thanks fo to a n belt boiler better r makeup p turned out well wellIn In this ca case e and at nt list I was In pictures After the picture was rel released rele sed I got severn several offers rs to In continue q as ns a n screen screen actor I I went fr from n one one production t to another another an- an nn-l nn other with Mr Goldwyn and finally got the biggest part o of ot mY my career up to that time It waa was ina in ina a picture called The Christian ChrIstan ThAt Thi part proved to be a n milestone in my c career reer for it resulted in the the which made nde me mc a n star 1 1 vas as' as anxiously ly awaiting tho the r re release lease iese of ot The liThe Christian because It t ras as an nn entirely lY new type of ot r role e fox foi me and Ill I'll confess that I was wag dubious u about the publics public's reception o of it U. But it pro proved ed a. a success The bi bif thing for tor me was that JC Q ky saw it and sent for me Vh When n. n J I left his his' office arrangements w completed for me to sign a long contract ty first talking pictures pIctures pIctures' were j 1 But tile the Truth Wheel l lof of of Afe and Cimarron One of or my accent pictures that was received by the public was The The- C Con In w which I was wasco co co- o. o Ann Harding tarr Ith p Service |