Show how I 1 broke into ff the movies copyright by hal C C merman herman L by WALLACE BEERY I 1 break into the movies I 1 was dratted drafted into them I 1 cant think ot of anything worse than playing the part of a swedish housemaid and that Is the first part I 1 ever had in moving pictures I 1 cant tell about the hardships I 1 endured as an extra because I 1 never played as one sometimes I 1 think that Is an awful drawback to my career not being able to give one of those success yarns on how I 1 labored through weary years as an extra before getting my first part rut cut anyhow I 1 can tell of hardships I 1 went through in struggling about before the camera in skirts shirts before I 1 graduated from the housemaid role and I 1 do dont nt know but that lias has an extras tribu tribulations ia outclassed any way you take I 1 it take me long to realize that I 1 wanted anted to get into the show business I 1 decided that when I 1 saw my first circus consequently I 1 left home and joined the ringling brothers circus when I 1 was sixteen years old you see I 1 got into moving pictures through a process of elimination I 1 tried out other branches of the show business before I 1 found the oae one I 1 wanted to stick with the novelty of being guardian to a herd of circus elephants at a salary p ak 0 00 0 wallace beery of 3 a week wore ort off but I 1 stuck with the job for two years then I 1 did a little serious thinking no that Is not one of my comedy gags I 1 really do think seriously now and then I 1 remember how entranced all of the people in my home county in missouri had bad been by my voice in hog bog calling contests there must have been some cause tor for that I 1 reasoned so I 1 went to new york to try out my voice on a new audience there I 1 was told I 1 had a good sin singing ing voice and was given a place to in henry savages musical comedy or organization gaal I 1 stuck to this phase of the show bustness business for several years and became savages star comedian then came my introduction into the movies I 1 was playing with a musical company in chicago when henry ilc rae hae webster director general of the film company saw me I 1 dont know what nhat he thought and I 1 am perfectly willing not to know it might be vanity An anyway yay tie he cornered me after the show and by the time he got through talking I 1 was a moving picture player I 1 started to say actor but that be correct for what did webster do but deck me out in skirts and make a housemaid out of me I 1 liked them since skirts I 1 mean still wearing skirts and a long blond wig had its compensations for one thing I 1 could live in one place and I 1 could have my evenings tree free I 1 played most every sort of comedy role with Essi inay and then came a real break for or me I 1 was sent to the west coast there I 1 joined the keystone organization and played for a year in sennett comedies again I 1 missed the extra player grind but 1 I was given most every sort of part parl you might say that by this time I 1 had broken into the movies but it was not until after I 1 had returned from a trip to japan where I 1 took a company to male a series of pictures that I 1 feel I 1 actually did that I 1 was given the dramatic role of the villain in marshall unpardonable sin and the critics and public were kind enough to say that I 1 made a very good bad man it seemed for a while then that I 1 was doomed to be a villain for the rest of my days I 1 all sorts of heavy parts and had just about decided that I 1 be anything but a rogue on the screen no matter how bow bad 1 I wanted to be good then a break of luck came out of a clear sky and with ilay hatton atton II I 1 enjoyed playing in a long series of comedy pictures among them an air P picture chich has made of me a real aviation enthusiast two of my latest parts were in the champ 1 and grand hotel and I 1 am grateful to the public and critics tor for their approval of my work in these plays |