Show how I 1 broke into the movies y L I 1 copyright by HI hal C herman ap BY ESTHER RALSTON and long blond hair N NECESSITY propelled me into moving pictures I 1 needed a job badly and the long blond hair did the rest of course obtaining my first part in pictures could scarcely be called breaking into the movies it took more than golden tresses to get me parts that eventually led to something really worth while it took hard work a large quantity of tears and more dogged persistence than I 1 ever dreamed I 1 possessed I 1 will always be glad clad I 1 am a blonde though for my hair certainly did me a good turn when it won me my first chance to appear before the camera in a picture directed by lots lols weber fortunately tor for me popular imagination has never given angels dark hair I 1 dont know just why it Is but angels are generally pictured as having long blonde hair I 1 am glad that they are for it was in the part of an angel that I 1 made my first appearance before the camera I 1 needed a lob job as I 1 have mentioned before miss weber needed an angel for her picture and I 1 happened to be on the set act at the time my long fair hair did the rest although I 1 was only in my early teens at the time I 1 became a moving picture angel my screen debut followed several years of work on the vaudeville stage I 1 had toured in a family act with my mother and father As a small child I 1 first did acrobatic stunts but that ended when my head came into violent contact with the stage floor one night in an accident right then I 1 decided that the life of a flying rings artist was not for me and I 1 took up dancing the war made hard times limes for vaudeville acts and bookings were not to be had then father received word 4 ile 07 1 esther ralston from a friend of his a manager on the pacific coast asking us to come to california assuring us of bookings there there was only one way for us to reach california so we started to play our way across the continent when we reached los angeles we learned that fathers friend had left the city two weeks before so you see why I 1 needed a job that day when I 1 appear eed on the set of the picture lols lois weber was directing my aunt who knew miss weber had taken me there it was my hair that won me a job however before my aunt had had bad a chance to talk to miss weber she had bad noticed me and asked who the child with the long golden hair was she then said she could use me in her picture I 1 thought the world was mine then and as time went on and I 1 was given better parts I 1 was sure of it then came the slump that closed down studios and almost brought an abrupt end to my career a career that had seemed deemed to be definitely launched like many others I 1 had to break into the movies all over again and it was a difficult task almost a year went by while I 1 dill diligently gently sought parts when I 1 was most discouraged I 1 was summoned to the famous players lasky studio for an interview with cecil 13 demille DeM llIe who was seeking a cast for the boldn bed after waiting tor for two hours to talk with mr demille I 1 was told that he see me after all I 1 went home and had a good cry and then determined to find out why I 1 have the part I 1 sought I 1 returned to mr De demiller DeMl Milles lles office and this time I 1 saw him while we were talking in the outer office a man I 1 know came in and went with sir mr demille into the private office when he came out he told me that he was herbert brenon and that if mr demille use me he could it turned out that I 1 was unfitted for the part mr Del bellille lille had open so I 1 went directly to mr Bre brehona Br enona office ile he gave me the part of mrs darling the young mother in peter ilan ian and that I 1 considered was when I 1 really broke into the movies for following that picture paramount gave me a contract as a featured player and later as a star among the films in which she up op feared were old the case of leua lena smith the wheel of life her first talking picture the mighty the prodigal lonely wives and wheel of chance since her rise in films miss ralston alston li has made two vaudeville tours in this country early last year she went to london as a bingle act at the palladium and so drifted into british pictures ob C ur BT hal a herman I 1 |