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Show How I Broke Into The Movies Cop?t Herman By REGINALD DENNY Mi BREAKING Into the movies was due to a series of circumstance circum-stance over which I can lay no claim to having arranged. In the language of tho sporting world, I got the "breaks" at the time they were must needed and I took them. I came Into the industry that has treated me so kindly from a long and varied stage career arid It waa to the experience I gained as a legitimate le-gitimate actor that I owe whatever success I have made on the silver screen, and this experience haa proven even more valuable with the development of the talking picture. I was born In Richmond, Surrey, England, and made my first appearance appear-ance on Mm stage when I was seven years old, at the Old Court theater, thea-ter, London, in a play called "The Royal Family." My father was W. H. Denny, of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, and as my graiwlmother was also an actress of considerable note, It is evident that I was slated for a professional career from the start. After leaving the St. Francis Xavler college In Sussex, I turned ''''"'Vvv:,,:-;:v'.:::o::::: . ..- : .--- ... ' .:? : y: .;.:';:v::':' ''W 'PMB kl 113 IS ililiSL lis 111311311311311 Reginald Denny. seriously to stage work. I played London, India, the Orient and New York, In everything from musical comedy to grand opera with the Iiandman Opera company. I also spent some time learning to be a prizefighter under the tutelage of Harry I'reston, famous English sportsman, but I soon tired of this and welcomed an opportunity to return re-turn to the stage. I had married Rene Halsman, an actress with the Llandman Opera company, while we were playing in Calcutta and the close of the World war found us in New York, where we signed a contract to appear In one of Shubert's shows. Ilardly had we started rehearsing when the famous fa-mous actors' strike was called, and being one of the first members of the equity, I was forced to obey the summons. Mr. Lee Shubert, knowing know-ing of my financial difficulties, loaned me money to live on. At tli is time the actors' strike seemed about the most terrible thing in the world, but It brought about, In an Indirect way, my entry Into the movies. Had It not happened, hap-pened, I might never have left the stage, as I had never given motion pictures a second thought; In fact I had always considered them too artificial. However, one afternoon with a party of friends, I did visit the World Film studios on Long Island. Evelyn Greely was to be featured In two pictures, and more to pass the time than anything else, I signed to play the lead opposite Miss Grooly. As soon as the strike was settled I returned to Shubert's management manage-ment and at the close of his run he loaned me to Arthur Hopkins to play with John Barrymore, but the day after rehearsal began Barry-more Barry-more had a nervous breakdown and I was again at leisure. In the meantime the motion pictures pic-tures that I had played In were being be-ing shown throughout the country, and as actors were not nearly so plentiful then as they are now, I received re-ceived several offers to continue my screen career. At length I signed to play a "heavy" In a picture, and followed by playing numerous leads In feature fea-ture productions. Then things came better. I was aproached by an Independent Inde-pendent film producer who had purchased pur-chased the screen rights to the H. O. Wltwer stories "The Leather Pushers," and after considerable financial stress they were completed com-pleted and I was signed to a contract con-tract on the spot. The rest Is more or less known. I was made a star soon after the "Leather Pushers" were released, and since that time have appeared In countless other features. Recently Recent-ly I married an actress, Betsy Lee. Both of us now appearing In Universal Uni-versal pictures. The things that stand out as the most Important In what success I have gained are, my trip to the Orient, Ori-ent, the patience and endurance of my father, and the actors' strike In 1913. WNTJ Servlc |