Nebraska Newspapers

    BEHIND THE SCREEN
By SAMUEL GOLDWYN
V J
(Continued rrom Testerdny.)
I have been told by those who have
worked with Miss Norma Taimadge
on the set that, in contrast to her
sister Constance, who is exceedingly
evcntempe.ed, she displays many of
♦he characteristics popularly associat
ed with a great emotional actress.
Gusts of impatience followed im
mediately by the most radiant, sun
shiny laughter; flurries of annoyance;
ripples of amusement—these are the
manifestations of a nature which, in
the words of one admirer, is "as big
and sweet ns all outdoors.” Thorough
ly consistent with such a nature is
Miss Talmndge's type of generosity.
This functions more conspicuously
through some concrete human appeal
than through official solicitation.
Testimony to this is offered by a let
ter from Joe Schenck to a friend of
mine.
The letter, written by Schenck while
he and Miss Taimadge were on a
recent visit to Germany, records how
Norma was followed by a beggar in
the streets of Berlin.' Old and
emaciated and dirty, he fell on his
kne^es beforp the radiant young Amer
ican and begged her for help. Miss
Taimadge thereupon emptied the en
tire contents of her purse into his
hands. "It was a nice little gift,"
commented Miss Taimadge in report
~ ing the incident to her husband, "but
it made me liappV to do it, for I
never saw a human being so grateful
as he was."
"And how much did you happen to
have in your bag?” questioned her
husband.
"Oh, it was all of a thousand
marks," answered she.
Her husband rocked with merri
ment. ' "And do you realize that you
gave him all of 23 cents?” he said.
Miss Taimadge. so Schenck wrote,
was aghast at this disclosure of her
cramped style in benevolence. "And,
pressed as she was for time,” he con
cluded, "nothing would do but that
she should go out early the next
morning and hunt the fellow she had
wronged by her 25-cent donation.
When she did find him—believe me,
he got something real."
From a being so swayed by the
claim of the moment—a being, too,
so' young and beautiful—you would
predict perhaps jess stuble domestic
situation. Mr. Schenck, one of the
flqost men I have ever known is some
years older than his wife and, in ad
dition to this, he is what is known
as a practical type. Yet Miss Tal
rnadge s devotion to him is one of the
salients in her life. The evening
< when she could hardly wait to tell
him of her triumph over Clara Kim
ball Young is, indeed, indicative of
her whole attitude. Everything
both in pictures and out, is talked
oyer with Mr. Schenck, and her man
ner when she is with him reflects
always that deep content which an
emotional nature feels often in
stability.
■ Yet Mr. Schenck represents much
more than a mooring for this bril
liant personality. Kemembering his
efforts in her professional behalf from
the moment when he so proudly
showed me the bracelet on bis office
desk: acquainted, too. with the
absolute devotion whirh he has sub
sequently given to her career, I
often wonder bow It would have
fared with Miss Taimadge had this
element in her life been lacking. Cer
tainly she would have risen by sheer
<pree of her talent and her beauty
dnd her enthusiasm without any such
Concentrated interest. But I very
much doubt if her ascent would have
been either so swift or so dazzling had
this one great constructive force
be»n absent.
CHAPTER TWENTY.
It Is a far cry from the greatest!
emotional actress of the films to one |
of the world's most infectious come
dians. Yet I have set aside chrono- |
logical considerations in order to
save for last my recollections of a
man whose comedy’touches bright
ened the Goldwyn lot almost as much
as they did the Goldwyn screen.
It was Rex Beach and I who
brought Will Rogers into pictures.
After our approach he confided to
ife that he hail been somewhat
mystified by the delayed recognition
of bis talents on the part of the pic
life world.
jt"[ tired to think It was funny.”
Aii<l lie in hl.s own inimitable way.
“Here motion pictures were booming
along. They were getting in trained
dogs and trained cats and grand
Opera singers and everybody in the
World but me. I couldn't make it
out. ar.d now after all these years
you fellows have come to.”
Rogers still loves to dwell on these
factitious pangs of a slighted talent,
ajid he always adds, "Well, there was
a movement on foot for making fewer
and worse pictures and so they hired
me.”
f Certain!'' If his coming Into pic
ture activities vs* the result of anv
such urge, we vere woefully misled.
For his "Jtibilo” was one of the bes»
pictures ever produced by the Gold
wvn company.
- A A uind his selection for the chief
character of this story WU1 weaves
one of his choicest monologues. "Sam
had bought a tramp story," ho re
lates “and he was looking around
Jie lot one day for somebody who
l~Addwter
2~Stir
3~Bake
could play the tramp. Well, he hap
uened to see me In my street clothes
and ho said, ‘There is the fellow to
play the tramp!’ "Of course," he
adds, "I love to play a tramp—you
can act so natural and never have
to dress for it."
Whether this story Is historically
correct or not it does bring out one
of Will’s claims to distinction in the
Hollywood community. An old slouch
hat pulled down over his eyes and
some kind of nondescript trousers
uncrossed as a child's brow—this is
his inveterate costume. Clad In this
wise, he used to stand around the
[Goldwyn lawn and, surrounded by a
crowd of cowboys and extras, would
amuse himself by throwing the lariat
at our “Keep off the Grass’’ signs.
The reader may imagine what a
personality like this did for a studio
somewhat overcharged, with the
artistic temperament. Temperament
itself seemed to find relief in those
droll remarks with which Rogers
meets almost every issue of tho day.
Numerous times I saw Miss Farrar
and Miss Frederick talking with the
comedian, and both gave every sign
of an unshadowed enjoyment in his
conversation. It was one of the two,
I think, who asked Will one day
wh 'her he liked pictures as well as
he did the stage.
"Oh, sure," drawled he with the
unsmiling face which always makes
his verbal twist the more irresistible.
"Why, up to the time I went Into
pictures I had never annoyed more
than one audience at a time. This
is the only business in the world
where you can sit out front and ap
plaud yourself. Now I was getting lo
rthat place on the sta£e where that
feature appealed to me.”
Incidentally, one of Rogers’ most
amusing memories of the stage Im
plicates Miss Farrar. I shall let him
.■-ketch this with his own pungency of
style. "I made one picture Doubling
for Romeo," he relates. ‘The reason
we made jt was that we could use
the same costume that Miss Geraldine
Farrar and a friend of hers (at that
time) had worn In some costume pic
tures—all these Shakespearian tights
and everything. I don't say ‘his
egotistically, but I wore Geraldine's.”
There may be those In the screen
world who are overriden by motions,
who are played upon by gusts of
alternate personal attraction and re
pulsion. Not so Rogers. Me is
essentially home man. and the first
thing Vie did when he came to Holly
wood was to invest the savings of
years in a house for his family. This
residence of Rill's Is on Beverly Hills,
and its location imposed upon its
owner a heavy social responsibility.
"You know,'' I heard him telling
somebody the other day. “my prin
cipal occupation in California is not
making pictures—it is official guide.
I live on the same hill as Cncle Doug
and Aunt Mary—only I live much
lower down the hill than they do—in
fact, I live at the foot of the hill
in a swamp. It's right at the forks of
two streets, and all I do all day long
is to tell tourists where Mary Pick
ford lives. I will be out in the yard
going through my daily work—
maybe licking my second kid—when
some Iowa car will drive up and say,
"Can you tell us where Mary Pick
ford lives?" So I stand amt point
it out—just point and say. “Mary
l’iekford lives right up there.”
"You want to know why I came
hack to the stage for a while—why.
just to get a rest. I was so tired
pointing. Now, I have played for
every charity affair that was ever
held in Los Angeles, and tlielr people
are very appreciative, so when I die
they are going to give me a benefit
and take the money and erect a
statue of me with the army pointing
toward Mary's and a sign on it. "Mary
Pickford lives right up there.”
There is nothing waspish about
Rogers’ funmaking. Sue)} a quality
nf humor as his implies, in fact, a
(rue sense of life's values, a very |
wise and mellow spirit. Nothing
shows this more clearly than a corn ]
munication 1 received from him not
very long ago.
“Dear Sain." It read, "when you
first announced that you were going
to write this book of memories I must
say it didn't create much of a stir
in movie circles till they learned
what memories were. Then when
they found it meant truths, every
body, including myself, commenced
to get leery and wondered if you were
going to remember everything. Now,
I don't know what you are going to
put into this catalogue of yours, but
I do hope for the salvation of the
infant industry you don't tell all—
especially not what some of my pic
tures grossed. s
"But if you've got to say some
thing about me, say this—they were
the two happiest years of my life
that I spent on the old Goldw-yn lot.
We had some great troops there in
those days—all of them good fellows.
There was Miss Frederick, whom
everybody liked that ever met her
Ijked; Miss Madge Kennedy, than
whom we have no sweeter character
of stage or screen; Mabel Normand,
the 'kidder' and good fellow, friend
of every soul on earth, wrhose quiet
and not seen charity has helped many
a poor mu! in need; Tom Moore, as
good an Irishman as ever lived, and
not stuck on his looks either.
"Also <eny this; I made in the two
years I was on the lot 12 consecutive
pictures—all with one director, Clar
ence Badger. That, I think, Is a
record—to be with the same director.
And if there Is anything worth whlie
in any nf them. It was certainly due
to his efforts, as I am no actor. But
he is patient, capable, and the finest
man I ever met.”
I have saved this communication
because nothing else could reveal
more forcibly the tolerance, the
modesty, and the quick appreciation
of anything good in us frail mortals
Which form the source of Will
Rogers's ever willing humour.
(Continued in The .MornJrur Bee)
Wife’s N c w Lighting F a «1
Keeps Her Husband Worried.
"I'm worried about my wife." said
Mr. Smith to his friend, Mr. Jones, as
they rode into town tho other morn
ing on the 8.08. "Ideally worried. I'm
afraid her inind is failing."
"Dear me! Dear me!" ejaculated
Mr. Jones with great f-’ellng. “You
don't say. What's the trouble?"
"Well, you know our, house; old
fashioned affair and ail that. Recently
at the oft expressed wish of my wife
I had it wired for electricity.. But
last night when t came home I found
she had removed the fixtures from
the dining and living rooms and had
installed in their places sconces in
which burned candles! Candles. Mr.
Jones, randies; Sow do you wonder
I'm worried?"
Jones smiled reassuringly. "There's
nothing to worry about, Drother
Smith,” said he. "Tt's ju-t a new fad
of the women's. My wife has done
ijio same thing.''—X. T. Bun
FURNITURE BARGAINS
We have many complete suites and odd pieces
at exactly V2 PRICE. Get your share of these
bargains Thursday and Friday at the State.
Terms to Please—No Interest
DOWN ^11
S A L E J
8-piece dining room suite, C| ffl g §Tff|
walnut, period design, at | w | ■ yy
Special 4-piece walnut bed- j §L
room suite. VuUa I V
Velour living room suite, A4 AA Cft
«loose cushion spring con- ^ I #11 jlj
struction. " ■fcVaVW
SPECIALS
$14 Steel <£/* QP I
Bed .ipOev/O
$8.00 07
Spring .«J)0.0 #
$15 Cotton tf*»7 0*7
Mettreia .*P * •'5 •
$6 Dining <t 1 QC
Room Chair .... «PI*W
$6 End d»0 7E )
Jabl. .« . . .
.$2.69
FREE
Pair of Beautiful
Torchlcrea worth $10
with each purchase of
$2ft or more.
FREE
Beautiful ttrirfte I.imn
worth $20 with each 1
purchase of $50 or j
more.
FREE
Mahogany Lib r«rt
Table worth $30 witli
eachfpurrhaae of $100
or mora.
CLIP OUT THIS COUPON
Bring (his coupon to our store. It is good for
One Dollar on any purchase of $10 or more.
EXCHANGE DEPT.
Turn In your old furniture at highest prices on new furniture
at lowest prices. Liberal terms arranged to suit your ronveni*
ence. Phone JA clcson 1317.
BROOMS 35c
STATE FURNITURE CO.
14th and Dodge
Don’t Accept
CheapLove
Substitute
Pe-,r Miss Allen: I'm in love with a
man l almost hate. He's perfectly
fascinating, a friend sighed. And all
the girls are crazy about him. Hut
he seemb to prefer me. That flatters
me, but it keeps me on the jump all
the time, for I know If I don’t play up
and keep him amused and stimulated.
I'll lose him. I don’t trust him, but
can’t do without him. And I’m
dreading the day when he it turn
from me,to another girl. He's out
tor a good time, and he tells me to
take the pleasure of the moment and
not worry about tomorrow. But I
believe that if I play the game right
I'll get him to propose. Would you
marry a man you don’t trust?
—JEAN.
Never! I can't think of any way of
inviting misery than by marrying a
man In whom you have no confidence.
Love is built on faith. So indeed
are all the big, vital things of life.
Wait for real love. Don’t accept
cheap substitutes because they are
"attractively packaged." You don't
buy an inferior brand of goods be
cause you like the way it is done up
—and if you do, you know perfectly
well that you aren't going to be sat
isfied.
So if you take some substitute for
the love which satisfies your mind as
well as your heart, you are bound to
get tired of the ribbons and the tinsel
paper in which your bargain Is decked
and want something real beyond the
pretty wrappings with which you let
yourself be fooled.
K. F.: f'andy, hooks and baskets of
fruit are the' most frequently given
steamer "bon voyage" presents.
A great feature of the crossing on
large steamers is the masquerade
dance. For this occasion a fancy
paper costume or a gay cambric
Plerette suit and a mask make at
tractive steamer presents for young
people.
For the older person make a pad
ded back rest for the deck chajr.
These aic easily' made out of a piece
of chintz—18x36 inches—and padded
with a thin cotton lining. Few peo
ple would think of taking them along,
but they make deck chairs far more
comfortable for those who sp* nd most
of their time there.
For men the best present Is proh-1
ably a generous supply of their fa
vorite cigars or cigarets, the latest
book on their particular hobbies or
some good sea yarns. And if you
want to Rond an ultra smart present,
boxes of made to order Egyptian
cigarcts, with the initials or mono
gram. ran be had in quantities of 100
or more. •
Candy rather goes begging on ship
board, but if you want to send it,
lemon drops, candied ginger, candied
fruits or tofTee keep better and taste
better than chocolates or bonbons.
O. E. S. Chapter
Observes 50th
Anniversary
Vesta chapter, Order of Eastern
Star, celebrated its 50th anniversary
last night at the Scottish Rite cathe
dral. This, the oldest chapter of the
order in Nebraska, was inaugurated
on February 27, 1874, by Robert Mor
ris of Illinois, founder of the order.
Two of the charter members are liv
One of the little cakes
that Iten bakes—
ITEN’S
Nut Cremes
First is a small vanilla cake
on which is heaped smooth, ten
der, snowy-white marshmallow
—then ground nuts on top of
the marshmallow—and all cov
ered with delicious nut-creme
icing. About 26 little cakes to
the pound.
Try Iten's Xut Cremes for dessert
—with coffee or tea—for putting in
i lunches—why not today?
See the
lien
Cookie
Display
at i'our
Grocery
Safe
Milk
I For Infanta,
Invalid a,
L Children,
i The Aged
Digestible—No Cooking. A Light Lunch
9HT Aroid Imitation* - Subctituta*
%
Friday is the Last Day of Our
Unusual Sale of t
Roper Gas Ranges
A Leap
Year
Special,
for One
Day
Only
I Balance in •mall
| monthly payment*
with your ga* bill.
These
Terms
and Price
for
Friday
Only
cdown
If You Are Going to Need a Range
Within the Next Few Month*
BUY IT NOW
and Let Ua Hold It for Yea
Regular $70 Value. Regula- A
tion aize with full aize cooking
top — a beautifully finiahed t
fully guaranteed Range, for
thia day only—
Gas Department
Metropolitan Utilities District
1909 Howard AT lantic 5767
Be Well
And Happy
- and you have Nature's
Rrratest gift. Nature's
rmcdy < N) Tablets) a
vegetable laxative, Iona a
he organa and relieves
Constipation, Biliousness,
Sick Headaches.
renewing that vigor and good feel
me so accessary to being well and
l/sed far Orer
JO Tears
I Chips off the Old
ft* JUNIOR*—Little N?»
1 The seme — In one third de-res. I
I randy costed For children an t adults.
La B«I4 By V.ur Oru||l*t mmm
I s
Eruptions On Shoulders, Neck
and Face, Itched and Burned.
*'My trouble began with red
apota breaking out on my ahoul
ders, neck and face. They itched
and burned causing me to acratch
and irritate the affected parts. The
eruptions scaled over and my cloth
tng aggravated them. My face was
diafgured, and the troubla kept
getting worse.
“I began using Cutlcura Soap
and Ointment, and after using three
cakes of Cutt'.ura Soap and one
and a half boxes of Ctiticura Oint
ment 1 v s completely healed."
(Signed) Misa 1‘aullne Mills, R.
I*. If. A, Quaker City, Ohio, June
15, 1023.
Ctiticura Snap,Ointment and Tal
cum are all you need for every-day
toilet and mu aery purposes.
r,„M Milk AtMrwa "eia.-ws nw
iM'Ih. r*r* w ¥w4»» 44. Mm lUa'd tom
• 4 « r> •» • '• mfs*
Try our b»w SKMim SU«fc.
lrg and were present last night. Mrs.
Sarah Jenson and Mrs. August.!
Lemm. The chapter has now 1,100
members.
The anniversary celebration last
night opened with a program. An
nddress of welcome was delivered by
Mrs. Winifred Wallace, Omaha, and
a response on behalf of .the state
officers present by Mrs. Ida Bum
Stead, grand worthy matron, ot Lin
coln. A history of the chapter was
read by Dr. Kleanor Dailey, past
worthy matron. Headings were given
by Mrs. Anna Simpson, first grand
matron. After the program, local and
state officers received, and the rest of
the evening was devoted to dancing
and cards.
The order is devoted to social and
Iienevolent purpose*. This year It has
contributed more than 11,000 to the
support of the Masonic home.
A pretty ceremony was the cutUfirJ
of the birthday cake of the ord«
which measured SO Inches by ";
Inches. This was preceded by a pra
er offered by Mrs. Augusta Baer,
Lincoln, grand chaplain of the ordea.
* ' ' . ,
T
Feb. (29)Twenty-ninth
—the Day That Pleases Because It’s Leap Year’s
—the ZERO Hour in Merchandise
—the Last Day of the Last Month of Winter
We Use It as the Last Chance for Stock Clearing
We Have Gathered These Close-Out Lots in Groups
Directly in Front of Elevators on Each Floor *
FLOOR BELOW- ' "|
500 Pairs of Ladies’ Shoes
»n u,.. i«f 0vers from our winter clearance s.-'-*
Low Shoes Suede
Oxfords and Pumps
Low Heels High Heels F! iua;
*
FLOOR BELOW
£-r/%
95c Beacon Bath Robing, yard..
35c Fancy Voiles, a yard.. • • ... ..«i nn
$1 95 Embroidered Pillow Cases, a pair...|a.u
$7.50 Wool Mixed Blankets, a pair.
$10.00 Wool Blankets, a pair..
$6.75 Beacon Bath Robe Blankets, each.
$1 00 Fancv Bath Towels, each..ci AO
$1.50 Bath Mats, each.. • * 5A,UU
MAIN FLOOR
Front of Elevators
4 a
. , , . , . c Ti»»n «n.1 Wcmrn * U'*..1, •. | C
loc Handkerrluels, Whit. .oi.™ u .
Our Stock of Silverware, plated. /C
50c Mon Amour Face Powder.• • ... ..’*w* * 7q
Bulgarian Wool Trimmings, 4 to 12 indies wide.-SC
•Tcwclrv. up to $1.o0, .««*..«* c*«r.... hm.™ ( a 11.1/ -p^iro
Women’s Neckwear, mussed from handling .2 rrice
*5.0" Fancy lather Hand Baga. , : ■■ -• • ■ ■
Wool Dress Goods, sold to $2.50. yard.^7,
Wash Dress Goods, sold to $1.00, yard.- ££
Mexican Market Baskets.. • • ..29c* 49c'
Women’s Silk and,Fabric Gloves, Gauntlets..
Buttons, cards of 2 to 12 buttons, each..■
Silks, a great gathering for all purposes, yard..
Men’s 50c Lisle Socks, good colors..~'2C
Men’s $1.00 Wool Socks,-small sizes.joe
Odd Lots Night Shirts, Underwear, etc., each.oOc
Women’s Underwear, all shapes, sold to $2..»0. each . oOc
Women’s Silk Stockings, sold from 95c to $1.3*>, each .69c
SECOND FLOOR ret.: sx
20 Children's Sweaters (2 to 10 years)... ..$ 8 1.00
25 Girls’ Gingham Dresses (3 to 16 years) .J «j.00 $ l.oO
30 Children’s Scarf Sets, some with hats .* $ 1.00
1° Girls’ Dresses, white and colored (8 to 1<> years') > » 8 o.OO
7 Children’s White Dresses (2 to 6 years).‘ l'L £ 2.00
5 Kiddies’ Coats (1 to 3 years)..>.| J
7 Junior Winter Coats (sizes 14 to 16).^-0. 8 o.OO
7 Women’s Winter Coats... .^9.00 $2o.00
6 Women's Winter Suits.. . * *.J*j9.W 82o.OO
15 Women’s Cloth Dresses...$.>9.00 S20.00
100 White Aprons, tic-on and bib models, close out.25c and oOc
50 Black Sateen Office Aprons, close-out price.75c
50 Bungalow Percale and Novelty Black Sateen ...„
20 White Uniforms, Indian Head, sizes 16 and 36.>1.00
23 Gray and Gray and White Uniforms, 16 to 44.81.00
100 Bungalow Aprons, percale and gingham.$1.00
100 Figured Cotton Dust Caps, 2 for..5c
Odd Lots Children’s Hats, Caps. Infants' Dresses, V ool
Knit Leggins, Skirts and Knickers.25c* 50c. $1.00
Nipht Gowns and Envelop** of fine rain
130 sook. Corsets, Semi-Elastin Girdles. Fancy
l*ie00s F.nndcau Brassiere*, For- $1.00
sclcfte* and Ncthcralls, choice
Outing Flannel Night Gowns, Slip overs.
230 Muslin Envelopes. Corset*. Ferris Waists,
Pieces Semi-Elastic Girdles. Bandeau 50c
Brassiere*, choice...
. Bandeau Brassieres, Boudoir Cape Saul
. tary Aprons and Belts, or .
Pieces choice . &DC
THIRD FLOOR
Quaker Tuscan Net Purtains, $3.00 numbers, each .$1.75
Kdgings. Insertions ami Fringes, big variety,yard. 5c
Window Shades, hand oil opaque and Luxor, each.50c
Slumped'Pieces Art Needlework, each......25c
\VnoI Knitting Yarns, halls and hanks, ea< h.2-5c
“Mah-Ohaing" the great game, Friday, set .$2.95
Stationery, 72 sheets paper, 3 pkgs. matched envelopes .......49c