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Mary Pickford and Owen Moore in "The Wife," an Imp Photoplay Directed by Thomas H

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Mary Pickford and Owen Moore in Mary Pickford and Owen Moore in "The Wife," an Imp photoplay directed by Thomas H. Ince. 36 Mary Pickford: HerJelf and Her Career Part III Illustrated by Rare and Authentic Photographs HER PHOTOPLAY BEGINNINGS. WITH BIOGRAPH; HER SUCCESSES. HER ROMANCE. AND THE IMP EXPEDITION TO CUBA By Julian Johnson ~. great days between-the hours in which URING tho ,omp«,tivo!y 1_,.gshort period between Mary Mary Pickford found herself, and in.which I• Pickford's two Belasco en- the world found Mary Pickford. t gagements came the most mo­ In the almost rural quiet of the north­ . mentous hours of her life; ernmost part of New York City rises a neither fame, fortune nor ar­ temple of cinematic art which is to the tistic progress can vouchsafe again such early picture-making places as the Parthe­ wonders as those brought by the Biograph­ non was to the groveland temples of the Imp years, which introduced her to the Druids. It is the new Biograph studio: a medium of expression in which she was magnificent building, inhabited by pretty destined to be supreme, brought love into much the same organization, managerially, her life, and laid at her shy young feet the which 'prevailed at the historic first studio laurel of world-wide renown. at 11 East Fourteenth street, the same mu­ So this division of the tory begins with nicipality. That first studio, now aban­ Belasco and ends with Belasco. It starts doned, has had a lot of figurative names. at the conclusion of her long and success­ It has been called "the cradle of the mo­ ful portrayal of the little girl Betty War­ vies," "the kindergarten of photoplay," and ren, in "The 'Varrens of Virginia," and "the birthplace of screen celebrity." terminates as fr. Belasco persuades her to The last synonym is astonishingly fact- come back to Broadway in the flesh-a re­ o ful. Not everyone who has contributed turn to stardom, an incandescent name, 'and substantially to directing or acting art in Juliet, the most remarkable figure in "A .motion pictures came out of the' old Bio­ Good Little Devil." The stories of both graph stu~lio,. but for a large per cent of these engagements Mr. Belasco has already today's great ones i.t was the starting place. told readers of PHOTOPLA Y. ~{AGAZIN.E, . When, "Th~, ~arreps of Virginia" began with most engaging and inimitable literary to wane as a first-magnitude 'attraction, lit­ simplicity. Here is a brief account of the tle Mary Pickford cast about for sometping 37 "Little Mary" In the center of the origin­ al Imp Com- pany Left to right­ lop row- Geol1{e L. Tucker. DavId Miles. Mrs. Smith, mother of the Pickfords; Bob Daly, Tony Gart­ dio. Second row­ William E. Shay, A"ita HenzdonJ. Farrell MacDon· aid, Hayward Mack, Mr3. Mac­ Donald. Jack Har­ vey. Third row (seat· ed) - Tom [nce, Owen Moore. Mary Pickford Killg Baggot, CoZ Joe Smiley. Bot/om row­ [sabel Rea. Jack Pickford. Lottie Pickford. Mary Pickford 39 Interior ofthe old Biograph studio, New York. This is "the Cradle ofthe Movies." Here are the earliest Cooper-Hewitt lamps in a studio. el e to do. he had made good, but she authoritie. diff r a to ju t what the play 'a not rich, by no mean famou ancl the was, but Mr. Dougherty, who is probably maintenance of the family depended upon right, ay that it was "The "\ iolin-Maker the efforts of its individual members. of Cremona." fary had no particular acquaintance Mary account of this, as a terror and with anyone connected with the motion pic­ nightmare, i droll. ture indu try but the Biograph ,ya the "It \Va particularly awful to make love obviou place for a picture beginner, and to my play "'eetheart," he avers; "not be­ to Fourteenth treet he went. It"a to cau e I "'a afraid of him e pecially, but General l\Ianager Doucrherty-the arne becau e the camera confu ed and frightened who now rule the hadow-palace far up­ me, the empty tudio and the mechankally town-that he introduced her elf. silent camera man embarra ed me, and I There wa nothing for her. held back, and trembled, until the director But Dougherty was 0 impressed with shouted: 'For heaven' ake, do you love her quaint weetnes and charm; with her tl1is man, or hate him? Put your arms forceful, yet mou elike little personality, around him and let him put his arms that he took her name and addre and kept around you!' " her in mind. "Thi man"" as Owen Moore. The di­ She took uccess as it came, and the rector, David Wark Griffith. camera felt out her po ibilities with de­ David Myle pla)ed the Cripple, and liberate caution: 1ary Pickford was an that completed the little ca t of principals. "extra." he was a prompt obedient, un­ Mary Pickford was an immediate and complaining and on time extra day after in tantaneou succe s with the Biograph day. company, which then had a redoubtable Then came the first part. Recollective phalanx of future world-beaters in all de- 40 Photoplay Magazine partments, and made picture after picture. The mob scene was "called," the super Yet, ane<;dotes of this sweet wonder-child responded to her name, and very few knew are· few and far between. Even in the that under the black wig and within the jubilee of her reign as queen of the Bio­ bright Neapolitan colors stood the sotto­ graph studios-enjoying a popularity voce Queen of the Movies. among her fellow-playe.rs such as few' stage In striking contrast was her attitude fQlk' have' ·ever· \'{Qn-"Littie Mary" was toward her own serious illness, which over­ not a !nixer. took her at Beechhurst, Long Island, and Made up for her 'part, she would enter which threatened her life. the s.tudio and 'sit unobtrusively on one side She was at the home of Claire Mac­ until called. Occasionally her very real Dowell. The physicians ordered her sent sense .of humor would prompt her to to the hospital at once. There "were no speech. Once in a great while the resound­ trains making proper connections, and the ing temper that lurks unsuspected under trip had to be made by motor. She refused her serenity would smash forth in an ab­ to ride in an ambulance because of its grue­ rupt, natural, flashing' explosion. Much someness, and she was made as comfortable more often, and in many ways, was the as possible, with rugs, pillows and cush­ large tenderness of her nature revealed. ions, on the back seat of a big touring car. She loved a few and gravely disapproved Noone said anything at the moment of a few, but she was kind to everybody. departure. It was terribly funereal, and She was an artist in the very beginning furtive tears were beginning to flow in sus­ of her picture career, and never played a ceptible quarters when Miss MacDo\vell part, however small, that she did not take cried, in a voice that was a sort of hys­ seriously-how seriously was revealed when terical little shout: "For heaven's sake, a fellow-player, showing her a magazine in dear, hold on to your sense of humor!" which some half-clad natives of the South ""Veil, you bet no surgeon is going to cut Seas were shown looking at her pictures, that out!" shot back the sick child, with remarked lightly: "You see your social such promptness that they all laughed, and circle is millions big !" Mary stared the little patient sent up the silvery ghost awhile into infinity, and then answered, of a chortle herself. Contemporary history softly: "That thought is so big that it renders it quite unnecessary to add that she frightens me." returned alive and well. At least one Biograph reminiscence illus­ When Mary came to the Biograph studio trates her depth of regard for a casual there was already in the company the young acquaintance·. man destined to be the winning contestant It was after she had attained success. of the manv who made marital overtures. A girl of about her own age, given her Owen Moo"re, now her husband, became first chance as an extra in a mob scene, was smitten with the dainty "new girl," and ready to go on when word was brought made ardent lo\'e to her in many a picture . that she must return at once to the bedside which doubtless impressed the audience as of an ailing mother for whose sake she was the real thing. It was the real thing. making desperate endeavors to earn five The romance of Owen Moore and \farv dollars a day. The message meant not only Pickford is one of three which ripenecl that her mother had suffered a turn for the under the lurid blaze of those East . worse; it meant that just so much greater Eleventh street Cooper-Hewitts. Other would be the need of five dollars that day­ targets of Cupid were Florence Lawrence, and, too, that there would be none! who married Harry Solter; and Gretchen As the girl went out, furtively dabbing Hartman, in private life Mrs. Alan Hale. her eyes, someone touched her shoulder. Apropos of Moore and the Moore-to-be She turned around to face Mary Pickford. is a characteristic story of Mr. Griffith, "Don't cry!" whispered Mary. "Go home their director. He had a situation in which smiling, for your mother's sake, and your it was necessary for Mary to register very five dollars will be here tomorrow.".
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