(10) I Gen Weart and Mrs. Weart - First 10 Minutes, II Beverly Bayne

...scale company.

So we talked it over with him and the two of them together figured out this proposition.

Amit was a mechanic and he knew how to make things and Mr.

Spoor had the idea.

Well finally they got a machine that worked and then they put in for a patent.

Mr.

Spoor put up the money but they hadn't consulted the patent lawyer so he didn't put his name in on the application so the patent was issued to Amit.

The machines were at that time was acquainted with nearly all the water bill people in Chicago because...

Let me interrupt there.

Why was he...

Because he had these road shows that he put on in the suburbs out in other places around northern Illinois so he naturally knew Cole...

Martin Beck...

Martin Beck are the two that I have heard him talk the most of.

He originally started to import pictures from France.

Little short strips.

And he showed them as little strips in the break in the vaudeville shows.

Well this became more and more popular and in one of Martin Beck's theaters there was a lad by the name of...

The boy that...

It was the usher that he...

There was a nursery in one of these theaters by the name of Bill and Mr.

Spoor employed him to operate the projection machine during this little short strip.

And as time went on one of the machine was not acting properly and Bell told Mr.

Spoor that he had a good friend by the name of Howell who was a mechanic and he could fix it.

So Howell came in and became...

Was the repairman on the machine.

And this went on for a number of years and Bell became more and more of an operator and finally in...

As I recall sometime around 1913 Mr.

Spoor turned over the machine business and all that he had built up to Bell and Howell and told them to take it and make a business of their own out of it.

You ever know the original of the S &A head in the film as his trademark his sister Molly drew it from a penny.

It was Indian head on a penny.

And that became daddy's trademark.

And did Molly suggest this or did your father...

I think daddy suggested it probably because he was the one that had the ideas.

But Molly...

You see he sent Molly to the Art Institute for many years.

Oh and then therefore he wanted Molly back.

Yes, yes.

That's the reason he wanted Molly.

You do.

Alright you say that again now in your own words so that if I ever want to put this in another document.

Alright you tell me about his sending Molly to school.

Daddy George sent...

Actually daddy George to me always will be...

Sent Molly to the Art Institute for several years and that's where she learned to draw and she drew beautifully and still does draw beautifully.

And it was upon his suggestion that she make the Indian head which he copied from a penny.

Very good.

Just a moment recollections of John Beargren's natural vision.

He was a tall slender man.

Very studious.

Always very serious with a beard.

How did your father meet him? I don't know.

I really don't know.

Was he as the papers said a Swedish physicist or was he mainly a man who could work with his hands and was a good draftsman.

Was he a draftsman primarily? Now that I'm not too sure of either.

I'm sorry.

But he worked with your father then on this? Oh for years.

Just for years.

Did they have any offer that is for the process from anybody in Hollywood or anywhere? No.

No offers? None that I know of.

Several films were made.

Do you recall any of those films that were made? There was a film of Niagara Falls am I right? That was the main one that I remember.

And what did it look like? What are your impressions? What did it look like? It was just, it was, oh you just felt wet.

It looked so wonderful.

So natural the way it was.

Also there was one called City Lights.

Do you recall this? It was with, City Lights was done.

And I believe the soundtrack was put to that.

And then a film called the Flag Maker and some versions it was called the American.

Do you remember that? That was done on the west coast.

Yes I remember.

I remember about it.

But you didn't see it? No I didn't see it.

Unfortunately.

The City Lights received very good reviews in Chicago and in New York.

And what was the major reason that this was driven out was sound.

Is that correct? Sound had come in.

And they couldn't change over.

That was it.

That was it.

So of Max Aronson, of G .M.

Anderson.

Well he was always very pleasant to me.

Of course I was the other lad's daughter.

But he was very, very pleasant.

I don't know.

I never knew him very well.

Chaplin talks about him as a very fine human being who had a number of various projects.

I know that he supported some boxers.

Oh sure he did that sort of thing.

He had a very big heart.

That's what I understand.

Very big heart.

Very generous man.

And I don't know whether his little wife, I don't think she's still living.

That's her heart.

Max Leona is I know.

Little daughter.

Maxine is yes.

Her name is Max Leona.

Max Leona? Ah good.

Leona after his sister.

Max Leona.

Yes Max Leona is the name.

I see.

Well she calls herself Maxine now.

Oh does she? Her name is Max Leona.

In 1913, Mr.

Spoor and his brother Harry, who was in charge of the European distribution of pictures, were building a motion picture theatre in Berlin.

They visited Berlin and the mayor gave him this statue of a lady Godiva on a white bear which is the symbol of Berlin.

Then the war came along and of course that all went up.

He lost everything.

Nothing ever happened to him.

But they were building a theatre of their own in Berlin at the time.

I also have some information that I guess it was Harry then who, or SNA I have no idea, who owned a building am I correct in Berlin? Harry owned some real estate then.

Yes I think so.

That is Harry.

Marvin Spoor was director of photography.

He was the youngest of the seven brothers am I correct? That's right.

And he was then made director of photography at SNA? I don't know that but he was one of the main cameramen.

One of the main cameramen there.

Very good.

Then what happened there between Spoor and Anderson? What was the date approximately? Well as I recall it was sometime around 1916 that Mr.

Spoor and Anderson decided to break up the partnership and Mr.

Spoor bought him out for somewhere around a million dollars.

Tell me about that.

Well he was utterly delightful.

He really was and he had a marvelous sense of humor.

You could just see everything he talked.

This is about Max Linders? Max Linders.

He was a remarkable person.

He really was.

And daddy made some very good pictures of him I think.

Tell me this.

They were, according to them they were not good box office.

There were three made at SNA I believe.

And then your father and Max terminated the contract primarily because Max couldn't stand the Chicago cold.

That's right.

He didn't like the cold.

He was just perfectly frigid all the time.

He just couldn't stand it.

So then they swore off again.

You tell it dear.

You tell it dear.

Wallace Berry and the works.

All right go ahead.

Well Wallace Berry wasn't so successful at first but he soon became very successful.

And the pride of his life was this wonderful car and he got a little SNA and he put it on the car.

And that's all that was necessary.

So he had an accident and daddy had to pay about $100 ,000.

$100 ,000? Was that much? Good heavens.

What was the accident? Do you remember the accident? He went into another car, killed somebody I think.

I heard that he may have done that but was this confirmed that he did kill somebody? I think he did dear.

I'm not too sure.

He injured somebody anyway.

And the car was a Mercer was it not? Yes it was a Mercer.

That's right.

That's what it was.

It was a Mercer.

And he thought he was so proud of it.

And how did you get? Yeah we're recording.

Okay you go ahead.

Well I uh...

Let me just slate this now.

This is Beverly Bain SNA Studios.

I'm moving around.

Beverly Bain SNA Studios Chicago.

Well that's where I started my career.

SNA in Chicago and it was in Chicago.

It was really a truly Cinderella like story.

I was going to Hyde Park High School in Chicago and I had only been three weeks in my freshman term when a girl, Chum of mine, said oh you're so interested in the theater and movies and things like that that don't you think it would be wonderful if we go up to the SNA and see how pictures are taken? There's such a mystery about them.

And I was thrilled to pieces.

She said you know my mother and father know the head director Harry McRae Webster and I'm sure he'd be delighted to have us come.

And we'll take pictures along because they love young society girls who have pretty clothes and long white gloves to go in the ballroom scenes.

Well that excited me beyond words.

And so we went up on a Wednesday and Mr.

Webster took us all through the studio and we saw how the movies were taken.

Maybe the last scene was taken first and he explained the whole thing and oh it was such a mystery and so exciting and so thrilling to two young girls.

And the following Tuesday afternoon about four when I got home from school a phone rang and it was Mr.

Webster's secretary and she said Mr.

Webster would like to have you come to the studio tomorrow morning at 10 .30.

Well I thought that was rather strange because Mr.

Webster had said before you know we start at nine o 'clock in the morning and you punch a time clock of all things and then the studio closes promptly at five and from nine until one on Saturday.

And so I couldn't understand why he was asking me for 10 .30.

So I said to my mother oh mother may I go please let me go and she said yes if your aunt goes with you.

Well you see in those days we did use chaperones.

It was sort of a lost art today.

Well anyway the next morning we were at the studio and Mr.

Webster came bristling in you know bustling in and he said here here's a script.

Go out and have your lunch and come back after you do and I'll take you through a scene.

And oh my heart was palpitating and he said your part is the part of Marion now you go and study it and come back.

So that's what we did.

I had a bowl of vegetable soup I remember and I had about four tablespoons full and that was it.

I couldn't eat anymore.

I was so excited.

The part of Marion was the lead in the picture.

So we went back to the studio.

Mr.

Webster set up in the green room tables and chairs and arranged for me to walk the scenes with him and of course in those days you made up your own lines.

You got the sense of the story and then the actors made up their own lines and to follow the script that way.

Well he took me through this scene once and then he had my aunt sit in where he had been and I went through the scene and he sat out front as directors were wont to do with the idea of a megaphone in their hands and as you worked and said your lines why he would say well now turn a little more to the right now look up now smile and now you go over and wave goodbye to somebody.

Well he was very satisfied I could see with the scene and he said now little lady he said what would you consider your services worth.

You know you have to be here from nine until five every day and from nine until one on Saturdays.

We never work Sundays.

And well I said oh Mr.

Webster I've never been in the theater I don't know what to say.

Well I who was getting an allowance of 25 cents a week knew that actors got tremendous sums of money.

So I tried to think in large numbers.

So he said now go on I'm not going to give it to you you know if you're not worth it I can't pay it and he said just say anything and so I said very timidly 30 35 or 25 dollars a week.

Well the dear man I can see him now his face flushed a twinkle came in his eye and he said well I'll tell you little lady.

He said I'll start you the first week you will just work under my personal direction and for four weeks you'll get 25 dollars a week and then you'll go into regular stock and play with the other directors and rest of the company it doesn't make.

And he says from then on it's up to you and I'm here to glad to relate that my next jump six months later was 75 and then it went to 350.

So I have always been very amused at my childlike asking 25 dollars as though it were a big sum I who had 25 cents allowance.

Excellent.

Tell me this now you said that you had you had come to Chicago but where where had your earlier schooling been? Well in Minneapolis and in Philadelphia my stepfather traveled a great deal and Duluth I was about in the first or second grade in Duluth and I spent about six months or years to go to school there and stayed with an aunt and my grandmother and went to school there.

I have a series of clippings one from I believe Minneapolis you were in society there am I correct? Your family? Well we were just sort of middle class nice middle class family and but I did go back there and play at the Bainbridge family.

I played at the theater the Bainbridge stock company in with Brandon Rhodes I see him once in a while on TV in brief moment and one other play I can't even think of it now.

And it it's a beautiful city and I loved it but I haven't been back many times.

Now you talk about.

I played Claudia there in 43.

Excellent.

You you talk about your then you went from really then from the motion pictures to the stage.

What about that transition because.

Well it's very interesting because of course I played leads immediately in movies and never played anything else and then went from the movies to do a play for Oliver Morosco in Los Angeles and we toured that and I at that time was married to Mr.

Bushman and we toured east and when I played in the play it was called the Master Thief very dramatic title and Edward A.

Rose was the author and also director as I recall and when I made my entrance everybody was watching me everybody had the book the script throw me lines and everything and the moment I opened my mouth and had said my first paragraph Mr.

Rose said well I don't have to worry about her so I've had a unique career in the fact that I played leads on the legitimate stage and in the movies and it's been all very interesting.

What can you tell me the you were of course the you and Francis X Bushman were the stars of S &A.

Considered one of the great romantic teams like Norma Talmadge and Eugene O 'Brien and let's see oh May Ellison and Harold Lockwood and there were two or three others.

The period there of acting for S &A extended from what time to what time then.

Oh my word I couldn't tell you.

Until approximately 1917 though am I correct? Yes somewhere in there.

I see and what do you estimate how many films do you think that you did while you were there? Oh I have no idea I think a publicity person one time said possibly in the neighborhood of 400 films but you see we did one Reelers in the early days the early part of my career then we went to two Reelers then three and then they became multiple.

No one Reel is approximately a thousand.

A thousand feet.

That was one picture and so of course doing three or four of those a week you could line up quite a number and then of course I think let me see Ross Dark I believe was five Reels.

You are right it was five Reels I just finished reading that.

Tell me this did you what directors for instance the kind of directing that went on then was it certainly wasn't primitive from the kinds of films that I have seen from S &A it was tell me about that what is your opinion of the early direction? One very fine director we had was Theodore H.

Wharton and another was Charles Brabham I think Charles Brabham and now maybe he was MGM probably was there a lot? I think that was later a Mr.

Baker who had been an ex stock director you see everybody was corralled from the stock companies because they were easy in learning lines or they had some schooling or experience but the reason that they took me was that I was untrained and this was a new medium a new technique that they could mold me.

I was a child of sixteen into the techniques that they wanted and I know that the woman that was the leading woman ahead of me was about forty.

Ruth Stonehouse? Well no she was an extra girl at S &A at the same time I was and then she did a better part but this was I don't know if I should say it because she was an older woman and played in stock but her name was Branscombe and she was playing young girls and old ladies the next day you see they would change about and of course it was rather ridiculous to have a young girl of twenty playing an old woman but they did they make them up.

But it was a vast college of knowledge I'll tell you about the theatrical profession because of course to my sense acting is merely a keen imagination the ability to hold within oneself memories or experiences that they've seen or watched or something or even going to the theater.

And seeing how the great actors and my mother as a little girl always took me in Minneapolis to some of the greatest plays the greatest stars the oh dear who were they the lovely ones and so in that way I had a certain poise when I had this opportunity given to me by Mr.

Webster and I walked just one week from the first time that I went to the studio.

I was playing the lead in my first picture.

That's remarkable.

Tell me about this your mother then was she enjoyed the theater very much.

Oh yes.

I had a great appreciation.

Can you tell me more about your mother? Well mother was a precious person.

She lived her whole life to develop me as a fine person a lady and also gave me the opportunity to learn how to become a good actress.

I was a very good actress.

None of our family had ever been in the theater but by the token of her giving me these opportunities I didn't make a lot of bad mistakes because I remembered how people behave themselves in the legitimate theater and that aided me in the movies.

Now can you tell me a little bit about the studios as you remember them they were over on Argyle Street.

1333 Argyle.

That's right and they're pretty much as they were even today.

Didn't Jam Handy people buy the studio? Wilding.

Wilding.

Or Wilding.

But Jam Handy did have something to do with it.

Yes you're right.

I think they rented or something.

Are they still there? They are still there and they are still operating under the Wilding.

Is that so? Yes.

We took the sign down and you could see then S and A right underneath their sign.

Oh yes.

Well I remember dear old Bob Spoor.

He was the director, I mean the manager of the stage you know and he was such a darling and Major Spoor I believe.

Marvin.

Marvin.

But we called him Major in those days.

A nice young man and tall and so my memories and of course Harry McRae Webster was the director and he was an excellent director and I always worked in many of his pictures.

Yes.

You were there then.

Did you know that Luella Parsons was a script woman at S and A? I knew that.

Would you tell me a little bit then about Luella because she I believe George K Spoor's wife rather took pity on her.

She was recently divorced am I correct? Yes and she had a little child called baby later on Baby Parsons who was in the S and A picture.

Oh well let me say that she was married to oh I can't even recall the name now but Captain Something or other in Chicago and he and Luella used to come over to my mother and father's home on the north side there at Malden Avenue and Wilson I think it's called.

Was it Wilson and Malden and they used to play bridge together all the time and I would meet Luella on the street going up to S and A and we would talk and she'd tell about a script that was coming in and whether I would like it or not and she afterwards not only did the script work but became secretary to Mr.

Bushman and worked with him and then later of course she went to Hollywood and she had Harriet Parsons was her daughter little girl that was at S and A and of course she is now I don't know somebody said I believe she was selling real estate and the mother is in a sanitarium Luella she's a very good friend I won't say a little in some difficulty physically I believe.

Well tell me about she has written about you.

Alright, can you tell me, did Willa Parsons work at SNA? Oh yes.

She was in charge of scripts as they would come in, be sent to the studio.

She would edit them and say this one would be appropriate for such and such a star and director and was very, very well liked in that department.

And then she finally became also secretary for Mr.

Bushman, who was male, was increasing to a great extent and she used to do that sort of on the side.

But I always remember Luella, she and her husband, Captain McCaffrey I think was the name, and my mother and father played bridge together.

And every morning Luella and I would meet at the corner of Wilson where we had to walk up to the studio and she would tell me about scripts and people and we'd gossip about the inmates of our studio and so forth and it was all very interesting.

So I remember Luella very pleasantly.

She had a little daughter, about eight years old I guess.

I have her pictures and she's in some of them.

They called her Baby Parsons, is that right? Harriet, well I don't.

Harriet is her name.

Well I guess when she may have worked in a picture or something they might have dubbed her that.

Now tell me about this.

You talked about acting as a memory that is activated by imagination really.

Observing.

Observing.

Observing life and characters and people.

What do you think about this rather belabored, I'm loading the question unfortunately, Stanislavsky.

You mean the method of acting.

Well I think it's rather ridiculous.

And I don't believe that it is fair to a company of actors for someone like we'll say Marlon Brando who claims that he's the best exponent to one day feel that he's got the right touch and then rehearses with his people and they are told just exactly what to do by their director and he doesn't feel good for that particular performance so he just lets them down, lets everything fall flat.

Now I think that from the first day a play opens until its last curtain, anyone who pays money the last night of the show is entitled to a good performance and if you have a good director he sets a pattern like a symphonic director, a diminuendo, legato, whatever and you should always approximate what he has told you to do because there are times that one might get very bad news or be ill or something but if you do it in a routine, a like manner and always try to approximate the climaxes and all then you won't let your company down and you will approximate what the play or what your character is required to be in the play and the audience won't be aware that you've had a telegram that your mother's died or that you don't feel quite up to it that night but if you do like Brando does just on inspiration you can be let down night after night.

Tell me this then, what about the company, did you find that they were troopers that they didn't let people down for instance at SNA that they worked without? Oh yes, they all worked hard together because it was a new medium and everybody was so thrilled in the movies you see that they realized that they should work together and create this new technique, be part of it.

I'll just stop this now because I'm fine.

Well I would like you to know that they did comedies as well as dramas at SNA and somebody thought of a series called SWEDI and they had to have a real big robust buxom man play this part to see because part of a woman cook or whatever and so they found Wallace Beery in Chicago somewhere.

I don't know whether he at one time was with carnivals and circuses whether that's where they picked him up but anyway he was perfect for this part and very very funny in it.

He wore huge shoes you know that flapped when he wasn't usually one toe was sticking out and a blonde wig and a gingham dress, blue and white gingham dress.

And about this time Gloria Swanson used to come up the studio just like I had to see how movies were taken and hopefully she would see the casting director and say that she loved to do a ballroom scene or maid or any small part that they had and she became enamored with Wally.

Very shortly he finished his series and received an offer from Keystone Cops you know in Los Angeles and Wally joined the company and Max Senich you see and about six weeks afterwards Gloria and her mother packed bags and went out there and very shortly thereafter Gloria and Wally married and she became a bathing beauty for the Max Senich.

Tell me this I was told that she was married in the back lot at S &A could that have been true or not? Well I never heard that.

There was a wedding there.

I never heard that.

I see.

I don't know.

It could have been at the Max Senich lot.

It could have been there too.

Either place.

But anyway Gloria became very very popular and shortly I don't know how long it was they were divorced and then she married Herbert Somborn and then two or three others after that.

But it's so interesting to know that a lot of those people oh yes and Charlie Chaplin came to the S &A.

Tell me how did this start? In Chaplin's autobiography I read that ultimately on the west coast Bronco Billy Anderson then really activated this and came back then with Chaplin I believe to Chicago.

Is this what happened? That I believe is something that follows.

You tell me then about your association with Chaplin.

Actually I don't think I ever did anything more than to speak to him.

How do you do? And he introduced you see all the time they were on a time schedule you know everything had to go so fast.

Now may I ask you that since you've said this.

Chaplin speaks about the accountant mentality at the S &A studios.

She didn't like.

Of course.

And you see I told you we'd do a whole picture in one day and that went along until other directors would say well I can't do it.

I've got to take an exterior that'll take up to tomorrow.

So gradually the time was lengthened on these pictures and but naturally the accountants were watching it very closely.

Well Chaplin came and lo and behold he screened in all his sets and he would take as long to do just two or three little scenes and the studio was going out of its mind.

You see where people finishing a whole.

He would work on just one scene a man going through a door with a step ladder and he turns around knocks everybody down or whatever you know some comic.

Did he direct his own? And he yes as I recall he did.

And he was very meticulous and of course it helped the rest of us.

We loved it that he was getting more time because we knew eventually we would.

Well I left I think shortly.

So I didn't know Chaplin.

Yes you must have because he was there in 1915.

And then you left after that.

Tell me the people who are in Chicago who knew Chaplin when he was there have not very nice things to say about him.

Was there a general feeling at the studio that Chaplin was a prima donna? Well of course he was very demanding and of course the rest of the directors that weren't getting the same attention they rather resented it.

So I suppose maybe there might have been some feeling there.

Of course.

He did one film when he was in Chicago called His New Job.

And do you remember anybody rehearsing for this at all? I see.

No I do not.

Gloria Swanson is in that one.

She plays a bit part of a receptionist.

I see.

Now coming to you really we're talking about other people.

We should be talking about you.

When did you meet then Frances X Bushman? Oh the first picture that I did I think.

No I didn't.

No.

Oh this is very funny.

The script, the first script that I played the part of Marion in was called The Lone Shark.

Now could you have a more commercial title than that? And I played with an actor who had never played in movies before.

And I can't even recall the name now isn't that sad? And very shortly thereafter I played with all the leading men, Bryant, Washburn, Bushman, oh let's see who were the others? I'll tell you what there were a number of them.

Did you, the man who played the little colonel in Birth of a Nation was there too was he not? Walthold? Yeah H .B.

Walthold.

No I never played with him.

Was he there in S &A? No.

Because he did some pictures for S &A.

He may have but I did not know him.

And well anyway then shortly one summer Joseph E.

Totten, one of the directors had a farm down near New London Connecticut and he took a few of the stagehands and he built a platform out in his garden and just a few props and things like that for interiors.

And we tried to do everything that was outdoors you see plays or pictures that were just exteriors.

And he had a direct, he directed and just as I say a few stagehands and a few actors maybe four or five then he'd recruit from the village itself anybody that he thought he could.

They were all from S &A, the five were from S &A though.

Yes the five actors.

And while I was there Mr.

Bushman had left the S &A company and had asked me to go as leading lady and I didn't care to.

And so I was down at New London Connecticut playing in this little summer company and I got a telegram asking if I wouldn't meet him.

You were still however, excuse me, you were still at S &A.

I was at S &A.

But you weren't playing on the stage in this.

No, no, no.

This is a movie.

An entire movie company from S &A went to New London you see.

And Mr.

Totten directed it and tried to make as good movies as he could with his limited means.

And while we were there at the end of our season, Mr.

Bushman sent a wire from the coast would I meet with the head directors and the vice president of Metro in New York City.

So Mother and I went down there and they made me a very fine offer to return as his leading lady in the coast because he had taken someone and the public felt that he didn't play as well as he did with the little dark eyed girl, the round faced girl who happened to be me.

In those days you know we didn't have much publicity.

They just sort of identified you.

Mary Pickford was the girl in the New York ad and people like that.

You were one of the few who really was identified however am I correct, who were identified.

Your name was accompanied the publicity releases on a good many places.

Oh yes, oh yes.

You and Frances X.

Yes.

Well we were considered like Norma Talmadge and Eugene O 'Brien and Lockwood and May Allison, romantic teams you see.

And the public were all caught up in great romantic dramas in those days.

And oh my land you had to be so careful if you kissed a man you know.

Oh may I tell you this about my first time in this Lone Shark.

I had to kiss my husband, the character who played my husband.

And I can remember of blushing at Felix as though all my ideals had just collapsed and just gone down over the falls.

And I went home that night and I cried myself to sleep in my pillow.

And about two o 'clock in the morning I wakened and I thought well now you've got to play the part.

If you're married to the man or it's romance you've got to kiss the man.

Now if I'll just look at it as business.

I'll just look at it that it's a job to be done and that I'm not being wicked or anything like that.

And then I went to sleep and from then on I was all right.

But I had a beau at that time that I wrote a letter to and it's the most fabulous thing.

In this letter I tell about he had graduated from Hyde Park High School and had gone to Cleveland and was working with his uncle who owned the Hanna Company there.

And I had written him a letter about how dreadfully I felt when I talked about mushy kissing with the leading people and all that and I didn't like to do it.

But I'd finally come to the conclusion that it was all part of a day's work.

And so in this picture I say and would you believe it I was made immediately the leading lady of Company Number One.

And I said but I will never rest until my name goes up in electric lights over a legitimate theater.

Well I sent this letter to this boy in Cleveland.

I married Mr.

Bushman and I would say maybe four or five years had elapsed from the time I'd written this because it was when I first started in the movies.

And I was in this play of Oliver Morasko's called The Master Thief and we were playing in Battle Creek Michigan and my name was up in electric lights in the theater.

And after the performance as we were going to do many times actors do not eat a large meal before a performance but they go back to their room and have a hot supper sent up.

So my husband and I were sitting there having our dinner and our manager Bill Calvin called up and he said Beverly the most fabulous story you would think it was a Madison Avenue advertisers dream as just walked into this hotel.

He said there is a man here who years ago was buying he's in the waste paper buying business down in the freight yards where all of this waste paper was bailed together and he saw one letter that looked intact and he picked it out and he said it is a letter that you wrote to a boy in Cleveland years ago.

And he's kept this all this time because he wanted to see whether you followed through on your statement that you would never rest until your name went up in electric lights over legitimate theater.

It's remarkable.

Did you did you get a copy of or do you have that letter? I have it.

I'll show it to you.

That is a marvelous story.

I keep it in a safe.

I'll tell you what I don't and I'm sure you don't either.

This is we really should know however about people but Francis X Bushman had come from the East am I correct? Yes he'd been in stock companies.

I see and his director then was hired by SNA.

Mr.

Baker who had been at a stock company in Jersey or Baltimore or somewhere on the East Coast went to Chicago and became a director at SNA and then he in turn sent a telegram to here's a stock actor again.

You see they use stock actors because they seem to be available and Mr.

Baker they called him sent for him and he Mr.

Bushman had been there quite some time and then after a while I played in a few pictures and the public seemed to like the two of us playing together and as I say he left and I finally some months later joined the company on the coast.

Now tell me about SNA the character of SNA you've talked about you know we've talked about Chaplin's evaluation of sort of an accountant mentality yet I have seen the little I have been able to see the nitrate that still exists of really rather good films and well photographed well filmed.

I have a little one that I bought from the Mohawk films but I've never been able to use it because it's a small one.

It's 8mm.

8mm.

Yes they reduce them to 8mm.

Silly millimeter.

What's that? Cigarette? Well that's what it is and under royal patronage it's called.

Under royal patronage.

And I would love to see it sometime if I can ever find anyone with a machine.

I hope that they recorded that at the right speed.

Yes well I do too.

It's very important because otherwise everybody looks as though they were popping around like.

Well you were used to the weather then obviously in Chicago but Max Linder and Chaplin really were.

Well I was born in Minneapolis and for five months a year we walked with our school books on our hips and fascinators and caps and ear laps and goulashies and leggings and what not.

Five months of the year we waited in snow up to our waist and that's why I think I built up such an aversion to cold and wet weather and to snow that I always used to say when I retire I'm going to go to a sunny island and bask like a salamander on a stony wall for my rekindling days.

So my son and I came here in 1956.

1956.

And fell in love with Arizona and he and I had been reading a great deal about the great Southwest and we wanted to see whether I should go back to the coast and whether we would like to live in Beverly again.

Beverly Hills that is.

You lived there until 1956 then am I correct? No no I was living in New York.

Oh in New York.

Pleasantville, Westchester County, New York and Richard was working in New York City and commuting every day.

And so we got sort of tired of all that and we thought well maybe it might be fun to go back to a warmer place California.

But we passed through Scottsdale and fell in love with a village like unhurried resort area that it is and decided that we liked it very much.

Went to the coast.

Came back and almost bought a house.

The first weekend.

And then went back finished our vacation of three weeks and went back east and got in the midnight of a Tuesday at our home in Pleasantville and put the house up for sale on Thursday.

Sunday which was Mother's Day the 13th of May.

A man and his wife came to the house and said they liked the house very much.

Came back at 3 .30.

My son Richard took them all over the grounds and we had over an acre of ground and oh the most beautiful spot.

Completely covered with ancient dogwood trees.

It was the most exquisite house.

I'll show you a picture later.

And he said Mother this is Mother's Day.

You're going up to Pound Ridge with me Emily Shaw's for dinner.

At 9 .30 we drove into the garage and the bell was ringing and I answered and it was the agent and she said Beverly I have $2500 cash in my little hothead.

Your house is sold but you have to be out the first of June.

This is 13th of May.

I said how can I ever do it? How come? Well as a matter of fact we couldn't, the mortgage couldn't be processed and everything until the 5th.

About 7 o 'clock the 5th of June we were on our way and landed here the 10th of June midnight.

And we loved every moment of it.

I wouldn't live anywhere else.

I went back to New York to look to like if looking liking move as Juliet said in April and May and part of June and then in September went over to the coast to see if I'd like it over there and decided that I wanted to spend my remaining days in Arizona.

I just love it and the climate and everything about it.

It seems to be very vigorous here too and at the same time I mean I'm talking about terribly hot in the summer.

Well imagine we landed here at June 10th and in an un -air conditioned car and we were in and out all day long for two weeks looking for houses you see.

And I didn't mind it.

You don't perspire.

Isn't it a dry heat? Yes it's a dry heat and your blood thins down and you become accustomed to it.

And I had had a very bad whiplash two years before coming here and I couldn't turn my head to the right.

I had to turn my whole body and after the two weeks that I was here I could turn my head and never had a return of it.

You see all the impurities are exuded through the pores but you never are perspired if I Well the air here is also much cooler.

Oh and I love the summers 118 five days once and it goes to 115.

Oh but it's nothing like Washington or St.

Louis or any of the eastern cities with humidity.

It's just utterly dry and we have everything air conditioned our cars our homes so there's no problem at all.

That's excellent.

Let's stop down now and begin.

Dear Frank your prayers united with those of others evidently were answered as we really made the biggest hit on the program at the Society Circus.

Everyone complimented us highly.

I certainly thank you for your prayers.

It is dandy.

Friends so thoughtful and so forth to ever see anything so childish.

I'm very glad you had such a delightful time while all your Chicago friends were there.

I quite wait wait.

Oh wait I'm glad you had.

That was right I guess.

I quite agree with you on your decision about your vacation.

I'm sure the absolute rest in this country will be much better for you than the terrible busy time you would be bound to have not saying anything of the money you would spend.

Wish you the bestest time ever while you are in the country.

Every spare moment you have why not sit down and write a little lady who would be delighted to hear from you.

Three question marks.

It would be so nice to see you here for it has been some time since we last met but know the rest is what you need.

If I could go on a vacation now I would be a very happy person but it seems they have made a big change in the company at the studio and I have to wait for a month or so.

It seems when some of us would be especially good in the picture then all the directors would want that person in their picture.

Consequently some were worked overtime etc.

while others would sit around for weeks and have nothing to do.

Now I'm exaggerating the right voice on this.

Now they have divided the company into two separate companies and when a director wants to use a certain person he has to use all the people he needs from that group and that certain person belongs to him.

As I am cast for leading woman of company number one I have to be there most of the As there is no one to put in my place isn't that wonderful to be wanted.

Just think of it Frank.

I thought it was wonderful when I was leading Anjanu but now to be leading woman of company number one I feel extraordinarily happy.

When you think of it it is fine as there are people there who are old timers at dramatic etc.

and that I should be over them my cup runneth over.

Nevertheless I don't intend to stop there until I get to the legitimate stage and see Beverly Bain in so and so in electric lights.

You may be proud to know me yet.

Anyway I hope so.

George brought over ten boxes of filigree chocolates this morning which were left over from the society circus.

We'll have to send you a box of divinity pretty soon.

Wish you might have some as I have the candy.

I just mentioned a box of Heiler's Beverly chocolates box whipped cream chocolates and some divinity.

If I don't ruin my disposition complexion and teeth it will be funny.

She'll take some to studio and give it all away tomorrow.

Some of the ten goodness but it is fall like a fellow who is leaving for school.

Illinois is coming in a minute or so to say goodbye.

Thank goodness I don't have to worry about school anymore.

Think we will go in a machine.

Machine for a short ride into the coolness of said September weather.

Oh do you ever hear anything like it.

If you want to see an article in Motography get the last issue and you'll be able to see about my life as a movie.

Funny joke.

Now Frank have a grand rest and go back to work feeling dandy fine but don't forget to write to Beverly Bain.

And that was 4601 Malden Street.

4601 Malden.

In Chicago.

In Chicago.

But look this is priceless.

It says read the little note at top of letter.