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MILTON SILL
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Popular Leading Man Tells Unique
Human Interest Story Regarding His
Past Connections With a Famous
Play and Its Author.
ONCE la while, an Actor ukt
mor than the ordinary
mount of Interest tn th part
he is to play. He feels Inspired. Ha
feeli that ha la to do Something great
cr than ha baa aver done the greatest
thins be has never done. Milton Sills'
portrayal of the title role tn George
Melford' production ' of William
Vaughn Moody's great play, "The Faith
Healer," la one of these cases. Mr.
Sills haa played many great parts, but
no role in his entire career either on
the stage or as a screen actor, has ever
meant so much to him as the role of
"The Faith Healer." His love for the
play and reverence for the author are
unusual and quite extraordinary.
There ta genuine romance back of his
portrayal of this role. It was thus that
ha expressed himself on the subject:
Opportunity Arrives.
"At last I am to do The Faith Heal
er.' This play has been In and out of
my life for the past thirteen years. On
two occasions I almost played it on
the stage, but fate intervened. Again,
some time ago, I made all preparations
to produce it on the screen. But my
preparations were never completed.
And now, here I am, all made up and
ready to work, and it seems that at
last I am really to play The Faith
Healer,' If sqoiething strange doesnt
happen again to prevent I won't be
at all surprised if I wake np and find
I have been dreaming."
He was sitting on the Set where
Uncle George Melford had already be-
gun filming of soma of th scenes tn
the picture, dreamily smoking his pip
and in a perfect reminiscent mood. He
was dressed in overalls, such as are
worn by th sheep herder, an old fad
ed shirt and abort leather boots bis
make up for the title part
A
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A Sees Fran "The
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A sweet-faced, middle aged lady who
was sitting nearby studying the scena
rio, came over and held a little con
sultation with him about a .certain
point in the story. After she had re
tired, he turned to me and remarked:
"Mrs. Moody Mrs. William Vaughn
Moody, the widow of the author of the
play, and I, are collaborating on (he
scenario for the pcture. That was she
who just came over a moment ago. It
la a labor of love for both of us, and I
truly believe that we two, of all the
people in the world, are best fitted to
write this scenario, for we know the
mind of the late author and his very
thoughts and alms the very inspira
tion which prompted him to write the
play better than any two other per
sons. A Striking Coincidence. .
"This is not my first acquaintance
with Mrs. Moody. I have known her
for twenty-one years. That Is the de
lightful part of our work together.
Mrs. Moody was one of my teachers
when I was attending high school at
17 years of age. That was before she
became Mrs. Moody. Her name at that
time was Harriet C. Brainerd. It is a
most striking coincidence that later,
when I attended the University bf
Chicago, Mr. Moody was one of my
professors in English. Knowing Mrs.
Moody as I did, I came to know Mr.
Moody Very intimately this being
after their marriage. I used to go
around to the house every day or two
was Just Ilk a member of the fam-
lly. I thought a great deal of Mr.
Moody. I held the greatest reverence
and respect for him and thought then
and still think that he was one of the
greatest poets and playwrights we
have ever had.
"I was still attending the University
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WITH JVXLTCUYyJZLLiJ OWiJCEMftElO FOJ2 T&Z PJZQDOCTfQTf
of Chicago, studying for my Ph. D. de
gree when William Vaughn Moody
wrote 'The Faith Healer." Mrs. Moody
sent over to me the first penciled draft
of the play, that I might read it, as I was
very much interested in the play from
the very moment that Mr. Moody be
gan writing it. The moment I read the
play I loved it. I kept the manuscript
In my desk a few days and then re
turned It. I also had in my possession
a manuscript copy of 'The Great Di
vide,' another' play he bad just writ
ten, and which has since been conced
ed to be his masterpiece.
Decides Upon Career.
"Some time later I obtained my Uni
versity degree and was granted a fel
lowship In a society of philosophy.
Right
Some still call it "flllum!"
A heaving
movie star.
chest never made a
"The Heart of Africa' in five grip
ping part has been pronounced full
of strong atmosphere and local color.
Osmun Lifes blames a prominent
Adam's apple for the fact that he has
failed to reach stellar roles in motion
pictures.
Percival Ramsbottom, whose work
in "No Mother to Guide Her," was ao
strongly praised by all the critics, is
disappointed In motion-picture life.
There Is no opportunity to pose in ho
tel lobbies.
During th death scenes In the third
reel of "Lost in the Snow," the Buck
eye Block Stringed Orchestra, espe
cially engaged for the evening, got the
.wrong cue sheets, and played two
MTEHSSTM
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But It was not long before I had made
up my mind to go on the stage. I re
signed my fellowship and was soon
getting along fairly well in theatrical'
work.
"It was in the beginning of my sec
ond year on the stage, when one day
I received a wire from Henry Miller
asking me to come to' New York to
consult with him regarding an engage
ment At the time I was making fifty
dollars a week and as my engagement
was about to'termtnate, I left Immedi
ately for New York. Arriving in the
metropolis, I found that Messrs. Mil
ler and Moody were Just about to pro
duce The Faith Healer.' They fairly
swept me off my feet by asking that I
play the title role. This bad first been
suggested by Mrs. Moody who had
Off the
'41 I
verses of "A Hot Time in th Old
Town Tonight"
Worthlngton Rotzman Cok,- who
wore an oil-cloth cape and carried a
leaky torch In th Blaine campaign, is
a candidate for a censor of motion pic
tures. Mr. Cook believes that motion
pictures are only In their infancy.
The Doorknob Film Company's wlld
anlami drama was almost ruined by
scratches on the negative.
It is always canning season In motion-picture
land.
Sylvanus Q. SmUcker has announced
bis candidacy for president of the Or
der of United Movie Fans on an Inde
pendent platform when interviewed at
his bungalow at Walnut Grove by jwur
correspondent. " Mr. Bmucker was
discovered in the attic practicing on a
B-flat cornet. He said In part:
"If elected, I promise to abolish Il
lustrated songs and do away with arti-
S0-
visualized me in the part and thought
I was the most fitting person for the
role. I wanted to do the part, but I
wasn't quite sure that I could do full
Justice to It The responsibility was
a pretty big one and I had too much
respect for Mr. Moody to take a
chance on a masterpiece like this on,
not being entirely sure of myself. So
I begged off, wired New Orleans,
found that the stock company I had
been with had closed, and cam to the
embarasslng realization that I was
out of work. But th news that I bad
been offered th title role of 'Tb Faith
Healer' had spread and that very sam
evening I received an offer over the
telephone, accepted at a hundred and
fifty dollars a week and soon began
the engagement In the best part I had
Reel
(S Sf
ficial flowers in all movie theaters. The
throwing of pie dough must be cur
tailed to reasonable bounds, and I
would suggest that onion sets be sub
stituted for many movie scenes, thus
cutting down profiteering. Wall-paper
patterns used recklessly, crimson ram
bler beards, and the pouring of coffee
Into saucers in banquet scenes must
and shall be eliminated. The use of
the expression "screen" is strongly ob
jected to by the Confederation of
Former Bartenders, snd this reform
will also be Inaugurated should I be
chosen by the .electorate."
It was while recording secretary of
Hodrarriers' Union No. 22, thatsir.
femucker was chosen to represent his
state as a motion-picture sensor, and
bis record in cutting out ail the more
intense and exciting episodes in the
films attracted wide attention. Mr.
Smucker eats with a fork, tucks hi
napkin under his chin in the good bid
fashioned way, plays in Stamm's
Pythian Band, and never misses a
Chautauqua session.
REVELATION
up to that time. I also received five
year offers from all the big managers
In New York, including Belasco, Shu
be it, Brady and Frohman. So, al
though I didn't play "The Faith Heal
er' at that time, it was through that
"play that I went to New York and
, mad the biggest advance I had yat
made. .
Asked Serosa Time.
'The following season, Mr. Miller
again sent for me to play The Servant
in the House.' Ha told ma that they
had never yet produced 'The Kaltb
Healer,' but were going to In the near
future and again asked nie to play the
part This time I thought I was capa
ble of tha wonderful part and would
hav gladly acepted. but I was under
contract with Belasco for three years,
and thus wasn't free to fill the engage-
ment So again, fat had prevented
me from playing this Ideal part which
would have affoxdo ma tha greatest
of pleasure and happiness. Later, Mr.
Miller played the piece himself.
"Over a year ago, tha play again
came into my life. I planned to moke
it as an Independent production for
the screen. But my associates backed
out and again I gave up hope of ever
playing 'Th Faith Healer.' "When I
signed contract a tew months ago to
play In three George Melford produc
tions for Paramount, imagine my sur
prise and pleasure when Mr. Melford
told me that one of these productions
was to ba 'Tb Faith Healer.'
"At last t wa to do my favorite
part. But would something happen
again as had been my misfortune in
th past? I had been taught by past
experience not to bank my hopes to
soon, so I didn't allow my enthusiasm
to rise to a very high pitch, fearing
that again I would b disappointed.
But it was not to be. This time It Is
a reality. I bare on my make-up and
even now I am playing 'The Faith
Healer.'
Working Together.
"Mrs. Moody was engaged to com
out and help with th scenario. She
didn't know that I was to play th
title role, and I didn't know that she
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A Fsvorlt With
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friTnrt-r--ri rm if
was to work on the scenario. One day
we met on the lot She was delighted
to learn that at last I was to appear
in tha play. In its screen form, and I
was In turn delighted that she was ta
help with the scenario, knowing that
in this way Mr. Moody himself would
be well represented in the plcturiia
tlon of one of his greatest plays. And
then they asked me to collaborate with
Mrs. Moody upon the scenario, and
nothing on earth could have pleased
me better. It was a reunion with on
of my beet friends, tha widow of aa
author to whom I had played the part
of hero worshipper, and to work on
tha scenario bf tha play which bad
been so closely associated with my
life and my career, was Indeed labor
of iort Mri- MoodJf t ta.
tlmataly Mr. Moody's entire point of
view In regard to th play, and I ant
sure that th scenario of the picture
is Just aa It would have been bad Mr.
Moody himself been her to writs it
My work in connection with this pic
ture Is the realization of an ambllton
cherished all through my professional
lifetime."
Aids In Scenario Work.
Mr. Sills is not new to scenario
work, having, ow. several occasions
been a moet important figure in th
development of the scenario for cer
tain big film productions. For The
Honor System," a picture which was
accounted one, of his greatest screen
productions, and In which he played
the leading role, Mr. Sills is credited
with the principal work In th prep
aration of the scenario. Th first
George Melford production in which
he appeared was "Behold My Wife!"
a plcturizatlon of Sir Gilbert Parker's
novel, "The Translation of a Savage,"
and In which Mr. Sills played th prin
cipal male role.
The cast of The Faith Healer" in
cludes other celebrltlas. Ann Forrest
plays Rhoda Williams, Charles Ogl Is
Matthaw Beelar and others are Loyola
O'Connor, May Olract, Fontain La
Rue. Adolph Menjou, Edward Vroon,
Robert Brower, John Curry, etc. Mel
vin M. Riddle.
the Children.
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