The Moving Picture Girls; Or, First Appearances in Photo Dramas

by Laura Lee Hope

  CHAPTER XIX

  A BIT OF OUTDOORS

  "Wasn't it fine!"

  "Splendid! I never expected to see myself like that."

  "Neither did I. Russ, how did you come to think of it?"

  "Oh, it just came to me," he answered, chuckling.

  The two "moving picture girls," as they laughingly called themselves,with Russ, were on their way home from the little theater where theyhad just witnessed the depiction of themselves on the screen. Theyhad listened with amusement, not unmixed with pride, at the whisperedcomments on the play in which they had taken part.

  "Do you think--I mean--would you call that a successful film, Russ?"asked Alice.

  "I certainly would," he replied. "Didn't I take it myself?"

  "That's so!" exclaimed Ruth. "But I wish Mr. Pertell could know howwell it went. Not on our account," she added quickly, "but on accountof his own business, and because dear daddy is in it. And the others,too--they'd be glad to know the audience liked it, I think."

  "Don't worry," returned Russ. "Mr. Pertell will know it soon enough.He keeps track of all his films, and he knows which are successful ornot. He'll hear of this one the first thing in the morning. Theowners of the theaters where our films are used report as to which gothe best. And their own re-orders also show that. So you'll bediscovered, all right."

  "Oh, it wasn't so much that!" declared Alice, quickly. "But it is newand strange to us, and I suppose we're too enthusiastic about it."

  "Not a bit too enthusiastic!" Russ assured her. "That's what I liketo see, and I guess the manager does, too. It would be a good thingif some of the others were a little more enthusiastic. They'd dobetter acting. Say!" he broke in, "what do you say to an ice creamsoda? It's warm this evening," and he paused before a brilliantlylighted drug store.

  "Shall we, Ruth?" asked Alice, with a queer little look at hersister.

  "Oh, I don't know," began Ruth, hesitatingly.

  "Which means--yes!" Alice cried, gaily. "Come on!"

  Mr. DeVere looked up inquiringly from his bundle of manuscript as thegirls and Russ entered the little apartment later.

  "Oh, Daddy! It was just fine!" cried Alice, going over to him, andcovering his eyes with her hands.

  "We saw ourselves--and you, too, as others see us!" added Ruth.

  "I--er--I don't understand," their father whispered.

  "The moving pictures," explained Alice. "It was that play, 'A FalseCount,' you know. Oh, it made a great hit, I can tell you!"

  "Ah, I'm glad to hear it," he said. "Sit down, Russ."

  "No, I can't stay," answered the visitor from across the hall. "I'vebrought your daughters safely home, and now I have to get back. I'vegot a little work to do yet."

  "Not at the studio; have you--so late?" asked Ruth.

  "Oh, it isn't late," he laughed. "But I want to do a little work onmy invention. I've sort of struck a snag, and it's bothering me. Iwant it as nearly perfect as I can get it, and I've thought of animprovement I can put on it. So I'll say good-night."

  "Thank you, ever so much, for taking us!" said Alice, warmly.

  "Yes, indeed, it was fine!" added Ruth, her eyes sparkling. "To thinkof seeing ourselves! It was a great surprise."

  "Oh, you'll get used to it after a while," returned Russ. And then hewent to his own room to labor ambitiously over his patent.

  "No more work to-night, Dad!" announced Ruth, firmly, as she saw herfather preparing to resume the study of the manuscript containing hispart in a new moving picture drama. "Your eyes must be tired, and youmust save them. It won't do to have them spoiled, as well as yourvoice."

  "No, I suppose not," he answered, somewhat wearily. "This work israther trying. I believe I would like to get out in the open for achange. Though I always said I never would do open-air parts in themovies."

  "I'd like to get out, too," said Alice. "I enjoyed what little we didin the Brooklyn garden very much."

  "I heard something at the studio about a prospect of the wholecompany being given a chance to do some outdoor dramas," observedRuth, musingly. "I wonder what was meant?"

  "Mr. Pertell will probably tell us when he has his plans perfected,"Alice returned. "You know, though, that he promised if this 'A FalseCount' play should be a success he'd give us a chance in a morepretentious drama. I'm counting on that."

  "And so am I," said Ruth. "Come, now, Daddy. No more work to-night."

  As Russ had predicted, Mr. Pertell was not long in learning of thesuccess of the play in which Ruth and Alice had main parts. In a dayor so there came an increased demand for the films of the drama, andthe manager was well pleased.

  "And now I'm going to keep the promise I made you," he said to Ruthand Alice. "I've been holding back on a big drama, waiting until Isaw how that one turned out. I didn't have any doubts, though, afterI saw you two act. Now I'm going to star you in that. And afterward,well, we'll see what will happen. I've got a lot of ideas I want totry," he added.

  "Mr. DeVere," the manager went on, "I believe you told me at one timethat you did not care to do any acting that took you out in the open;am I right?"

  "I did say that," admitted the actor, in his husky voice; "but Ithink I have changed my mind since then. I believe I would like toget out of doors more."

  "Then I have the very thing for you and your daughters, too," themanager said. "That is, if they have no objection to going out ofdoors?" and he looked questioningly at them.

  "We'd love it!" cried Alice.

  "Then I'll make my plans," went on Mr. Pertell, after a confirmatorynod from Mr. DeVere. "I think you'll like your parts. One of the actstakes place on a yacht. I've hired one for a little trip down thebay, and you can play at being millionaires for a day."

  "How lovely!" cried Ruth, and clapped her hands gleefully.

  "It is fine on the water these days!" exclaimed Alice.

  "I'll have your parts ready soon," went on the manager. "I must startsome of the other dramas going now," and he glanced about the studio.Off in one corner, talking together, were Miss Pennington and MissDixon, and, as the two actresses conversed they cast envious glances,from time to time, at Alice and Ruth. They were plainly jealous ofthe rapid rise of our two friends, but the moving picture girls borein mind what motherly Mrs. Maguire had told them, and did not worry.

  Mr. Pertell and his assistants gave out the parts in another play,and the rehearsals began. Almost at the start there was trouble.

  "I'm not going to play that part!" objected Wellington Bunn, stalkingwith a tragic air toward the manager.

  "Why, what's the matter with your part?"

  "Why, you have been promising that you would put on one ofShakespeare's plays, and give me a chance in Hamlet, and here you goand cast me for one of a gang of counterfeiters. I have to wear ablack mask. The public will not know that it is Wellington Bunnplaying."

  "Well, maybe it's a good thing they won't," murmured the manager, butwhat he said, aloud, was:

  "You will have to take that part, Mr. Bunn, or look for anotherengagement."

  "Then I'll leave!" the old actor declared gloomily.

  But a little later he was observed to be putting on his mask, andtaking his place in the "den of the counterfeiters," as the screenannounced the place to be. It was one of the masterpieces of sceneryevolved by Pop Snooks. And a little later he transformed the samescene, with a little manipulation, into the cave of a thirteenthcentury monk. Such was Pop Snooks.

  "Ha! Ha! I haf a funny part!" laughed Carl Switzer, a little later.

  "What is it?" asked Russ, who was getting a camera in readiness foraction.

  "Ha! It iss dot I go in a restaurant, und order a meal. Der vaiter hebrings me some cheese und I am so thoughtfulness dot I put red pepperand horse radish on it. Den, ven I eat it I jumps ofer der tablealretty yet. Dot is a fine part!" and he laughed gleefully, for Mr.Switzer was a simple soul.

  A little later Alice and Ruth were given their new parts to study. Itwas announced that rehearsals would take place i
n a day or two, andmany of the scenes were to be out of doors, some of them taking placeon a yacht. Meanwhile Mr. DeVere went through with his role in a filmdrama, Ruth and Alice not being called on.

  Finally announcement was made that the work of preparation forfilming the big drama would be undertaken. This was the mostambitious play yet planned by Mr. Pertell, and he was anxious to makeit a success.

  That the price of success is high was amply proven in the next week.Everyone worked hard at the rehearsals, and none harder than Ruthand Alice. They were determined that their parts should be a creditto the performance. Later they learned that Miss Pennington and MissDixon had pleaded for the roles assigned to them.

  But Mr. Pertell was true to his promise, and kept Alice and Ruth intheir assigned places. The drama was an elaborate one, involving themaking of special scenery, and Pop Snooks had to call in severalassistants. But he liked that.

  Then, too, the location of the outdoor scenes had to be chosen withcare, to fit properly into the story.

  But at last the rehearsals were complete, including those for theoutdoor scenes. Of course the latter were rehearsed in the studiofirst, so that when the time came to film such as the scenes on theyacht, the pictures could be made without any preliminary trial onthe vessel itself. To this end Pop had set up in the studio enough ofthe deck and fittings of a yacht to enable the performers tofamiliarize themselves with them.

  "And now for the real thing!" exclaimed Russ, as a goodly part of thecompany, including Mr. DeVere and his daughters, started for theBattery one morning. They were to board the yacht there, and one ofthe scenes would show the girls going up the gang-plank.

  It was a beautiful day in early summer, when even New York, with itsrattle of elevated trains, rumble of the surface cars and hurry andscurry of automobiles, was attractive.

  Quite a throng of curious people gathered when the film theatricalcompany prepared to board the vessel which had been chartered for theoccasion. The embarking place was near the round building, now usedas an Aquarium, but which, in former years, was Castle Garden, theimmigrant landing station.

  "All ready now--start aboard," ordered Mr. Pertell. "And, Russ, getyour camera a little more this way. I want to show off the yacht aswell as possible."

  The moving picture operator shifted his three-legged machine to oneside, and was about to start moving the film, as Ruth, Alice and theothers, presumably of a gay yachting party, started up thegang-plank.

  Several feet of film had been exposed, when there was a series ofshouts and cries back of the crowd that had gathered to see thepictures made in the open air. Then came a warning:

  "A runaway! A runaway horse! Look out!"

  The crowd parted, and Ruth, looking up, saw a big horse, attached toa dray, dashing along one of the walks of Battery Park, havingevidently come from one of the steamship piers nearby.

  "Grab him, somebody!" yelled Mr. Pertell. "He'll spoil the picture!"That seemed to be his main thought.

  On came the maddened animal, while the crowd scattered still more.Russ continued to make pictures, for the beast was not yet in focus.

  "Go on! Keep moving!" directed Mr. Pertell to Ruth, Alice and theothers. "Maybe you can get aboard before he gets here. Watchyourself, Russ!"

  But the horse was charging directly for the gang-plank, and withfrightened eyes Ruth, Alice and some of the others prepared to rushback to the pier.

  "Go on! I'll get that horse!" cried a voice back of Mr. Pertell, anda man, apparently a farmer, sprang at the head of the plunging steed.