Cullen Landis — Blue Book of the Screen (1923) 🇺🇸

If Cullen Landis is missing from the studio set at any time, the search squad always know where to find him. They locate his auto, and invariably discover the young screen star in the midst of his glory — either taking down the machine, or trying to find where to replace the parts he has ruthlessly removed from the inwards of the thing.

There has always been one of these insatiable overhauling fiends among the notables of filmdom. Tom Santschi was “it” in the beginning Cullen Landis is the latest tear-’em-up demon of monkey wrench. His autobiography could read, “From Grease to Grease Paint.”

Landis is another recruit from the newspaper profession. Born and raised in Nashville, Tenn., he hit it up in an educational way, and then boomed into a newspaper shop.

Being a modest young fellow, he began in the modest capacity of newsboy. But he tore through the barriers until he became a department manager.

Then the desire to go out and collect what the world owed him became an obsession. He started with a few funds and, eventually, reached California with no funds. But he had his health and a large supply of self-starting ambition.

After an off-and-on career in the small time of business, he secured a job at the old Balboa studio, in Long Beach, Calif. He became “grips,” which means an important member of the organization whose duties are to lurk around the set with a hammer, move furniture and lug properties upon command.

He roughed around in other jobs, until he found himself before the camera, acting, but without identity. He “doubled” for stars during dangerous “stunts.” He led the dare-devil life for a time, and won the right to play roles. He played in various organizations, and some of his early appearances were in, “The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” “Where the West Begins,” “Going Some,” Pinto and Bunty Pulls the Strings.

His big opening opportunity was with Reginald Barker in “The Girl from Outside,” in which Landis played the Curly Kid.

The star has scored in such productions as “The Old Nest,” “The Dollar Devils,” and as leading man in Mabel Normand features.

Collection: The Blue Book of the Screen (1923)