Lads and Lassies of Laughter (1926) — Part II 🇺🇸

Georgie Harris and Tom Mix | Lads and Lassies of Laughter (1926) | www.vintoz.com

February 20, 2023

Danny O’Shea, of Mack Sennett's forces, is one of the best-looking young men in comedies. He has lots of personality, and it's of the kind that wins him many fans, to say nothing of a sense of fun that earns him many a laugh. He is twenty-six, but, on account of being in the World War, got started in pictures late. Danny is making up for lost time, however, and is likely to go far, as the critics love to put it. He is a buddy of George O’Brien's, as is fitting, since two nicer broths o' boys y' niver have seen. Both are quite model young men, according to reputation.

by Grace Kingsley

Running away to sea when he was twelve years old, Danny has had altogether a sketchy career from the standpoint of occupation. Born in Philadelphia, he must have found the place too slow for him, causing him to join up with a chum and worm his way on board a ship which took him to South Africa as a stowaway. He was discovered and made to work his way. Finally, after visiting South America and having had many adventures, including a shipwreck, he wound up in San Francisco.

Then the war broke out, and Danny went to Canada, where he enlisted in the regiment known as the First Canadian Highlanders. He went overseas and served four years in action, during which time he was only slightly wounded, though he spent most of his time in the trenches.

He went home to Philadelphia after it was all over, and then came West. He tried his hand at many, an odd job, and one night in a cafe, after his day's work, he was watching a man do a buck-and-wing dance. Somebody hollered over to Danny and asked him if he couldn't do better than that. Danny took up the challenge, went out on the floor and originated a funny skating dance. The manager offered him a job then and there, and he danced for six weeks at the place. Later, he played an engagement in a picture house, from which he went to the Orpheum circuit in vaudeville. It was while dancing at the Orpheum in Los Angeles that Mack Sennett saw him and offered him a picture contract.

Both Danny and Eddie Quillan, an eighteen-year-old boy in whom Mack Sennett is taking great interest, have been playing in Alice Day's pictures.

Eddie is one of a family of nine, all natives of Philadelphia. The actor and three of his brothers, together with his father, have, during the past five years, been playing in vaudeville. He plays the saxophone — but he is a nice boy, and this should not be held against him. Mack Sennett, out on a scouting expedition at the theater one night, beheld Eddie with his brothers, and decided he should be in film comedies. So there you are.

Opportunity is knocking with a vengeance at the doors of a score or more aspiring young beauties anxious to climb the cinematic ladder of fame at the Christie studios. Al Christie is giving a chance to a new girl in each picture for the new season, either as a leading lady or as one of the leading players.

Edna Marian, Wampas Baby Star, who has been playing with other comedy companies, has been engaged to play the lead with Neal Burns in the first Christie comedy of the new season, now under way.

Edna is a native of Chicago. She attended Wadleigh High School in New York, however, and while going to school played hooky to work as an extra at the Paramount studio on Long Island. But the New York climate eventually proved unhealthful for her, and she wasted away to seventy pounds. Two specialists gave her up, and told her she was about to die. Then it was her family held a hurried and anxious consultation. They decided to give Edna her chance in California. She responded astonishingly to the climate, and soon recovered her health.

Then she looked about for something to do in life, called at the picture studios, was introduced, and became an extra, at which, job she worked for three months. She was next costarred in Century comedies, and afterward was featured in them. Miss Marian remained with Century over a year and the remainder of her two years was spent with Fox and Universal. Then came her chance with Neal Burns in the first two Christie comedies in the new series.

One of the "babiest" of the baby stars is Thelma Daniels, sixteen years old, who the Christies believe is a great bet. She is playing the second lead with Bobby Vernon in his new picture.

Miss Daniels won an honorary commission for entertaining in war camps in and around New York. She was born in New Orleans, and came West with her family, entering pictures and playing child parts with Jackie Coogan and Wesley Barry. She appeared with Eddie Polo in a serial at Universal and was featured in two comedies.

For four years Thelma was a dancer in vaudeville, but she prefers pictures, and is especially ambitious to become a dramatic actress.

A university student at Minneapolis was Frances Lee, leading lady now with Bobby Vernon. While attending college, Frances was also dancing at the State and" Capitol theaters in Minneapolis. An offer came to her from the Rainbow Gardens in Chicago. She accepted, and it was there she met the celebrated Billy Dooley, with whom she went on tour in vaudeville. Al Christie saw the pair at the Orpheum, and signed them both.

A strong sentiment of friendship bound the partners together. They agreed that in case one failed in pictures the other would leave, and together they would resume their vaudeville act. However, Dooley is proving one of the most likely of the new comedians and Miss Lee has just been signed for a second year as Bobby Vernon's leading lady, a distinction which has never befallen any of the other girls who have played at the Christie studio.

Miss Lee's real name is Myrna Tibbets, and she lives with her mother in Hollywood. | Although Billy Dooley and Frances Lee have never appeared in pictures together, they often revive their Orpheum: act for entertainment at the studio and at parties for their friends.

Dooley is a native of Chicago. He ran away and joined a circus at an early age, and then went into vaudeville. "The Misfit Sailor" was a big-time vaudeville act, and the character, transplanted to the screen, has been meeting with success.

Now Billy is living in the first real home he has known since he was a child! This home is an attractive little bungalow near the studio in Hollywood. His sister lives with him. Until she came to California, she had not seen him since he was a little kid who used to make her play circus with him. That was just sixteen years ago!

Over at the Fox studio there are two players about whom I am sure everybody will want to learn something. They are Georgie Harris and Barbara Luddy, appearing in the "East Side, West Side" comedies. Georgie is a diminutive scamp, who was born in Liverpool, England, twenty-five years ago, and who received his education in that city. He took a lively part in the dramatic clubs of his school. Long before he was out of his teens Georgie was a favorite with the patrons of English music halls.

Youthful and energetic, Georgie decided to see the world. He has completely circled the globe, appearing before audiences in every civilized country. He arrived in the United States a few years ago, and made a tour of the entire country in vaudeville. When he arrived in Hollywood he decided that he wanted to enter pictures, and it took Fox officials just five minutes to sign him on the dotted line.

Barbara Luddy has just been signed on a new contract and though quite young, is the support of her mother and other members of the family.

Barbara was born in Great Falls, Montana, and spent the early years of her life there with her mother, her father having died when she was a baby.

During the World War period, when Barbara was a child of ten, she took an active part in raising funds for her country. Under the direction of officials engaged in Red Cross and Liberty Loan campaigns, the tiny, curl)? headed tot, standing in an automobile parked at a busy corner in Butte, sang patriotic songs, after which she passed the hat! Her work in Butte was so satisfactory that officials in Helena borrowed her and she repeated her success. To-day little Barbara bears the enviable and authentic record of having raised more money for Red Cross activities during the hectic days of 1918 than any other person of her sex in the whole State of Montana.

Following the close of the war the family moved to Missouri, and Barbara attended school in St. Louis, taking an active part in dramatics. From amateur plays, after several tryouts, she was engaged by Pantages to do a singing-and-dancing turn. Her booking took her to Los Angeles, where she was reengaged for another season, and she was preparing a new act when her voice suddenly failed to register its accustomed tones and her physicians ordered a rest.

Resting in the cinema capital suggested pictures, especially as it. was necessary for Barbara to continue to support her mother, who had become an invalid. She had no idea about landing a regular job in the films, so, presented herself as an extra. She got work with Mary Pickford in "Rosita," and was paid three dollars a day. That was four years ago. Extra work was not always available, but when she did get it Barbara was always happy. She is still in her 'teens, remember.

One day fate, in the form of a casting director, gave her a bit as an usher in "The Lover of Camille" for Warner Brothers. After a few days' work, the director dismissed most of the extra girls, including Barbara. It was at a time when her mother was very ill and she was in dire need of money. The little girl was so crushed with disappointment that she crawled behind some scenery on the big stage and sobbed her heart out. Fate again took things in charge, bringing William Beaudine, director, across her path. He heard the sobbing, dug the child out from her hiding place, heard her story and restored her to her extra-girl job.

Then came an opportunity for Barbara to appear in a stock company as ingenue for a time, and at the suggestion of Mr. Beaudine, who is her guide, philosopher, and friend, the girl accepted the offer.

Upon her return to Hollywood, Barbara was given her first real role in "Rose of the World." Thus began the active career of a girl who is certainly doing well to-day.

Two-year-old Mary Ann Jackson is one of the youngest screen children to have a real movie contract. She is under contract to Mack Sennett to appear in his comedies for the next few years.

Mary Ann's discovery was purely accidental. Because there was nobody at home to mind her, Mrs. Jackson brought Mary Ann to the studio with her brother Bobby, who was working in a comedy. Need for a new gag came up, requiring a baby to walk through some custard pies on a counter. Mary Ann Jackson, being right there, was given the bit. When Mack Sennett saw the rushes, he ordered Mary Ann to be placed under contract at once.

Now the two-year-old is being featured in a series of domestic comedies with Raymond McKee and Ruth Hiatt.

Mary Ann is a little sister of "Peaches" Jackson, the well-known child actress.

The little starlet's most prized possession is a miniature make-up box. She spends all of her playtime making up herself and her doll.

Florence Gilbert, who plays Sylvia in the "Van Bibber" series, is a Chicago girl. She came to Hollywood when she was thirteen, to spend the winter with her family. They met Frank Goodstadt, who was then directing Mary Pickford. Miss Gilbert resembled Mary enough to double for her.

Florence soon was selected by Al Christie to play the lead in a comedy he was making, and then went to Warner Brothers for a year and a half, where she appeared in comedies. She afterward worked in several comedies as well as features for Universal. After the first "Van Bibber" comedy she was signed to a contract by Fox.

I saw a flash or two of a new and attractive masculine face on the screen in Monty Banks' "Attaboy," when I was looking at some rushes of the picture one day.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Jimmie Phillips," was the answer.

"He's a trouper," I declared enthusiastically..

"So say we all," answered Banks. Jimmie Phillips has been a showman in vaudeville and on the legitimate for some years, having run away when a small boy to go into theatricals.

He has had an interesting and picturesque career, has Jimmie. For one thing, he and his wife, the latter a famous hiker, walked a good share of the distance from Texas to California when they found themselves without funds! Naturally, they got a lot of rides on trucks and other conveyances, however, but many a time they were hungry.

"Once we met a man who said that he would take us in his machine as far as we could pay for the gasoline," related Jimmie. "We spent all our money on gasoline and he took us several miles — but he sat and ate sandwiches before us, and never offered us a bite, when he knew we had had nothing to eat!"

Jimmie has played in pictures before, but that was a long time ago, as pictures go. You are going to hear a lot about Jimmie.