Lloyd Hughes — Just an Average American (1927) 🇺🇸
"Why not be a type, if you can be a good type!"
by Romney Scott
Sincerity has always been the outstanding virtue of Lloyd Hughes' screen performances. Hence, his frank retort to my pertinent query as I studied him from across a little table in the studio cafe was not altogether unexpected. He is, of course, fortunate in that he is of the sympathetic type. But, unlike most actors who early and late bewail the fact that they always play the same type of role — and never get a chance to show their versa-tili-tee — Lloyd Hughes is a philosopher.
As we discussed his screen future I gleaned that he earnestly yearns for an occasional opportunity to characterize as he did in the villainous role of the weakling brother in The Sea Hawk. However, he does not chafe at the fate that has cast him in the role of the average American youth, although he does draw the line at playing priggish heroes. Then, too, Lloyd Hughes wisely figures that the years of his seniority will bring him wider variety of acting portrayals. When that time comes he hopes to be better equipped by experience to make the best of those opportunities.
Hughes was not born to the purple of the arts, but amid the purple sage of Arizona. His pere did not raise his boy to be an actor. Nevertheless, the boy became one, probably because he could not conceive of doing anything else one half so enjoyable. He has gained fame and has the good grace to be grateful for it. Perhaps one of the reasons for this success is the fact that he refuses to take himself too seriously. Instead of fretting, fuming, and fussing because his roles don't always happen to come up to his expectations, Lloyd outwardly indulges in a good-natured boyish grin, inwardly grits his teeth, and gives his roles the best that's in him.
This enviable trait makes him as popular with his producers and directors as it does with the great American fan. They know Lloyd is giving his best. For example: When First National was filming "Forever After," featuring Lloyd, the hero was called upon to wage a mighty football battle almost single-handed to win the game for the glory of his college. Out on the field it was discovered that Lloyd had never played football in his life. In a Los Angeles high school he had been a baseball star. Those hard young men who comprise a famous southern California football team took Lloyd in hand and worked out on him. When they were through with him, after three days of footballing, poor Lloyd had a sprained ankle, a twisted knee, a lame back and divers bruises. And, as he said afterward, a pair of crutches would have looked pretty good to him. He hardly needed make-up for the hospital scenes where he lay wounded after a World War battle, under the charming care of Mary Astor. The football boys were doubling for soldiers, and they confided to me unanimously their admiration for one particular movie hero who stood the gaff without a protest.
"Why not be a type?" indeed, I concurred in thought, as we chatted across the table. "If you can be this kind of a type!"
Hughes lives much as he works, simply and unostentatiously. In fact, he is the nice young man who might live next door to you. He might be a rising young doctor or attorney, with a very charming young wife.
What? He's in the movies? He's a star? Well, what do you know about that! That's what a new neighbor said to an old neighbor upon moving next door to the unostentatious Hughes domicile in the quiet Wilshire district of Los Angeles.
About the Lloyd Hughes' at home. Titian-haired as ever — Lloyd insists it's red — Gloria Hope Hughes plays the leading role of housewife every day. Remember that Titian — beg pardon, red — haired beauty who used to vie with her husband as the late Thomas Ince's most promising discovery? You never can tell what a redhead will do, and that's just what Gloria Hope has done — virtually retired from fame — for love! Although Lloyd occasionally persuades her to accept a particularly intriguing role in a picture, she appears to be much happier playing the real role of wife. The young Hughes family is rated A-A-A in Hollywood banking and business circles, although no one would ever suspect Lloyd and Gloria of being such good business people — you don't expect it from such youngsters. They have invested their income wisely in real estate, instead of indulging in that favorite outdoor and indoor diversion of the nouveau riche, "putting on the dog." Some day they will probably build in Beverly Hills, as Lloyd has owned choice residential property in that exclusive suburb for four years, which, incidentally, has quadrupled in value. In the meantime, the Hugheses will go on contentedly living in their Wilshire neighborhood — because they are chiefly occupied now in building a beautiful residence in Beverly Hills in which Lloyd's father, mother, and brother will make their permanent home.
Speaking of brothers, again Lloyd Hughes fails to run true to professional form. He does not regard the good old name of Hughes as his own exclusive property. Instead of keeping Brother Earle out of the limelight, he is helping him in his struggle for recognition as an actor.
The romance and career of our hero began just one year from the day he first donned make-up as an extra. He achieved his first part, and met the girl that was to be his wife. The role may have been only a two-reeler, but the girl was distinctly a feature, according to Lloyd. So does Fate balance things up for us. Another aspiring youth, King Vidor, gave Lloyd his first part. All this occurred at a tiny studio at Culver City between the big ones where later Lloyd fulfilled the contract that "made" him with the late Thomas H. Ince, and King Vidor filmed The Big Parade.
Unhappily Hughes met Gloria just at the time his finances were at the ebb and he had to carry on his wooing in a resourceful way. There happened to be a profusion of rose bushes about his bungalow and he timed his campaign to win Miss Hope so that it would reach its peak about the time the roses were in full bloom. Then, with the aid of some florist's paper and other accessories, he needed only enough money to take Gloria to the movies, which in those days were considerably darker than they are now.
When Dame Fortune smiled upon Lloyd with a three-year contract as a featured juvenile lead he reached that stage of affluence which made it possible for him to realize his fondest dream, marrying Gloria. Three years after they first met, June 30, 1921, they were married, and Lloyd's career since has progressed as steadily and surely as did their courtship.
Much of this narrative, particularly the intimate touches, has been gleaned from the personal observation of years, as the subject of this personality impression is one of those rare mortals who will talk about everything under the sun — except himself. On the day of our "heart-to-heart" chat. Lloyd had been severely bitten by the golf bug. Having just parted with a check to join the Lakeside Golf Club which boasts one of the most beautiful courses in the world, he was far more engrossed in selecting his clubs, his plus fours and taking his first lesson from the club professional than he was in being interviewed. The Lakeside is located on the shores of the small but pretty Toluca Lake and it is fast becoming a favorite rendez-vous for the motion-picture golfers.
He is not at all reticent about discussing certain phases of his career if it is to recall the kindness and encouragement shown him by the late Mr. Ince, or his feeling of gratitude to such old friends as Frank Lloyd and King Vidor for giving him splendid acting opportunities.
Here is the fine young American man whom you meet in all walks of life. He merely portrays on the screen what he is in real life. Even Lloyd's origin is "typically American." (Some etymologist ought to compile statistics on how often the word "type" appears in Hollywood conversation.) He was born in Arizona. In fact, no less than five Arizona towns can claim him as son, although he was born in Bisbee. As Hughes' father was a railroad man the peregrinative strain was strong in the family. They lived also in Douglas, Globe, Phoenix, and Tucson before coming to Los Angeles to make their home, while our hero was still in the grammar-school age. Like so many other young Los Angeles boys he was bitten by the movie bug while attending high school. He confesses to having been "crazy" about pictures, and being willing to "cut" a class any time to see a film troupe working in the street. He did manage to finish before succumbing to the lure of the movies. And his first job was not in front of the camera at all, but behind it — a long way behind. It was, to be exact, a sloppy, uninspiring task in a dark, dank developing room in a film laboratory at the Selig studios in Edendale. He stuck with it, though — give him credit! — for five months. Then, to paraphrase the movie title of that day, "came a slump" in motion pictures, and young Lloyd was out of a job. He was out of the notion of making a career in pictures, too. if he had to spend many months in the dark room. He went downtown and got a job with a wholesale hardware concern. Everything nice and dry — nothing "slushy" about hardware!
But things picked up in the studios, and the old lure called to Lloyd at his desk. He decided to take another chance, and this time he went right to the casting bureau and asked for work as an actor. He became an extra in January. 1917, and spent a year in that classification before he met King Vidor who introduced him to Old Man Opportunity. Lloyd followed the young director into the picture spotlight in that memorable little classic, The Turn in the Road. This inspired picture made by young hopefuls on a shoestring surely was the "turn in the road" for nearly everybody concerned in its making.
The achievement of fame is usually replete with incongruities. For instance, by all the laws of youthful environment, it appears incongruous that Lloyd Hughes is not one of our favorite cowboy stars, since he is Arizona-born and bred. Oddly enough, too, many of our cowboy stars were born in the East and Middle West. Lloyd's success in portraying roles of typically fine American youths in any walk of life or environment merely goes to show that the so-called wild West raises her boys to be as typically American as does the so-called effete East.
His happy home life is mirrored in everything Lloyd Hughes does; he just can't escape it, and to quote the immortal Merton, Gloria does not content herself with being a pal — oh, no — she's his "severest critic."
Photo by: Fred Hartsook (1876–1930)
Lloyd Hughes has so little time between pictures that he cannot get so far as his country club but has to play tennis right in his own back yard.
Collection: Picture Play Magazine, March 1927
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