Lola Todd — Pluck Won Out (1925) 🇺🇸

“A plucky kid,” they called Lola Todd during her apprenticeship in Universal repertoire. For everybody knew that Lola had left school to work that she might help out the sadly afflicted family finances. And Lola knew, the same as everybody else, that she lacked the first bit of knowledge concerning the technique of acting, and had to learn by the bitter route of mistakes.

Her cleverness in designing gowns had attracted the notice of Harry Collins, who had given her some opportunity to execute her ideas in his New York dressmaking establishment. An official for Universal, seeing in her youth and prettiness possibilities for screen development, offered her a trial, and she accepted with the intention of saving enough money by working in the movies for a while to continue her study of art abroad later.

Being in stock with a large concern that turns out a vast number of films varying in type is no sinecure. Lola played in serials and Westerns and comedies, all sorts of characters, and at first was rather awful. Corrections she took in good spirit, pathetically grateful for every bit of help. Experience improved her work and recently she was offered, and accepted, a five-year contract to play leads, postponing still further her belated art” studies. The Wampas have chosen her one of their Baby Stars of 1925.

She is a quiet little thing who seldom has much to say but who uses her brain to advantage in studying and improving her work. She wants, more than anything, to play vampire roles, but at present gives her best to whatever is offered her. The boys on the “U” lot all root for her and pick her as a “comer.”

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Photo by: Schellenberg

Collection: Picture Play Magazine, June 1925