Mary Warren — Stifling the Tears (1918) 🇺🇸
Mary Warren is another example of these bright and willing young women who hang around the gate waiting for opportunity to knock. This gate happened to be at the Triangle Studios at Culver City and Mary wanted a job.
So she waited and waited; and, as is the way in the movies, opportunity happened along and Mary opened the door and reached out and dragged it in. She’d always wanted to be a movie actress, you see, ever since she was little Mary Weirman, back in Philadelphia. But the folks didn’t approve, of course — folks never do, in interviews with movie stars from Philadelphia — and so Mary went anyway. It chanced that a family friend, Barry O’Neill [Barry O’Neil], was a moving picture director; and he urged Miss Warren to come on in. She liked the idea, but she wanted her parents’ consent first. Did she coax them into it? Suffice it to say that Mary went in and now Mary’s folks never miss a movie on any program — just because Mary’s in ‘em.
Mary began work in an Eastern studio — just bits, you know. But then a leading woman became ill and the director was in a quandary. (This also always happens, in the movies.) Mary Warren stepped in and saved the day. She made a hit and she started West to add fortune to her fame. At Triangle she played minor roles for a while; and then luck came her way again, when “The Sea Panther” was filmed. They needed a girl of her type to play opposite William Desmond in this story of adventure; Mary passed the test, and — made good!
She continued bright and willing, and never disputed the director when he told her to clasp her hands and gaze at the leading man as though she meant it, and bite her lip to keep back the tears, and all those things that are part of a movie actress’ gay life. Mary had ideas of her own, however, about looking up at the hero, and biting her lip — she would bite her upper lip instead of her lower lip, which made it much more unusual — and she emoted in her own little way when the director glanced away. And when “they” saw unreeled the first picture Mary made, they said, “She’s there!” and led her to a desk where she took her pen in hand to write “Mary Warren” on a nice contract.
Later on came another opportunity, and as usual Mary grasped it with both little hands. She was featured in a comedy-drama, “The Vortex,” and — made good again. Then she played opposite Desmond in “An Honest Man,” and perhaps in this scored her greatest artistic success. And those who know her best, say she’s still little Mary Warren. Oh, but listen — Mary answers all proposals from film fans with a gentle but firm, “I am already married.” Friend Husband is Lee Phelps, also of Triangle. But she sends them all autographed pictures. But there’s something more about Mary. When you ask her how she spends her spare time she doesn’t wrinkle her brows at you and murmur “Sir!” She’ll just smile and say, “Oh, nothing ever happens to Mary.”
But we know that Mary has a cunning little bungalow in Hollywood, with chickens and dogs and cats and rabbits; and a little garage which occasionally houses Mary’s little speedster, and a diminutive orange-grove in the back-yard.
By the way, the day we interviewed Mary she said she’d almost had sunstroke that very morning while out picking oranges.
And once in a while Mary goes to the theatre and very often she spends the evening in a picture theatre — Mary always was a movie fan. And every one who knows her wishes her lots of success and ends up by saying that nothing is too good to happen to Mary.
—
The fact that dogs aren’t responsive to flowers has nothing to do with the case. Mary Warren requested an inhalation and the little dog is feebly responding.
Collection: Photoplay Magazine, September 1918