Mina Jeffries (1916) 🇺🇸

Mina Jeffries began her screen career as Mina Cunard, for she is the sister of Grace Cunard, the Universal actress-directress. Mina was born of French parents about twenty years ago. Like her sister she was educated at Columbus, O.; she had no yearnings to go on the stage, such as assail so many school girls, although she was always interested in the theater from the point of view of the audience. Although she had had no previous training the family talent stood her in good stead, and her roles are growing in importance all the time.

She made her screen debut under the auspices of Francis Ford, who is co-director with Grace Cunard. One of her recent parts was in the Laemmle [Carl Laemmle Sr.] release, The Living Lie, a three-reel drama of the Paris Latin Quarter, in which she did some fine work in the leading feminine role. She also appeared in the leading role in The Quarter Breed, a Western three-reeler. Miss Jeffries is dark, with large expressive eyes, which betray her Latin ancestry, and has luxurious dark curls. She is an ardent sportswoman, a great rider and a good shot. She loves clothes and she knows how to wear them. Her French ancestry is apparent in the way she puts them on. She likes Western roles, too, in which she lays aside fashionable gowns for short skirts and simple shirt waists, and she looks just as swell in them as in the more elaborate garments.

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Lasky Defends Position

In pictures exposing the evil of drink facts are not distorted as claimed by Liquor Association.

In the resolutions unanimously adopted at the twenty-third annual conference of the National Retail Liquor Dealers’ Association at Washington, D. C, in February there appears the following:

“Another unfair and dishonest advantage that is being perpetrated upon the liquor business is that of the moving picture industry. In the vast majority of displays of moving picture films portraying conditions surrounding the retail liquor trade have been so preposterously, untruthfully magnified by those operators who are paid vast sums by the opposition to our business for the purpose of developing to an unreasonable degree of untruthfulness displays of scenes of actual occurrences in legitimate bar rooms.”

In view of the fact that one of the most widely discussed photoplays which bore on the evils of drink was Kindling, produced by the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company, Samuel Goldfish, executive head of the Lasky company, states that he believes a denial that any ulterior motives prompted the production of this picture should be made in justice to the hundreds of exhibitors who are showing Kindling in their theaters.

In this Lasky production there is shown some of the degrading effects of unrestricted liquor traffic in the slums. The Lasky Company took every precaution that the scenes depicted, which now seem singled out for attack, should not lose their effectiveness by exaggeration and untruthful representation. Even before the photoplay was shown to the public several sociologists viewed it and enthusiastically indorsed all the scenes of tenement and street life.

Other producers besides Mr. Goldfish have voiced similar opinions since the widespread circulation and distribution of the reports and resolutions of the Washington conference.

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Dorothy Gallagher Hurt.

Miss Dorothy Gallagher, who was recently engaged by David Horsley to play the part of Karaj the squaw, in the five-reel production of The Hidden Law, featuring Margaret Gibson and William Clifford, was seriously injured while on her way to the studio on the morning of February 22, necessitating her withdrawal from the cast.

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Clawson Rejoins Universal.

Elliott J. Clawson, well known in Los Angeles photoplay circles, this week joined the Universal City scenario staff.

Prior to this move, Mr. Clawson was in the employ of the Morosco Company, where he was engaged to write feature scenarios for that company’s production. Among the latest of his stories of note is Madame la Presidente, in which Anna Held was featured.

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Cub Player’s Bereavement.

Following closely upon the death of his infant son, Louis FitzRoy received word of the death of his father at San Francisco, February 22, and immediately left for that city to be present at the funeral. Mr. FitzRoy is playing character parts in Cub Comedies and is also assistant to Director Milton Fahrney.

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Home of David Horsley, Los Angeles, Cal.

Though engrossed in operating his producing companies, contriving new mechanical devices, running for Congress, fighting censorship and doing numerous other things, David Horsley still finds a few moments to spare to look out for his personal comfort. Just now he is settling down in his new $50,000 home in Los Angeles.

Mr. Horsley says it is so cozy that when he leaves it, even for only a few hours, he experiences a sense of self-denial. It is a beautiful home. It is located in Gramercy Place, one of the finest sections of the city. The building itself is large and comfortable-looking, surrounded by broad lawns artistically laid out and dotted with trees, shrubs and vines. The interior has been furnished after Mr. Horsley’s own idea and imparts an atmosphere of quiet coziness.

Collection: Moving Picture World, March 1916