What Kind of a Fellow Is — Irwin? (1918) 🇺🇸

Being a glance at the real human side of the big men of the picture game — caught in action!

by William A. Johnston

W. W. Irwin is a lawyer. Here we interject a remark. Once we heard a man spoken of as a good lawyer among film men and a good film man among lawyers.

Mr. Irwin is not that kind of a man. Hardly. For one thing he neither reflects nor caters to his environment. He is just what he is. Speaking of camouflage, he’s its living antonym.

Our idea of Mr. Irwin is a man — be he lawyer, film man, physician, merchant or what not — who sights an object and then goes after it somewhat like a British tank, regardless of hell, high water, trenches, concrete pill boxes, Van Hindenburgs, and other German obstacles. Mr. Irwin is sturdy.

Nevertheless he is legal — from his well-polished shoes to the tip of his judicial brow.

When he deliberately, judiciously and systematically inserted a Richmond straight cut cigarette into a holder, and as deliberately, judiciously and systematically placed the holder between his teeth, his whole attitude said:

“Now, Gentlemen of the Jury, you have heard the evidence. We look for a verdict upon the merits of the case. But be logical — damn you (if one may swear at a jury). Be Logical.”

You must be sure of your premises with Mr. Irwin; so we began cautiously. Whatever hopes we had of being jaunty and flippant we carefully concealed.

“This, Mr. Irwin,” we said firmly, “is an interview.”

Mr. Irwin pulled deliberately and systematically upon the Richmond straight cut (his smokes like his clothes, friendships , policies and principles are chosen, almost contracted for, with a terrific singleness of purpose). We watched the cigarette and waited, knowing that our premise was being sounded to its lowermost, and that the conclusion would hit us straight between the eyes.

It did.

“Exactly,” said Mr. Irwin — finally. “Have you got your facts?“

Zip! We got it, right in an interviewer’s solar plexus.

“Have you got your facts? We were minded to tell Mr. Irwin that we were preparing an interview not a brief. Facts? What have they to do with an interview? We struggled to revert to the premise. We tried to look obstinate — and sturdy. But we have sat on committees with Mr. Irwin when he asked for facts; so we shook hands, picked up our hat and went out — for facts!

We had some; we got others from other film men; and we got a mouthful from his assistant manager, Goff, who works days, nights and Sundays with Mr. Irwin, lunches on ice cream with him when Mr. Irwin insists, and is generally at his side except in a motor car. Mr. Irwin’s driving of an automobile, it appears, is not as straight cut as his cigarette.

—

First, we find that a statement of the aims and policies of V.-L.-S.-E. [Vitagraph, Lubin, Selig, Essanay], written and signed by W. W. Irwin in June, 1915, has been carried out to every letter. This does not surprise us. As a side-stepper Mr. Irwin reminds us of Grover Cleveland. We expect to see these policies go right on when films are no more.

• Mr. Irwin is not cold — it’s only a logical exterior. Ask any employee about his big-heartedness.
• He is not obstinate — except when he knows he’s right and you can’t tell him otherwise.
• He hates a liar.
• He never hedges himself and expects no one else to.
• He will not tolerate politics in business.
• He works with his organization and his organization with him — result: 100 per cent.
• He knows the tricks of the business, but despises them.
• He puts every man he meets — even the little ones — on a big” plane. His business religion is to elevate those under him.
• Honorable mention for thoroughness.

Illustration by: Harry Palmer (Harry Samuel Palmer) (1882–1955)

Collection: Motion Picture News, January 1918