California, Southern -- Fiction; Motion picture industry -- Fiction; Petroleum industry and trade -- Fiction; Political fiction
You remember in that colossal production, “The Emperor of Etruria,” the
Scythian slave girl who is brought in from the wilds to serve the
pleasures of a pampered sybarite, and the scene where the fat eunuchs
lay hands upon her? With what splendid fury she claws them and knocks
their heads together! Her clothing is torn to shreds in the struggle,
and you have glimpses of a lithe and sinewy body—the extent of the
glimpses depending upon the censorship laws of the state in which you
see the picture. The scene made a hit with the public, and many
producers competed for Viola Tracy—pronounce it Vee-ola, please, with
the accent on the first syllable. She displayed her magnificent fighting
qualities next in “The Virgin Vamp,” and thereafter escaped dishonor by
a hair’s breadth in many palpitating scenes. Of late she had acquired
dignity, and was now regal on all the billboards of Angel City in “The
Bride of Tutankhamen,” an alluring figure, with deep-set mysterious
black eyes, and a smile fathomless as four thousand years of history.
Well, here she was, stepping out of the billboards, and into the
refectory of the Monastery; her Egyptian costume changed for a daring
one of black velvet, fresh from Paris, and with black pearls to match.
The footman drew out her chair, and she rested one hand upon it, but did
not take her seat; her hostess said, “Miss Tracy, Mr. Ross”—and still
she paused, smiling at Bunny, and he smiling at her. It was a striking
pose, and Tommy Paley, her director, who had taught her the stunt, and
watched it now from the other end of the table, suddenly called,
“Camera!” Everybody laughed, and “Vee” most gaily of all—revealing two
rows of white pearls, more regular than the black ones, and worth many
times as much to a movie star.
Annabelle Ames got along in the world without ever saying anything
unkind about anybody, but that was not “Vee” Tracy’s style; she had a
fighting tongue, as well as fighting fists, and her conversation gave
Bunny the shock of his innocent young life. They happened first to be
discussing a lady vamp, recently imported from abroad with much clashing
of advertising cymbals. “She dresses in very good taste,” said
Annabelle, mildly. “Oh, perfect!” said Vee. “Absolutely perfect! She
selected her dog to match her face!” And then presently they were
talking about that million dollar production, “The Old Oaken Bucket,”
which was just then waking home memories and wringing tears from the
eyes of millions of hardened sinners. Dolly Deane, who played the
innocent country maiden seduced by a travelling salesman, was so
charmingly simple, said Annabelle. “Oh, yes!” replied Vee. “For the
chance to be that simple, she slept with her producer, and two angels,
and the director and his assistant; and all five of them told her how an
innocent virgin says her prayers!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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