The Moving Picture Girls in War Plays: Or, The Sham Battles at Oak FarmHope, Laura Lee
General
The Moving Picture Girls in War Plays: Or, The Sham Battles at Oak Farm
Hope, Laura Lee
Girls -- Juvenile fiction; Motion pictures -- Production and direction -- Juvenile fiction
It was Russ who suggested to Mr. DeVere a way out of his troubles. He
could not act in the "legitimate," as his voice was gone; but no voice
is needed to appear on the films for the movies, since a mere motion of
the lips suffices, when any speaking is to be done. The "silent drama"
has been the salvation of many an actor who, if he had to declaim his
lines, would be a failure.
At first Mr. DeVere would not hear of acting before the camera, but he
soon came to know that greater actors than he had fallen in line with
the work, especially since the pay was so large, and finally he
consented. An account of his success and of the entrance of his
daughters into the field is given in the initial book.
Ruth, the elder girl, was, like her father, of a romantic turn. Also she
was rather tall and willowy, as Mr. DeVere had been before he had taken
on flesh with the passing of the years; and she was cast for parts that
suited her type. She was deliberate in her actions, and in "registry."
Alice, like her late mother, was warm-hearted and impulsive, plump,
vivacious and full of fun. Both girls were excellent movie actresses. In
the company they had joined was Mr. Wellington Bunn, an old actor, who
hoped, some day, to appear in Hamlet--Hamlet in the legitimate.
Paul Ardite, who played light parts, had become very fond of Alice.
Russ Dalwood had a liking for Ruth, and the four had many pleasant hours
in each other's company.
Pearl Pennington was the leading lady at times, and was rather disposed
to domineer over our girls, as was her chum, Laura Dixon. Mrs. Maguire
was the "mother" of the film company. She portrayed old lady parts, and
her two grandchildren, Tommie and Nellie, the orphans, were cast for
characters suitable to them.
Carl Switzer, a German-American, did comedy parts and was a good fellow,
though occasionally he would unconsciously say some very funny things.
His opposite in character was Pepper Sneed, the grouch of the company.
But Pepper could do valuable work, especially as a villain, and so he
was kept on. As for Pop Snooks, the company could not have got along
without him. It was Pop, the property man of the company, who made many
of the devices used when the company went to "Oak Farm," as told in the
second volume, where scenes for farm dramas were filmed. Pop could use a
drawbridge in one scene, and, in the next, convert it into a perfectly
good cow-barn. Pop was a valuable man.
There were other members of the company, of more or less importance,
whom you will meet as this story progresses.
It was in the third volume of the series, "The Moving Picture Girls
Snowbound," that Ruth and Alice succeeded in getting "the proof on the
film" that saved Mr. DeVere from an unjust charge.
From the cold and frostiness of Deerfield the girls went to Florida,
where "Under the Palms," many stirring acts were filmed. It was here
that Alice and Ruth helped find two girls who were lost in the wilds of
the Everglades.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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