Jeanie proved to be a good trouper; she was conscientious and
ambitious. Though only extras and bits came her way, David encouraged
her. She was rather frail, and one time after remaining ill some days
when on a picture up in the country, Mr. Griffith thought he should
give her good advice. So he told her to live on a farm for some months,
and drink milk and get strong, there being no future without health; he
certainly could not use her in parts were she to faint on him thus. But
Jeanie confided she’d have to overcome fainting without “months on a
farm”--that luxury she couldn’t afford.
Since Biograph Miss Macpherson has carried on in every department of
picture making except the acting. She early took stock of herself and
recognized that her future would not be in the ranks of the movie
stars. Just where it would be she did not then know--nor did any one
else.
On a day in this slightly remote period Jesse Lasky and Cecil DeMille
were lunching at Rector’s in New York--music, luscious tidbits, and Mr.
Lasky casually remarking: “Let’s go into the moving picture business.”
“All right, let’s,” answered Mr. DeMille with not the slightest
hesitation.
Mr. Lasky, thus encouraged, suggested more “Let’s,” to each of which
Mr. DeMille as promptly agreed “Let’s.”
Along came brother-in-law Sam Goldfish, married to Blanche Lasky,
sister to Jesse. Mr. Goldfish (now Goldwyn) was in the glove business
up in Gloversville, New York, and he was very grouchy this day because
the Government had taken the duty off gloves, and he was eager to
listen in on this new idea of Mr. Lasky’s.
By the time that lunch was finished this is what had happened: Mr.
Goldfish had put up $5,000, Mr. Lasky $5,000, and Arthur Friend $5,000,
and with the $15,000 Cecil DeMille was to go out to California to make
movies. He begged his brother William to put up $5,000 and become a
partner but William said: “No, one of us had better be conservative
and keep the home fires burning.” So when William later went into the
movies, he went to work for his brother Cecil, and he has been doing so
up to this time.
Mr. Cecil DeMille became Director General of the new Jesse Lasky
Pictures, and Mr. Oscar Apfel, General Manager. Out on Vine Street,
Hollywood, Mr. DeMille took over a stable, and began to make movies.
It was a crude equipment, but the company fell heir to some beer kegs
from which they viewed their first picture “The Squaw Man” released
sometime in 1913. The stable is still a part of the Hollywood Famous
Players-Lasky modern studio, but the beer kegs have vanished.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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