WHAT THEY WANTED TO BE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16987, 10 March 1923, Page 7 (Supplement)

WHAT THEY WANTED TO BE

LONGINGS OF SCREEN FAVOU RITES. What- was 3-0111* pet ambition as a youngster r* Agues Ayres wanted to be a Surgeon. Doctor Agnes Ayres 1 btauo vivisecting! Can you ima aie ler Ct course, it would help a man somewhat to know tfia-o Agues' termer lingo \ s were guiding tile norribie knife to 10move his appendix. But there are enough gec-a aoctc.s in tins world without drawing on girls like Miss Agnes Ayres to- perrorm .hex;- unpleasant, Out necessary duties. At last, that was what Miss Ayres thought alter hei first experience before the camera fox* she gave up the idea of being a doctor alter she found out that she coula make good in the silent drama. Strangely enough, Thomas Moighan also wanted to wield a scalpel and write prescriptions for ailing beings, ambition, but. Tommy spreads more happiness and does more gcoa in the work ho is now doing than ever no couid ho as a doctor. hollowing closely upon the heels ct Miss Ayres and Thomas Meighan as a seeker ot the professional iite was Dorothy Dalton, who wanted to be a modern Portia. Miss Daiton actually graduated from Sacred Heart Academy of studying law, but, the movies found Miss Daiton and have held her ever Gloria Swanson wanted to startle the world with marvellous paintings. Artistic temperament must run in the Swanson family for Charles Swanson" Gloria s uncle, is a noted painter , while Jonathan, his brother, is a well-known sculptor. Gloria went to an art schom for a few months but the instructor kept her drawing vases, flower pots, books and o.t-her uninteresting objects for so long that she- finally got disgusted and gave up the idea of becoming an artist. But Gloria still possesses a sense of the artistic, and uses it to great advantage in the movies. Big rugged-leatured Bill Hart was possessed of a long ambition which was never realised. Bill wanted to play the title role in 44 Hamlet.” Bill blames the movies fans for thwarting him in his ambition. He could have realised that ambition long ago but the fans like him so well in blie roles he is playing that Bill wouldn’t dare take a chance of breaking away from them. Movie fans who have seen Rodolpn Valentino in 44 The Four Horsemen” probably wondered how the sleek-hair-ed, good-looking fellow could disport himself so well in a soldier’s uniform. Rodolpli, not so long ago, was a cadetin an Italian Military Acadenu* Valentino, with plenty of fighting blood m his veins, had the idea that he wanted to take up soldering as a profession but America called to him and the lure was too great to resist. Incidentally \alentino, while in the Academy. learned to ride like a Ceuta it and he shows himself to great advantage in the role of the George Melford Production. “The Betty OniDson, the girl of the “Miracle Man ” fame, and one of the most beautiful women in the pictures, was saved indirectly, to the movies, by the finger of fate. Betty used to play the violin in the orchestra of a vaudeville theatre and. when one of the actresses failed to appear Betty was called upon to oerform Miss Compson made good and was offered a contract. She accented and in her travels she eventual!'' landed in Los Angeles. "With her beaut- and natural charm it was ordained that she annenr in ruptures. She did, and now Miss Betty Comp .-.on is a Paramount star.