| How We Got Movie Stars
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| | magazines, then arranged forher to
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| | mysteriously disappear. "My competitors
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| Early movies had no stories, no movie
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| | will stop at nothingto ruin me. They've
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| stars and no sound. A popularproduction
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| | kidnapped poor Florence, perhaps even
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| in the 1890's was two girls getting
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| | killedher!" he told the press.
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| undressed by a lake.
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| | For the next few weeks Americans followed
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| Right before their last garments came
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| | the saga in the newspapers,there were
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| off, a train came by to blockyour view.
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| | several false reports of foul play. One
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| In the next scene they were swimming. The
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| | account had
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| three minutefilm was a hit throughout the
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| | Florence killed by a streetcar. Then, as
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| country. One old farmer became a bigfan
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| | pre-arranged by Carl
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| and kept paying to see it repeatedly. One
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| | Laemmle, Florence "miraculously"
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| day the theater managercame down and
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| | resurfaced in St. Louis were she
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| said," Say old timer. Every day you sit
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| | wasmobbed, her clothes ripped off by fans
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| and watch thesame thing over and over."
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| | (some of them hired). And so
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| "Well sonny, one of these days I'm
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| | Florence Lawrence gained a huge
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| hopingthe train will be late!"
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| | following. Movies with her name onthe
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| Many of the early film performers were
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| | marquee started selling like hot cakes.
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| quite content to stayanonymous, reasoning
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| | Laemmle quickly became discouraged by the
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| that the new flickers were a novelty and
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| | movie stars he created andthe high salary
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| woulddamage their reputation on the
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| | demands that predictably followed.
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| legitimate stage. They were oftenexpected
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| | Universaleventually become a horror
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| to work all day long. Their duties
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| | factory where actors playing the Mummy
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| included hammering nails,painting the
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| | orthe Invisible man could easily be
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| set, picking up trash, and lifting heavy
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| | replaced if they asked for too muchmoney.
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| equipment.
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| | The mogul often tried to exit show
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| There were no trailers, perks, glamour or
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| | business. One time another
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| big mansions. A castingdirector might
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| | Florence, vaudeville producer Florence
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| meet a newspaper boy on the street and
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| | Zigfield was desperatelystrapped for cash
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| hire him as hislead actor for five
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| | and sent a messenger to Universal to
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| dollars a day. Ladies of the evening were
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| | offer Carl
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| oftengiven jobs simply because they
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| | Laemmle some wardrobe dresses for five
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| provided their own wardrobes. Moreoften
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| | thousand dollars. Notinterested, Laemmle
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| the studios would hire teen age girls who
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| | told him flatly. Undeterred, Zigfield
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| needed no make-upwhich in the pre-Max
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| | asked for apersonal meeting. "Mr.
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| Factor days would melt under the hot
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| | Laemmle, how much to buy your studio?"
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| lights. Notknowing their real identities,
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| | Eagerlythe tiny mogul named a price that
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| the movie going public would givetheir
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| | was in the millions. "I see, welllet me
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| favorites appropriate nicknames such as
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| | talk it over with my lawyers. You should
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| "the waif" or "thecowboy". The growing
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| | hear from me in a fewweeks." Zigfield got
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| curiosity surrounding the identities lead
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| | up to leave then paused at the door. "Oh
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| to thebirth of movie magazines such as
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| | by theway I have some dresses left over
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| Photoplay in 1909. The newpublication
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| | from an earlier show. I'm trying toget
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| conducted a poll asking what kinds of
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| | rid of them for ten thousand dollars."
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| screen storieswould people would like to
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| | "Yes of course," said
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| see. Was it romance? Crime?
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| | Laemmle. Zigfield left the lot with his
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| Theoverwhelming answer was the fans were
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| | money, but the studiopurchase was never
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| far more interested in learningabout the
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| | consummated.
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| mysterious figures in the dark. But
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| | As for Lawrence, glory was fleeting. A
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| fearing that theirplayers would demand
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| | few years after her publicbreakout, she
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| huge salaries the producers still refused
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| | was working on a film when a fire broke
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| toreveal who they were.
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| | out on the set.
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| One of the most prominent movie theater
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| | The young woman courageously risked her
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| owners was a former clothingstore manager
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| | life to save one of herfellow actors and
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| from Oshkosh, Wisconsin named Carl
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| | the incident left her temporarily
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| Laemmle, theeventual founder of Universal
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| | paralyzed. Unableto work she painfully
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| Studios. By 1909 he was sick of
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| | watched the rise of new silent film
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| buyingmovies from Thomas Edison or
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| | sirens suchas Mary Pickford and Gloria
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| European providers and had concluded
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| | Swanson. By the time she recovered no
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| hecould make his own. Laemmle would
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| | onewould hire her. She ended up in
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| listen each night as his patronswould
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| | obscurity and tragically committedsuicide
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| leave his theater, many would excitedly
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| | years later at the age of 52. But during
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| discuss the actors onthe screen. If he
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| | her appearance in
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| was going to produce his own pictures he
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| | Saint Louis in 1910, Florence Lawrence
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| would sellthem by creating a star.
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| | the world's first movie star,drew a
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| He wasted no time in hiring a
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| | bigger crowd than the President who came
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| twenty-year-old actress named Florence
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| | to town a weekearlier.
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| Lawrence known to the public as the
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| | Want to hear more stories? Stephen
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| Biograph Girl, named after thestudio she
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| | Schochet is the author andnarrator of the
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| worked for. One tale had the four-foot
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| | Audio Books "Fascinating Walt Disney" and
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| ten Laemmleconducting a midnight raid of
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| | "Tales Of
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| Biograph's offices, where he carriedhis
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| | Hollywood". The Saint Louis Post Dispatch
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| new charge away over his shoulder. He
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| | says," these two elaborateproductions are
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| revealed her real name and
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| | exceptionally entertaining.
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| 250 dollar a week salary to the new fan
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