A correspondent from Los Angeles steps up to us with this dare,
“Speaking of film truth, is there an editor with the moral courage to
call the bluff of one Pearl Reilly, better known as Charlotte Shelby,
mother of Mary Miles Minter?”
Wouldn’t that peeve a pacifist moo-cow? Here we have gone serenely along
thinking that, with all the crimes we might be accused of, of all the
blistering names that might burn our skin, none would even hint at a
lack of courage. If we need courage then T. N. T. could be improved with
a dash of pepper.
Our correspondent wants to know if we care to call the bluff of Mrs.
Charlotte Shelby. Frankly, we don’t care particularly about the job.
Mrs. Shelby means considerably less than zero in our young life; and
only a minute fraction of that to most of our readers.
Aside from having been granted possession of a very talented daughter,
Mrs. Shelby Reilly would be stealing time under false pretenses when
occupying the thoughts of either the editor or his readers. Stage
mothers are perfectly capable of taking themselves seriously and
realizing their own flabbergasting importance. Thank the stars there is
no need of the rest of us helping out at the job.
True it may be, as our correspondent says, that “Mrs. Reilly has ridden
roughshod over everyone she meets and gets away with it. She has no
regard for the dignity of any profession, insults newspaper men and
writers, directors, leading men, and in fact has everything pretty much
her own way.”
Isn’t it a sad story? Can you tell us what sort of “newspaper men” Mrs.
Shelby or any one else can “insult” and get away with it? Advertising
solicitors, perhaps. They are fair game for anyone in all seasons. But
our own years of pencil-pushing from New Orleans to Milwaukee and New
York to San Francisco have failed to record on our books any “insults”
unrevenged. As a matter of fact any good newspaper man will say that an
insult makes the best sort of story.
Ask the shade of old Vanderbilt what it thinks about the time that
crusty individual declared, “The Public be Damned!”
Mrs. Shelby can continue riding if she cares to, dear correspondent, but
she’s only spoofing her own sweet self if she thinks she is going to
continue to “get away with it.” Some day she’ll stub her toe in a poison
ivy patch.
Perhaps the first scene of the final act has already been played. The
Hollywood Dirty Dishers say it has. According to our correspondent the
action started when Charlotte Whitney, for six years secretary to Mary
Miles Minter, bobbed up out of a job. According to the letter writer,
wagging tongues in Los Angeles declared that “Mrs. Reilly and Charlotte
had a terrible row over Mary and that Charlotte told Mrs. R. where to
head in. Rumor has linked Mary’s name with that of a well known actor
and Ma Reilly went wild. She had visions of the family meal ticket
annexing a husband. Charlotte was supposed to keep guard over Mary at
the studio while Ma Reilly endeavored to keep tabs at home.
“It seems that Charlotte, could see no harm in Mary’s having a little
love affair with a nice young man and didn’t keep the door properly
locked.
“When things got too hot at home Mary had a way of sneaking out of the
unhappy mansion and going to Charlotte’s house.” Our correspondent then
relates this _denouement_. “This had happened one night and while
Charlotte and Mary were getting ready for bed Ma Reilly burst in the
door and for the moment forgot her pose as the southern aristocrat. The
neighbors recognized the Minter car at Charlotte’s door and gathered
round to hear the row and witness the fond mother, with the gentle
southern manner, drag her eighteen year old daughter out by the ear.
“The next morning Mrs. Shelby ordered two well known actors on the Lasky
lot to keep out of Charlotte’s office, accusing them of designs on Mary
and Mary’s money. A well known director was also forbidden to speak to
Mary. A few days after Charlotte announced that she was through as
secretary.”
If this be true--isn’t it a rumbunktious mess? But if all such facts
were roaming around awaiting placing--this lone editor’s “moral courage”
would not be needed to “call Mrs. Shelby’s bluff.” It seems to us that
Charlotte is the little girl who is apt to turn that trick at any
minute. Keep your eyes on Charlotte, boys and girls.
* * * * *
The dailies duly recorded that Gail Kane, demure and with downcast eyes,
walked down the church aisle with Henry Iden Ottman, of New York,
recently.
The groom is a son of the founder of a packing house bearing his
name--hence should be well supplied with “skins,” wherewith to cater to
the movie star’s well known expensive tastes. Which is well, oh, very
well.