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p/u-Ichbytern«Jill-*r-heK-jr-of*3iceheed■e-nda*let00lechxlill1-ney-beesn-a-o£tou-er‘Scecna*n-*-ofiyrMceio?drttasce3Smnteas,gc*p-ini-iePerhaps the “Floradora” sextet was more famous, but the members ofthe chorus group pictured here, of which Elizabeth Meehan, top, was one, have done very well, thank you. They were dancers in the musical show, “Sally, seven years ago ana, left to right, are: Miss Meehan, one of the highest-paid scenario writers in the country; Emily Drainge, who is now Mrs, Lynn Overman; Billie Dove, the movie star; Leon Errol; Janet Magrue, who became a star of the London stage; Gladys Bowie, who inherited a fortune, and retired, having as her hobby the breeding of prize show horses; Alta King, who married Edward Koyce, playwright and producer.* *New York, Dec. 15.—(NEA)— Seven years ago, Betty Meehan* danced in a Follies chorus. In odd hours, along with other “ladies of the ensemble, she boosted her income by playing extra role3 at a Long Island fiim^factory. ________The other day, Miss*Elizabeth Meehan, who still could pass the meticulous muster of any music show producer, both for face andfigure, came back to Manhattan withthe prize scalps of scenario-land li!it■sdangling from her sinuous waist, Only a few intimates had known that the Betty Meehan of the chorus was the Elizabeth Meehan whose name could be found on such super-produetions as “Beau Geste, “Sorrel and Son and “The Great Gatsby; the same Elizabeth Meehan who had been selected to adapt to screen form the great Conrad epic, “The Rescue, and who now holds conferences with Fannie*Hurst on the screen version of “Lummox,In other words, Betty Meehan, of the chorus, has become one of the four or five outstanding scenarists of the moment. Which is doing rather well for a chorine and an extra girl.Miss Meehan, to tho contrary, is quite astounded to find that anyona should consider her riso exceptional. All Chorines Beautiful—All Not Dumb‘‘Oh, yes, I know that chorines have the reputation of being beautiful but dumb, she began. “And,perhaps, some of them are. But oe surpi find in the choruses.you’d be surprised at the girls you’llThere were six in tho group to which I was attached, and every one of them at this moment is a success in one way or another. Some married rich men. and some married prominent men; some we're from good families and inherited money; some became stars of the cinema and stage. The fact is that the so-called ladies of the ensemble arewise, even when inarticulate—theyhave to be. Hundreds of them drift into the chorus by accident rather than intent. It’s a stepping stone for them to something else and they’re on tho watch for tho big chance.“In my chorus were, for instance, Billie Dove—whose identity needs no establishment; there was Alta King, who married Edward Royee, the playwright and producer; there was Gladys Bowie, who now has afortune in her name and figures in Manhattan society; there was Janet Magrue, who became a star of tho London stage; and there was Emily Drainge, who married Lynn Overman, celebrated actor-writer,“My own experience convinces me that one has to “make the breaks,” to some extent. I had been a professional swimmer. I came from Philadelphia and my first business experience was a professional swimming meet.Modeled, Danced in Chorus and Wrote“When I came to New York, I found that it was easy to get a job modeling for* clothing concerns if you had a figure. It was then but a step to the chorus. But I had always wanted to write. Even then, I wrote articles for Sunday newspapers, but couldn’t make a living at it. Most of the Follies girls had no trouble getting work as extras in tho pictures.“One day, as I was waiting to go on as an extra, the script of a scenario was handed me to read, I was interested in its composition and found myself studying the mechanics. When I asked for a chance to help on the writing of a script they raised their eyebrows. The idea—an extra girl wanting to write a scenario! But I worked on the story of ‘The Great Gatsby* and things were different after that.On the strength of that story and ‘Beau Geste,’ they sent me to Hollywood. And I’ve been going everauno0Asince.IftlMhd
Newspaper Details
Bismarck Tribune
Bismarck, North Dakota, US
Fri, Dec 14, 1928
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 24 Aug 2019
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