Daily News from New York, New York • 7

SUNDAY NEWS. NOVEMBER 8. 1924. THE INSIDE DOPE ON MOVIE STAR Beauty Contest Gave Mary Astor Her Chance seiseted for min fai in Barrymore's delUiklful film version of the ffrea' pioy. Eat before Barryracre m-de hi decision that brought so much (lory to Miss Astor she had another siege of hard times aad a disheartening- for worl.

"Why paint the Hly?" asked this film beauty. But alas, she must paint away her plump chin now. Her story will appear in next Sunday's SUNDAY NEWS, including the strange account of hew she obtained a divorce secretly almost. By JULIA HARPMAN. Mary Astor bought her career for a 2Tertt stamp.

That is probably the greatest dividend ever declared on a 2-cent If I I ffcS i 11- Laugh anke now Mary Aster won. Ser picture, snhaaitted among thonsands of others, was selected as the most beautiful and she was notified te come te New York. The prize was a chanee in the movies. Mary had always wanted to go' vv -1 11 in tMl I 'I investment. A baby show will always draw a crowd te a Tillage fair.

As sure as the robins chirp in the spring, proud ma ib cn as present their precious offspring in- annual competition, each parent certain that her child, the fairest of the flock, will be awarded the prise. Publications from time to time add to their circulation fcy featuring a beauty contest. Editors and village fair promoters must be psychologists if they weald make money. They know that a woman's belief in her own charms and in those she passes oa te her children has not lessened since Paris, the sap, risked his peace. of mind to become judge of a beauty contest back there on Olympus.

What Might Have Been. Beattty contests, have caused fnany heartaches pnd much cattish fiatred. Rash, indeed, is the man ivho dares to decide such a competition. Confidence in her pood took 3 is a universal feminine trait. It u-ag this female characteristic that made Mary Astor a motion picture star.

If Lucille Langhanke had remained in Qniacy, hiding her lovely features, her auburn hair and leaf-browa eyes behind a hedge of modesty that paid her nothing: at all, one in the world ever weald have heard of Mary Astor, the beentifnl actress. 1 she is an attempt was made by Miss Astor and her parents to have the indenture contract set aside. In the time between the signing of the agreement and the time of -the lawsuit, Mary Astor had become a star and had been offered a contract for (1,000 a week. Mary and her parents resented Durant contention that, under the terms their agreement, he was entitled to one-fourth of $90J a week out of her weekly salary. They went to lav.

It was the first case of its kind to be tried since 1304 and, in accordance with the antiquated master and man act. Supreme Court Justice McCook of New York decided that Mary Astor was legally the indentured apprentice of Durant. Mrs. Langhanke declared that the agreement had been siened bv Mary Astor was nalorery. bt now she is beaiitifnl.

(Lower) shown with Glenn Hester in The Fighting Coward." Then Came a Contract. That ended when she got a part with Dick Rarthelmes in "The Bright Shawl," a First National picture. There followed a part in "Scarecrow," in which Clean, Hunter starred, and after that contract with Fa moos Eugene V. John Brewster Barry more Pabiimitcr mad mctor mho htpwj Mmry Amor. Players-Lasky.

for which company she played the leading feminise part in The Fighting Coward," which was directed by James Cruse, Betty Compson's hisband. Miss Aster and her parents, who have adopted her screen name, live together in a pretty Hollywood apartment- They alfo own an apartment in I orK. ine actress has a charming singing voice and is quite adept at modeling in clay. Encouraged by John Barry-more, she is contemplating an appearance on the legitimate stage. iCmmibi 1S-T4 bvTHKHF.ws RIGHT WAY TO KEEP SKIN SOFT-SMOOTH "Her hp are roj.i tct idtk 4ne, Oh! feast ker wt rm'; Brr cheeks a morr ceiestol fcvr.

A crimson eWi diviner. Burns. If you want to be sure of the right way to care for the exposed skin jf your face, neck, arms and hands, nae the thing which giHs depend on after experimenting with first on. thing itten another. The tremendous sales record of more than eight million, packages a -year wnieh has been built up by the Black and White Beauty Creations since they were first introduced five years ago, is overwhelming proof of their reliability.

The Cleansing Cream cleans the pores of all accumulation ol now 6fr' dtflt nd ise MM cleans the surface without rohbimr i tb fckia lit its natural nil Ku4i it mast have to keep it smooth and soft. The Peroxide Croua nro- itects the skin and the pores from wind, son and dust, and keeps Ue jfce Powder looking natural for fconrs, without coming in contact i tae son. roe ace fowder ls ite in its fragrance of "Incense of Flowers" that it is regarded as the highest attainment in complexion finish. All the Black and White Beauty Creations are popularly priced in liberal packages at 25c and SOc. Any dealer can supply you.

rXYSMTlfifSIJtTJJtmTrA I SUpU fTW Mil Step It at eact with Dent's Toothacbe Cam i earoe a 1 invf 9onnnw 1 -nam 1 1 i 3 it PL 22. Lucille J-anghanie, the ter of a cc liege professor, was not i 1 Two-Csrtt Stamp Started Herr on Road to Fame. How unlovely Lucille Langhanke beca ae beautiful Mary Astor forms one of the most interesting of Hollywood's romances. She bought her career with a two-cent stamp, via a beauty contest, and. after many strnggles, reached the heights as Lady Margery in "Beau Brum-raeL- Discovered by Harry Durant, film official, she entered into a pact whereby he was to receive one-quarter of all salary over $100.

The time came when Mary regretted making this agreement, but the courts deLIed be was the legacy indentured apprentice, of Durant. Soon, encouraged by John Barry more, she will appear on the stage. before the met Dnrani. then soid. However, the court ruled that the contract was valid unless it could be proved Durant was incompetent to teach dramatic art or had Once, however, she went withont Oi work for a long time.

The family funds ran sn low. says Miss As tor, that they were com pelted to move nine times within a year, each move being to a cheaper tat Mary then worker in several two-reelers and after some discouragement, got a part in "John Smith," which Selsnick was pro ducing. Eugene O'Brien was the star and Miss Astor was riven the leading feminine nr KK arac then paid $300 a week, tfcre times the salary she bad made up to that time. I sisTef Ettl efnm Pth saw "John Smith on the scree a. Barrymore, at that time, was con templating an offer to appear in aj pictunraUon of "Beau Brumrael for Warner Brothers.

"If I ever do make 'Beau Brum teenf tit girl" nodding toward the filmed Mary Astor "to play the part of Lady Msrqcry Ahanley." said John te Ethel, That tt'ai hoR- M's Astor come to always a beauty. They called her Rusty in Quiacy because her red hair and freckles that stood out on her white skin like a rash. Liken her to the ugly duckling that high-hatted the others in the pond when she became a swan. Or to the lowly, any caterpillar that mysteriously becomes a gorgeous butterfly. WelL Lucille, of the unlovely surname, became first a beauty and then, via a beauty contest, Marv Astor, the movie star.

Her red hair had dulled to- that copper color that is the despair of hairdressers who attempt to manufacture it. Her freckles had paled and blended with her delicate coloring. She had grown tall and slender. Lucille 'e education, which started in Quiacy public schools, continued in Chicago. Eugene V.

Brewster, who has figured much in the public prints im other roles besides that of wealthy publisher, is a stanch ad-' vocnte of the beauty contest as a means of gaining circulation for his various magaxines. Mary's father, who was under the M- impression that it was a form ofif15 Astw bound managerial contract. Their daugh-' Durant. the stage. With the realization that her life's ambition was about to be realized, she persuaded her father to resign his position and pool his interests with hers.

She was the only child, and her parents agreed to take a chance. If she won out, they all wodld win. The father, it was planned, would become her business manager in the event that she became a star. And if she were unsuccessful the entire family would lose with good grace. They were game.

A Strange Agreement. Soon after her arrival Mary met Charles Albin, a portrait painter, who assayed her beauty highly and arranged her meeting with Lejaren Hiller, the artist, who was interested in motion pictures. Mr. Hiller helped Mary to get work in the pictnres. And then Mary was discovered by Harry Durant, a official ef the Famous Players-Lasky company.

Mary became Dorant's appren tice. Durant believed Mary had possibilities as a screen star. His iegai Knowieage ne was also a lawyer he evolved the plan to bind Miss Astor. who was then only 14 years old, by an apprenticeship indenture, under the provisions of the old "master and man" art. The apprenticeship indmtare vro-vided that Dnrani instruct Miss Langhanke in dramatic technique and provide employment for her as motion picture In retam for which he was to receive twenty-five per cent, of all salary over $100 a week earned by Myss Langhanke, whose name Durant said he himself suggested be changed to Mary Astor.

In 1922, when Mary was 17, What One Contest Did. It was a beauty contest that connection with the motion picture brought Corliss Palmer, the ger-; company prevented his openly act-geous cigar counter girl from manager, so, out of his ter was a minor at the time and.1 id.1 therefore, any contract had to be signed by her parents, who were her legal guardians. Miss Astor and her parents admitted that Mr. Durant had sent them to several producing managers who were engaged in selecting easts, but they claimed all credit for securing engagements for the youthful actress. Court Ruling Holds.

Following her indenture to Durant, Miss Astor starred with Tri-Art Films in "Beggar Maid." with Reginald Denny, The Young Painter" and "Hope. Durant claimed he taught Miss Astor M-hat she knew about the motion pictgre profession. H.hereas her parents declared that all he ever told her os not to blink her eyes while she was acting. She hoi len train in drimttic art Georgia, into Brewster's life brought him, he declares, the greatest love of his life. Corliss won 9 beauty contest which was sponsored by the Brewster publications and then she won the publisher's heart.

Miss Palmer and Brewster have lived together in a magnificent house at Morristown. N. while Brewster's second wife. Mrs. Brewster, from whom the publisher is not divorced, and their little son live at Roslyn.

L. I. It was another Brewster nubli- eatien beauty centest that Lucille'.