Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 82

THE DETROIT FREE PRESS SUNDAY. 1928 vehhe House i rays JSCK JU I A 5MjJj' i riStis ai Wn Me Mn I te it: ff7 1 W'Tien the Film 5ar Thought Found Flaws in 1-1 mm, mk 1 "Perfect Mansion She Went to Court eft Jac'' Donovan, Dashing Young Archi- ij If T(f I jfM SJ I f31 of the "Houm That Jack tt, Movie Hero, Aviator and Sportsman. Wir, iiCST 1 1 -IA Built" with "Jack" SUnding 1 Who Built the $50,000 Man.ion for Mae and 1 "JtSJS Before It. The Two i 1 Thinhe She Should Take It Without Que.tion. tf1' 'Vf AAY He Sayi, He Threw in Grati.

ju.t I -S, ff Because He Liked Mae, and Still 'MtMtoliieejiswieiBii 1 She'i Not Satisfied 7 Ulf'iiSn ihtl 1 II IT II iV I -What difference does It make said. "What difference whether I played it by Iff jT 1 pj wBMm -fikmttA-. A Mae Murray, Film Star, Who Claims That Jack Donovan Used "Organ Music and Soft Lights" to Hypnotise Her Into Accepting the House -Ie Built for Her. The Organ Turned Out to a Mechanical Con--ivance, and Now Miss lurray Has Taken Her Case to Court. iff i She Her pens in Los Angeles.

"The record shows 9.03 inches of rain that month," declared I'ercy Garrison. "Where?" demanded W. I. Gilbert, Mae's attorney. "Down at Sixth and Main streets where the bureau has its instruments." said Garrison." "What has that got to do with bow much rain there was in Brentwood guaranteed to cure me for $35.

I promised to return the next day. "Probably the worst feature of the whole unsavory mess Is the presence in these offices of ex convicts and potentially dangerous men, who feel they know more than surgeons and dream of performing weird operations. "An investigator tells of an office on Michigan avenue, near a school, where one of these queer practitioners Is doing a big business. 'He Is eager to get a little girl into his says the investigator. 'He p'ans to operate upon her.

He wants to remove a gland from her body and transplant It into a corpse. He thinks he can bring the dead body to Some of the offices have all the appearance of up-to-date clinics. There are consultation rooms, operating rooms, drug departments, and waiting rooms with magazines and comfortable chairs. The patient is customarily obliged to wait, which gives an air of industry and professional dignity to the establishment. Finally the "come-on" man otherwise known as a "key-sticker" or "case appears, and ushers the patient Into a private office.

There he is questioned at length and turned over to an "expert," who makes an examination and diagnoses the case. The key-sticker then reappears, impressing upon the patient thnt. he is very til. The initial fee may be anywhere from $25 to Dr. Arthur J.

Cramp is a director of the propaganda department and bureau of Investigation of the Journal of the American Medical association, or was, when he compiled his book on "Nostrums and Quackery." It contains articles on the nostrum evil, quackery and allied matters affecting the public health and Is largely a reprint of articles which have appeared in the Journal of the A. M. A. When the Chicago Tribune drove the medical confidence men out of Chicago, says Cramp, It gathered evidence which showed that some of tba quacks were morally guilty of killing patients, that son had maimed patients for life by malpractice, and one attempted habitually to seduce women patients asld from his Crafting. 5-ink Luxuriously Furnished Patio of the Los Angeles Home Built by Jack Donovan and Sold to Mae Murray.

Her Charge That the Painting and Some of the Furniture Shown in This Photograph Were of Slight Value Were Indignantly Repudiated by Architect Donovan. And even the organ wasn't all It should have been, she said. "It wouldn't work." Mae declared. "I sent for a man and he found that the blower down in the cellar, was under two feet of water." Then they called a weather bureau man to testify that the rains in February, 1927, when Mae bought the house, were "exceptional," as sometimes hap tricky?" So far from abstracting anything from the house or' putting In Donovan declared he added some extras because he was anxious to please Miss Murray. "Why, I Included a valuable dog," he aid.

"What kind carved wood, or bronze, or what?" demanded the actress's attorneys. "Regular dog live dog great dane," said Donovan. Donovan, as Irish as his name, is a young man of many Interests He was an aviator in the World war, and when he came to Hollywood began filling two Jobs a movie property man and a house builder. Pretty soon he abandoned the 'ob of hiiHtling props to become an actor, anil played leads for Mack Sennett and opposite Bessie Love. Then he tired of acting and went back 10 aicnuecture, building first a quaint, bungalow court where Alice Perry, Rex Ingram, Jacqueline Logan and other movie folk lived.

He graduated from bungalow couris and began building French castles, Mexican haciendas and Spanish houses. In his spare moments Donovan is a yachtsman, a raiser of great danes, a 'cello player and a life saver. Now he's all tangled up In this con-trovetsy over the house. He's a good Irishman and he hates to be rude to a lady, but "Miss Murray doesn't kr.ow what she's talking about," he says. While the controversy rages In court, however, the battalion of expprta recruited for both sides has not been Idle.

Residents of Brentwood Park have had considerable sport watcnlng automobiles, carrying these experts, swoop down upon the "house that Jack built." And while all this has been going on other experts have been examining the architectural aspects of the house. Did It. cost We'l. where was the $50,000 spent? How about cellar windows? Then they flock to to offer conflicting testimony: Meanwhile the legal proceedings drag alomj. Reporters loaf in the halls and stifle yawns as some new delay offers to slow up proceedings.

The Judge leaves the bench and waits in the privacy of his "chambers." Other movie stars and extras, Interested either directly or Indirectly, git. indolently, while the corps of experts search for new evidence. How about the principals? Well, they've both taken detrtr iued If the experts egrce It will be fine, both agree. And If the judge can reach a decision that, too, will be fine, for somebody. But one thin; stems certain.

I'nless a Solomon-like compromise is reached, the losing principal will take the case to the highest possible court, r.ut what will become of the handsome 'house that Jack built'' if the case is prolonged? No one knows. iNn-npnpr Feature Srrvkp, Lucky Star? goers at the present moment, are among her successes. Add to these achievements Miss Sears's Interesting two years of scenario writing and directing for Cecil de Mllle, and the fact that she has been a marvelous wife and has done not a little farming on the Wilton, Connecticut, farm she and her husband call "home." In the rambly old house, with apple-green shutters held back by ancient rose bushes ihat climb and bloom against the white clapboard, Zelda Sears has done much of her writing, has had many of her most Joyous moments. She laughs to remember the surprise of the Wiltonltes who first called on her and found her garbed In overalls and out with a man testing the land of her farm. "I'm sure they were electrified.

They were prepared to see me appear In a pink velvet dress and wearing silver sandals." Today Zelda Sears, with her husband and Pauline Frederick who is starring In "The Scarlet Woman" and three other friends, are visiting her birthplace near Port Huron. She has not seen the little farmhouse since she left It at the age of ten. No doubt she Is finding It a strange contrast to her beautiful estate in Connecticut, where a father's dresm that failed has been made to come true by his daughter. State and City Unite in War on Medical Quackery "Don't you know rains are very variable?" Mae complained about the kitchen ratiTe and washing machine. She said they wouldn't work.

"Did you try them yourself?" asked Donovan's attorneys. "Certainly not." replied Mae, haughtily. "I never d'd a day's washing in my life. The cook end the' laundress told me about It. The laundry had to be ssnt out and the cook had a terrible time trying to get the meals." Then the pictures into the discussion.

Donovan said that they were fine examples of art and called experts tT sunncrt him. Mae sa'd that they weren't any such thing, and put her experts on the stand. The estimsted value placed on the paintings by the opposirg experts ranged all the way from $75 including the frame to $7,500. Miss Murray that If the worst camo to the worst she would produce a cprpetter who would test't'y thnt he was hired to mnke 'cheap duplicates" of some of the antiqu" pieces to be substituted for the originals. Donovrn retorted that.

If anything like that were started he would produce aff-davlts to the effect that the carpenter had been paid for his testimony and rark," Insis ted Gilbert, that the California Continued from Page Two, that If Miss Murray wen stubborn about it he would take the matter to the grand Jury. The court thought It might help to fix the value of the property if the value rf property In the neighborhood could be established. It was testified that the lot npxt door to the Donovan house was worth $11,000. Mrs. Jeannette Donovan.

Jack's mother, laughed right out in court. "Why, that's where I keep Rosle," she said. "Rosle," It developed, Is the Donovan family cow. Piece by piece the furniture was metaphorically brought Into court antique beds, refectory tables, old Spanish chairs, rugs, assorted art objects. "Cheap imitations," declared Miss Murray and her battery of experts.

"Priceless rarities," insisted Donovan and his supporters. Meenwhlle experts have been called to the stand to testify concerning the antiques, and there have been speculations on the extent of Miss Murray's "antique" knowledge. There was, too, the matter of an Inventory that, was approved with the signature: "Mae. Murray." Mae sa'd she didn't write It. Donovan said she did.

As for the music that Mae claimed made her overlook alleged deficiencies. Donovan declared that II. was ridiculous to set up assertions like that. "It's a perfectly good organ and she wanted to hear It, so I played It," ho in th-i. She knew every pitfall of the playwright before she became one.

A Full-Fledged Playwright. She became a playwright by mere caprice. Colonel Henry W. Savage was looking for a play for Mitzi. "He'd combed everything In the European market and the American market, too and hadn't found anything to suit So I tried my hand at a play and nrote 'Lady not telling anyone about it not even my husband, who was general manager for Colonel Savage at.

the time. I submitted It tinder an assumed name and waited for reactions. 'I-ady Billy pleased Colonel Savage. He liked It Immensely, but you should have seen his face when he learned that I had written It. My husband was shocked, too but he has such a good sense of humor that you can wake him in the middle of the night to tell him a Joke, and be sure that he'll laugh at It." "Lady Billy" was the beginning for Zelda Sears, the playwright.

"Cornered." written for Madge Kennedy; "Clinging Vine." for Peggy Wood; "Lollipop," a big hit for Ada May; "The Magic Ring," for Mitzl. and others on down to "The Scarlet Woman" with which the author and Pauline Frederick are delighting Detroit theater OFT lights and organ music why, he had me hypnotized Until I believed every word lie said," indignantly declared Mae Murray, film star. "Nonsense." retorted Jack Donovan, cowboy actor, architect and man-about-IIollywood. "The bouse and the furniture arc worth every cent she said she'd ay." And so "the bouse that Jack built" and Mae agreed to buy have been figuring in the Los Angeles courts, and Judge Ballard has heard a score of experts disagree as to whether the "antique" furnishings are genuine antiques or of the Grand Rapids ariety. The house is at 13047 San Vicpnte boulevard, Brentwood Turk, one of those suburbs of Los Angelps, and it is designed in Mexican stylo, with patios, pipe organs an all that sort of thing.

Donovan, who. in spite of his youth, is a rising architect, built and furnished it. Mae Murray wanted a new house, and she went out to look It over. Now when one sells a $50,000 house to a film star it is managed in style. Mae was escorted over the house in a sort of royal progress and there was scft music on the pipe organ and the llhts glowed on the choice palntinps.

It rnpealed to Mae. Besides, what should a film star know about such prosaic details as whether or not the basement leaked or the kitchen rarge worked? Anyway, Mae agreed to pay for the house down and the rest In $2,000 payments. And she moved in. Very shortly thereafter Mae was in her attorney's office telling Mm all about It. And then she tiled a suit for ahrngn on of the contract to buy the house.

"He told me the fMn.Hure was all genuine antique," Mae protested to th" judge. "Antique! It Wiisn't any such thing "There was a bench that he come out. of an old monastery year--and yeara old. And when I mod in and looked at the thing it was just a dilap'dated old bench, full of splinters I don't believe any monk ever sat on it "But didn't you look at the furniture when you inspected the house?" askei Donovrn's attorneys. "Cer'ainly," Mae retorted.

"But all the lights were dim and artistic and he was playing the organ. And then I found out afterwards that he couldn't really play a note it was an electric orean It was rather an added insult. Yia declared, to think that she had bn nvsVd by mechanical music Was Zelda Sears Born Under A and left the office, glad to reach the fresh air again." Another office of the same character told the reporter he had Bright's disease but could weather it by paying $35. In a third place bis fictional ailment was diagnosed as rheumatism and neuritis. Both could be shooed away for $30, he was assured.

No receipts are given by the quacks for money received, nor do they permit papers carrying their personal signatures to leave their office. Several busy little fe'Iows were in charge of another office Included in the reportorial itinerary. "A young man escorted me into a private office," his report continues, "and questioned me about symptoms. I told him I had heart trouble and he excused himself, saying he would turn me over to their heart expert. "The heart 'expert' appeared almost at once.

He. too. asked about, symptoms, and talked ponderously of psycho therapy, ultra-violet rays, sun rays, and employed many medico-scientific terms which were strange to me. He told me they would se me a series of treatments and pre-si rihe drugs. If I needed them.

he added, 'we do not believe in tilling the system up with "I was then ushered into a consultation room. There was a table, chair and some partly filled drug bottles in this diagnostic sanctum. I was told to undress and lie upon the table. "A very old man came In and pounded my ribs with bony knuckles; then he poked at my chest with an ancient stethe-scope. He diagnosed stomach trouble, const ipatjon, lax abdominal muscles, sluggish liver, bad appetite, nervousness, and a general run down condition.

He urged me to take a course of their treatments, which he said would cure ma of all my ailments. "The young man then escorted me bark into his office, and gave a sales talk on the curative value of their treatments. I Continued from Page One. who could learn a part that day and go on that night preferably someone who had had stock company experience. "I was the girl.

The p'ay was 'Women and an English melodrama, and I stayed with it. Luck luck luck! "While I was playing In 'Women and Clyde Fitch, then at the cret of his fame, came back to me and said thai lie liked the performance. "'I think you're he told me, 'but you should play comedy "He wrote 'Lover's lane' for me, and I played it for ninety weeks. I worked for him until the day of his death, playing in 'The 'The Blue 'The Girl With the Green and other of his successes." All this time Zelda Sears had kept two careers going. At first she had been a public stenographer on the side, opening a cubby-hole office in the building opposite the old Empire theater stage door, where work on plays was plentiful.

She had fallen in love, and deeply, with Louis C. Wiswell, and married him. She read and acted in the plays others wrote and turned into a competent play doctor, rewriting (dsyt and toning up weak spots.