Don: Sennett never had a stage. No.
Minta: We never had stages! And stuff like that there. (pause) I was there four years. EVERY DAY, work.
Don: Came off the trolley.
Minta: Pigeon-toed. That race track thing in "Mickey" is good, isn't it! I have a copy of that. I'll have it sent down and we'll have it run. ...
Stephen: they sure ought to do that. Why don't they bring them down?
Don: Bill Thrush is ill, that's the problem.
Minta: We only use them when I'm doing a picture, a show, see I've done so many shows, that I went up this last time to do four shows and he was ill and I only did TWO shows. I showed pictures, and told all about them.
Don: She can do that, down here.
Minta: I can do it anyplace (sic.)
Don: Anyplace. (sic)
Minta: That's what I was set for, -
Don: If we had the films in our hands.
Minta: You see, I was sent for, when I was doing "Molly Brown," by the British Film Institute of Silent Films sent for me, because every so often they want somebody who is still living, of the films they have. I had two more weeks under contract with Debbie, and she said, "Oh, Minta, for the love of beans, go on and go, because" "But you had three beautiful gowns made for me for the Denver set." "I know, but any gal who can go thru what YOU have, the trial, you've never cry-babied about anything, lose a million dollars and never say a word about it. I'm for YOU a thousand percent. Go on and go." So I went on over and in exactly the ending of 1963 and we stayed over into 1964, and I was supposed to do all of the monetary basis, but Mr. Kennedy had been assassinated, and all of our American places were closed down, you know. But I was in Paris, stayed there for a week, and I was 3 weeks in London, and around London. Yep. Quite an experience. - I loved that scene where she's up in the tree (Mabel in "Mickey") wasn't she sweet in that thing? (pause)
Stephen: This man was the mayor of Chicago.
Minta: You know, we went back in 1915, Sennett wanted us to go back, Mabel and Roscoe and our cameraman and that sort of thing, because Mabel wanted to see her people. And Roscoe had gotten this release, so he gave that to us as a gift, you might say, a compliment, and we'd get out at these railroad stops, and we were so unconscious of the fact how POPULAR we were, people would be jamming the railroads. - Now what is this, a birthday?
Don and Stephen: That's a scene in one of her movies.
Minta: I remember when she left us - WHEW! ...
Stephen: This is the fellow who did the story with her, Sydney Sutherland? With Liberty magazine? That was towards the end.
Minta: Can I ask you a question? I had a man who was going to do a story and he called me one night at ten-thirty at night, and he said, "I want to find out, this man Sutherland, says, that Mabel was a dope fiend." I said, "I haven't heard anything like that before in my life." He didn't print it anyway, in his story, so maybe he said it personally, but never said it publicly. That I know of, anyway. ...
Stephen:It was a nice story, really; I'll have to get a xerox of that, too, and send it to you.
Minta: Now you're going to , where all do you have to go from here, now?
Stephen: I'm going out to dinner, I'm supposed to stop at Julia's, ...
Minta: You don't leave until -
Stephen: Saturday.
Minta: That's pretty good.
Stephen: Maybe I'll give you a call before I go, just to say goodbye, is that all right?
Minta: I'd just LOVE it. And don't forget those pictures you want to send to me, I'll be grateful for them.
Stephen: All right, I will. I'll have copies made. You'd like to have the copies sent?
Minta: Yes.
Stephen: You want Mack Sennett; you want one of Mabel, by herself, and there's another one I have, I don't have it with me here, two of them I'd like you to see, there's one, - I didn't bring them all with me, you can realize they're pretty valuable, for traveling around. And my publisher's very fussy, too. About copies and things like that. But for you, it doesn't make any difference, but I wouldn't give pictures to just anybody, see, as you know, when pictures are copied, it makes the rarity of them go down. Much less.
Minta: Yes. This Stuart Oderman that I know in New York City, rather he lives in East Orange, but I mean he plays for these museums and all, and he's so nuts about this stuff, he buys only, he pays any price, he bought a new picture of Mabel that he found out here. I don't know, I think he paid $25. for it. And things of that kind. And when you get back home, and get in touch with me, I'd like to have you get in touch with HIM. Because he likes to say (see?) things that you do, and -
Stephen: You mentioned someone else before, that saw the play with you. Who saw the play with you? Julia was telling me about another fellow that was out here.
Minta: That's Stuart Oderman. he is a teacher; his whole life is music and nostalgia and the theaters. And he has a friend by the name of Mr. Lee that was with WOR, and this man has such a collection, as you've never seen in your lifetime, and when he retired from WOR he took to his great garage and made a theater in it, and people come from all over.
Stephen: I was telling Don, if he gets to the East coast, stop by and say hello. (End of Tape REEL 6A)
