University of Virginia Library

Hard Times in Filmdom

It is a pleasure, it is delightful to hear Mrs. Sojin's naïve and quaint speech. She has a most engaging smile and her slightly high cheek bones are flushed rosily. It is she who is careful to get in the information anent her husband's ancestry and education. His family were samurai under the Princes of Date. His father was a scholar. Sojin was graduated at Waseda University. Also he learned “the arts of picture” at the Tokyo Fine Arts School. It is worth while quoting Mrs. Sojin verbatim:

“My husband meditate deep on dramatic literature. He forerun movement of young Japan. He is leader, pioneer of new movement. He produce one hundred classical and modern European plays. The name of young Sojin spreaded whole country. He influence world of new thought. Meanwhile he also write two novels which make him an excellent author. About six year ago he leave Japan abruptly. We arrive Los Angeles to study motion picture. In vain find any way into movie. So we leave abruptly and travel over snowland of Canada where we see fine auroras.

“We come back and make little magazine. It is call ‘East and West.’ This be to make Japanese understand and be friend to America. My husband create motto: ‘Super Americanization’ and he teach America always friend Japan. Meanwhile he cultivate his soul by fishing among mountain and seashore. One day at San Pedro, where he angle for tunnies, he meets with ‘Thief of Bagdad’ company. It was then he is found out by Douglas Fairbanks for Mongolian Prince. That's begin. Now every company like to have him play some part no one play so well as my husband.”