Editing Mervyn LeRoy (section)

== Early Hollywood career: technician and actor: 1919–1923 ==
[[File:Mervyn Le Roy.jpg|thumb|LeRoy in the early–mid 1920s]]
LeRoy accepted a bit role in a scene with former [[The Perils of Pauline (1914 serial)|''The Perils of Pauline'']] (1914) star [[Pearl White]] filmed at [[Fort Lee, New Jersey]]. LeRoy was "thoroughly intrigued" by the filmmaking process, recalling: "I knew I was finished with vaudeville. I knew, just as positively that I wanted to get into the movie business."<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 p. 42: DeRoy, playing a delivery boy, describes the scene, in which "the Chinese man...picked me up and threw me over the railing" filmed in Fort Lee, NJ</ref><ref>Flint, 1987: "At the age of 23 [sic], he got a bit part in a movie in Fort Lee, N.J., and became intrigued by film directing. (Correction: age is 19, not 23: The only Fort Lee, NJ film acting in was a Pearl White feature [possibly ''[[The Lightning Raider]]'' (1919)] in 1919, the year LeRoy turned 19 in October.)</ref>

In October 1919, LeRoy, just turned 19, approached his cousin [[Jesse L. Lasky]], a former vaudevillian who was twenty years his senior. Lasky was a partner with rising movie moguls [[Samuel Goldwyn]] and [[Adolph Zukor|Adolf Zukor]] at its New York headquarters at [[Famous Players–Lasky]]. Lasky furnished LeRoy with note to the employment department at their Hollywood studios. A week later LeRoy began working in the Wardrobe Unit folding costumes for the American Civil War picture [[Secret Service (1919 film)|''Secret Service'']] (1919), earning $12.50 a week.<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 p. 49</ref><ref>Barson, 2020: "His cousin Jesse Lasky helped him get a job folding costumes at Famous Players–Lasky in 1919, and from there he ascended from lab technician to assistant cameraman. LeRoy managed a parallel career as an actor, often playing juveniles in films from 1922 to 1924."</ref>

According to film historian Kingley Canham, LeRoy's "enthusiasm, energy and push", in addition to a further appeal to Jesse Lasky, earned LeRoy promotion to lab technician in the [[film tinting]] unit.<ref>Canham, 1976 p. 134: sequence of promotions at studio.</ref><ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 p. 49 pay rate $12.50/week And p. 51 re: LeRoy's appeal to Lasky for promotion.</ref>

LeRoy's next advancement was achieved through his own initiative.<ref>Wood, 2009 TMC: "nepotism didn't allow [LeRoy] a free ride... Over the course of eight years, he proved himself capable of any number of jobs, including assistant cameraman, wardrobe assistant, color-tinter in the film lab, comedy writer, and bit player."</ref> Discovering that director [[William DeMille]] wished to create an illusion of moonlight shimmering on a lake to produce a romantic effect, LeRoy devised a technique in the lab:

{{blockquote | I had an idea. That night I stayed late in the lab...I got a big wooden box about twelve feet square and lined it with tar paper. Then I filled it with distilled water...I got a spotlight and carefully set it up so the light played upon the surface of the water...I took one of the studio's [[Pathé]] cameras, found a supply of raw film and shot some five-thousand feet of my pseudo-moonlight-on-the-water.<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 p. 52</ref>}}

Despite LeRoy suffering a stern reprimand, DeMille was delighted with the effect and used the footage in the film. LeRoy was immediately promoted to assistant cameraman.<ref>Canham, 1976 p. 134: LeRoy "perfecting a shot of moonlight on the water for a William Demille film [and] offered a chance at an assistant cameraman.</ref><ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 p. 52: DeMille called LeRoy "a genius."</ref>

After six months behind the camera, LeRoy experienced a disastrous ''contretemps'' when he improperly adjusted the camera focus settings, ruining footage on several scenes on a DeMille production. LeRoy describes it as "a horrible mess" which led to his dismissal in 1921 as cameraman.<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 p. 54-55: LeRoy: "I thought I was finished in the [film] business."</ref><ref>Canham, 1976 p. 134: Canham reports that LeRoy "tired" of his work on the camera and returned to vaudeville "but within a year returned to Hollywood as a juvenile [film] actor...and attended night school in the evenings..." And p. 166: "...spent six months as an assistant cameraman in 1921."</ref>

LeRoy was soon hired as an extra on [[Cecil B. DeMille]]'s 1923 epic [[The Ten Commandments (1923 film)|''The Ten Commandments'']]<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 pp. 55-56, p. 59: LeRoy: "horrible mess" And: "...immediately hired" as an extra by DeMille..."I had no major responsibilities..." And p. 60: LeRoy reports he "decided to continue with acting for a while: after his work as an extra for ''The Ten Commandments''.</ref> LeRoy credits Cecil B. DeMille, for inspiring him to become a director: "As the top director of the era, DeMille had been the magnet that had drawn me to his set as often as I could go."<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 p. 59: "I learned much about the handling of crowds from my experience on ''The Ten Commandments''...I kept my eyes open and watched the Master [DeMille]...at work."</ref><ref name=Tibbetts>Tibbetts, John C. ed. ''American Classic Screen Profiles'', Scarecrow Press (2010) p. 175</ref> LeRoy also credits DeMille for teaching him the directing techniques required to make his own films.<ref name=Tibbetts />

LeRoy worked intermittently in small supporting roles in film during the early 1920s. The youthful and diminutive LeRoy (at {{convert|5|ft|7|in|cm|disp=sqbr}} and just over {{convert|115|lb|kg|disp=sqbr}}) was consistently cast in juvenile roles.<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 p. 41: At age 22 "I still looked like a teenager..."And: p. 52: "...somewhere between 115-120 pounds..." in his youth. And: p. 65: "...short enough to play a jockey..." according to [[Jack L. Warner|Jack Warner]], who cast him as a jockey in Little Johnny Jones (1930). And p. 92: p. 92: In 1930, he was down to "120 pounds or so..."</ref><ref>Flint, 1987: "The movie maker was a short (5 feet 7 1/2 inches)..."</ref> appearing with film stars [[Wallace Reid]], [[Betty Compson]] and [[Gloria Swanson]] (See Film Chronology table) He performed his last role in [[The Chorus Lady (1924 film)|''The Chorus Lady'']] (1924) as "Duke".<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 p. pp. 60-61: And p. 54: LeRoy reports chauffeuring Betty Compson to her social events, but shunning him as an escort.</ref><ref>Canham, 1976 p. 166: Canham does not know film titles for "1920" films with Swanson and Compson. Played with Wallace in ''[[Double Speed]]'' (1920)</ref>

=== Gag writer (comedy constructor) and Alfred E. Green, 1924–1926 ===

During the filming of [[The Ghost Breaker (1922 film)|''The Ghost Breaker'']] (1922), bit actor LeRoy suggested a number of humorous skits, which were incorporated into the picture by director [[Alfred E. Green]]. Green offered him a position as "gag man". LeRoy recalled:

{{blockquote |I didn't have to think twice. That was what I wanted—a chance to be in on the creative aspect of movie-making. It wasn't directing, but it was getting closer. It was inventing, not interpreting...I abandoned my acting career with no regrets.<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 pp. 67-68</ref>}}

While working at [[First National Pictures]], LeRoy wrote gags for comedienne [[Colleen Moore]] in several films, including [[Sally (1925 film)|''Sally'']] (1925), [[The Desert Flower (film)|''The Desert Flower'']] (1925), ''[[We Moderns]]'' (1925) and [[Ella Cinders (film)|''Ella Cinders'']] (1926). LeRoy served as acting advisor and confidant to Moore. In 1927, her husband [[John McCormick (producer)|John McCormick]], studio head at First National in Hollywood, asked LeRoy to direct Moore in a version of ''[[Peg O' My Heart]]''. When the project was cancelled, studio president [[Richard A. Rowland]], with Moore advocating, authorized LeRoy to direct a comedy, [[No Place to Go (1927 film)|''No Place to Go'']], starring [[Mary Astor]] and [[Lloyd Hughes (actor)|Lloyd Hughes]] and launching LeRoy's filmmaking career at age twenty-seven.<ref>LeRoy and Kleiner, 1974 pp. 169-173: personal and professional relationship with Colleen Moore. And: 75-76: first directorial assignment</ref><ref>Canham, 1976 p. 135 And: p. 167</ref><ref>Barson, 2020: "LeRoy moved behind the scenes, writing gags (and sometimes more) for such Colleen Moore pictures as ''Sally'' (1925), ''Ella Cinders'' (1926), and ''Twinkletoes'' (1926)."</ref>