Before long, there were articles in the newspapers mentioning Colleen’s denial that she was engaged to McCormick. In fact, she was… the denials were short-lived, and the stories saw in their impending marriage a union of two great Hollywood powers. John’s ascent into the stratosphere of the First National organization was swift; he had an innate grasp of what the public was looking for from the still-new medium of motion pictures. Her own fame continued to grow. During 1922 she would be voted a WAMPAS baby star by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers; a new promotional campaign intended to signify new stars of unparalleled potential. Colleen’s popularity with the public was on the rise. That same year she signed on with First National. | Above, images from Colleen's engagement to John McCormick. Below, portrait of Colleen from "The Wallflower." All from the Jeff Codori Collection. |
By February 9th, Grace Kingsley was reporting on the rumored engagement: "COLLEEN MOORE ENGAGED TO PICTURE MAN REPORT. Rumors are busy to the effect that Cupid has made a successful onslaught on the heart of that lovely young picture star, Colleen Moore. The happy man, say the reports, is John McCormack (sic), well known picture man, connected in a high position with one of the big film concerns. While Miss Moore has been denying her engagement to the newspaper folk, she is wearing a diamond ring, the gift of Mr. McCormack, and she has confided to intimate friends that she intended to marry the picture man.
Mr. McCormack, too, has in confidential moments, let it be known that he expects to marry the beautiful young picture star.
"Devastating indeed, will be the word of her engagement to Miss Moore's many admirers, as she is personally one of the most popular stars in the business, possessing a charming Irish wit, as well as much beauty, tact and charm." 
"Come on Over," was released on at the end of February. On March 5th the Los Angeles Times reported “Film Press Men Plan Big Frolic.” ...Western Motion Picture Advertisers announced March 4th the first Wampas Frolic, to be held March 16th at the Ambassador Hotel to honor the thirteen “baby stars” predicted to become famous, among them Colleen. Victor Herbert was to return to LA to conduct the Hale Dewey Orchestra for the event. A week later Adele Rogers St. Johns reported that: “Of them all (the WAMPAS Baby Stars), I found the most honest enthusiasm, the most confident praise and prediction behind Colleen Moore.”
On May 17th the Los Angeles Times reported that Ward Lascalle planned to star Colleen in a series of films starting with “Affinities.” The film had already begun production, with the initial scenes shot at the Balboa studio with sets being built at the Ince for interiors scenes. A week later "The Wallflower" was released. "Affinities" followed four months later, but the series ever materialized. There was another trip to New York, and while there she was interviewed by Gladys Hall, of the Chicago Daily News. Portions of the interview were reprinted in "The Flapper"--Not for Old Fogies--and during the course of the interview the subject of Flapper came up (see interview in the box below). "...I found Colleen as enthusiastic for the maligned misses as most doleful individuals are against them. “’Why,’ said Colleen, with her head slightly to one side, an alert little manner, sort of characteristic of a humming bird, “Why, I’m a flapper myself!” Colleen is twenty-one, correct flapper age, at any rate—but somehow, until she mentioned it. I really hadn’t cataloged her as precisely that. Flappers don’t generally do as much as Colleen, and they are more blasé—about the subway. “’A flapper,’ Colleen went on, with wisdom, ‘is just a little girl trying to grow up—in the process of growing up. “’She wears flapper clothes out of a sense of mischief—because thinks them rather “smart” and naughty. And what everyday, healthy, normal little girl doesn’t sort of like to be smart and naughty? “’Little Lady Flapper is really old-fashioned; but in her efforts not to let anyone discover that her true ideal is love-in-a-cottage, she “flaps” in the most desperately modern manner. “’Left to her own devices she would probably dance and flirt just as girls have always done—but honest, I don’t think she’d wear her skirts so short! “’She likes her freedom, and she likes to be a bit daring, and snap her cunning, little manicured fingers in the face of the world; but fundamentally she is the same sort of girl as grandmamma was when she was young. “’The chief difference is that she has more ambition, and there are more things for her to wish for, and a greater chance of getting them. “’She demands more of men because she knows more about their work. “’She uses lipstick and powder and rouge because, like every small girl, she apes her elders. “’She knows more of life then than her mother did at the same age because she sees more of it. “’She knows what she wants and what she is what she is doing, all of the time—and she meets life with a small and an eager, ardent hope. She’s a trim little craft and brave! “’The flapper has charm, good looks, good clothes, intellect and a healthy point of view. I’m proud to “flap”—I am!'” |
In December, the films "Foresaking All Others," "The Nine and Ninety," and "Broken Chains" were released a week apart each: on the 10th, the 17th, and the 24th. They were produced (in order) by Universal, Vitagraph, and Goldwyn Pictures. She still had not found a home studio, and that no doubt contributed to the failure of her career to get some traction. After five years in thebusiness, she had hoped to be further along then she was. She had a talent, there was no doubt abou that. She was a hard worker and had a strong fan base. However, the stardom she sought still eluded her.
January 1923 saw the company of Boni & Liveright at 61 West 48th Street publish the book “Flaming Youth,” by "Warner Fabian," a pseudonym for Samuel Hopkins Adams. Adams said he had based the book on the diaries of “a young friend,” and the book took that general format: an older, respectable man recounting in an almost diary form the events that swirled around a family of three modern women and their father after the death of their mother. It was an unorthodox lifestyle the family lived, not at all what the American public expected of the upper classes: parties and drinking and petting, the daughters and their various lovers, and a degree of drama. It was filled with some hot stuff, showed the younger generation not only doing everything the public had hear whispers about, but enjoying it all. It was a topical book, encapsulating the mood of the moment, and that was the sort of material that Liveright liked. The book was a sensation, scandalous. It shocked reader who nevertheless could not put the book down. Everyone wondered who "Warner Fabian" was, and the mystery around his identity became part of the marketing of the book. First National picked up the rights to the book right away: they wanted to start production on a film version right away to capitalize on the still-flaming sensation.
