forced him and his associates to abandon the production of films." Silks and Saddles was John K. Wells's big opportunity. Wells wrote, directed, co-edited, and produced the picture. The movie featured Wells's wife Brownie Vernon and Robert MacKinnon. They set the film in the world of horse racing. The newly formed Australian company, Commonwealth Pictures, and The Carroll Brothers provided funding of £5,600 (approximately $250,000 in today's money) to finance the movie. The film was released on March 5, 1921, and garnered good reviews. The film would eventually gross £50,000 (over two million in today's U.S. money). The Americanized version of the movie was renamed Queen o' Turf or Queen of the Turf and released in the United States on April 16, 1922. The film is one of the rare Australian silent movies to survive today. Marriage Agnes Vernon married John K. Wells in 1921. They remained for 27 years. Before her marriage to Wells, her engagement with Abe Duce made headlines in 1915. Abe Deuce Abe Deuce was a special writer for the Newspaper Enterprise Association. In 1915 he hatched a plan for a new series of feature stories. He planned to meet various young movie starlets, get to know them, propose marriage, and write detailed stories about his experiences after rejection. — Abe Deuce writes a letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Record (see insert). The editor assigns the task to a staff writer, and she drives Deuce to the Universal lot. She introduces him to a publicity manager — Don Meany. Meany is sympathetic to his pursuit and states he will introduce him to two ingenues tomorrow. — Abe's first article is a 1300-word installment describing his introduction to -year-old actress Brownie Vernon and -year-old actress Helen Leslie. — — Abe is introduced to -year-old actress Ella Hall and -year-old actress Cleo Madison. — Abe is introduced to -year-old actress Signe Auen. — After her acceptance, Deuce roused his jeweler out of bed and purchased a diamond ring. On January 18, The Seattle Times claims it was love at first sight and now they will marry. By the last week in January 1915, the official engagement announcement appeared in national newspapers and trade publications. In the next couple of months, Abe not only gives Vernon a diamond ring, but he also buys her a roadster since the teenager does not have a car. It is