Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-15


the ANTIQUARIAN or the literary
~ critic is. after all. the normal
Shakespeare The appeal in the
poets own day was directly to the peo-
pie, In competition with bear batting and
other sports of a distinctly unscholarly
nature. Every device that could impress
the imagination was utilized. A constant
change of locale brought to attention
coasts, woodlands. mountain wilds land
ecape gardens. palaces and market places.
Fancy was ever on the alert. and the
tradition that scenery was not used is by
no means fully accepted. The word
imagery I'm the text is on a scale Of opu-
1ence commensurate with the pictorial
suggestion in the plots. 1t is all an I'M
paralleled array of creative splendor
whose foremost purpose was not the in
struction but the entertainment Of the
crowd.
1t is this physical rather than the psy-
Geological side of Shakespeare that the
Sothern- Marlowe productions exploit The
revelations of delicate grace or sublime
philosophy in the words are allowed to
assert themselves by their own intrinsic
force. Their beauty is eternal and can
not be lost, but the mechanism for play
presentation requires close watching to
prevent halt in the smoothness Of its
running. In the delivery Of the speeches
by both Mr.. Sothern and Miss Marlowe
there is careful emphasis, and there is an
elaborate attention to the details of &C
ton known to stagecraft as business
Every point that has to do with the plot
or the customs Of the period is carefully
and Enthusiastically made. To witness one
Of these performances is like getting the
benefit of the foot notes along with the
repetition of the text.
The outbursts of passion and the care
full tone management that made the read
ing of lines vocalization rather than ar
ticulation such as have marked great in
dividual successes in the Interpretation of
Shakespeare, are less compelling than a
consistent, we'll proportioned production,
In which details are closely and studious-
1y managed 1t is intellectually rather
than personality which makes a great
popular success of an enterprise such
as that upon which these two eminent
players are now engaged. Two weeks Of
Shakespeare in a city of Washington's
census rating is a record rejecting credit
both on the performances and on public
spontaneous tribute to the sincere scholar
ship of Mr.. Sothern and to the delicate
yet forceful charm which distinguishes
Miss Marlowe's art as a player
Explanation of why actors who are
supposed 10 expire at the close of a
tragic scene respond to curtain calls
immediately after: Responding to a
crrrr aiy nnn ic MI r4r,- 80
to heaven.
1t was not Louisiana Lou that came
breezing into the New National Theater
1t was Chicago Lou; buxom and ro-
bustly joyous. Mr.. Alexander Carr il
one of those interesting figures in the
stage world. the musical comedy
tragedian. He is student of the same
dialect and the same methods that de-
veloped Louis Mann and David War
field. His work has a subtle, serious
undercurrent, and is at the same time
humorous. He brings an element of re-
pose into the cyclone of fun. He Is
like Shylock on holiday. relapsing now
and then into the sentimentaiism with
which the big-hearted. sympathetic
west is unwilling to dispense even in its
frivolous diversions.
There are two words that exercise
potent charm in the popular mind.
Girl" and Home" The Girl from
this place or that has been a dashing
figure in musical plays too many to
be counted. And Home, Sweet Home"
in spite Of rivalry In martial song,
comes pretty near being our national
anthem. even though the opera in which
1t was introduced is well nigh forgot.
The Man from Home is the modern ex-
ample of the appeal which seems to
attach to the word, and THE Old
Homestead" Is a stanch and steadfast
witness to the power of the sweetest
and simplest idealism to awaken In
terest regardless OF the variegated
competition of skirts and syncopation.
PHILANDER JOHNSON.
NATURE COLORsIMOTION PIC
TURES.-'I didn't know anything more
about color photography than a rabbit
knows about shaving" remarked Charles
Urban, the inventor Of the kinemacolor
picture producer.
II got In touch with Mr.. Turner, who
bad been a pupil of Sanger Shepherd of
eolor photography fame. He wanted to
Investigate the possibilities Of the three
eolor process with kinematography and
I supplied him with apparatus. films and
money for experimental work, but he
eied before we discovered 1t could be
made a commercial success
II then took II up with a chap named
Albert Smith. who liked photographic ex-
periments. Then followed a story OF the
experiments and the disbursements
until success was achieved.
The hnemacolor camera. as finally
worked out" he said, is similar to that
Used for black and white work. except
That IL Is built to run at twice the speed
-thirty-two instead OF sixteen exposures
, second It's essential difference Is that
II has a rotary color filter placed be
tween the lens and the shutter. This
bitter consists OF an aluminium skeleton
Wheel having one segment filled in with
green dyed geatine and tho other with
red 1t 10 SO geared that the exposures
bre made through the two filters alter
hately.
Tho negative films consist Of images In
pairs. ono being the record of the red
md the other Of the green in the object
photographed. In the kinemacolor pro-
lector the two pictures are not superim-
posed on the screen at the same mo-
ment. but the picture Is projected first