The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-29

II the question was put TO luo peopie
as to what is the most popular amuse-
ment in America today 80 of the answers
would probably be:
1.-THE moving picture show
=. 1t would seem as IL everything under
| the sun has been photographer for the
fims-and those that haven't must be
the next victims-so that there is no
excuse for anybody-even the people who
live in the most remote villages (for
there's a picture show everywhere) not
to be up on every subject, musical.
dramatic, legendary, historical. fictional.
| NEUROLOGICAL, and everything else imagin-
able
| The moving picture show has come to
be recognized as a great educational fac
| tor in modern civiization-especially 50.
| when Les Miserables,' "Quo Vadis T"
| "oliver Twist" and other great novels
have been dramahzed and presented in
the most graphic and beautiful manner.
| Another thing
| If you have failed to meet the Man
Behind the Picture Show" you've missed
an opportunity, for some of the most
1
country have become affiliated with the
business and have made a study of these
pictures.
! Particularly is this true In the case of
Mr.. Howard Herrick, who is with LES
Miserables," which is being presented
over at the Majestic this week.
| Mr.. Herrick is an ex-newspaper man,
clever, versatile and bright
| He knows all the big people of the
country has interviewed and writ
ten them up until he knows the game
| by heart
| His work on various papers has brought
him a distinguished reputation, and 1t is
well worth "the price of admission" to
have him tell you the thrilling experience
he had when he was trying on one oc-
casion to extract and "interview" from
no less a celebrity than Mr.. Rudyard
Kiplng-who, by the way, is one of that
variety who is the despair of the news
paper mana person who won't be in
terviewed.
From the newspaper business Mr.. Her.
"and as was rather curious to know
why he had affiliated himself with the
moving picture shows. I asked him, in a
most entertaining little chat I had with
| him, yesterday.
"That question is easily answered" Mr.
Herrick replied "The moving picture
| shows have become the most important
and ubiquitous form of amusement in
| the world today. At first the manager
| of the legitimate scoffed at the idea
thought 1t was a joke-but now such peo-
pie as Klaw & Erlanger-the biggest pro-
ducers in the world-have been drawn
into its meshes, and have gone into the
| business with a vim and Zeal worthy of
their great ability. The reason that
nearly every man has for choosing a
profession is a commercial one-naturally.
During the time l managed the London
and New York production of THE Pink
Lady, when Hazel Dawn, 'dawned upon
the public, pink and pulchritudinous as
Mr.. Alan Dale expressed it, also Marie
Dressler, Virginia Harmed and Ernst Won
Pogsart. who, by the way. is the greatest
actor | have ever seen, I began to look
into the merits OF the picture show
| noticed when I was with Miss Dressler
that every spare moment she had and all
the spare change she could find she spent
on. moving picture shows. She and Mad
anne Tettrazni are very close friends, and
they frequent the picture shows more
than anybody l know. If they were so
much interested why shouldn't / be-
thought there must be something in them
toSattract the attention of these two stars
and when | began my investigations, the
first thing that / found out was that
like the picture shows abroad, certain
theatres in America were being given
over entirely to f1naire show productions
The prices were Acknowledgment like they
have in Paris, however, for there the
Gaumont people, for instance. have a
theatre at which they charge 81 for the
best seats.
"And what occasioned the sudden ad
vance in prices" asked.
Formerly, just any sort of cheap actor
could get a position with the movies" Z"
was the answer but as the picture
shows became more artistic, the stand
ard became higher better salaries were
offered, the best actors in the country
We're taking 1t up, the scenery and the
costuming-in fact everything of that
sort was on a more elaborate scale, as
the best pictures were produced. and that
of course necessitated an advance In
II prices"
II Mr.. Herrick continued Lees Miserables
II is the outcome on the film of Quo
Vads In><this way: There has always
been the keenest rivalry between the
French and Italian people. Witness
II Rernhardt and Duse-their greatest ac-
tresses When Quo Vadis was pur-
hased by the Italians, the French theatri-
cal people were determined to to be out
done, so they chose what they consider
\ the greatest of French novels and drama
tized it in the most magnificent manner.
LES Miserables had its first legitimate