The Washington times., 1914-10-02
THE BEST
Photopldy Department in
WASHINGTON
lax" First Famous
Photoplher To
Be Killed in
War.

Nar is beginning to take its toll of
( motion picture fraternity. From
II . to time dispatches find their
y to the newspapers telling the
5 ny of the death or woCnding af
: ne well-knoWn actor or director.
&. TX Linder is the latest victim of
4 war, according TO dispatch from
ance. He was serving in the army
d lost his life in the trenches
a ong the Aisnc. If the news is cor
t. the moving pictures have lost
= ObabIy their best-known character.
lax" as he was known to the pat
7 ms of photoplays throughout the
y prld. has probably c nterta.nad
more people than any individual ac-
tor i'm history. While this sounds like
very extravagant statement. in
CIV of the few appearances Max"
las made in the screen in this cour-
lately. it must be understood that
I ere is not a town or hamlet in the
nited States where he has not been
seen and is not known, and that
hat is true of the United States is
1 ruc of the entire world
The first moving picture program
TIE editor of this column ever saw
Crutained a photoplay in which
lax was the central figure. and
that was thousands of miles from
tie borders of the United States.
Tie Max" films were circulated
~oughout the world more literally
/ an any other film showing a par
ular star. He was the first of
at might be called the light
medians of the screen. and n"
J ubably was the peer of them all.
lis methods were direct and con-
y ncing. and his comedy was clean
= 4 wholesome.
Max" was a product of the Paris
: &C. and fell naturally into motion
Iaoture work after working as an
d tor. He was a pantomimist, as
Y re most OF the French screen ar
I IS. but he was also a straight
in legitimate drama. III
to motion pictures he created the
hit comedy type and rapidly be-
, q me the leading figure of the Pathe
. rCes. He was probably better
. lowp to the screen patrons than
any character on the screen. The
50 ories which he acted before the
mcra were all written about his
n ppGT ptTSOT1lllN- ne Il
q -ector of pictures a few months
, o. and has appeared in fewer PLAYS
5 nee that time than at any time
= nee the Pathe company started.
TAnder was said to be the best paid
6 -tist in motion picture work. He
received a high salary. and was also
raid a commission or royalty on GER
tain films produced by his company.
Another way in which the war is
becoming very apparent to motion
picturc patrons is in the release OF
C'd films by foreign companies. Re-
~ ntlv in this city a French film ap-
peaHed which purported TO show a
scene at a race course near Paris.
and IL must have been made eight or
ten years ago, according to the style
of clothing that was wCrn by the
It was a topical film and
not A story, so there was really no
~ cuse for the showing of the film
,s q modern product. 1t is probable
at n number of foreign films will
>own in the same way from time
time. and exhibitors should be
,reful in exhibiting them. There
Mt the slightest doubt but that
me Of the foreign film plays that
ave been exhibited in this country
IrinS the last seven or eight years
ill bear reissue, as they represent
no highest type of photography and
ting. but there is no excuse for
he exhibition of topical film under
p current date line which was made
"srs ago. G. N.