The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-04-23
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
Photoplayers M ore
Popular on Film
Than Stars of
the Stage.

tIC OluSe.
While the play MAJ be the thing
IN the theater, just like Shakespeare
ssid-it is the player in the photo
play house.
The photoplayers are building up
Q clientele of their own in such pc
Dertions that the tendency has al
ready threatened the popularity of
the recognized stars OF the stage?
This is a rather odd situation in the
amusement business. which recent
events have suggested. 1t seems to
be the fact that a very large por-
ton Of the people who patronize the
motion pictures do not recognize the
hne qualities OF the big theatrical
stars who are going into the bust
ness above those of the film fav-
critics. The names of people. like
King Baggott, Mary Pickford, Ar
thur johnson, Earle Williams, Marc
MacDermott, Miriam Nesbitt, Alice
Joyce, Mary Fuller draw crowds
that Mrs. Fiske, Dustin Farnum,
Edmund Breeze. James O'Neil, Ed
ward Abeles, John Barrymore fail
TO attract. This does not mean that
people have not come in droves to
see the big stage stars. But they
have not come IN such droves as
10 make II any particular advantage
fer the exhibitor to get these films.
An exhibitor told us a day or two
ago that he could ill his house
mid ~
OF times in a day with King Bag
soft than he could with Dustin Far
mum. He has had Doth and claims
10 know what he is talking about
The statements he makes have a
ring of truth about them II is only
reasonable to suppose that people
who have become accustomed 20
seeing King Baggott in photoplays.
and who know what an extraordi-
narily magnetic personality this
young actor has, would prefer see
ing him in something they knew
would be entertaining be cause he
vas a part of it than an actor or
actress whose sole reputation lay in
the way the play shown had been
done on the legitimate stage
IL rs this exhibitors opinion that IL
The big theatrical managers want to
get their plays patronIzed to the ca
pacity houses showing them, 1t
would be well to produce them with
photoplayers rather than stage stars
until the stage stars have made
sood on the screen. He cited the case
o. Mary Pickford in Caprice" This
IS play that was once in Mrs
F1skes repertoire. when 1t was pro-
Guced before the camera Mary Pick
FORD was chosen for Mrs. Fishes
part. Now IL two theaters were to
show the same thing. one done by
Mrs. Fiske and the other by Mary
ttckforo, there isn't any doubt IN
The mind of our exhibitor friend that
Miss Pickford would draw the crowd.
Of course this has never been done
the nearest thing to it was the
showing of Caprice in one thea
ter an Tess of the d'Urbervi,les
IN another near by. Mary Pickford
drew the largest crowds then-but
the character of the play may have
had something to do with it.
Il is probably this condition of
things that has led the theatrical
firm of Liebler & Co 10 provide
Tor the staging of the big plays
they own by photoplayer stars. Thus
II The Christian" instead of Viola
Allen as Glory" there was Edith
Storey in the big part and Earle
WIIJjsrns as John Stor1n''-two well
recognized and well liked photoplay-
ers whose sole reputation with the
great mass of the moving picture
enthusiasts lies in the work they
have done for the film, and not
what they may have done on the
stage II is true that most OF the
big photoplay stars were at one
annfhaT The TeEu Al
stage. Sidney Drew is one of the
few who will be remembered as
being in both forms of Amusement
although Mr. Drew will probaoy
admit that he has made more
friends since he began with the NOV
In pictures than he ever had on the
stage. Mary Pickford, Baggott- Mac
Dermott. Alice Joyce, Kathlyn VIII
Iiams-practicalIy ali of the big peo-
pie in the pictures-were once on
the regular stage. Miss Plckford
was brought UP on the StaSe0'e'
people are all theatrical people. Au-
gustus Philips was once popular
ieadin, man in a stock company in
New York. Maurice Costello was
also a stock leading man in Ne"
Work Edith Storey is best rerneh-
bered for her work in Mrs: VICES
~ the Cabbage Patch The ISL
could he extended indefinitely.
lsnoyY ANYTHING about these chapters
n the lives of the photOplLyers. Al
thsv know or care about rs the tAct
that the photoplayers are whai tnt.
are now And { Is propable thaL II
Arthur johnson had plaHeo Inc nc
Squaw Man: King E@SgoII:
Count Of Monte Cristo; Wall!e van
"Rrewster's Millions or Mary fu'-
ler Tess Of the d'Urbervilies.' the
interest I'm these plays would nave
been greater 10 the regular patrons
Of the rhot0plav theaters.
II that part of the public Is To be
.-ducated 10 the point OF patronizinS
plays Of this sort, our exHibi or
friend IL authority for the statement
that the plays must carry well
recognized screen star in the prlnci-
nal part. He admits that the plays
are considerably better Than the
usual run of photoplays. But he
contends-and with some degree OF
iustice-there is no reason why ne
should be compelled TO pay out the
large rentals necessary 20 secure
these firms, rentals that sometimes
90 as high as 500 per day per MIN:
Ehfle The public is being educated
In other words our exhibitors obJccI
20 being compelled to pay for the
education of the public when the
benefits GO somewhere else And The
exhibitor IL perfectly right in so do
ing.
The fact cannot be Sn1.ed that
the appearance OF recogn - theatri-
cal stars on the Sim has led many
persons to see IN the pho:oplay some
thing more than freak. and has
been a tremend JUS influence for good
in the film business. The class of
people who have become the most
important factors in the patronage
of the photorIav theater Is tire same
as the class 'LcS patronizes the local
stock cornDa MES. These people are
OF interested in the play so much rs