The Washington times., 1914-04-25
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
Acting on Stage Is
Different Thing
to Work in
Photoplay.

Is there any difference between
acting before the camera and on the
stage? And does the stage star make
good as a photoplayer. technically?
These questions have been suS-
gested by a reader Of the discus
sion Of the stege and the screen
stars In this column Thursday after
noon, and seem particularly peril
nent to the subject. We have been
told by persons in position to know
that acting before the motion picture
camera is an entirely different thing
from acting on the stage. Recently
we published an interview with an
actress who touched on the matter
lightly. We have been able to secure
a statement of the conditions that
exist both on the stage and in the
motion picture studio from e. K.
Lincoln, once a well-known actor.
who was later one Of the Vitagraph
leading men and is now leading man
for the Photoplay Productions Com
pany. Mr.. Lincoln has recently
been engaged in playing the lead in
the film version Of ''The Littlest
Rebel" which has just been finished.
He believes the technique Of playing
for the pictures is entirely different
from the stage.
while I do not wish to decry the
work of legitimate stars in any
way" said Mr.. Lincoln. their ap-
pearance in motion pictures has i'm
pressed on me the fact that often :
times q very smart person may not
understand another's business. The.
art of the photoplay differs from
that Of the stage. Even making
up Is done differently, for Instance.
Then the working lines must be un-
derstood. Playing before the cam
era Is far different from playing be-
fore an audience. To get the best
results one must have experience
and have studied.
'That is my opinion. and have
made an exhaustive study Of this
phase of the producing end OF the
motion picture industry. Take our
first production. The Littlest
Rebel Naturally We want to do
1t in the best possible way. After
studying the work on the screen OF
players who have made a success
as motion-picture players, and OF
the players whose regulations have
been gained by work on the speak
ing stage. we decided to make up
our cast Of persons experienced in
the silent drama
zone great difference between
motion-picture players and those Of
speaking stage Is that the first must
be primarily actors or actresses.
while the latter are often readers Of
lines. The speaking voice covers a
multitude Of sins on the speaking
stage. 1t cannot do SO in motion
pictures. The player on the screen
has but two methods of conveying
thoughts; expression and pantomime.
He learns these. He becomes n mas
ter Of the art, and enlarges upon his
vehicles till they are sufficient. The
player on the speaking stage relies
all too often on a quaver of the voice
to convey pathos or mirth, and other
tricks Of the trade. which are OF no
use in pictures. The use OF the
Speaking voice differentiates between
the two very largely.
blanche Bates, the emotional ac-
tress, for one. knows this. I was in
terested in O recent speech Of hers
of acting. Preserve your speaking
voice she said. Tt IS all that stands
between is and the motion-picture
players. II 1t is not worth the extra
two dollars, what is to become of
u.s. Miss Bates was right in that
the speaking voice does stand be-
tween the two. And which n player
from the speaking stage comes to
pictures where his silver throat does
him no good. he is rs handicapped
as n whist player would he II his
hand was stripped of all its trump
cards.
"On the other hand, the folks who
have been playing IN pictures know
Just what is required OF them. The
camera catches exactly what they
want It to catch. They know what
photographs we'll and what does not.
and they enlarge on the one and en-
Il, alirnixa ta 10