Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-28

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Speaking Of the moving picture. Davi
Beiasco, Americas foremost dramati
producer, says;
Probably the two greatest popular
izing elements Of the motion picture
for the general public are It's speed
and its scope. One reel OF picturest
projected in the space Of about 10
minutes. includes more action tnan
the people who posed In the picture
could possibly present themselves be-
fore the same audience In the course
OF an entire evening. And the scope
OF this same reel" may be OF almost
incredible magnitude without being
either confusing or inconsistent
Wherever tho story travels the seem
cry travels, too, simply as the normal
setting OF the narrative. The action
need not be forced TO 1T the locale,
for everything the human eye can
ever see Is food also for the eye OF
the camera, which sees once and reg
listers forever.
The human pantomimlc art, either
in its strictly dramatic phases or In
the gulse Of interpretatlve dancing
with complex musical accompani-
ments, has been for the most part an
attraction only to limited audiences
OF especially appreclative people. But
the silent drama Of the screen-per-
fectly clear and Ineligible even TO
the child--is the most all-embracing
form Of theatrical entertainment ever
discovered Just as Il is the one form
of entertainment worthy OF respect
which can be offered to the most peo-
pie at the minimum Of admission
charge.
A most wonderful recent motion
picture Improvement has been the
manner In which numerous titles
or printed explanations are being
eliminated. so that now whole "acts"
are almost entirely silent in respect
TO the printed word as well as the
spoken word. As scenario men be-
come moro skilled In making the Sc
quence of action self-explanatory. and
as the public becomes more accus-
toned to read without words, It is not
impossible that "sub-tltles' may be
done away with almost entirely.
Silence seems to me such natural
attribute OF the moving picture-eH-
cept for the welcome relief of appro-
pirate muslc-that the efforts to syn
chronize pictures and Photographic
voice records is not, to my mind, Of
special Importance.
Is not to my mind any Commercial
concession" The art OF the screen
has risen far above that stigma. 1t
is the means of making the works OF
lifetime reach hundreds of thou
sands OF people never before included
in the audience of these productions:
a means of reaching the four ends OF
the earth and all the peoples of the
globe in the silent but intensely strong
language OF the actions that speak
louder than words.
George D. Baker. director of Vita
'raph comedies, was real trooper In
lis dim and misty past. His latest story
ellis how he extracted blood from a
tone, in the guise of a hard-hearted
mall-town opera house manager, to en-
bile him to play a Christmas date.
Mr.. Baker was manager and star of a
mall rep" company touring Indian and
Oklahoma Territories. playing mostly
stands, when the usual slump
n the theatrical business preceding the
christmas holidays found the company
n a bad plight. The day before Christ
mas the company arrived in a small town
n Indian Territory, with one 5-cent-piece
o It's credit, the said nickel reposing
Dnesomely in the pocket OF Mr.. Baker.
SuSineSs was unusually Dau IN tnls par
icular town. and the local manager,
ensing something wrong, disappeared be-
ore counting-up time, leaving his treas
rer TO settle with. the company. The
ross receipts totaled $25.65, of which Mr..
,aker's share was sl9.24, but when he
ried to collect the money he was pre-
ented with Sl9.2 OF receipted bills, in
luding amounts for extra advertising,
! o. D. printing. baggage hauling, etc.
nd Mr.. Baker left the theatre with the
ickel with which, some two hours be-
ore, he had entered 1t.
Bright and early the next morning a
till hunt was instituted for the local
ianager and upon being found. an hour
( pleading and many howery promises
enough money to pay pressing
otel bills and the railroad fare to the
ext town, but the local theatrical mag
ate insisted on sending the baggage
!. o. D., in care of the railroad company.
vhen Mr.. Baker alighted from the train
/ the town where they were to play on
hristmas day the first person he met
'as the manager of the opera house.
Iardly waiting to say how-de-do. the
zeal manager entertained Mr.. Baker with
proposition to buy the two perform
nces outright. and the day was saved.