Evening star., 1914-08-16


up competey-for the good of all concerned.
(Which brings to another phase of dramatic art.
The expoites of this class of play held that was right
and proper present dramas of this character because
what was shown true. Never was statement more
falacous The fact that certain things exist no reason
at all for showing them on the stage.
aDo you remember the retort of W. s. Gilbert the
brettist on this very subject? AS recoect it. Gilbert
arguing with man who had just dranatlzed GER
tain book Gilbert held that much that was in the book
unfit for stage presentation
alt is one thing said the librettist, to write of
situation and put it in book form, and quite another
thing to present it on the stage.
al can't the difference said his friend II 1t
all right in book, it must be all right on the stage
Give sentence from this book for instance, that
wouldn't be all right on the stage.
"Gbert, to whom the book was familiar, rapidly ran
through the pages and then paused at passage This,
take it. he said, is all right in book; but I'd hardly
answer for its stage presentation Listen: Mary
rapidly threw off her clothes and jumped into the tub
Warheld chuckled at the Gibertian wit. Then he
said, "The book and the play remind of tale that
l don't think has been told. Forbes Robertson,
you know, has achieved sterling success in eromes
The Passing of the Third Floor Back. Jerome wrote
it first in story FORM and it was published simultane-
ously in England and America. Well, when was play
ing The Music Master, Jerome came to Belasco with
the play that he'd fashioned from his story Beasco
much impressed and passed it on to me. kept 1t
for three months
II saw the wondrous beauty in The Passing of the
Third Floor Back; but reasoned that the principal
role in it and The Music Master were much alke,-
the simplicity and gentleness of character, the
selfeacement and meekness, the great desire to
do good the patient effort to help Others. If put on
a new play wanted to create character. Then,
oo there greater acting possibilities the role OF
Won Barwg than in the stranger So decided to con-
tnue in The Music Master and sent the play back to
Jerome Forbes Robertson accepted it at and the
wonderful that the sterling English actor has
achieved in is tribute less to Jerome than to the
magnetic personality of Sir tombstone.
AND talking of Forbes Robertson, I should like to
see the films of him in Hamlet l imagine they
would be well worth seeing. Wonderful, isn't it, the
advance of the moving picture an educational force
even in entertainment The movies have now given
way the photo plays and whereas three years agot
considered far below the dignity of the rstcass
actor to appear in moving pictures, now it is thought
not only perfectly legitimate but consumnlaton de-
vouty to be wished.
II wonder what dear, dead, and gone Joe Jefferson
would say of the photo play today were he alive to see
one9" and Warfeld gave little gurge. 3You know he
bemoaned the actors lot that is that part OF his lot
that he didn't, because he couldn't leave to posteny
recolect that he said, The art of acting IS the
greatest of all the arts for the actor combines many OF
the arts in onesculpure, literature, painting
music When he poses during his acting, or in pic
ture at the drop of curtain, he's bit of sculpture
character that exists only on the printed page OF tera
ture he makes living personality the scenery and the
situations of which he is integral part oftentmes
like painting and music accessory to the play
also of the tools of his But the actor poor
devil! must oftentmes compare his art, much to its
detriment, with the arts that he, in himself combines
For the sculptor leaves his marble to posterty; the
musician his OPERA the writer, his printed words; the
painter, his When the poor actor shules off,
all he leaves is-a memory
3Now see how far afeld dear old Jefferson was for
he had the prophetic soul that OWNED the coming
of the movie Remember what Sarah Bernhardt said
when she had finished posing for the photo play of