The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-31

NJ moving pictures seems so sur
prising TO the iayman as the
lack OF professional skill in
their production. They are still so far
as their artistic side Is concerned. alto
gether In the amateur stage. Scientifi-
cally they may have been carried as
far as It Is possible to develop them.
but from the merely theatric point OF
view they have so far escaped the nee
esssry professional touch. The photo
play will be established in many thea
tres II the plans Of It's projectors sue
coed. Yet the men responsible for the
productions of these plays do not In
the least trouble themselves to con-
struct the plays with the skill OF the
professional playwright.
Scenarios are in the majority OF cases
the work OF inexperienced amateurs
The producers who have won fame In
this new field were generally unknown,
or at least obscure, until they suddenly
grew to moving picture fame and
wealth. What they produce proclaims
the causes OF their celebrity anywhere
else. They never get beyond the stuff
80 freely shown In all the picture thea
tres. Nothing they do helps to raise
the amateurish level OF these films,
which are turned out every day in
large numbers without distinction or
power OF any kind. Occasionally one OF
these pieces happens to possess SUM-
Client dramatic value to make It more
popular than the rank and file. But
few OF them serve more than the rou-
tine purpose.
1t is interesting to observe the differ
ence between the pictures which con-
tain some dramatic element and those
which are built with some conformity
to dramatic ideas. The beautiful spec
tacle revealed In antony and Cleo
patra" will not be seen at the Gambler
Theatre after this week. This collection
OF films, however, contains some re-
markable exhibits. There is the march
ing of the Roman army through the
surf along the Egyptian coast. which is
HVhS tht itSS btCduSt IL nap
pens to be false to history and makes
altogether impossible the Battle of
Actium and the murder of the slave
who is thrown TO the crocodiles. Such
sights are not without their thrill. But
this film has been shown only few
times to the public, whereas "Quo
Vadis?" was at the Astor Theatre for
months,
"Quo Nadis" contained some wonder
ful scenes, but II was the drama be-
hind them which gave this story such
power that it continued to interest the
public for months. The famous burn
ing OF Rome, the massacre of the Chris
tians In the arena and the other excit-
effective as the scenes in Antony and
Cleopatra" which were 30 much praised
and were so effective in themselves, but
were powerless TO impart enduring vital
!ty to the views. The Italian producers
OF Antony and Cleopatra" evidently
oiu not believe that II was necessary
X make the love of these two famous
characters into IA play. They probably
thought the story sufficiently dramatic
TO carry with it's weight the rapidly
changing pictures. But nothing OF that
Kind happened. There could only be
admiration for the various scenes which
the producers had created. But the en-
during dramatic thrill was missing.
In the absence of any really profes-
sonal skill in the creation OF the pic
ture plays their producers call In ex-
pert aid OF one kind or another. feeling
innately how amateurish the majority