The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-12-01
NoroSco to Pit Play
A 9ainSt the Film
Production Of
Ready Money
By GARDNER MACK.

An experiment of interest to mo-
ton picture patrons and exhibitors
alike is to be tried out in Los Angeles
shortly by Oliver Morosco. The we'll
known Pacific Coast producer of
plays has only recently organized a
motion picture company, and intends
TO put number of his more famous
productions like Birds of Paradise"
Peg O. Ny Heart" Help Wanted"
etc, into film. Aside from his great
success as a producer, Morosco is
probably the greatest stock company
manager in the United States, and
his company in Los Angeles is one
of the finest in the country. For
many months past the theatrical
managers have declared that the mo-
ton pictures do not hurt the regular
producers, but that they are putting
the stock companies oVt of business.
Los Angeles is a motion picture
center-it has been called the mo-
lion picture capital of the world
and yet Mr.. Morosco has not suffer
ed from competition with the pic
lures. Whenever this fact has been
offered as evidence that good stock
productions. are not hurt by the film,
the answer is that Mr.. Morosco pro-
duces as many new plays with his
stock company as old ones. and that
II is only the stock companies which
reproduce old successes of the stage
that are being hurt.
Mr.. Morosco intends to test this
theory. Recently he was preparing
TO put on a new play with his Bur-
haawa 10 A..
nent was made that a nearby motion
picture theater would produce a film
play made from James Montgomery
stage success, Ready Money" Mr..
Morosco had intended to produce
Ready Money" with his stock COM
pany some time during the winter,
but when he learned that the film
play was to go on at the nearby
theater he changed his plans and has
made arrangements TO put the play on
the stage the same week il is shown
ia film. He intends to see whether
or not the film will hurt the stage
play. Theatrical managers through
out the country are much interested
In the experiment.
II the results are what We expect
them to be, il Will be found that
both plays will do n big business
and that Mr.. Morosco Will be en-
Outraged TO put on other stage YER
Bulls NllCh NM play are NfGAAA- pAO-
dUced in his vicinity. We have eX-
planned several times how the film
amplifies the stage play We have
explained how much more OF the
story is told in the film than on the
stage and that the action covers
A much wider range But the people
interested in the drama get both ac-
ton and lines on the stage, and II
is sometimes highly desirable to
hear the lines. When we :nadc this
statement some time ago in an en-
6eassor to show that the film and
the stage occupied positions OF equal
interest in the eyes OF the public,
we were not evolving theory.
Some months ago We had dis
cussion with Sylvester L. Poll on
this question Mr.. Poll was prcpar-
ing 10 produce The SQuaw Man
at his theater. We thought the pro-
duction was inadvlsa ble-and we sul
think SO. THE SquaW Man" is one
of those plays that is shown TO bet
ter advantage on the screen than
on the stage by stock company.
We admit that something is lost IN
the absence of the spoken lines, but
this is more than compensated for
by the extremely flne production
that has been given the film play.
We told Mr.. Foil something ike
this. We also told him that within
Nan" had been produced at probably
a dozen motion picture theaters IN
Washington and that almost every
one interested in the play had seen
IL.
To our establishment Mr.. Poll de-
clared that this was one of the rea-
sons why he was preparing to put
st on with his stock company. he
explained that in one Of the New
England cities where he maintains a
stock company a motion picture
theater across the street from his
stock house produced the Famous
PLAYERS films of Tess of the Storm
Country" with Mary Pickford in the
leading part. Mr. Poll said the pic
ture had drawn the largest crowds
TO the theater that had ever at
tended il. He had already started
rehearsals for the production OF the
same play with his stock company.
He was doubtful as to the success OF
the play after he had seen the film.
But he decided not TO make a
change, but to go on with the pro-
duction He was astonished TO ind
that business at his theater during
the week Tess was shown was
greater than il had ever been be
fore. He attempted to find out why
and his patrons told him they were
interested in watching the difference
between the two PLAYS On beng
asked which they liked better they
could not give a satisfactory reply.
Both had been pleasing.
This, of course. is an isolated case
because Tess" is not as good a film
as Ready Money" despite the fact
that Mary Pickford in 1t appeared
70 great advantage. Neither is
Tess" as good = play as Ready
Money" despite the fact that the
play was not a particularly rousing
success in this section Of the coun-
try However. there will be more
than usual interest in the Morosco
experiment. because both the play
and the film will be seen to The very
best advantage, and the results that
are obtained will be conclusive.