The Washington times., 1914-11-13
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
Film AS A Means Of
Promoting Study
Of Drama and
Literature.

thing in developing the motion pic
ture to the high standard that Is
desired both by the patrons and the
vince the critics of the drama there
is enough real art in the pic
lures to warrant their taking a
plt ce among the greatest of the ave-
nues for the expression Of thought,
action, and beauty. To those who
have Interested themselves sufficient
" In the matter II seems a very
strange thiAs that such men and
women will not take the trouble to
make a real investigation of the
film and its possibi tiles. / do not
believe, and / have stated here sew
eral times. that the film will ever
take the place Of the stage. i do not
believe that Is the idea Of anyone
who hes the interests Of the drama
really at heart. What we all do
believe, however. Is that in spite Of
all that can be said by the critics,
the film drama. has a big mission
in simplifying or suppiementing the
stage In a way that Is not detri-
mental to either and in a way that
will bring benefit to both.
Walter Prichard Eaton, one of the
best known and most honest of the
dramatic critics OF the country, In a
lecture before the Drama League in
tfis city early this week, paid his
compliments to the motion picture
In such a way as to leave no room
fo- doubt that Mr.. Eaton is one Of
the great army OF unconvinced crit
les whose ideas Of the film drama
are in great need Of reconstruction.
in
film drama Is empty and soulless:
that It can hope to have no definite
purpose In promoting real dramatic
Art, and that II leaves one with .
feeling Of having secured only the
husk without the kernel He cited
the fact that he had seen Mrs.
Ffske in q film version Of Tess OF
the ,d'Urbervii es," and that the ex-
hibition. was the most unsatisfactory
he had ever witnessed-that IT came
nowhere near realizing the beauty OF
Thomas Hardy's work.
From his comments II was apparent
to those who are acquainted with mo-
tion pictures that Mr.. Eaton's expert
ence with them Is probably limited to
the exhibition Of the Hardy play with
Mrs. Fiske. He spoke Of the beauties
OF Forbes Robertson's Hamlet" and
Of several other great actors classic
characterizations as examples of
what could not possibly be shown
without real loss In the film. He is
an ardent advocate of the drama as
an education. the drama that really
means something and he was not
sparing in his criticism OF the man.
to pupils In our high schools. 1t is
very difficult to conceive a man hold
such ideas, ideas that express the
very highest appreciation of dra-
matte art, criticising motion pictures
Of the higher and better sort which
are slowly but surely becoming domi-
napt. Those Of US who have been
Forbes Robertson motion picture pro-
ductien of -Hamlet"-there is such
a production, although Mr.. Eaton
must never have heard of it-have
been given a new idea of Shake
speare's masterpiece, new appre-
ciation of It's poetry and philosophy.
Especially lis this true in the pictures
that have reached this country Of the
scenes In the first act Of the film
drama
II IL is the educational influence of
the drama which Mr.. Eaton and his
kind wish to promote they could do
nothing better than examine scenes
from some of the big pictured plays.
The scene that most impressed us in
the battiements of Elisnor with the
figure of Hamlet silhouetted against
tire grayer murkiness Of the back
ground. 1t is difficult to describe this
scene except to compare IL with one
of the great Whistler monotones. II
was a wonderful photograph of a real
landscape, with a real perspective,
mental as well as physical. The lone
1y figure of the Prince of Denmark
seemed to US to typify the Hamlet
Shakespeare created better than any
stage picture has ever done. 1t SEEM
ed a dream OF Hamlet come true. 1t
would be absolutely impossible to
get such atmosphere on the stage.
And il would seem to US that no stu
dents understanding of the wonder
ful tragedy could be better founded
than IN the picture in this first scene.
II Is in the rounding out of the
poets imagery that the picture is so
far superior to the stage. OF course.
II Is impossible to give the great
thoughts of the poet In any but pic
ture form. No word is spoken. But
one might just as well call the
Mona Lisa" or the "Sistine Ma
donna" thoughtless and soulless, or a
Whistler empty and barren as TO
make such a remark ABOUT the mo-
ton picture as 1t is produced by
Griffith, O'Neili. Bosworth. Tree. ct
advancement o< the film to better
things has been the attitude of such
critics as Mr.. Eaton. whose informa
ton is limited to few exhibitions of
slap-stick comedy or an unfortunate
dramatic production. One might
as well condemn the stage because
OF the broad burlesque shows or the