The Washington times., 1914-09-14
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
Film Has Increased
Rather Than Hurt
the Influence of
the Drama.

have arisen since the birth of the
photoplay art. probably the most in
teresting is that which has to do
with the effect of the screen play on
the spoken drama. Hardly day
passes but that some new arGI Iment
is presented to prove that the screen
has hurt the stage or the reverse.
1t is the usual habit of people who
jump at conclusions to assert that
the screen has hurt the stage ter
ribly. And they can bring plausible
arguments to prove their contention.
1t is proba bly, true that the present
alton of old plays by poor stock
companies has been hurt by the care
ful manner in which these same
plays are acted for the screen. 1t
10 tho consensus of opinoin among
the authorities of the dramatic and
finn world. however. that the screen
has not hurt the stage in any great
or degree than the surgeon hurts the
patient from whose body he removes
a growth that. il permitted TO so on
uprestralned would sooner or later
have killed. 1t might be said that
in the same degree that modern So
clal $, vice has been an aid TO pei
screen has helped the democracy OF
The drama. In sense, the screen
has nroyided a form of social SeFN-
ice. IL has been a haven for the poor
that great class of people VINO can
not afford what we have heretoloLe
termed the higher forms OF amuse-
ment. and have been compelled 10
take what their purses enabled therh
10 buy. ,l,-o
of the situation is worth while VINO
will pretend that the kinds OF ainuSe
ment this class of people was 49,
,o nroyide for itself was of heiplul
kind 1t simply provided anuse-
ment. In the great plays that nave
haen written for the stage lheTe
is something more than momehIarE
amusement. The expense OF pFouuS-
tion and of carrying company
canabIe of properly interpreting the
hjg thoughts of great authors made
IL impossible for the poor 10 aNaii
themselves of the real educational
and recreative values of the thealet:
When the photoplay came along II
provided lust the medium 10 DO inns.
The quality of the play lmproNe9-
among a big class of producers: 10
day the very best that the world al,
fords in the way of instructive and
constructive drama is none too Sood
for the screen Today BOOKS are
being placed before a great mass OF
people who never heard OF them. by
means OF the dramatizatlon Of the
story on The screen. In many IN
stances the screen has gone the book
q shade better in that it made some
famous characters OF fiction hu-
man that were far from being so
when confined between the covers
OF the books their authors wrote.
In this direction alone. therefore.
he great
debt And in this sense il has re
lieved the stage Of q burden and
put out Of business 4 cheap. tawdrE
satellite of the theatrical armament
that was a constant threat TO both
humanity as whole and that sec
tion Of it which has to do with the
providing of the peoples amuse-
ments. There will always be mar
ket for the talent of the actor and
actress who can put individuality
into their work and for the play
wright who can write a useful les
son in his lines. whether the lesson Is
served TO an accompaniment OF
laughter or tears. In relieving the
stage of the weight of cheap. trashy
productions which was dragging its
reputation to continuously lower
planes in popular esteem the screen
has. therefore. performed a great
service. lust as the surgeon referred
10 performs great service.
There has recently been another
answer given to the people who
have the fixed notion that the screen
hurts the stage. This came in
curious manner. 1t has been con-
tended that a theater which utilized
the photoplay on its open dates
would never again be able to at
tract TO its doors a respectable pa
tronage for the spoken drama. In
New York last spring a beautiful
playhouse was completed and turned
over to one OF the largest Of the
was called the Gambler. and George
kIeine. who became its manager.
utilized il for the production OF a
number of his well-known tilm
dramas. The photoplays that Ver"
produced were not sensational lea
'Neptune's Daughter or QUO Va
dis or The Last DAYS OF Pom
pei" or "Ben-Hur They were
Just average plays of the new kind
the kind that is of the very hig l.
est type OF amusement. All sum
mer long this house was run as
moving picture theater. And il was
hlled all summer long. 1t became
fully identified with the film and
the screen.
II was announced at the begin
ming or the thcator's career that
when the regular theatrical season
open the Candler would be given
over to regular stage prOduCtiOn~.
The wise" people laughed u
couldn't ne done. About a month
ago Cohan d Harris produced the
new Reizenstein drama. On Trial"
~ the Gambler. Today advertise
rrents all over Now York warn pro-
troctive patrons Of the play that
seats are selling out eight weeks
IN advance. "On Trial is tho big
Ccst nit that has been scored by a
rla. in New York CITY in the mon
cry Of tine oldest critic. .Nnd Inc
people who arc clam"rlng for tex
cts aro the regular theatcr patrons
of New York
That would sccm to be about -