The Washington times., 1915-12-21
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
BY GARDNER MACK.
Hopper Declares His
Infant Son Led
Him Into the
Photoplays.
BY GARDNER MACK.

rlncing the responsibility for his
motion picture career on mis- infant
Is brand-new excuse for a we'll
known actor to give for descr Ing tn
stage. but it was recently sprunr
with great seriousness by De Wo,i
Hopper during the course of little
confab at the Lambs Club in New
York recently
Like the old excuse for eoine 70
inc circus, m doing 1t for the
Youngsters sake. explained Mr..
Hopper when he was asked why he
had deserted comic opera In general
and Gilbert & Sullivan in pari.c
lar, for the motion nicture studio.
But this explanation did not r'ng
true--espccially to tho nNoD'" WHO
Know Hopper. The fact Is that by
one OF the curious chances "r Fate
Hopper is to have oDportilnitv OF do
Ing FOR motion pictures what he has
failed to do on the stnTe--to appear
In serious comedy character Crea-
tions. And he likes It ever so much.
While the work he has been doing
In the past few seasons oS the STAKE
In placing again before the public the
big things, of the Gilbert K sullivan
operate output was big thing and
he regarded it as such: and while his
efforts met with unusual success, at
the same time Hopper could not
forego the old ambition to appear
In serious comedy characters. and
ID. w. Griffith and the Triangle Com
pany have given him the opportunity
to do it.
Since I've finished Don Quixote,'
my enthusiasm for the new art
isn't all prop enthusiasm" Hopper
declares. "for I begin to see the
meaning of pictures. Formerly
hadn't much use for them because
] saw them only as a foe that was
making the gallery melt away.
Now I'm convinced that | want to
do some serious work for the
screen. From Cervantes Mr.. Grit
nth has transferred me to an orig
inal American comedy called sun
shine Dad That's me. Later. how.
ever. ] hope to play Falstaff in
Henry w and The Merry Wives
OF Windsor I'd like also to dou.
tilm version of David Copper
held
I'm moving from the Legitimate
stage to the pictures ! missed my
voice more than anything else, but
in expressing emotions with my
face the relentless eye of the cam
era had no terrors for me-"
Carlyle Blackwell is the possessor
or monocle which he will cherish
as long as he lives. He didn't
want it and he winces every time
he sees 1t hanging from the mirror
Of his chiffonier-but he will keep
II and will let no one touch 1t.
Those photoplay patrons who saw
blackwell in the production of Mr..
Grex of Monte Carlo" which was
recently exhibited here on the
paramount program, will remem-
her rather distinctly that he didn't
seem to be wearing a monocle. He
was supposed to wear one. how
his chiffonier is the one he was
supposed to wear. He had for
gotten all about the monocle part
or his costume. Just before IL
came time to take the picture he
remembered it and asked Laura
Hope Crews of the Lasky forces
TO get him one, as Miss Crews han
nened to be making a hurried trim
down town. She did so. And she
gave 1t to him Just before he
wa iked before the camera to use il.
The monocle she gave the star
when she returned was beauty
anyone can see that who looks at il
hanging on the chifonier. It was
mounted in gold and had u gold
chain. When Blackwell took il
from the actress hands he reached
II his pocket for half a dollar to pay
Ter II, the proper price for mon
oCle.
How much?" he asked
only $14.' sweetlv answered Miss
Hrews. holding out her hand for the
money. wasn't it cheap for s',ch a
beauty"
And Blackwell paid her and walked
through his scene in dazn-bIrt
wearing the monoclc in mis- Docket
where the s1f had recently been
= NJ