Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-31
BY TYRONE POWER.

l am proud to appear ia the silent
drama and am delighted to be a mem
Der Of The great selig PoIyscope COM
pany for William n. selfes artts-
tic conceptions appeal 10 me. and ]
feel perfectly at home In the 5eliE
environment feel there are opp0r-
tunities in motion picture work that
are somewhat lacking ia stage art.
Yes, even such an Old staggr as my
self is obliged TO admit this fact
concluded upon taking up this
work 10 permit the director to direct
and the actor to act Maybe the fail
ures registered by some actors and
actresses. who turn TO the motion pic
lures. are caused by the fact that they
assume kn0w-it-aIi attitude They
refuse instruction, claiming that years
Of experience on the stage cause them
to be well qualified to act for the
screen. For my part 1 have found
many new details to comprehend
much new business that rs peculiar
~ identified with the animated screen
The art OF makeup. for example.
must be altered I'd certain extent.
Makeup appropriate for the Io0tlghJs
viii never de in the motion picture stu
dio, Then again there is new tech
nique TO comprehend, a more limited
space for the action, and there is no
audience to spur enc along
I confess that for time I held
the attitude of many other welI-kn0Wu
actors toward the silent drama.
thought the industry but q flash in the
pan But with the Advancement the
wonderful strides onward and up
ward. experienced a change OF
heart. was in formed that people
who never before could afford to see
my acting would now be given an Op-
porunity because the prices Tor the
silent drama are not SO high. 1 was
informed that picrureplay audiences
were eXaCting, and as appreciatlve and
as plant as those who frequent the
legitimate theatres. I believe this to
be true. ] have been visiting many pic
tureplay theatres. and 1 have been
studying the audiences. / believe chat
my art will not suffer and that am in
d humble way contributing to the en-
joyment of the masses, when 1 try TO
do my best in pictureplay land.
I believe that if Sir Henry Irving,
that great actor, were alive. that he
would perpetuate his art for future
generations through the medium of
motion pictures. l was playing Ba-
cassie in Sir Henry's London produc-
ton, l well remember, and one night
his dresser came TO me and said Sir
Henry wanted TO see me. AttiTed IN
a resplendent robe, l mounted the
stairs to Sir Henry's dressing room.
He was seated before his dressing
table making up fer his wonderful
character role. I can see him wildly
i'm my minds eye. Power said he
who was the greatest OF all English
speaking actors? ?" One of the great
est OF actors sat there, but without
reflection, said: Edmund Kean, per
haps.'
"Ah-h-h, right you are" exclaimed
Sir Henry Edmund hean was the
greatest of English speaking actors
the little man in the cape"
Mrs Powers and I have a little son.
and naturally all our hopes are cen
tered in him And when he grows in
years the art Of the motion pictures
viii do much for his education. He
VIII have educational advantages that
I never had. His mind VIII be broad
ened without the vexations of extend
ed travel; he viii have learned at an
early age the wonderful story of the
bee and other secrets of nature, mis-
imagination viii have been cultivated
bv visits 10 motion picture dramas Of
higher class; without imagination q
human being is nothing. When boy
I read fairy tales illustrated with col
ored plates My son can see the liv-
ing. moving fairy stories On the mo-