The Washington times., 1915-04-05
THE BEST
Photopldy Department in
WASHINGTON
Actress Trained for
Big Parts on Stage
by Her Work in
Film Dramas

Those people who are continually
referring to the fact that the stage
has given the motion picture the best
Of its leading actresses and actors,
might find something to interest them
in the appearance here this week in
film of very popular young actress,
who became leading woman on the
stage after she had played leading
parts in screen dramas
She is the only one of this type
that we know, but her career has
been very interesting This actress Is
no less a parsonage in local theatrical
history than Dorothy Bernard, who
has appeared here on numerous oc-
casions with the Poll and Columbia
Players and last season was leading
woman of the latter company. 1t is
p not generally known in Washington
that the first leading business Miss
Bernard ever played was In mo-
ton picture and that for two years
she was one Of the most important
motion picture actresses In the
country.
Miss Bernard is q native of Aus
tralia-that is, her parents were in
Australia when she was born. They
were both in the theatrical business,
her father being well known as Billy
Bernard, a character actor. Young
Dorothy was really brought up in
the thcater and has been appearing
on the stage since before she can re-
member. She was carried on as a
young baby and whenever a baby or
small child nnaInI hn filtxI l,a
part. AS she grew up she was given
more and more important places In
the plays in which she appeared.
She has supported some of the best
known women stare both in this
country and in Australia, India, and
South Africa.
When she had become quite a
young lady and was known on the
Pacific coast as one Of the most de-
pendable ingenues in the business,
she attracted the attention Of
David w. Griffith, the greatest Of
the photoplay producers in the
business. Griffith was just becom-
Ing known throughout the country
for the excellence Of the films he
was turning out for the old Bio
graph company. He was working
ioi uCI tldh 11c WOThS
now, in a certain sense, because he
was compelled to teach most OF the
people with him the very elements
of dramatic art as well as the mo-
ton picture work. And he was
learning the latter himself.
Miss Bernard offered him a solu-
tion to one of his problems-he
wouldn't be compelled to tell her
how to behave on the stage-and
he found that her ready wit made
her very apt pupil for the motion
picture technicalities. And so she
sprang into prominence with the
Biograph company at the time that
the Gish girls and Blanche Sweet
were tyros and Mary Pickford was
the only dependable star Griffith
had in his collection. Miss Bernard
was given a number of big parts
in spectacular productions. It was
her first opportunity as a leading
woman, and she overlooked no
chance to make the most of 1t. Her
work attracted the attention of
other picture people, and efforts
were made to lure her from the
Griffith fold, but she declined to
leave.
1t was not until she was given a
chance to become a leading woman
in a regular dramatic production
that she left. And a leading woman
she has been ever since-a leading
woman on the stage. Following
her season in the leads with the
Columbia Players last summer,
Miss Bernard took q long rest in
the Adirondacks, and the first
thing that greeted her on her re-
turn from vacation was an offer to
20 into motion pictures again as
star. She played with the Lubin
company with A. Fl. Van Buren, as
leading man. in one feature film,
and Immediately thereafter was
engaged by the Kalem company to
be featured in several big picture
dramas.
The first Of these is to be shown
here today and tomorrow at the
Leader Theater. It Is called The
Second Commandment and 1t Is
most Interesting, aside from the
appearance of Miss Bernard In the
leading part. because it is one of
a series Of ten plays the kalem
company has prepared to show the
applica ton of the Ten Command
ments to practical modern prob
lens. In the play to be shown at
the Leader today and tomorrow,
the story tells of young man who
has been raised sun worshiper
and a young woman who has been
brought up in modern religious
surroundings. She Is a Christian
Scientist and is brought to a vivid
realization of what the church
are to be treated In a similar way
by the pictures to be issued in the
near future. q. NJ.