The Washington times., 1915-12-23
PHOTOPLAYS AND
,PHOTOPLAYERS
Ru GARDNER
CrdWled Through the
Box Office Window
To Success in
Film Plays
BY GARDNER MACK,

Crawling to the stage through the
box office window Is said to be one
of the hardest feats in the world to
perform. according to the students of
the theater. And Robert Edeson, up
to the present time. has been the
only distinguished example of a per-
son who attained success in this
way. George Ovey has been entered
IS Blossoms only competitor, and to
the East Ovey is known as II photo
player better than as a stage COM
Sdfan. Edeson, it will be remember
Cd, was the assistant treasurer OF
q Brooklyn theatcr when he went
into the acting end Of the business
on bet he could fill the part of an
absent member of the company play
ing at his house.
Ovey's career had much the same
beginning. He was assistant treas
urer of theatcr in Kansas City in
1900, when some member of COM
pany playing 1T the theater became
III. andsOvey offered to take the part.
He had been wanting something like
this to happen for long time, be-
cause he had always felt that his
real vocation was behind the foot
lights rather than the ticket rack.
lie made success of his first start.
end Immediately was engaged for a
minstrel company.
Later he appeared in musical COM
edies and became popular throughout
the West. He was appearing in q
Los Angeles theater about six
months ago when Milton Fahrney
saw him. Fahrney has been a mo-
ton picture director almost since the
business was invented, and when he
saw Ovey he recognized what he
thought was real film comedy ability.
Fahrney was with the Horsley-
NJ Ya1 al ~
comedian at once. The Cub com
edies were invented to give the new
man vehicles. and he has become
very popular.
Some days ago attention was called
TO the fact that Roger w. Babson
proposed to put life into the dry
homes of statistics by making them
subjects for motion pictures. Just
how Mr.. Babson expected to make
such things as views upon rows OF
figures interesting by means Of mo-
ton pictures was not apparent, al
though the statistician was very
enthusiastic about the thing. Mr..
Rabson has done it and with his
little railroad trains and steamships
end piles of exports and imports he
has really invented a fascinating
system of pictures.
The pictures have been shown here
tHe past week 50 as Il part
of the Paramount program, and in
clude all sorts Of statistcs-particu-
larly those dealing with food stuffs,
manufactured articles. etc. To make
these things plain to the motion pic
ture patrons the films start with
q statement of what it is proposed to
show and advice to the spectator to
watch the little stea eamship' or
"watch the little railroad train
A lined sheet is then seen divided
into columns at the top of which
appear the years to be covered. one
for each column, and the amounts to
he stated. one for each horizontal
line in the page. A railroad train is
then started over the page following
ziszac track showing the upward
and downward trend of the figures.
r'snally the film ends with the eX-
hibition Of two large piles of goods.
one being the first year and the
other being the last that is treated
in the statistical tables. Or the
piles might he Of wheat or of bales
Of cotton. Again the two pictures
might show two railroad trains
anything in fact, to show the COM
parative size of the maximum and
minimum figures, the increase or the
decrease. G. NJ.