New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-25

There are 10000 photoplay theatres
in the United States, using 5000 feet
Of film each daily, or total or lOo,-
0OO, 900 feet As film is supposed 20
be outlawed in ninety days, II means
that the annual consumption Of photo
PLAYS amounts 10 100000 feet. All
Of which proves that the motion pict-
ure INDUSTRY. viewed solely from an
standpoint, is thriving.
But. as q matter Of fact, the theatre
roer who visits his favorite playhouse
scarcely realizes the tremendous ex-
pense and the adverse conditions un-
der which producers work.
The theatrical manager VINO spends
500. 900 in a season on production Is
hailed as a more or less Napoleon
in his line. The photoplay producer
who does not spend from $4,000 TO
$4,000 on a play twelve times year
is considered in the minor class. Ana
il is a matter of common knowledge
that several of the producers. such
"a the Metro, Universal. Pathe. Lasky,
Famous Players. Vitsgraph. Triangle
Essanay and others, produce from
twenty-four 10 ifty-two feature plays
a year.
But il is not only in financial I'M
portance that the motion picture mas
grown. In artistry, in photographlc
perfection. in mummery-in every
conceivable way, the photoplay mas
risen 20 artistic heights: Leaving
aside THE Birth Of Nation, when
is in a elias. Of its own, such plays as
Don Quixote." the Lasky version no, OF
Carmen" Thou Art the Man. ne
Raven" and others too numerous 10
mention have placed the photopiay
upon the highest possible level.
Still. there is much to be done 20
attain perfection. And that still re
fers to the plays themselves. Inns -
the weakest point in the entire notloH
picture structure. The plays OF yes,
terdav were too poor 10 need detalleu
those of to-day are better
IL is true, but still they lack contihu-
ity. punch" and the proper develop
ment OF characters.
The average scenario writer receives
s25 for one-act play, so tnat inc
purchaser cannot expect anything, pet
ter than a s25 play. This is the basis
OF the entire trouble the desire OF
the producer TO save money where ne
should be eXtravagant.
Mrs. Cora c. Wilkening. who repre-
sents the best known writer's OF Amer
lean fiction, takes this view. Not only
that. but she practises what she
breaches. dor
stOO reel" she said yesterday, pc
cause photoplay is worth that or
notbinp In many instances nave
attained 81 900 for a five-act plav and
in few instances, even royalties. Inc
average photoplay is so loose-Jointea
+bat the auditor can hear the creaK-
INC Of the machinery. and. as mat
tor Of course. the illusion is swept
away and the play fails in its purpose
ANOTHER vital phase OF the play ST.
ua,ion is the rapid diminutlon OF the
supply of spoken plays and movers.
roth those sources are rapidly oeing
Exhausted. There are few plays worth
While still available. The supply OF
novels Is also diminishing, and tne
sbort stories will be used up wlthln
another year or so. That is why orig
nal film plays must come INTO theI'
own There is plenty of talent aVau-
able from among successful authoIS'
and | have not the slightest DOUBT that
there are men and women VINO nay
never written line who, with tne
proper training and experience coulu
write vital and original photoplays'
And YOU would be surprised II you
knew how eagerly the better class OF
PRODUCERS are TO obtain the right plays
The demand Is far greater than tne
supply. and often | am at loss 70
what nv clients want.
Elorence Lawrence. said 70 be the
richest screen actress. who IS return
inc 10 the motion picture held after
ON absence of nearly two years-under
the banner Of the Universal-yiews the
from another angle, that OF
although / am still in the early
,venties" she said. my experience
covers the last eight years OF the
nbotonlay. | was known as the BIO
graph girl when Griffith was that
company's chief producer. have
PLAYED in everything conceivable from
pathos 70 bathos, and from farce 10
tra0edy. And now. that | am return
ing TO the screen, hope that new
era has dawned for me. BY that
mean that those responsible for the
PLAYS will permit me TO act. l want
director who will direct in every sense
of the word. The director VINO VIII
saw 10 me: Miss Lawrence, please 90
this. is not the right director. / want
70 be pushed, bullied, II necessary
made to act with every ounce Of ability
there is in me.
"The trouble with the modern play
is that II develops too abruptly, ana
that il gives no opportunity for real
acting-that is. the psychologist side OF
the work cannot be developed, because
the director oyer-emphasizes the physi-
cal side of the play. OF course II IS
necessary 10 have the so-called punch
but seriously object TO sacrificing
development Of plot and character Tor
the sake of picturing automobile
diving into raging torrents
and the like"
Miss Lawrence will begin her first
picture on Monday, and then 1t Will be
seen whether she has induced her d.
rector to follow her golden advice.
Mary Pickfords refusal of $4,000
week offered by the Triangle films may
or may not be press agent yarn. her
salary with the Famous Players has
been $4,000 a week, with a percentage
Of the profits, these bringing her an
nual earnings for 1915 to the neat total
Of $4,000.
Whether Miss Pickford or any other
man or woman is worth this sum 10 a
film producer is a question which can
only be answered by the producer. As
an actress the question could be an
swered in the negative. As medium
IF legitimate publicity. Miss Pickford
S worth every penny. She can draw
and does draw audiences Of remark
able size, whether the theatre be the
Strand or a nickelodeon. The only
actress in the photoplay who has equal
attraction for the theatregoer is Ger
aldine Farrar. Caruso. filmed in
spagliacci would draW-so would