The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-14


New York. March 13.-Thls is where
the movies score. From both the finan-
ciaI and dramatic point of view the
most important amusement production.
not only OF the current week but for
weeks past, is moving picture. II
is not only playing in "A regular the
alter usually devoted to regular theat-
rical attractions but il is asking and
getting regular theatrical priCes-two
dollars for orchestra chairs and the
other seats in the house on the same
basis. That this could be done by any
moving picture was secuted by tn"
theatrical managers. and the ticket
Spectators paid absolutely no atten-
ton to the new venture. Now that the
Liberty Theater is twice daily and
Sundays holding bigger audiences
than ever before in its history and
with n big advance sale. the specula-
tors are kicking themselves for their
lack of foresight and trying TO get
even by selling the 25-cent gallery
tickets to the unwary at dollar on
the assurance that they are the best
seats in the house, assurance the
more readily accepted as no one in
New York ever heard of moving pic
lures being shown at regular theater
prices.
Biggest of the Movies.
This exceptional attraction is called
The Birth of a Nation" and Is TO
some extent founded on Thomas Dix
on's Ku KluN stor The Clansman."
a large part of its appeal to all kinds
of people is due primarily to the ire
mendous events in comparatively re-
cent American history with which it
deals. and almost as much to the fact
that it Is produced by d. W. Grifffths.
who has been in the moving picture
business since its very beginning and
who knows how to utilize every one
of It's resources to affect the public.
ON q thread of primitive romance,
not important to the experienced the
:.iergocr tut dear to the heart of the
movie fan. ar" strung tremendous bat
H. scenes reproduced from the civil
war. 4 r-markab BILE showing of Ford's
Theater with its audience and per
furmance the evening Lincoln was as
sa$siuaIed. The assassination itself in
vivid depletion and. most exciting of
AL. thrilling episodes during the period
Of negro domination in the Southern
States and MS final wipinC out by the
my srerioUs Ku klux Khan. For real
dramatic interest. ana its drama is so
intense that il brings the audiences
to their feet as no theatrical play has
in many. many years. we are given in
absolute action the great story of the
contest between the races. with the
hites fighting for the honor of their
women and their very lives, ranged
on one side and on the other the ne
procs drunk with ih'rr new power
and urged on by ~. lt-seekinE poll
tICians of the vilest sort.
Effect on Audiences.
II is q curious facr that although
tn" film runs continuously with an
IehI-mInure intermission, for prac-
I,caIIy three hours. which is longer
than the acting time OF a more than
usually long drama, the audience does
not for a moment lose interest and is
IN u condition of thrill during most
Of the performance. The great major
lily OF the spectators leave the the
alter in a state of mental. emotional
and physical limpness. This is true of
experienced playgoers and those who
rarely see moving pictures quite as
much as of the regular fans.
In I'll" view of the theaterEoers
even the careful production has all the
characteristic defects of the moving
picture. Producers OF piCtureplays are
strenuous in maintaining that their
methods are correct and that a study
"f the moving picture public has
shown them that when they try to
approach the conventions of the the
arrlcal stage their spectators lose in
rer-st in tn" story mat is being un-
folded. Therefore they insist on the
unnatural speed of the moving char
aoirrS. upon the interruption in scenes.
III. quick alienation backward and
forward Of disconnected episodes and
h." apparent repetition of things that
have been seen before. All these are
lu "a way annoying TO the regular the
arcr-ocr and. if he is not mistaken
jn his understanding of himself. dim
iuI>h rather than enhance his inter-
est
The secret Of the whole thing prob
ably lies in the fact that the largest
part Of the moving pICtur" public
has hSen educated and developed by
moving pictures. 1t has not been
Exon from tho theaters hut has bean
created mostly 10y tho pictures them
selves. II compares the pictures it sees
not with any other way Of telling a
story hut only with pictures il has
seen. Therefore the producers may t." !
right IN their viewpoint that they /
know hat their publ" wants and |
That % would hr mistake to try to f,
nIk" ih'lT mot h"dS conform 10 inc re- 1
Guiromenis of any Other kind Of in |
tCllIcCUCF-
RunninE To EmptyinEs.
"" .tr" enjoying IN" unusual cXpe- |
In~nCr of - week. with only one new ,
production IA a theatrical way at any !
Of the leading houses. The one In !
question. "Fads and Fancies," at the |
Is niCkerhOCker. Is so familiar in every /
way that it might be truthful to say |
that the week gives us nothing new.
Il IS a EIrl-and music show construct
ed absolutely on the old lines with |
absolutely nothing novel or original /
in book or score to give il distinction.
This does not necessarily mean that |
IL will die a speedy death. Put any en-
tertaInment of the kind. the kind
meaning an aggregation of chorus