The Washington times., 1915-02-18
to Prevent
Stage Stars Being
Featured In
the Films.

News from New York indicates
that theatrical managers are pre-
pairing to take steps that will pre-
playing engagements with the mo-
ton picture firms!
This Is a new phase of the silent
contest that has been started be-
tween the stage and the motion pic
ture industry-a contest that Is real
ly almost as foolish as 1t will be in
furious to the fair name of both
branches of the amusement business
if 1t is carried to the lengths that
are threatened.
Since the motion 'picture-especially
the feature picture-developed into
such big enterprise. there has been
a scramble among the big stage
stars to play engagements with the
film companies. The reason for this
was the large financial returns. A
star like Robert Edeson or Wilton
Lackaye or Maclyn Arbuckle would
be offered a very large sum for pos
ing for one or two of the plays that
made them famous
When the first overtures were
made to the actors to take part in
the Aim dramas they were rather
averse to doing so-fOr the same rea-
son that many Of them declined
vaudeville engagements several years
ago. There are very few Of them
who will not accept a vaudeville Of
fer now and there are just as few
who will not 60 into a motion pic
ture production If they are given the
chance.
The success OF the first pictures
I.t eta bod IN,
the formation of several companies
for the exploitation of such produc-
tions. In most of these companies
the theatrical managers themselves
were interested. They secured the
plays that the stars had made fam
GUS, and that had made the stars
famous. and proceeded to produce
them before the camera
For nearly two years now the
country has been flooded with films
of this sort. There are few big
actors who have become well known
who are not to be seen on the mo-
on pctuce screen wbe IN thale he best S
productions were very expensive.
The returns from the later plays
thus produced have been such as to
enable the exhibitors of even the
smallest film theater to show them.
pets The rsss sSrpse Ss hs ts haf the been sq@
managers-due largely to the adver-
tising Of the films that they started
themselves. Much of the adver-
tising thus sent orh does not state
that the star In question Is appear
Ing in films. The posters make It
appear that they are appearing In
person in the plays. When an or
dinary citizen finds b poster out
side a place Of amusement an
nouncing that Mrs. Fiske Is ap-
pearing in Tess Of the d'Urber-
villes" inside. he Is perfectly will
ing to pay 10 cents for the privi-
lege OF seeing her.
Theatrical managers declare that
this is misleading the public and
that 1t Is bad for tine theatrical
business. They declare that things
have come to such pass that the
manager taking star over the
country must announce In his pos
son or the people Will think they
are operating motion picture.
1t Will be noticed on some Of the
advertising OF well-known wom-
an star appearing in Washington
this week that the word "her-
self" Is printed in narentheses un-
der her name. That is because this
big motion picture production only
a short time ago.
The fears Of the theatrical man
ayers. while they sound plausible.
are rather far fetched. 1t seems to
us. The theatrical season this year
has been exceptionally bad in some
sections OF the country. and there
must be something found to blame
1t on. The pictures offer as good an
excuse as any other.
While II Is true that the films
have hurt a number of bad plays
and have kept out of the theater
some of the public. grown tired of
taking a chance on a poor produce
tion at s. per seat. but willing to
20 to a l0-cent show. at the same
time the Aims haven't really done