The Washington times., 1915-12-21
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
BY GARDNER MACK.
Hopper Declares His
Infant Son Led
Him Into the
PhotopldyS.
By GARDINER MACK.

Placing the responsibility for his
motion picture career on his infant
is brand-new excuse for WE'LL
known actor to give for deser- Ing the
stage. but 1t was recently sprung
with great seriousness by De Wolf
Hopper during the course OF a little
confab at the Lambs Club in New
York recently.
Like the old excuse for golns 20
the circus, I'm doing 1t for the
youngsters sake" explained Mr..
Hopper when he was asked why he
had deserted comic opera In general
and Gilbert & Sullivan in particu-
lar for the motion nicture studio.
but this explanation did not ring
true--especially to the pNopie who
know Hopper. The fact Is that by
one OF the curious chances or fate
Hopper Is to have oDportilnitv OF do
ing for motion pictures what he has
tailed to do on the stage--to appear
In serious comedy, character crea-
tlons. And he likes 1t ever so much.
While the work he has been doing
In the past few seasons os the stage
In placing again before the public the
big things of the Gilbert & Sullivan
operate output was a big thing and
he regarded it as such: and while his
efforts met with unusual success at
the same time Hopper could not
foreRo the old ambition to appear
In serious comedy characters. and
ID. w. Griffith and the Triangle Com
pany have given him the opportunity
Since rye finished Don Quixote.'
my enthusiasm for the new art
isn't all prop enthusiasm" Hopper
declares. for I begin to see the
meaning of pictures. Formerly
hadn't much use for them because
saw them only as foe that was
making the gallery melt away.
Now I'm convinced that want to
do some serious work for the
screen. From Cervantes Mr.. Grif-
nth has transferred me to an orig
inal American comedy called Sun.
shine Dad That's me. LatGr, how
ever, hope to play Falstaff in
Henry w and The Merry Wives
Of Windsor I'd like also to dou.
BILE as Peggoty and Micawber in
. flm version of David Copper
I'm moving from the legitimate
stage to the pictures ! missed my
voice more than anything else, but
in expressing emotions with my
face the relentless eye of the cam
era had no terrors for me-"
Carlyle Blackwell is the possessor
of a monocle which he will cherish
as long as he lives. He didn't
want it and he winces every time
he sees IT hanging from the mirror
of his chiffonier-but he will keep
II and will let no one touch IL.
Those photoplay patrons who saw
Blackwell in the production of "Mr.
Grex Of Monte Carlo" which was
recently exhibited here on the
paramount program, will remem-
Der rather distinctly that he didn't
seem TO be wearing a monocle. He
was supposed to wear one how
E ever, and the one that hangs on
his chiffonier is the one he was
supposed to wear. He had for
gotten all about the monocle part
came time to take the picture he
remembered it and asked Laura
Hope Crews of the Lasky forces
to get him one, as Miss Crews hap
pened to be making a hurried trip
down town. She did So And she
gave 1t to him just before he
walked before the camera to use II
The monocle she gave the star
when she returned was a beauty
anyone can see that who looks at IL
hanging on the chifonier. It was
mounted in gold and had gold
chain. When Blackwell took it
from the actress hands he reached
IN his pocket for half a dollar to nav
Ter 1t, the proper price for q mon
ocle. -
How much?" he asked.
Only VA sweetlv answered Miss
Nrews, holding out her hand for the
money. wasn't It cheap for such a
beauty?" -
And Blackwell paid her and walked
through his scene in a daze-but
wearing the mOnoclc in his pocket
where the S14 had recently BEEN
- NJ