Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-28

Broadway theatre, which had never
played a picture attraction before, the
wiseacres of the theatre world said 1t
would not succeed. You see they know
nothing of pictures. Most people had
looked upon a motion-picture drama as
l0cent proposition. They measured
everything by the standard of price. II
was not surprising that they overlooked
the fundamental facts in the case and
were unprepared to pass judgment upon
this Undertaking. But in all truth there
vas nothing daring or venturesome in it.
You see we knew what we had That
vas an advantage which the other fell
low had never taken into consideration.
The significance of this is the proof of
The big pictures undoubted success.
There will be many two-dolar pictures.
The success will depend entirely upon
how well they are done and reverts back
solely to a question of merit. II takes
great care, time and an enormous expense
TO produce a picture which will compare
With the best the spoken drama can
bring forth. But given the theme. the
understanding and the ability to project
MS Ideals, the moving picture director
Las material advantage over the stage
clrector who puts on a comedy or a
erama Of contemporary life. The latter
Is confined and limited in his scope. He
can only show certain scenes In the limits
OF three walls and at best has only a few
square feet in which to place his charac-
ters. For his background he must depend
upon painted scenery and manufactured
enects which are after all only miserable
mutations of natural objects.
l do not mean this in a spirit of crit
lclsm. There are fundamental ideals OF
'ne spoken drama which make II the
snstocrat of the arts Every one of us
mas pleasant recollection of great mo-
ments when true dramatists enjoyed the
privileges OF artistic interpretations
"nen great actor throws the best there
IN him into the principal role OF a fine
pay, you have a combination which 10
irresistible. have been impressed deeply
iny such performances upon several vis-
~ 10 the theatre. What painting or piece
u sculpture stands out In your memory
70 compare with this living. breathing
.mnE you are part OF for a single eve
mngY Long years afterward In pleasur.
eoie reveries you recall the play and
rayer. Who ever saw Irving's matchless
roIk IN Louis XI" can forget that won
e''iui scene when he urged the images
VA ms cap to listen to him and yet was
gusocating at the same timer Or can
ehe ever quite efface from memory the
"a1esuc manner with which Mansfield.
- Syrano de Bergerac, tossed his purse
me crowd? These are specific in
.'snces TO illustrate my meaning. It was
~ art OF interpretative fiorihed. The
sger and his mood become the great
"tnre In such cases.
~ WIN the moving picture II is different.
~ poetic stimulation, the toure de force
~alch arrests attention and makes mem
~'es mat are to live is a silent power.
.ne brain behind this art Is never re-
seieu II lends itself to that conceal
~.ent which Is one of the rarest attributes
art The living thing is subjective
Il aaaaa
-.ama, Each name has its niche and II
eIustically done will live. The mere pre-.
-n'auon may be ephemeral but the ideas
~ me recollections go on and on as lone
4. life lasts.
motion pictures we have a larger
.''o In which 10 operate. On the stage
nese so-called effects are limitations al
w IN the film play We show the actua
-tuffence and are not hampered by the
~ OF our stage or the number OF people
can crowd into the scene. II oul
<'ofy traverses to a battlefield we show
~ actual battlefield. II II means tha
~vp people were part OF this conflict W.
Engage 10000 people, rehearse them II
minute detail and when We are ready w
~" you that scene. as realistically al
you were looking down from hilitoI
lng forces.
>st Us look into the cost OF this. This
scene for motion picture might cost you
!" me neighborhood of $4,000. But the
>ps' ends with the taking OF the original
..steuve. There are no salaries after
,n'H. ana the only expense Is the com
t.IetYely slight one OF making new
t'p'es from the original negative.
big spectacle on the stage can at the
-'mort employ 400 people In a scene. This
= ~ unusually large number. IL takes
|Iee sane time ana pains 70 rehearse
- nfm that Il does 10 handle 10000 people
!. II motion picture scene. But the staef
.|p'ocuon goes on daily with eight o.
~ performances 4 week. and the salaries
-'t cosiumlng OF the aupernumerariel
wa W 70 $500 q week. 20 that Al th'