The Washington times., 1915-07-19
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
Nv IA
Are Motion Pictures
Changing Actors
From Artists
to Artisans?
By GARDNER MACK

The glamor and glitter Of the life
of the actor and actress-the glamor
and glitter the public usually
associates with actors and actresses
is in danger OF being entirely elimi-
mated by the motion pictures. In
the making Of photoplays. acting has
become almost as prosaic a business.
as any other that claims its devotees
from In the morning until 6
In the evening with a regular lunch
hour. And In turning acting into q
business the photopiay has also
rather changed the type of people
who act. At least it has changed
them into different sort Of beings
from those the public has been led
to believe provide them with amuse-
ment.
The photoplay has to all intents
and purposes brought the time clock
into the theater for the first time
In its history. The photoplayers
are practically the slaves of the
clock. They put in so many hours
work each day. And when the
days work is finished they are In
the same wornout condition the
average business man and woman is
when they have finished days
work. So that the things that the
tired business man does for recre-
alton the actors and actresses Of the
motion pictures do. Regularity Of
hours has also made possible the
was impossible with the travelling
actor or actress of the stage. And
the home brings about certain
quietness of living.
In Los Angeles. where there are
more photoplayers than in any other
that homes owned by the actors and
actresses are wSrth more than halt
million dollars. and that their in
vestments in automobiles amount to
more than three quarters of a mil
lion: The amount of money de-
In the savings bank Of Los Angeles
is said to be In the neighborhood of
several million. an accurate estimate
being practically impossible.
1t Is the regularity of the hours
of the photoplayers that first i'm
presses itself on the stage stars who
have gone into the business. The
motion pictures work on an eight
hour day-or SO long as they can
obtain light by which to work.
With the invention of new kinds of
electric lamps that make possible
the taking of pictures at ali hours
and under any weather conditions
In the studios the work goes on
practically without regard to the
eun. Old Sol is needed now only for
outdoor scenes-and sometimes not
then.
The photoplay actress rises early
in the morning and reaches the
studio between and o'clock. She
works until noon, when there is a
rest for lunch Of half an hour Or
an hour-starts in after lunch and
works until S or s o'clock. OF course
she isn't always working in photo
plays. Much of the time is spent in
renearsing. in dressing and in watt
ing for scenes to be set. But she
must be on hand all the time and
ready to go into a scene when
called. The point is she is expected
t. be within call of her director all
the time the studio is open. And act
Without the stimulation an audi-
erce eives the stage star. or the men,
tai eXhilaration that comes from
building up character in logical
order. the photoplayer must go
through her scenes as the director
gees At. Sometimes she doesn't
even know what she is supposed to
do until she walks on the stage,
hut moves as the director tells her.
Sometimes when she does know,
the scenes are made in a haphazard
fashion. the last scene in the play
being made first, then the first
scene. then one out of the middle Of
the drama and so on. as the settings
happen to be ready and the director
is ready for them G. NJ.