The Washington times., 1915-11-17
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
By GARDNER MACK.
of Note Are
Invited to Write
for Motion
Pictures
BY GARDNER MACK.

A determined effort is to be made
by some OF the larger producing
companies 10 put out film versions or
stories by some OF the best known
authors before the public. In the
INSTALLATION of a story the f'lm has
a field that is entirely distinct from
any system Of making plain the
meaning of an author that IL yet
invented. More comprehensive, In
this particular thing. than the stage
and OF considerably wider scope 1t
offers an author the opportunity to
not only have his work brought be-
fore the public In the form OF pic
lures, but encourages a reading of
his books.
Prof. Hugo Munsterburg, the cmi-
nent psychologist OF Harvard Uni
vcrsity. In recent magazine article
pointed out the fact tnat the mo
ton picture is an art that is en-
tirely distinct from all other arts
and that II would in, no way en-
croach on the art OF the stage II
the makers of MIN will only direct
their efforts In the way the iiim must
eventually 80. This direction leads.
a part OF the way at least. toward
the visualization OF the story tei'ers
ii is because Of this fact that the
producers OF important Aims are
now endeavorfng to get in toucn
with authors OF known ability ana
10 obtain from them stories that
can be transferred to film Ihc
Equitable Company. one OF the or.
carnations Issuing Its product
through tho World Film Corpora
tion's distributing forces. Is just no"
hunting for stories that are uncoh
vcntional and have been prepared
by wcll-known authors.
Overtures have been made TO RGn-
ard Harding Davis. Rudyard KIP
ling, Brand Whitlock. william >.
Locke. the Tolstoi ..Sstate, stewart
Edward white. the Williamsons. the
Castles, and many others FOR per
mission to film the best o' the
stories controlled by them. ana 10
obtain from them new stores WIT
ten for the film. Arthur IL. ''plesei.
head of the Equitable company.
very anxious to get the YER! pest
stories he can obtain for his stars.
He believes, as We do, that the op,
portunities OF the film are wondertui
for the author Of imagination. ana
that the chance 10 increase the
number OF readers Of good literature
The penny-a-lincr, to quote MI
Spiegel, "who writes for the yeiiow
back novel, the cheap magazine ana
tbc boiler plat. newspaper at 40
much a line. wltnout consideration
~ the matter Nc H. wricng. VINO
simply complies laboi iously flow
~ rhetoric because ne - getting 30
much for SO much. ia % no earti
use to the film world. we nceu'
ever so badly. more brain power ,n
the story department, ana we hs.e
. ~ have 10 eN-
hume the dead masters poules III"
get their mark on contract
The attitude OF the big producers
toward the adaptation OF literary
ms.terpieces solely for the photo.
play opportunities r. demonstratea
in two recent productions. one oI
which, Carmen" with Gera,dine
Farrar. has recently been mere
S,v" with Mary Pickford. will be
sscn here the latter part of this
w..k-both, by the way. attrar-
tions OF Loew's Columbia Theater
Both were free adaptations for
rhotoplay purposes only OF the
stories from which original plays
have been made for the stage. But
in both these adaptations only the
photoplay possibilities and the
character portrayal pOstiDilltlcs VI
the stars selected to present the
pieces were given consideration.
Another important feature OF the
use of photoplay adaptations Of
stories was demonstrated in the
coordination Of the theater itself
to the plays. by the manner in
which Carmen" was produced at
Loew's Columbia last week. The
management OF the theater took
special pains to make the presen-
tation OF this flm an example OF
real photoplny production as the
theater can give II. They did not
simply run off the reels OF hlm
and let II go at that. but they
ftted a musical score to the piece
and gave the projection and set =
tings for the screen as much at
tention as the producers had given
the play itself. The Same idea, II
IL understood. is to be carried out
in the presentation OF Madame
Butterfly" this weck--so that this
play Will not only be an adapts
tion Of the John Luther Long
story TO motion pictures and Mary
Pick foid. but the adaptation of the
theater In which it IL shown to the
play as well, c. NJ.