The Washington times., 1915-02-13
THE ONLY
Department Representing
THE PUBLIC
Film Actresses Not
Made in Schools
Declares An
Expert.

While the desire to write photo.
play scenarios is probably the most
general ambition the pictures have
Inspired among the popuiace. there 10
another desire awakened in the
breasts Of almost as many OF the
patrons-especially of the younger
generation. They all believe they
can act, and IL given the proper kind
OF instruction. would easily dcvedop
into stars. They see Mary Pickford
and Blanche Sweet and King Bsgeot
and Arthur johnson, and the rest
OF them go through their parts on
the screen SO easily and naturally
that II seems to them acting must BE
very simple thing.
The fact that these people do their
from being one OF the reasons they
are such great stars. is due largely
to the hard work they have done IN
cultivating natural talent for such
things: But the simplicity and aban.
con c,, with which they do It has given
ber Of .institutions' in the same
class as the. so.cailed photopiay
schools-schools that guarantees 10
teach people how to act and ret
them tobs with film companies in q
fe-. short lessons, Most Of these
SCHOOLS are simply get-rich-quick
teach people how 70 act whether
they have talent or not-but very
Few experts have found II.
William Lord Wright. the photo.
play EDITOR Of the Dramatic Mir
ror. who has been going after q
number nun OF schemers who deiude
has recently tilted his lance in the
direction OF the photoplay schools Of
acting. As there have been innu.
merable queries coming into this Of.
fice on the same subject from what
we might call screen-smitten young
people In Washington. his remarks
are most interesting. Mr.. Wright
states:
"A little girl back in Illinois wants
to know how she can become q mo-
ton picture actress Or she adds,
II it is not possible for me to get 4
chance in a studio right away, what
ssmop1 so1' pec1m,phS 1Or pnSSttoplay acting would
requests for names OF reliable
schools that the trade papers and
daily newspaper photopiay editors
receive with regularity. The tragedy
lies In the fact that the editor feels
practically certain the screen-struck
girls and boys will not accept his
well-meant advice.
But here goes. In the first place,
We know of no reliable school that
advertises its ability to manufacture
that's the word-mouon picture
stars. There may be such things
but II %. they are keeping their
identity pretty we'll concealed. II
you really want to study acting. the
schools for the legitimate stage viii
be of assistance to you, but then
know you'll be badly disappointed
when you find that they do not make
the feather-brained claims. Of tlse
shysters. You'll probably aiso Be
sorely disappointed to learn that the
legitimate school for acting demands
sincere. earnest work. and years CT
study-there Is no one-night process
acQuaintance-and we've looked into
q good many-haS a man connected
with it who earned any more thar
his salt in a picture studio. We've
had some of the professors seek oul
assistance to get positions for them
Another professor knew 50 1T
tie about motion pictures that HI
spent an hour Of argument trying te
stars on the screen that he couit
make picture actors Of them for 81.
Put. you say. we have told yot
all about the schools and haven,
said anything about the other way
of getting into the game. So w
have, and we'll tell you why. Be
cause the only other way means day
after day Of disappointments with .!
occasional chance as an "extr..,
hoping. IT'S certain method
though"