The Washington times., 1915-03-25
PHOTOP.LAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
Nv 0ARDNEp MACK
Tpo Film Novelties
Introduced To
Washington
This Week
BY GARDINER MACK.

MOTION pictures are almost too new
to indicate certain uses of them as
being novel. The whole idea Is
still a novelty. There has been a
sort of average kind of work estab-
lished by them, which the public ex-
poets from them. A large percent
age Of the producers arc content to
stick to this average in slavish
way either by putting out the same
kinds of pictures al. the time be-
cause these pictures have been sue
ccssful or by initiating the work of
other producers. l.
Thus we have the multiplication of
acrobatic police forces and of the
Ford Sterling and the Charlie Chap
Hin types of comedians. There are
a number of things that are OBJ
viously-and have always been OBJ
vfously-medlums for motion picture
explanation that have never been
touched by them. 1t is probably
quite proper. therefore, to designate
anything that is a departure from
the average or that partakes of any
OF these obvious things that haven't
vet been touched as novelties"
TWO Of these have been introduced
In the city this week and have oc-
casioned quite a bit of comment.
The animated song 1,ture is the
hrst of these. Just why no one ever
thought Of illustrating songs with
motion pictures before this is one of
the odd things Of the amusement
business. This was so obviously a
form Of motion picture activity that
1t seems almost absurd to think 1t
has never been done before. But it
hasn't-at least in the form that the
new pictures are being worked out.
The song pictures are really pic
ture stories Of the song the singer is
interpreting. They seem to supply
the third dimension of the song-the
words, the music. and the action-if
we might call 1t that. The singer
gives the music and the words that
are supposed to interpret it, and the
pictures visualize both. That, at
Least, is the idea. AS shown at the
Strand Theater this week the song
picture of "Tipperary Mary is an
excellent Illustration of what can be
done when q man. with a real idea
sets to work to do it.
When the orchestra starts with the
prclude to give the audience an idea
Of what 1t is all about. the pictures
show the composer of the music and
the writer of. the words at work. the
real people. by the way, and not ac-
tors. First the man who wrote the
words of the song is shown seated
at table. He receives a letter tell
Ing him of the death Of a friend,
with comment on the blow it viii be
TO Mary when she hears of it. The
composer comes in, reads the letter.
seats himself at the piano and COM
mences to run his fingers over tho
keys. The writer begins to write
ffeverishly and hands the result to
rapidly on the piano, and then-the
song story commences in pictures
and the real singer starts singing it.
That Is the idea that the animated
songs, seek to bring out, and it is
entirely new. But one manufactures
has turned his attention to the songs
as yet. the Treble-Clef Company.
But the idea will undoubtedly be
seized by others as it gives almost
unlimited opportunity to the picture
maker as well as affording the sing
er a better chance to get a full un-
before the audience. Only the best
Vocalists are employed in the work,
as 1t requires experience in ballad
singing. Harry Chick Is the song in
terpreter at the Strand this week,
and his work is highly satisfactory.
The second novelty comes in the
form of especially produced pictures
Of notable stories which the Mutual
company has just commenced to
make and issue under the name of
Master Pictures. Every motion pic
ture company from time to time
eNisencies of the. average program
of releases forbids special attention
being called to such pictures. al
though they are Of much greater
value than the average output
even of a good company. The Vita
graph Company recognized some
thing like this in the setting aside
of 'Broadway stars" Now comes
the Mutual company with it's series
of Master Pictures" which are to
be released at the rate of two per
week and will include the best work
OF all the companies under the Mu-
tual direction.
The first of the Master Pictures"
to be seen in Washington is Tho
Lost House." at the Garden Theater
today and the rest of the week. The
story of the picture Is one of the
best of the Richard Harding Davis
tales. In fact. it is the authors $
favoritc of all his writings. 1t was
production by the Majestic company
because of its dramatic possibilities
and the thrilling climaxes. Lillian
Gish was chosen to play the part
of the Leading woman. and Wallace
Reid. A. d. Sears. Elmer Clifton,
and +. A. Turner were assigned to
her support. The production was
under the direction of w. c. Ca
banne.
The second of the pictures to be
seen here will be The Quest,
which has been written for a film
play and was produced by the
American company. The third will
be film adaptation of Francis
MoImar's THE Devil" played on
the stage by George Arliss and Ed
ward Arden. Bessie Barriscale. Ed
ward Connolly. and Arthur Maude
will have the principal parts in the
flm, production by Thomas II. lnce,
Of the New York Motion Picture
Company. "The Outcast." adapted
from the story by Thomas Nelson
Page. will be the fourth of the
Master Pictures" with Mae Marsh
and Robert Harron. of the Reliance
company in the principal parts.
The whole idea of the Master
Pictures" is to give the best in
depreciation in film to some of this
best stories adapted to film pur'
poses, and those pictures that have
1T