New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-08
British Actor Sails Next
Friday to Supervise
Two Productions.
WILL GO WEST
TO STAGE MOVIES
Several Shakespearian Plays,
Including Henry VIII" To
Be Filmed at Los Angeles.
tRy Gable to Thc rrnun, J

London. Nov. Sir Herbert Tree.
who dominates the British stage more
than ever. sails for America next Fri
day. He will remain for few weeks
in New York arranging for the produc-
ton this season of some Shakespearian
plays with his own company. being es-
pccially anxious 20 offer American au-
diences Henry WIZ and Richard H.
lie will then proceed to Los Angeles,
where. under the auspices Of David ".
Griffith, who provides the company and
accessories, he will film several Shake
spearian plays, beginning with Henry
VIII" Conversing with the Tribune cor
respondent to-day, Sir Herbert showed
no misgivings that the moving picture
industry will ever materially injure the
legitimate drama.
Pictures will never cold-shouldet
the drama out of existence" ne said.
Like vaudeville. the cinema is really
only a branch OF the legitimate theatre.
which must inevitably and always hold
the leading position il now occupies.
AA@af iAEFf ANlAltA0 III AAAt AANAN ~ vi sstate
can only sharpen the edge OF the peo-
pies appetite for drama. They can
never usurp the place of the 'legti-
mate SO long as people are suscepu-
bic 10 the personal magnetism OF the
actor and can find pleasure in the
sense of personal REORGANIZATION
then the drama will remain supreme.
Moving pictures will stay as the hors
d'nuyre 10 the main feast
Nevertheless, II D art, and great art.
The Birth of a Nation and D'Annun-
zio's 'Cabiria' are triumphs 81 artistic
creation. Posterity will treasure .s,ee
records Of present-day genius, although
from the actors viewpoint the preser-
walton has the drawback of SfOrdng
opportunity for posthumous criticism
from which he has hitherto been i'm
mune. But the relation OF moving
pictures 20 the drama is one OF per-
spective. No pictures eXtant Will ever
keep audiences from really good. play.
They may kill an inferior, but the best
theatres will prosper more than ever"
Asked about the effect Of the war on
dramatic art. Sir Herbert was pessi-
mistic. $50 far" he said, at has been
one of oppression. Warlike emotions
haven't yet produced a single notable
play. At the present time practically
all the theatres are dependent either
on American imports or old favorltes.
Personally, | think the reaction after
the war may produce an intellectual re-
yiyal"
Asked regarding present day public
taste. the actor said: THE true trnc'
ton of the theatre to-day is to pro-
vide emotional solace rather than 20
act as an intellectual irritant. The
public will not listen to serious pays
and even jibe at the full blooded type
of production.
"'rhe only thing they will accept Is
something of a light dnd airy nature.
They merely come to the theatre 70
forget the war. have had singular
experience confirming this. After the
war started | produced Henry w. !
regarded il as the best Shakespearlan
production | have ever done, as well
as being about the most patriotic ap-
neal one could make TO Engishmen.
The final result was that lost a great
deal Of money. The public did not
want it. | have just produced light,
frolicsome play, Mavouneen.' and
the public crowds to il. Probably it IL
only natural. Sheer amusement in
these days is perhaps the best toni,
for the nation. Apart from this. all
the theatres have suffered terribly
from the war. II will take long time
10 make up the leeway."