The Washington herald., 1916-01-16

the rear Of the lot and the inner walls
are painted a dazzling white. Powerful
electric lights overhead are so arranged
as to throw the movie actors who take
part into strong relief Occasionally the
background Of a film is dyed TO lend
greater realism to the scene. and although
the figures are In silhouette II Is sur
prtsing how much expression is obtained.
This artists innovation In film produo-
ton covers q wide range Of subjects. but
all OF them are presented with delight
full disregard for stereotyped methods. He
will not take his characters seriously but
carries them through a series Of droll ad-
ventures. "Inbad the Sailor" Is typical
example.
The story has the proper Arabian
Nights flavor. II shows a sailor wrecked
on a desert isle with only a monkey and
a bottle OF tabasco sauce for comfort.
But the writer produces the inevitable
mystery in the shape of geuii's chest In
which is found a wishing ring. The sailor
has four wishes, one Of which turns the
monkey into a human companion sort
Of man Friday-and another WhisEs the
two on on a magic carpet to the orient In
search of adventure.
As the two men tumble into the scene
before the gates of Bagdad they are taken
prisoners and are borne of to the sultan,
who, learning of the wishing ring, decides
to commute a sentence Of death to q life
Of happiness and ease. providing they
find a rare pearl stolen by a dragon in the
mountains. AS a reward the sultan prom
ises the sailor his daughter, a beautiful
princess. for his wife.
With such a prize in view the sailor
sets on with his companion to search for
the pearl. They find the dragon and Just
as he is about to attack them they pour
the tabasco So uce down his throat and he
coughs up the pearl.
As they fee with the gem they look
back to see the monster being consumed
by fire from the burning condiment Seek
ing the sultan to claim the reward, the
sailor discovers the supposed beautiful
princess to be an unprepossessing old
woman, so turning his companion back
into a monkey he sets sail on the magic
carpet for New York intending to dispose
of the pearl. He takes il to a pawn
shop only to find the gem is a counterfeit
and is worth but thirty cents.
Mr.. Gilbert is at work on a series OF
amusing bedtime stories for children. One
is a remarkable tale Of a bed that becomes
a boat and sails to unknown seas He is
also working on a Peter Pan absurdity
for the children.
The colleges and universities have al
READY seen the possibilities OF the moving
picture and the phonograph as sdjuncts
in teaching their students. Dean Freder-
ick Paul Keppel, Of Columbia college, in
his annual report to the president of Co
lumbia. predicts Just this. The saving Of
time by these and other agencies, accord
ing to Dean Keppel, makes their adoption
by American colleges necessary.
In the details of teaching" he saws.
lit must not be forgotten. that while any
dependence upon cut and dried mechan-
iCal devices is deadly. the students time
does possess a definite value. Indeed. the
time of large share Of our college under
graduates has a tested market value Of
one dollar or more an hoUr-and that
in conveying. information the time saving
properties of the printing press and
multigraphing machine are not to be de-
spised, and the near future will doubtless
add to these the general use of the phono-
graph and moving picture, not as substi-
tutes but as aids to it,