The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-01-27
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
BY GARDNER MACK
Ruth Roland Becomes
Advocate of Theory
That Detectives
Should Die

There Is much written about
plays with q moraI-plays that
preach a sermon--without the av-
erage playgoer really knowing
what sort of sermon is often
preached. Some of the worst mo-
ton pictures that are produced
are defen 1ed BY their producers
on the ground that they point a
moral, that they serve as a warn
ing. They are really bad all the
way through and are about as
valuable as a moral lesson as a
murder or a burglary, when the
murderer or burglar happens to be
caught and punished.
There IL another type OF play,
however, that has a most interest
ing lesson. One Of this type is the
serial photoplay and story which
is being published in The Times
every Gay The Red Circle" Thi
play has a very serious purpose
though 1t doesn't decide the Ques-
ton 1t deals with. 1t simply puts
the facts in a bare way before the
public. These facts concern the
matter of permitting the unfit to
die in infancy, Ruth Roland, who
plays the leading part in the Aim
version OF the story has become a
firm believer in the doctrine that
defective babies should not be al
lowed to live.
The Chicago doctor did right to
let the baby die" declares Miss
Roland. MY conviction is based on
the fact that in The Red Circle
/ am playing the part of a birth
marked girl who would have been
spared much suffering had her life
been snuffed out In infancy.
AT first thought it may seem
hardhearted for me to advocate
letting physically imperfect babies
so to their eternal home at once.
yet while no one loves the weo mites
more than ]. / believe II far more
humane to let them pass on i'm
mediately, when they come into
the world under a severe handicap
than to force them to remain and
take up the fight, which is q hard
one even for the flLtest.
Sentiment is one thing and COM
mon sense another. hold we
should be reasonable in all things.
The mother who loves her child Is
willing to make any sort OF sacri-
fee for IL. Accordingly, she should
not be so selfish an to want to
keep II here when on arrival IL il
NpOhACN W
should be reconciled TO it's depar-
ture. if medical science holds out
no hope. Motherhood and heroism
have many things in common.
IT view this matter wholly from
q Humanitarian standpoint / sea
so many unfortunates, deformed
from the cradle, thar feel sure the
Chicago doctor did right. II you
will only talk to some of them
and get their views, you'll see that
they think the same way"
Much favorable comment has been
heard among motion picture patrons
OF the enterprise OF the Motion
Picture News In including with its
current issue a studio directory
which gives something of the history
of the people who are making the
films. The directory is to be a semi
annual feature of this publication,
so that all patrons OF the Aim who
are readers OF the periodical may
keep in touch with the changes In
the various studios and be able to
obtain personal histories OF the vari-
Gus actors and actresses. The Mo-
ton Picture News has usually been
full of valuable features OF inter-
est to the public. but this is prob
ably the most valuable thing it has
yet published.