El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-08
Proof That the Legitimate is
Not Hurt By the Movies;
Some New Productions.

EW YORK. Jan. s.-This New
N Years week is a happy one with
New York theatrical managers.
The season has been successful The
spoken drama apparently has come
back into its own.
The present optical proof that the
Legitimate" drama can exist and do
well simultaneously with the continued
expansion OF the film industry was nat
urally foremost in the minds Of prom
inent theatrical men interviewed to-
day.
This year Will see battle royal be-
tween the moving pictures and the
spoken drama said William A. Brady.
Generally speaking the pictures will
win People point 10 this winters pro-
ductiOns here and say that We have
never had so many successes. L admit
all that but New York is not the
United States
The spoken drama viii always live
in New 4Ork-and in Chicago. Phila-
delphia and Boston. The small cities.
where the cream Of the profits used TO
ccme from. no longer give such profit
able support
Grace George, said to me she believed
that out Of all the chaos and confusion
We should in the end get the best back
New plays now. IN they are to succeed.
and to make an intellectual appeal
Fine action was always at premium
and always viii be-"
Edgar Selwyn said:
You know. of course. that for two
o. three years past the moving pic
lures have played havoc with the le-
climate stage. Now things have
worked around to a point where they
are doing ms good instead OF harm
At first they were indirect cOmpe-
tition. And then they began taking
enormous prices that old time theat-
rical managers couldn't afford As a
result they cleared the boards for the
ambitious young players. The man
ayers had TO look for new blood And
the public has taken to going to see
a play rather than a star.
That. of course makes il better
for the young playwright He can get
his plays considered He can also use
his own ideas. instead OF having TO
write play around an established
star And. in addition. the movinS
pictures are al last finding their own
field and developing along lines that
supplement the spoken dramas instead
Of competing.
Lee Shubert said;
The next year should { a good one
There is so much money In circulation
and the country is very prosperous
But il may be too prosperous and too
busy TO go 10 the theeter. Sometimes
that happens and spells our matinee
audiences They stay away to spend
money rather than 10 come IN and
spend time"
OliNef MOEOstU SalE-
The film drama has not interfered.
nor can il interfere, with the best
plays. on the other hand. it has rid
US Of those poorer kinds which were
not needed
Just now-and FOR long time
past-the aim Of the moving picture
enterprises has been TO rope in the
favOrite stars. Soon they viii have
exhausted the supply
Then instead OF stars VIC shall have
good stock companies in these film
productions This will allow the stars
to return to their true places on the .
Some OF the foibles OF human nature +
which may crop out in the tercentena-
celebra tion Of Sha kespere's birth next I
April are exposed by Henry Arthur ,
Jones. the veteran British playwright, :
in Cock o. the Walk" his new play. i
at the George N, Conan thester- !
Otis Skinner has the leading part, I
that of tippling. ne'er-dO-well. :
srandilOQuent old actor, who. however.
mas more real love for the Avon bard 4
than all the knighted actor managers
and bishops on celebration committees
in all London Antony Bellchamber
would rather Othello than earn the
price OF a dozen casks OF Madeira.
He wishes to appear in Shaksperian
revival in the metropolis but this priv
lege is denied because Of the Jealousy
u a pompous actor manager. Through
/ harmless. although compromising,
AtLAt lllElaUOn between a stage SlluGk
girl and the manager, he gets the part
he longs for and the fourth and last I
act finds him triumphantly installed (
n his dressing room at the Berkt
heater
Vernon steel took the part Of the
ielf satisfied egotistical actor knight,
sir Augustus Conyers- To Aliss Janet
dunbar went the role OF Johanna ;
8ridle, the ingenious little matinee
sirl who fell in love with Sir Angus
JUS.
Charles E. Billingham's new musical
comedy. Stop, Look Listen" at the
lobe theater is a we'll produced riot
II vaudeville talent, a legitimate sue
lessor 10 Watch Your Step" and others
II that ilk
Irving Berlin's syncopated notes are
leard at their best The audience |
'eemed particularly TO like Every
hing in America is Rsgtime.' When