The Washington times., 1916-07-07
Efforts To Be Made by Direc-
tors to Create New Art
| Standards.
ELIMINATE STAGE IMITATION
Producers Believe Motion Pic
ture Is Divorced From Old
! Cheap Show.

The decree of absolute divorce
from the photoplay of those dlrec-
tors would try to make It an imi-
tation OF the stage can honestly said
to be forecast IN the developments
OF the last few months in the photo
play industry.
The fact that the photoplay is a
form of expression that ia distinct
from writing and speaking and paint
ing, from literature. acting, music.
and the graphic arts. has now
strongly impressed itself on the men
who have large investments In the
business Of making pictures. They
are getting rid of those of their en-
ployes whose sole idea Of picture
art Is TO attempt to initiate the
stage.
In the amalgamation of the Lasky
and the Famous Players company
this fact has been emphasized. IN
the productions which William \;
Erady Is fatherng for the World
Film Corporation 1t is uppermost. In
the work that has been and Is pc
ing done by Herbert Brennan lor
Fox. by John Emerson. Tom lnce.
and their associates In the Triangle
group, the birth of the real photo
play Ia given tho greatest emphasis
David Wark Griffith's spectacle
The Birth Of Nation." probably,
tcntlon of the thinking public to
this new and what might be termed
the final analysis OF what the photo
play really Is, and fixed. in sense,
what IL will be in the future.
The Birth OF Nation Is NOT.
strictly speaking. n Dhotoplay., It
Is an historic spectacle. in which
an intensely dramatic story holds
the varied elements of action to-
gether and YIELDS them into a COM
pact play. But the great breadth
possible the big Griffith play. is
what the shorter. more imaginative
creations are to be that are to
follow.
In this particular direction William
c. and Cecil y. DeMille. OF the
the most consistently constructive
work. The DeAIilles. men of intel
lectual ability and trained writers.
approached the photoplay seriously.
They. realized in Il form OF ex-
preston entirely distinct from any
other that had been given the
human emotion. 1t offered oDpor-
tunities for greater. broader real
ism than any of the other forms OF
expression.
Realism on Stage.
On the stage characters that stand
out BY their difference from their
fellows are made to compress into
two hours of acting and dialogue.
months Of action within the pre-
scribed limits of three or four
scenes immovablc. In writing. the
imaginative element is given abso-
lutte freedom-at least there IL the
opportunity. for 1t. Such realism as
Is created Is due to the art of the
author in making his characters
seem real or average human beings.
When. as q matter of fact. they are
exceptional in all their qualities for
entertainment or instruction.
The painter idcalizes his subject.
and. like the author and the play
wright eXaggerates nature in order
to emphasize and impress II on his
public. The photoplay. on the other
hand. cannot possibly get away from
nature itself. 1t cannot exaggerate
Its action without becoming freak
tsh. 1t must stick absolutely to the
Photographic and make real things
emphasize themselves to the point
that makes them notable to the pub
lie mind.
In this way the photoplay can
adapt and visualize I'm real scenes,
and many scenes OF action the
imaginative creations OF the author
of the book. 1t can piece out the
action of the play by giving those
able acts OF the stage productions.
Further than that II can express in
human action the emotions OF music
as Brady has done for the music OF
Puccini in n lesser degree in his pro-
auction OF LA Boheme."
1t Is in this direction that the de-
Miles have set their genius to work.
To make the photoplay real insti-
tuition as an amusement form OF IN
struction and an emotional safety
valve OF the people. Their work Is
making deeper and deeper impress
sion on the thinking people in their
audiences. and they are becoming
more and more to be looked upon "a
exercising highly beneficial Intiu-
ence on the entire motion picture
making fraternity.