The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-09-21
Clifford Howard, Former Presi-
/, dent Of Short Story Club,
! Turns Playwright.
sEEks. TO TEACH PURITY
Poet, Short Story Writer, and
. Former District Government
Official.


lists Of the authors and philoso-
piers who would use the fiim for
the production OF morality play In
the form Of an ailegory, using nude
and partly draped figures. which so
Enthusiastically emphasize the UNDER
lying idea that there IL practically
no chance OF offense to those who
seek to find in such q. production
anything foreign In the lesson the
author seeks to teach.
The author Of this particular Aim
n CLIFFORD Howard. at present n
resident Of California, but long
identified with the literary and Of
ncial circles In this city. Mr.. How
ards MIN play Is called Purity"
and the star OF the piece is Audrey
Munson. the sculptor's and painters
model whose figure was used in
making the statuary and paintings
for the symbolic figures In the Pan
American Exposition in San Fran
cisco.
asd r w MSra re rsrS S'0i SstoTS Of
years, as Wen a. with focal govern
ment affairs. For q number Of years
he was assistant secretary to the
District Commissioners. and In TINS
office devised many Of the schemes
q Present In or rSrSs sSf hue SSs,ness
Won Many Prizes.
He became prominent a. q poet
and q magazine writer while still
an Official Of the District. He was
one of the organizers Of the Short
story Club of Washington and for
q long time was president Of the
organization. He was contribu.
cor to the poetry departments OF
Munsey's Magazine, the Century,
the Atlantic Monthly. Harper's and
many other well-known magazines.
As short story writer he came
several magazine contests and he
was particularly noted for the origi-
nal character Of the plots OF his
Mr.. Howard gained national
prominence as q writer with his
hstory Of A Young Man. which was
ii.hed seriaIiy in the Ladies' Home
journal some years ago, illustrated
~ walter Taylor, and was after
ward published In book form. He
- also the author of several books
Of verse, Of short stories, and OF
works on philosophical subjects;
.t sessnsiS motion % D,ceure. WITH S'ea
view Of utilizing the educational
facilities presented for the further
ance OF study OF idyllic, literature
and art. In conjunction with the
American Film Company In Santa
Barbara. he wrote and directed the
ample Of this sort of work.
The frst part Of the film play II
purely allegorical, telling the story
Sf Virtue and Truth, enlisting the
muses of the drama, Music and
Painting, in spreading appreciation
Of love and purity.
Story Of Play.
Pandora appears in the allegory.
releases Vice from a box and Fir-
tue and Truth are driven to the
mountain tops. The staging Of the
allegory was done with draped fig
ures and gives occasion for the in
PRODUCTION OF. q number Of very fine
ly direct interpretive dances. Mr..
Howard super1ntended the produce
ton. The alleyory Ia connected with
the modern portion Of the play
. poet writing the allegorical story
The poet meets a girl who has
been brought up in the woods end
fields. They become engaged. The
poet finds no sale for his book.
He suffers nervous breakdown
which his physician thinks win re-
seeking a model for an ideal paint.
ing Of Virtue. meets the girl and.
struck by her innocence and her
physical beauty asks her to pose
The girl thinks she can earn
money enough to have the poets
book published In the posing and
consents. She learns aftcrward
that The poet objects to women DOS
ing in the nude for artists. The Piece
ends happily. however, and the idea
which Mr.. Howard seeks TO convey
10 brought out so Enthusiastically that
even Il there had been any desire
TO lower the character Of the play
by the too liberal display OF nude
figures. It could not have oeen done
and the continuity of the story pre-
served. The result Is q rather re-
markable exhibition OF artistic fig
ures and dramatic otory which
could be shown in a convent with
out giving offense.
unusual in this particular kind OF
literary and film work which. re-
quires the most delicate handling.
III picture has not vet been ex-
hibtted here publicly, An exhibition
Will be given at the National Press
Club within tho course Of the next
II a. AA1N