The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-23
failure OF THE
STAGE NOT DUE.
TO THE SCREEN
So Declares Edison Director
and There Are Many Who
!, Agree with Him.

"You hear a great deal these days"
remarked Director Richard Ridgeley,
as he stopped in the midst of scene,
at the Edison studio, where he was
putting on the last Of the Hleine-
Edison feature, "The Martyrdom Of
Phillip Strong about the inroads that
the motion picture has made into at
fractions on the stage.
Now, don't doubt this is true, but
/ do object to the plant that many Of
the theatrical producers put up,
throwing certain onus Of criticism
on the photodrama, as il it were a
weak substitute or an interloper that
had given the stage deadly blow.
Many producers lay their lack Of the
atrical foresight or lack Of ability,
due to which many plays Of the stage,
fail, to the blanket excuse that 1t Is
the pictures which did It.
Throwing Sand. .
II am not attempting to hold any
brief for pictures in this discussion
which has many angles, but an ex-
perience of mine at New York the
alter this week fully convinces me that
they, the theatrical men, are either
trying to throw sand in our eyes or
that they are throwing it into their
own eyes and do not realize 1t.
~ had not been to theater in
some little time so thought would
20 to see a play which was getting
quite bit Of notice in the New York
papers. So that could give it full
attention and enjoy 1t to the full, /
went alone. asked for seat at a
price that would ordinarily give me
a seat downstairs. I was astonished
at being directed up some several
fights of stairs, to the top nearly OF
the house. It was about time to start
the play. l looked down at the house.
The house wasn't there-it looked
quite like barren waste. guess
! spoke my mind to the usher about
prices and people, For the play
had not been started when the usher
came ND to me and said that the man
ager wished to see me, to give me a
seat down stairs. i did not know
the manager, nor he knew even my
name, Of course. 1t would appear that
the house made him nervous as to!
how the play was going to fare-to
be solicitious.
Puzzling Thing.
"As to the play itself, can't con-
ceive what induced them to put 1t on.
/ shall leave it unnamed. But it was
by famous dramatist whom adj
mire. All through the first act, the
characters sat and talked and talked.
1t was all about their troubles and OF
conditions which no longer exist any
where-mostly economic. One could
therefore hardly be excited to SYM
pathy over It. The rest Of the acts
were much the same way-talk, talk.
There was nothing to It as play, al
though it did afford occasional chances
for character acting, an actors oppor-
tunity, not the plays.
"And the subject! l can't recall
when saw a play on so drab and
dreary a subject. When the curtain
fell. / was not alone bored, and de-
pressed, but with no sense Of GER
tain depression which might come
with an impression of having wit
messed power in play. In the play,
actors were allowed to do things
which would have excited instant crit
icism of "stageyness' II motion pic
ture director allowed his players to
do the same.
despite all these very evident rea-
sons 70 rthe apparent non-appeal and
non-success Of the play, l thought l
would ask, as went out Of man
who was connected with the manage
ment, the cause for the poor house.
tOh, motion picture, was his reply
with an air of helplessness ST.
Some Question, This.
"Why should motion pictures be
charged with such failures when they
will have the prices of admission so
high, put on play with so little ap-
peal, and then hide, behind the pres
tige Of great authors name, imply
ing in their charges that the motion
pictures have lowered the taste Of the
play going public?"
Director Ridgley has produced two
of the four five act features so far
released by Edison through the Kle--
ineIEdison feature service and by their
success-"The Magic Skin" and 1.-THE
Destroying Angel"-may safely be
spoken Of man who knows whereof
he speaks.
ne is now at work on Kleine-Edi-
son feature, 1.-THE LAdde rof Ambi-