The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-02-12
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLA YERS
.t1 BY GARDNER HACK
Photopldyers Taking
Their Work More
Seriously, Says
Miss Bernard

BY DOROTHY BERNARD.


1 wonder " tho audiences that :
used TO play teforc IN dear Did
Washington night after night IN my
own proper person rrelize tia when
am making picture out. here IN
California OF in the New York stu
do there IL always some person
knew nmNns them am thinking OF
and working foff e.tH
I wonder if the ro.piN WHO see
me IN motion pictures realize that
arm playing az Scriausly and ~
conscionilously for them ~ ploved
for them whom tiked on. on the
stage TO speak The lines an author
gave mo 10 fpuak ana develop
character before item IN person
That Is tho Zig change that has
como over the molten picture nrt
The people who are acting In pic
tvres arc taking their work very
seriously. They are really trying to
do something. l am using my own
feelings az an illustration because
II lie with my own fcelings that ! am
particularly familiar. But ! know
that the men and wcmen who are
working with me and are In The
other companies here are TAX ne the
thing just as se-icusly.
You know I am rcally a veteran
In thu motion rlc.ures. ] wus one
of the early neml'crs of the old Uio-
graph Company. Aud I know waat
the situation was then. Ny father
always tnusht me tc do anything
had to do for tho public seriously.
Ny father was an actor and he
knew the public will not tolerate
half-hearted woik, And perhaIs
was a little Dad t. that group OF
young people who were In the pic.
lures In the carry days YES seri-
Gus about Il anu found fault with
the way hinss were done.
Only David Griffith seemed to take
the work seriously. The most OF
them worked as though they had a
days work to co and wanted to get
rio OF II al quickly as possible, or as
though they were on lark. Mr..
Grifiith didn't. And. of course, the
ford and Tiorence Lawrence and
Mack Sonnet and Wally Walthail--
TOOK their work seriously, too. That
u the reason they are big stars to-
day But Just remember the people
who were In pictures then-who had
leading parts. too--whose names you
never hear of or have entirely for
gotten and wouldn't recognize II you
heard them. They played at Il, and
IN playing lost the real meaning OF
It all.
And now look at the way, things
are going. The men and women who
are making pictures here IN Los An
geles now are working in a real Sc
rious effort to build up a great art.
1t has amused me to see the change
OF manner of the stage stars who
have come here during the last few
months to play with the new COM
panies. They came out here as
though they were going to have a
regular picnici
And the picnic hasn't transpired
yeti Those people found as earnest
and hard-working a set OF actors and
duction as they had seen anywhete
on the stage. And they have gotten
Into the spirit OF things and are
really trying. Having grown up on
the stage. and having been one Of
the earliest OF people with stage
] may say with some authority that
the most wonderful thing that has
happened to the pictures has been
the enlistment Of the interest OF the
artists OF the stage who have gone
into the work this last year.
You cannot think what a big Inn
petus their coming has given the
thoughtful producers to go into
greater work than they ever dreamed
OF before. Equipped with a better
understanding Of the business of
simply had motion picture experience
and knowing from their experience on
the stage just how situations Inn
press an audience, their advice and
their work has been a revelation.
And they have become seriously in
L. H.
They have learned that an actor can
give the best that Is In him to the
production of photoplay. II isn't
a question OF keeping something in
reserve, as II Is on the stage when
you have an exhausting part to 60
through night after night.
In the photoplay you need do the
part but once before the camera.
And In that one performance you can
put every ounce OF your strength
and nervous energy. You can burn
yourself up-if might use the ex-
preston. To real artist this Of
fers tremendous opportunity. And
the artists who have come to us are
learning to take advantage OF Il.
realize-probably better even than
the people OF Washington realise
that the photoplay still has long
sary to work harder than we have
ever worked before to keen the in
terest OF our audiences ana to COM
mand the synpathy and intelligent
consideration OF the people who have
heretofore held aloof from the
pictures. But I believe we have
started In the right direction. And
I believe that the time Is very near
when we will not have to ask for
recognition. The bigness OF the new
art and especially the wide infim.
ence II has already acquired. will
bring about a better and a more
general Northumberland consA-
quently a fuller realization-of Its