The Washington times., 1916-03-03
Actor-Manager to Perpetuate
the Famous Scientific De-
! tective In Motion Pictures.
WILL FILM TWO BIG DRAMAS
Playwright Signs Agreement to
Begin Work Immediately
/ Theatrical Season Closes.

Sherlock Holmes has taken up the
matter Of motion pictures and will
determine whether they are really
entertaining or merely seem 30.
Sherlock viii do this through the
medium of Wlliam Gillette. Gillette
announced to the world that he In
tends to retire from the stage at the
end of the present season. He does.
He intends to retire from the stage,
as far back as the Essanay motion
picture studio way up on the north
side Of Chicago. And when he has
retired that far he will enter the
big Argyle street studio and play
Sherlock Holmes and Secret Serv-
ice" before battery of cameras 80
that future generations will know
what these plays are like.
The announcement that William
Gilletts will enter the motion picture
business has just been made by the
Essanay company. The announce
2 ment Is also made that some scenes
In Sherlock Holmes have already
been made. This is to be the first OF
the Gillette plays released.
Secret Service" will he the second
10 arrangements have been made for
further productions by the actor
playwright producer. Efforts are to
be made. however, to secure produc-
tions OF TOO Much Johnson" The
Admirable Crlchton." and others
In the course Of time.
The work Of injecting Mr.. Gillette
with motion picturitis was one of
the hardest jobs the picture men
have undertaken. Fer come time
past Mr.. Gillette hns declined to ex.
press an opiuion for or against the
pictures as a medium for dramatic
expression. He looked wise ard held
his tongue when some one started nm
argument OF the matter In his vicin-
ity. He rejected all offers that were
made to him and studied the busi-
hess.
The fact that Mr.. gillette has coz
sented to appear before the camera
10 regarded by motion picture max
ers as one of the best, evidences Of
6uction. Mr.. Gillette Is regarded as
one of the most conservative ond
most scholarly men connected with
the theater. He ts native Of Con-
necticut. where his father was gov
ernor OF the State and afterNyard a
United States Senator.
His elder brother. Edward Hooker
Gillette. also entered politics, having
served an Congress as representa-
tive from Iowa, to which State he
moved from New England.
Following graduation from a pre-
paratory school young Gillette chose
the stage as his profession. and play
ed In stock companies while COM
pleting his education with special
courses at tho University /of New
York. Massachusetts Institute of
Technology and Boston University.
In 1877 he undertook theatrical work
exclusively and played with stock
companies successfully at New Or
leans. New York, Boston, Cincinnati
and Louisville.
BY this time he had won national
recognition and decided to attempt
the staging of several plays which
he had written for himself. This he
did with encouraging success. and
since he has written everything I'm
which he has appeared.
Sherlock Holmes" added to his
fame and later Secret Service" up
held the reputation he had won. Mr.
Gillette Is a member of the National
Institute OF ArtT and Letters, and
makes his home In New York the
greater part OF the year. G. NJ.