New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-28

veloped as high as 1t will ever be pos
sible TO make it, and in consequence
there will soon be a return to the le-
climate stage of both actors and ac-
tresses and their followings.
Most of the present day stars of the
screen are the cast off actors of the
drama, who, while having some ability,
were not equal TO the task Of portray
ing heavy or light part in a drama.
They are able to act for the movies
because motion pictures do not require
any Interpretation; they are purely
Photographic. There is no art or men
tally required to be motion picture
star, because the director does all the
work.
maintain that all the dramatic
pictures are the same and that the
best pieces of literature cannot be
Justly represented there. The motion
picture director requires only some
thing that will be financial success,
and because of this fact overlooks the
best for something that will do just as
we'll. One should be just as careful
in selecting food for the mind as he
would be in choosing food for the body.
A bad portrayal of some drama in mo-
ton pictures acts the same as unwhole-
some food would for the body. There
is no psychology or deep thought con-
nectcd with the action in motion pict-
ures.
Let me predict for the United States
the greatest literary era of any nation.
The United States has become the melt
ing pot of all races and ideas, and as
a result the field for thought is more
extensive and metropolitan than that
of any other nation. The United States
will some day produce a writer who
will outstrip Shakespeare or Dante, but
the time will come only when the lit
erary people of this country will quit
patronizing the silent drama and limit
their motion picture patronage TO the
educational and newsgathering movies.
The theatregoing public must patronize
the man who labors and tolls for years
on his work to make it masterpiece
before a great literary genius will be
produced in America.
In conclusion let me say that when /
/ indicate that neither art nor mentality
is required to be a motion picture star
and that the director does all the work
mean it. | hold to the theory that
the art OF acting is greater than any
Of the other fine arts, because the actor
is at his own resources in portraying
7 a character He does not have the in
strument OF the musician or the pig
ment Of the artist, but is thrown en-
tirely on his own ability to produce
the effect that will exactly portray a
certain character so well that his per-
sonality is lost in the action. Musi-
clans may have ideas that they wish to
convey 70 others and may have concep-
tions that they wish TO give 70 the
Put lie, but all this is done with the
aid Of an instrument. An artist may
4 have these same conceptions and por-
tray them in another way with his
brush, but the actor brings you face
10 face with the character that has
entered his mind and shows you what
kind of conception he had by living
! the part By the loss of his own per-
sonality TO the extent that a certain
/ character is recognizable in his ac-
tons. And If for some one Of many
reasons he does not produce the exact
effect or impression desired he cannot
say to his audience: This was not the
exact impression which | tried TO con-
vey, so will repeat the scene or the
speech for you" Oh, no!
! But your movie actor is permitted 20
repeat mis- action until the motion
picture director is satisfied, be he right
or wrong.
For the above reasons l. as an hum
( bic but conscientious and industrious
/ interpreter OF the spoken drama. have
no regard for or patience with what |
am pleased TO call ths "unspeaSable
drama"