The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-30
By Robert Grau
Robert Leonard.

Nv - OSSohA
M nee idol? Where is the Adonis
of yesteryear over whom the
matinee girl was wont to rave? Has
the cruel camera man robbed the
stage calling Of all Of the handsome
jeune premiers of other days?
Not all, II we are to believe Bob
Hilliard, himself an idol of the stage.
He swears he will never desert to the
screen. He calls the vogue Of the
movies a mere diversion for the low
foreheads; yet, in the same breath,
he deplores the invasion Of filmdom
by such one-time matinee idols as
William and Dustin Farnum, Robert
Edeson. William Elliott. Jack" Barry.
more and Robert Warwick.
1.-THE motion picture is the gulllo-
tine OF the drama" says Hr. billiard.
Less than q year ago he was out in
Los Angeles, where there are no less
than 90 fin studios, and was bonn
barded with offers. What amazed him
most was the spectacle of a one-time
member Of his company. Thomas H.
lnce, now a millionaire, sending for
him and asking him to write his own
contract. billiard declined; but lnco
says his attitude toward the screen
would not have been the same had
he not just then been welded to a
well known heiress.
1t is. only q truth to state that most
of the matinee idols r now IN
trenched in the motion picture field
where salaries are paid with clock
like regularity for 81 weeks in the
year. Where else can they have their
evenings to themselves and spend
much of their time in the open air?
Many producers have camped on
the trail Of John Drew, the greatest
matinee idol Of this stage generation.
While the late Charles Frohman lived
MI. Drew was deaf to all of the i'm
portunities, even refusing an audience
to the ambassador Of Daniel Froh,
man, now a pillar Of the picture play
industry. Drew has been offered
100000, which he declined as If it
were an insult.
When DeWolf Hopper capitulated
TO the lure Of an annual $125,000, and
had already started for California,
John Drew was at least willing to
listen. The successors to Charles
FrOhman have been so depressed at
the loss of Billie Burke, who has just
been signed up by the aforesaid
Thomas H. Ince at a guarantee of
100000 for four weeks work on one
feature film, that they are %despairing
over the possibility Of losing not only
Johu Drew but also Maude Adams.
II is doubtful If John Drew will
enter o film studio short of a quarter
nj A million dollars for one year.
Not a few Of the idolized youths
who are the vogue in the drama Of
silence came into the film studio un-
known; they possessed what the
great photoplay directors call "pic-
ture personalities"
As recently as five years ago
lanes Young was tempting fate ION
,he road" with Brown Of Harvard"
IN his company were ]. Warren Ker.
,Ipau and Carlyle Blackwell. Neither
aver created a ripple on the speak.
tns stage-a salary Of $40 a week
Looked big to them, But when
tSsv went into pictures 1t was all
diTerent. Their pay now is such as
q grand opera diva might envy.
Maurice Barrymore died before his
.hildren became famous. The same,
yaudeville magnate who paid most
,a,uctantly $500 q week to the entire
parrymore family, now pay $4,000 a
weak to Ethel and. $500 a week to-
"t,ck." All Of the younger Barry
rores have been captured by the
movies. sack and Lionel are matt.