The sun., 1916-11-26
w TI1L.IAM a. BRADY. director
M general OF the World Film

Corporation. was questioned
. day or so 6 regarding the advan.
tases derived by his company from
having It's photo plays in readiness a
fuii half year in advance,
"Thc benefits are many and Of
0reat importance" said Mr.. Brady.
"Spync OF these have been mentioned
already. but ono Of the most vital is
that the plan enables us To eliminate
possible defects in a picture before its
release.
4. For example, som, time ago at a
private view I FOUND that one Of our
pictures dated for release -four or five
weeks ahead could he materially i'm
proved by certain changes which sug-
9ooeed themselves during the run OF
M Immediately set II back for
twu months. moving another play up
TO take its place. Then one evening
I Went to work with the director OF
the Imperfect picture. and by 3 o'clock
in the morning we had 1t In such shape
tAAS when 1t was finally issued the
Ouccess was very great.
IT we had not been in "A position
"a bold this play back it might have
bern received with disfavor, or at least
severely criticised. whereas the COM
ments were very cordial indeed. You
see. We arc in a position Ia go over
our pictures again and again. exam
inifIg them from every conceivable
angie. and not alone that but to let
enough time elapse between these ex-
amfnations to give us clear minds.
-srhe late Dior Boucicault. who was
both proficient and prolific in writing
for the stage. once told me that as
soon as he finished a manuscript he
locked II in n drawer and busted him
sem. with something else for a full
month. so that when he took up his
play again he was able to perceive de-
fects which he almost surely would
have overlooked while in the spirit OF
hio work.
!:.The Boucicault system applies per-
fectiy to the preparation OF motion
pictures. for one carelessly made or
unsatisfactory production does more
damage TO It's sponsors than can be
undOne by three or four exceptionally
good ones
. 1.-THE improvement which has been
very generally noted in World pic
lures and which Is responsible for the
great increase in our business IL not
DUE to the overshadowinS genius OF
any individual. but to the constant.
patient and intelligent application OF
those who make the pictures and the
others who sell them. Regarded from
an points of view | believe the World
at this time is as close to 100
mar rnnf ani.innt 40 N nrua MIN, inn
Of its magnitude can be.
~ will add that the policy OF COM
pleting nj productions months In ad-
vance has worked ont so well that II
will be continued and probably m
plihed in the future, We are already
working on no less than six additions
TO the list hat was published about a
moIth ago"
No figure In the entire motion pic
ture industry is being watched with
greater interest by the producer than
Cecil Il. DeMillc. This young man, for
he- n still in his thirties. has gained
an international reputation by rea son
Of the superb productions which were
made In tho Lasky studios, Of which
haJs the director general.
The announcement last spring that
Geraldine Farrar. famous Metropolitan
Opera prima donna, was returning to
California from New York to devote
another summer to motion picture
playing contained also the first inti-
nation that Mr.. DcMille. on his own
account. was to direct a picture OF
some length.
Tho subject chosen by Mr.. DeMi.le
and Miss Farrar was the life of Joan
Of Arc, a romantic drama unparalleled
In human history. and one particularly
adapted to the medium OF the screen.
Mr.. DeMille for a long time was
termed the master OF the five reel pie
ture, and his first attempt To produce
p~hotoplay Of considerable length has
u much anticipation. lie was
the first director who placed a great
deal OF stress upon the details of pro-
duetiens. This was to he expected. AZ
M. DeMille had received his early
training In the theatre under the ban.
nsr of David Belasco, whose stage
manager he was for n console ra BILE
period.
" the work Of directing a spectacle
lar drama such as Joan Of Arc was
founded solely upon the making Of the