Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-11-10
Charlotte
Corday
How an Attempted Picture
Play Was Spoiled
BY T. A. Mitchell

9
where the sun shines oftener than any,
where else in America and where the
surrounding scenery is more varied
and beautiful. This city, devoted to
the work of producing picture plays.
looks out upon mountains on the one
hand and undulating tracts On the 9th
er. The latter is partly wooded, part
" cultivated. and a river runs through
it, connecting several lakes.
Moyleville itself is a very singular
city, containing a singular population.
There is every variety of dwelling in
it from al Indian tepee to a Chinese
palace, every variety of fertilization
from a Roman oppidum (walled inclo-
sure) to a modern bastion. If there is
anything required that Movieyille does
not contain it is ~improvised. A scenario,
one scene of which was laid in the
United States senate chamber, having
been chosen for production the senate
chamber was constructed not of stoile,
but of stucco, canvas and other S0ch
like materials.
One of tba famous speaking plays of
its day was charlotte Corday." The
scene was laid in Paris at the time of
assassination of the leader of the
reign of terror. Marat. The
who played the part of Charlotte was
considered n wonder. During her per-
formances she seemed to be the person
whose part she was enacting. The
play had a very long run, and every
month during the time it was on the
boards the leading lady, whose stage
name was Marguerite Stanley, put
more intensity into her part until her
audiences were often thrown into a
cold sn4fer.
Charlotte COrday" was especially
adapt Or a picture play, and Movie
vile & considered as the best, real
ly the only, place to make the photo
graphs.
John Esterbrooke, who took the part
of Marat. though a finished actor, did
not produce the impression effected by
Miss Stanley. While she became more
and more tragic, he seemed to lose
force. The real reason of his apparent
deterioration was that so real was her
impersonation of her character that he
became afraid of her.
There was another matter that ipfiu-
enced Mr.. Esterbrooke. He thought
he saw signs that the girl was in love
with him. While on the stage she play
ed Charlotte to his Marat. At other
times she purred to him like a kitten.
He was fearful of this emotional ON
bination. He was not in love with her
and could not divest himself Of the
feeling that if he did not respond to
her preference a time might come
when. while she was under the pvwer-
full emotion induced by her part, she
would make of it a real tragedy.
Such were the conditions when T. was
decided to produce a moving picture
play of Charlotte Corday." Miss
Stanley was IN the same train with
E~sterbrooke. Another member of the
company, Estelle Springer, who was
supposed to be in love with him, was
also of the party. Esterbrooke took a
seat beside Miss Springer and remain
ed there all the way to Movitville.
During the ride Miss Stanley remain
ed in her seat reading a novel, n tray
cling cap pulled down over her eyes.
When the journey was completed she
left the car with the others smilingly,
and if jealousy had been excited IN her
hone of the party noticed it.
Charlotte Corday'' was to be Ii five
reel play. Often many pictures were
taken OF a single scene before the de-
sired effect was produced on the films.
This YVES wearing IN the performers,
especially on Miss Stanley, whose emo
tional part required so much into nsity,
and every time a picture was made
that intensity must be excited. This
naturally called for periods of rest.
They were usually passed in automo-
bile rides over the beautiful country.
By th:s time a rivalry appeared to
have sprung up between the two as
pirants for Mr.. Esterbrooke's favor.
1t was observed in Miss Springer, but
not in Miss S~tanley-that is, the lat
ter's feeling for him was only suppos-
ed to exist by him, and he spoke of it
to no ione. On one or two occasions
she asked him to ride with her, that
she might talk over such changes in
their Behavior before the camera from
what fhey had been used to on the
stage as might be advisable. On their
return from these rides Esterbrooke
looked serious. but kept his own oun
sci as 20 the cause. Actors are apt to
have hearts thrown at them p"omis-
cuousiy from young women in their
audiences, and Esterbrooke was no eX-
ceptiop. He had found it advisable to
| pay no attention to such advances and
never mentioned them to others.
Historical plays do not adhere very
closely to history. If they did 1t would
be Impossible to treat the theme
dramatically In the dramatizltion OF
the story OF Charlotte Corday, Maret
meets Charlotte at a cafe on the
Champs Elysees and admires her. He
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