Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-01-30

dor wearing his sheepsllin pants and a rope al
his belt as he once did?
Have you noticed the absence OF the actor
who used TO point to horse before he climbed
on its back stop the bank OF the stream
and wave his arm in imitation OF swimmeS
before he plunged into the river to drag the
heroine TO safety?
These old-time actors were painstakinA
were particular. that they left nothing 70
the Imagination Of the audience. You could
look at the fellow about to take a horseback
ride and have no doubt as to whether he was
going to canter measure tire horse for a new
blanket.
Have you missed the prevalence of the pretty
boys in the pictures? There time when
the actor with the classic features and this
wavy hair held tho center, the front, the back
the width, the height and entire circumference
of the stage. These pretty boys very
nearly being the ruination OF the movies. N
came to the point where there was nothing but
pretty boy actors in pretty boy pictures. and
grown-up folks had little entertainment.
There still many good-looking %
tho moving picture stage. but they are all 40.
tors now. The purely puichrtudinous picture
performer has passed: that Is. he has eithes
learned to act well look pretty. or has
taken his beauty elsewhere. Real ACTING has
come to the screen. There is room for mere
beauty unmlxed with art.
Have you noticed that the style and mannss
OF the moving picture actors have changed
vastly. that the old time pantomlme player has
vanished? Nowadays. when Gerald sees Ger.
trude whiz by, bound and helpless in the IA.
lain's automobile, he does not face the camera
for closeup that will show his strong younu
face set IN lines OF deep determination before
he starts out to the rescue no. indeed. Hs
walks runs, takes a taxi--or any of the means
Of transportation the writer OF the scenario
has provided him with. and goes to it. He hot.
foots II quickly he cam
Tho first moving picture actors were r..
cruited from the regular stage and they were
not always the best actors. Many OF them had
no conception OF the real art of acting. They
thought that because they could not bring their
voices with them from the regular stage they
must make up for 1t in gestures in order to get
their feelings and emotions to the people
looking at the pictures. and 20 they waved
their arms, kicked their feet, rolled their eyes
and those Of them who could wiggled their ears
in order to express their emotions
These early actors have been replaced By
true artists. An actor who feels and lives his
part makes himself clear to audience by
the simple character of his work. II took the
old time movie actor long time to learn this,
many Of them never did learn II, but those who
did not learn 1t have gone back to the tallow-
dip circuit. where they originated.
The pantommc actor was the greatest him
drance the moving picture stage ever had His
work brought down more ridIcule than any Of
the many incongruities Of the art in its crudsr
days
Not two years ago one OF the biggest produces
ing companies in the country released q pios
ture where the big scene showed the heroine
imprisoned in a deserted building which was on
fire. The hero starts to the He runa
walks, rides horseback, uses an automobile an
airship. a motor boat, his powers as q
swimmer. and every few minutes there Is q
cut back of the girl in the burning building
There was not the least bit of doubt in anys
bodys mind but that the hero on his wa1
to get the girl out of there. but yet when thu
bonehead reached the foot of the stairs, ha
stopped, slapped himself the chest ana
pointed to the stairway before he started -
ascend.
This style OF acting has passed.
Another type of screen actor who has disApa
peared is the old time movie lover. the chso
who used to blow himself up like a pout0
pigeon and wall his eyes around to registsA
undying love and affection.
They used TO have a regular formula for reg
istering the different feelings and emotions IN
many OF the studios. The scenes and circum-
stances and the story might vary. but the acss
ing-neverl
Here is a good example OF the old time movis
actor registering love at FIRST sight:
Stephen West Is the honest. fearless. ambsa
tious, dlmpleu-cnln curly nalred nero VINO
works in old Abner Grindep1s factory. Murisl
is Grlndems lovely daughter One day Stephen.
leaving the office with his weekly pay envelope
in his hand meets Muriel as she comes trip
ping in the scene. a picture OF young innocence
and loneliness. Shephen sees her for the first
time, and this is what he does:
He stops dead in his tracks. dumfounded h.
Muriers peerless beauty. Muriel stops. too.
She has to or walk over Stephen. Stephen
notices this, and, covered with confusion. and
realizing the difference in their social position.
he steps aside. Muriel. not unpieased at the
honest fellows admiration. smiles as she
passes. Stephen takes off his workman's cap
with a courtly sweep and shows his curly hair.
He walls his eyes. his chest heaves up and
down. he pokes his head out OF his collar like
a dry land turtle looking for sassafras buds,
he seems about ready to bite Muriel
After she has passed we get close up Of
steve looking after Muriel with a hopeless look
OF longing mixed with determination to win
her. Then he wakes up and gets in the really
fine parts of his art. First he puns up his
chest to its fullest capacity. clenches both fists.
slowly raised them on a level with his wish
hone. presses them against his bosom, walls
his eyes around like expiring calf, UNI
clenches his hands and let's them fall Imply
to his side, expels the wind from his chest,
while the picture fades down into the next
scene.
audience. At the end of the scene you could
hear one big. stupendous. furnace-like sigh
coming from the combined bosoms Of every girl
in the house. That was the trouble with work
of that kind; IT made the girls happy. and It
n,ade the man snort In rage or lauch and a