Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-27
WHY THE MOVIES
ARE NO LONGER
MAKING PROGRESS
a. Head of Great Company Blames
stagnation on a Single In
fuence-the Authors
BY JESSE L. LAsKY

Nv lE6oE Iftoh
ansr the most rapid advance, the most
...vnlo,Is progress and quick development
.ssr achieved in new art or new indus
~ The producers Of melton pictures have
Asaeniv found themselves at a standstill
SSis il a truth which few will deny, and,
.roh as / personally hate to voice it, IL is
sruth that must be recognized
~ dIsarm criticism at the very start, I
In admit that this statement Is general A
~ Individual producers are making prog
- predict that Grifflth's Mother and
~ rayy' will surpass his Birth of Ma
.sor Ince shows marked advancement in
NJ eCivilisation" over his former produce
s,oua Three months after his Carmen"
NJ masterpiece, was produced De Mile sur
ssssed It with ''The Cheat" A very few
shar producing genuses are forging ahead.
eloyvly, 1t is true, the art is advancing.
strl. when one considers that there are
Unfortunately 25 five-reel features released
= America every week, the majority of
ihsm not worthy of the name we are
sarced to the conclusion that the wonderful
sdvancement that marked the earlier de-
ssiopment Of the motion picture has slowed
m to a large degree. so that am forced to
rsterate my first assertion viz, the art of
r,oton-picture producing is not advancing,
but is almost at a standstill.
when we think of the vast possibilities
of motion drama this fact is the more to
~ deplored. Every cause has it's reason.
fst us see IL we can find the reason for
NE lack of progress in the newest art
Our actors, including, as they do, the
.rryivors of the old movie school and the
newcomers from the legitimate stage, are
ma best in the world. The older school of
movie artists are those who. although they
lacked stage or dramatic experience. devel-
oped technique of their own. The Gish
sisters, Blanche Sweet Mae Marsh are ex-
amples of this type The newcomer. the
legitimate actor, chosen from the very best
the speaking stage afforded such artists as
Tyrone Power, Theodore Roberts. Bessie
parrscale, are now, with the other, or
screen artists, the rank and file that COM
pose the stock companies of the motion
picture studios with the best, the fore
most the greatest stars In the world de-
voting themselves exclusively to the screen
drama, we can eliminate the actor either as
direct or indirect cause of the recent
lack of progress.
Our camera men. many Of them IA
nous old still photographers, all of them
Veterans in the newer art-quiet, deter
mined, thoughtful, studious. daring, always
1perlmenting-surely no blame can be at
ached to them, Rather must we say, We'll
DONE oh camera man. The great art owes
much to you" 1t is a fact that in the last
year fnotion-picture photography has ad-
vanced maryelously we'll. New and Won
derful lighting, perfect double and triple ex-
posure dozen wonderful effects, have
marked the constant progress of motion pic
ture photography. The camera man is pro- |
ncunced with firm conviction mot guilty"
And the modern new laboratories have kept |
pace with the photographer. Clean films. |
iswer scratches and blemishes, splendid |
hitting and toning-the laboratories are |
space with the times
Our scenic artists have progressed The |
scenes and settings of motion pictures have |
been the wonder of. the dramatic world. |
Splendid modern interiors, in perfect good |
taste. marvellous settings of all periods, |
defy the criticisms of the most critical. |
There can be no question on this point.
The art director and scenic artist are elm
hated Also we can exonerate their BROTH
or, the property builder and the property
man. Using at all times the real. the |
genuine. in place of the imitation, skilfully
duplicating the rarest art treasures of the
old world-surely he, too, deserves word Of
praise rather than censure.
And now, most important of all, the
director The old school men. the pioneers,
experienced in picture producing from its |
very inception, striving. studying, invent
ing, progressing, they are doing their con-
tclentious best and they are not standing
still Reinforced by the ablest men from
me ranks of the dramatic or stage direct
We, WIN, bringing new IDEAS ana tlreleSS
energy, with a world of dramatic training
and experience. gave the motion drama a
real push forward-surely the directors OF
both classes can be exonerated. / wish,
had the time and space to telf of the heart
breaking toll of many of the motion.plcture
directors; of their IL to IS hours day, of
lheir seven days a week, of their sacrific-
ing their social ambitions, their family ties,
gvlng their very life, their hearts blood,
Y their favorite art. No, the directors
are doing their full share, and at least
are attempting in every way they know
now to advance the moving drama. But in
spite OF their efforts the camera mans ef-
.0prts' the art directors. the scenic artists.
me property mans efforts, the new labora-
tofles and the unnumbered thousands spent
weekly by the too numerous producing
arms, reiterate, for the third time, the
nouon'picture drama is not progressing
. any appreciable degree at the present
NRur /