The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-05-03

tKA EE9 every man who is sup
- 11aA posed to own farm. or
10 IN any way connected with agriculture, no
longer wears a vaudeville chin whiskers on tho
screen? And that the movie cowboy longer
invades the ballroom and other scenes OF splen-
dor wearing his sheepskin pants and rope at
his belt as he once did?
Have you noticed the absence OF the actor
who used to point TO a horse before he climbed
on Its back. or stop on the bank OF the stream
and wave his arm In imitation OF swimmer
before he plunged into the river to drag the
heroine to safety?
These old-tinc actors were so painstakng,
were so particular that they left nothing to
the imagination Of the audience You could
look at the fellow about to take horseback
ride and have doubt to whether he
going to canter measure the horse for a new
blanket.
Have you missed the prevalence of the pretty
boys in the pictures? There was time when
tho actor with the classic features and the
wavy hair held the center. the front, the back.
the width the height and entire circumference
Of the stage These pretty boys came very
nearly being the ruination OF the movies. It
came to the point where there was nothing but
pretty boy actors in pretty boy pictures, and
grown-up folks had little entertainment
There are still many good-looking men on
the moving picture stage but they all ao-
tors now. Tho purely pulchritudinous picture
performer has passed: that is. he has either
learned to act well look pretty, or has
taken his beauty elsewhere. Real acting has
come to the screen. There is no room for mere
beauty unmNed with art.
Tho first moving -picture actors were re-
cruited from the regular stage. and they were
not always the best actors Many Of them had
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 so they waved
their arms. kicked their feet, rolled their eyes
and those of them who could wiggIed 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These early actors have been replaced by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 an audience by
the simple character OF his work 1t took the
old-time movie actor a long time to learn this,
many of them never did learn It, but those who
did not learn 1t have gone back to the tallow-
dip circuit, where they originated
The pantomimc actor was the greatest him
drance the moving picture stage ever had. His
work brought down more ridicule than any of
the many incongruites OF the art in its cruder
days.
Not two years ago one OF the biggest produce
ing companies in the country released n pic
ture where the big scene showed the heroine
imprisoned IN q deserted building which was
fire. The hero starts to the rescue. He runs,
walks, rides horseback. uses an automobile an
aIrship, a motor boat, his powers as a
swimmer. and every few minutes there is n
cut-back OF the girl in the burning building.
There was not the least bit OF doubt in any
body's mind but that the hero was on his way
to get the girl out of there. but yet when this
honehead reached the foot OF tho stairs, he
stopped, slapped himself on the chest and
pointed to the stairway before he started to
ascend.
This style OF acting has passed.
Another type OF screen actor who has dIsap-
peared is the old-tIme movie lover, the chap
who used to blow himself up like a router
pigeon and wall his eyes around to register
undying love and affection
They used to have regular formula for reg
istering the different feelings and emotions in
many Of the studios.
Here is n good example of the old-tne movie
actor registering love ut first sight:
Stephen West is the honest, fearless, ambi-
tious, dImpled-chin, curly haired hero who
works In old Abner GrIndem's factory. Muriel
is Grindem's lovely daughter. One day Stephen,
leaving the office with his weekly pay envelope
In his hand, meets Murlel as she comes trip
ping In the scene. a picture OF young innocence
and loveness. Stephen secs her for the first
time and this is what he does:
He stops dead in his tracks, dumfounded by
Nuriels peerless beauty. Muriel stops, too
She has 10 walk over Stephen. Stephen
notices this, and, covered with confusion, and
realizing the difference in their social position,
he steps aside. Muriel not unpeased at the
honest fellows admiration, smiles as she
passes. Stephen takes on his workmans cap
with 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 a closeup 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 puffs up his
chest its fullest capacity. clenches both fists.
slowly raised them level with his wish
bone. presses them against his bosom, walls
his eyes around like expiring calf, I'M
clcnches 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.
1t was great stuf-for a certain part of the
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; 1t made the girls happy, and 1t
made the men snort in rage. laugh, and 1t
never was realism or art, and so 1t has passed
like the other artificial things of the screen.
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