Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-12
ROMANOFFS-IBSEN-MOVIES

more was her way of putting it, "lt
would be just like 4 trip to a strange new
country. Already what am |? A bough
cut from the parent tree, or, if you like,
transplanted tree myself. ! wasn't brought
up in Russia OH no NV girlhoOd was
spent in Switzerland, There | learned Ger
man and French. Then | went to Russia.
Then this country Two tranSplantings.
fieigho, | shall stay where | am now"
Remembering a former interview granted
the dramatic reporter while she was play
ing Marion Craig Wentworths war
Brides at Keith's he asked Nazimova if
she was still pacitist Yes" was the
unexpected answer, For we are all
naCitiSts at heart. Not that we are craven
or afraid but who really wants war wishes
for il? War for wars sake, I'm certain. is
an impossible wish" The murmured name
Of fiohenzollern evoked only a cryptic smile
The conversation for NazimoVa inter-
views are conversations, and not mono-
lOgucs) turned to Madames first appearance
in Philadelphia as the maid, Regina, in
Ghosts The suggestion advanced
that she might do it again for the younger
generation. But she explained that the
role, a short one. would have interest only
for the theatrically wise few. I'D pre-
fer to train some young girl In the part"
was her novel wish
"Ah. Orlenieff What an actor, Orlenien
was the great Russian who came to
America in Ghosts" with her. a genius
nothing less He was, or rather Is. since
he's now acting in Russia, a short man
You think that initiates against success?
Not bit, for Orlenieff was portrayer of
character. His forte was neurotic people
undeveloped people like Oswald i'm Ghosts
His Michael Kramer was another instance
But don't think he couldn't do other things
I've seen him give a performance Of Ham
let that was magnificent" From that
speech to a reverson to Ibsen seemed most
natural, Madame confessed that she didn't
like to play Nora, and she didn't care for
Little Eyolf" Hedda and lIilda Wange
were her favOrites,
And then dhey wouldn't be kept DOWN
came the movies. and to the interviewer
the most trenchant part of his interesting
half hour with the actress Nazimova sat
up in her chair, drew her blue robe about
her slender figure and. speaking with grow
ing conviction, gave her opinion of the art
of silent and plastic picture. AS she reached
her climax her eyes diated into brilliant
jets of fire, and her thin, scarlet lips moved
with such rapidity that one had to sit
tight and listen with both ears,
There are just two important things to
he said about the movies; one for, one
against The bad part (and oh how dread
fully bad IL Is , is the way they are done
Not only the lack OF continuity, the photo
graphing of the indoor scenes apart from
the contiguous outdoor ones. That is
wretched But the criminal the horrible
waste Of time and money. Especially time
Consider the theatre. You come to your
dressing room at a given hour. You make
up alone, You dedicate that time between
your arrival and the rising of the curtain
to getting yourself into. the part you're
paying-not consciously, You just shed
Ala Nazimova naturally as you put the
lines in your face and the powder on your
cheeks and you become Eve Coffin or Hedda
or Nora. And you store up nervous energy.
When you go on the stage at a given time
you put forth that energy. naturally, eff
ciently. productivity. In the movies you
go TO the studio and make up. Then you
sit with your nerve force all bottled up
inside you, and YOU wait and wait-one,
two three hours Usually the director IL
the time Il eope And yocf 1itEif :kof<les pf
pspiritup Sul6 ~ 4 4 4 p nm,