Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-16
Reel Done.

one OF these film drummars was
along here the other da- and was
having an argument with p locJl eN-
hib.tor as 70 which is tho more i'm
portant-the star or the play. or in
other words. is ''ths play the thing"
as BIZ Shakespeare slI or is the star
the thing This patcular exhibitor
thot the star was paramount the
drummer thot II was the play. Both
were right, tho unquestionat II is
true that the movie millions who
daily VISIT the picture house are D,-
coming more and more discerning
and discriminating In their tastes.
They are demanding worth while pic
lures. Two years from now 1t will
be true in far greater extent. but
already the signs Of the times can be
read clearly in tho off!ng. Even Mary
FIckford the greatest box office at
traction ir the movie world would
cease to be so II Paramount did no;
provide her with pleasing vehicles
that Will put her over. William 9.
Hart and Douglas Fairbanks would
socn play out in bum pictures OI
course tho are not going to play out
because they are not going to waste
their time in bum pictures and the
producers wouldn't let them II they
would. Fight times out OF ten such
Popular stars as these will be seen in
what Nid calls sure fire winner
Put the truth is that a strong cnaI,
acter in an unusually strong play
will make star Put with all his or
hcr popularity, n star cannot make n
play a star may work ever so hard
If the story is insipid, stale ard un-
profitable she can't make the public
20 out of the theater and lie about the
picture. We had good indication of
how much Importance the public at
taches to the play when The Auction
Block" was AT the Majestic-this week.
The house was packed each night de-
spite the almost zero weather. Not a
star was featured I'm the preliminary
;Nvertising except Ruby de Remur.
And she's not star She's a fair ac
tress. who graduated into the movies
from stock work out IN Denver. No
screen fan ever heard Of Ruby de
Remur. But everybody in Tulsa has
read or knows Of Rex Beach's novels
All know he is one cf the greatest lit
erary genuises Of the nation. And
the fact that Rex Beach wrote THE
Auction Block" did n slam-up busi
ness for the MajesIc. why? Because
the fans knew they'd see worth
while picture II II was written by Rex
Beach. This is not to say that only
Il famous literary lght writes n strOng
cesses the movies have known were
written by unknowls. because half
the worlds talent is all the time un-
der bushel out OF the darkness. so
20 speak. constantly comes new talent
and new genius II IL didn't we
would soon be bankrupt. for new tall
eEt and new genius. SO tho movies
have brought out Of obscurity many
brnght young men and women with
L. h.N oil 70 ha iae
some OF the finest things they've had.
And they'll continue to do IT, Anita
ioos. the gifted young person wIIu
writes the sub-titles for Douglas
Fairbanks pictures. and some of the
stories, too. is drawing down $25, 900
year for her talent. Five years ago
she was trying TO find job on the
stage and TO break into the movies.
II doesn't make any difference who
wrote the play. the main thing IS, IL
must be good. But II there is no IA
nous star in n cast and the author
OF the play was never heard Of. there
Will be plenty Of time for Miss Ruby
q Miss Josephine at the ticket win
dow To knit for her soldier hoy with
out frequent interruption. How many
fans would go TO see Hearts and
Flowers for instance. featuring
Miss Lalalulu Thrillem?" Not man.. |
Put If you say MARY Pickford" IN |
Hearts and Flowers" there'll be a |
busy day at the front. SO after all, |
II might be the star. But to show |
y on II isn't the star only, imagine this |
advertisement: Hearts and Flowers. |
Rex Beach's greatest story''-not a
Of the cast named. and you'll |
do business just the same. So II is
fifty-fifty between star and play and |
neither will 20 far without the other.
Rumors persist that several OF the
tig companies are to consolidate. one
aid that Paramount and Goldwyn
are going together, another connected
and World and still another
connected Metro and World. All of
hem have denied there is anything
Icing.
Sir Johnston Forbes Robertson is
icing paid $4,000 n week by Herbert
brNnon while he Is working in tho
films for a feature production OF his
Fifth Floor Back