Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-28
MOVIES HOLD NO PERIL
FOR THE SPOKEN DRAMA
Occupy Different Fields OF Art, Says
Griffith, Creator OF "Tn-
tolerance"
HERE TO SEE SOUTHERN DEBUT
Wizard of l'ilniland VIII Witness
Initial Performance OF His --latest
Production at Academy-Beiieves
Vampire Films Are Harmless.

kcuovcd from tho barbaric setting
Of Southern California, where he con-
lures up BabyIonian temples and other
props for such bits OF fancy Jas In
tolerance aud transferred to one Of
those peaceful leather chairs that
abound in the Jefferson Hotel lobby.
David Wark Griffith, the wizard oil
hlh'iah". ia an unassumimS American
Interested in state Department "lcaks'
ana kindrcu workuday things.
obviously, it would have been
caste u opportunity 20 invite MIR. GrIf-
h'h yesterday aftcrpoon TO discuss the
high COS, OF living abou, which he
worries li;tle, when he was ready and
willing To talk motion pictures, about
which he knows inuch
Briefly, Mr. Griffith believes:
That intolerance" is the last word
In expensive picture making-in fact.
tina, the United States cannot furnish
enough ticket-buyers TO make Il more
expensive production pay.
That THE Birth Of IA Nation" i. next
TO the last word Sec above
That the human form divine is An
excellent subject for classic motion
picture themes. but not in the nude.
1hat belongs In art galleries. where
lie visitors are not prudes.
That tho spoken drama has nothing
10 Tear from the photoplay, the two
occupying distinct fields. both crude
enough compared with life Itself
That censorship OF the movies is
quite as logical as censorship Of the
press, both bearing the hallmark of
imperial Russia.
That the star system" is due for
long life because the public dearly
loves pretty face and dearly loves
10 know the name'of its possesscr
Ihal IN the long run the ovcrpaid
movie clown is worth his hire
That motion pictures are no better
than the public wants them To be and
no worse
That vampire plays arc harmless
ana sometimes even good for the moral
digestion.
PASSION FOR LOVE AND BEAUTY
WILL. LAST AS LONG As RACE
Don't quarrel with the photoplay
for showingi you al!uriug women "a
long AS your bcst-se!lins magazines
adorn their rovcrs with pretty girls
Both OF thsmlrater TO u kind Of hunger
that story-tcllcrs aud Gr3,nntists have
apptascd from the curiiest days OF the
r';c--a pa Sirn for love and beauty
that Will las, a long as tho race lasts"
Maybe i, Is hard for mothers OF
adciesctnt SONS and daughters to share
with Mr.. Gririih this tolerance towards
the bountfu! output Of hims in which
young women. TAR Of face and sinuoua
81 FORM. pursue clchn-rut youths, yea
even married n,e' through a. le:is, two
reels. and sometimes nyc. As the
creator vi "Inaolerunre"--e $1,000. uoo
Indictment Of Digu MIR. Griiith Is
quito willing that mothers OF udolcs.
cen, persons hold /" their u,si. views
on thc propriety OF screening love in.
ichsciy, a. long 49, thcy do not sock
10 impose them on Others To whom
thesc MIN stories are interesting diver
sion
II don't =" ,.. -" va,urir. pil.s. he.
cause | don't EAR Tor them" IL, jIlus
trateG "bu, I venture 80 say ihsi Tho,
exhibit nothing that every inuvio IAN
Goesnt sNc or read ahot, every day i'm
th" dai'y pae.r or ia the popular
'nosaIines. What is it all but tho
ealdcst meiadrama" DOCS IL show :,
single thing that wasn't shown or i'm
piled With far less gclncmcnt in tho
spoken Villai,.and- heroine cruditi.s of
few yenrs nS"? And, after tn. in
tense scenes are over. doesn't virtu.
always have its reward IN In" same
bounl'tui mcasur-, ANA doesn't III.
Villain get his ia The same old way?
ENP0sED TO FAR GREATER
BANNERS ~ FICTION
''r" nc the suggestion that scnsihlc
peopis can ic hurt by these sort OF
rhotuplays. - absurd Aud as for
yong people Hnd others With l!nSta-
bic tnaiinailonS, tie daueSr "f ear
- iu- away vicious impress iuus from
The pictured story of sin aud its pen-
atty, j. FAR greater than fhc danger To
" It,'h