New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-01
IN THE FILM WORLD
MAKING THE HONOR SYSTEM
r, UARRIErTE UNDERHILL


lied that we had expected to sec him
haggard and bent and wearing prison
stripcs. As matter OF fact, 1T was
not Milton Stills at all whom we had
expected to sec. but Joseph stanton
the hero and instigator OF "The Honor
system"
And then We found out that every
one who has seen the picture feels the
same way about Mr.. Sills. He has ms
audience 80 completely under the spell
that they do not realize that Milton
Sins and not Joseph Stanton is the
real person.
As a matter Of fact. Milton Stills and
Joseph Stanton are one. for Stanton Is
merely Stills under other conditions
As soon as we talked with Mr.. Sills
VIC found this out and so 1t was not
much of a surprise to learn that the
actor was the author as well.
"Thc Honor System" was not CON
ceivcd in the brain Of Mr.. Sills, but
the chief character was. Not only was
Joseph Stanton portrayed by Mr.. Sills,
but he was built up bit by bit and his
course of action mapped out by him.
81 actually lived the part, We were
away out in California and Arizona,
and spent my days playing Joseph
Stanton and my nights devising new
scenes. r. A. Walsh and l worked TO-
gether on it, but | naturally had
greater interest in the character which
was playing. That picture was con
structed piece by piece. Each night
We wrote the scenes which we wished
to take the next day, and sometimes we
would strike a snaG and have TO go
away back and write in scene TO make
a later plan of action plausible.
ave wanted to make Stanton respon-
sible for introducing the honor system,
and to do that it was necessary to have
him write a letter TO the Governor.
Now, how was he 10 get that letter TO
the Governor? Of course, that sug-
gested the uprising in the prison and
the outbreak. which gave me chance
! to write my letter. Then we were puz-
zled about the necessary utensils, so
we had Stanton find an empty school
house and write the letter there. You
NAV remember that the letter reached
the Governor via the Sheriff, and TO do
this it was necessary to have the Sher-
! # in town. so we went away back ana
brought two prisoners TO the jail when
would naturally indicate the presence
Of the Sheriff.
"Tbe scene where the Governor mas
me blinded from being incarcerated III
the dungeon has been generally com
nen+ed on. I believe that you sald thaI
Won liked that bit better than anything
Won had seen on the screen. 1t ala me
,.ood 70 read such things as that a1Ier
bod worked so hard over that partlc-
MAR thing. knew exactly how
wanted to do Il, but it was dliheult W
,roduce what felt. And then manly
+nought that | had it. but wasn't sure
Rut when / had finished the scene ''V
supers we're all standing around anu
some Of them were crying 50 '"''
knew that had 1t.
"Tbe most difficult OF all the scenes '
70 fill were those in which the il''io
Insects appeared, which carried our
-. ard forth between the cells.
plain. ordinary reaches they were o.
,,roat size. or perhaps all roacheS dr.
that size. Fortunately | ooh INV"
u,,oL about them. At any rate 'hey
aro NOT particularly tractable nor sus-
centible TO kindness, and their Ms
,r;onic instinct is nil. As 1t was heceS-
sarv TO the plot to have them 90 GER
+air THINGS. we simply had TO detail an
army of camera men 10 watch them
until they caught them off their guard
"'On their guard would be more
Citing way of expressing it, perhaps
Do YOU remember the roach who walked
over the neck of the sleeping guard
while he. the roach, was carrying the
nlant for the outbreak stuck on his
hack? He did that without prompting,
and it was a good bit Of business.
at has been questioned whether It
would be possible to bring a prisoner
AZ witness into the Legislature as we
did in the play, but we were assured
before we wrote the scene that the
/ Governor might do it if he wished.
eve devised two endings. In the
first ending we planned TO have Joseph
Stanton die Of his injuries just as he
receives his pardon, but it did not seem
as though he had had enough trouble
and oug..t TO be allowed a few of the
/ Joys of life before we took him from
this vale of tears. You know, after
/ living with a fellow as had with Stan
ton for so many months. I took a real
interest in him and il was | who saved
his life.
"Inever had seen the completed pict-
ure until | came East few days ago.
1t would be difficult for me to describe
my sensations. did not realize at all
that il was | on whom | was gazing,
and | think | enjoyed the picture more
than any one in the audience.
Eyes, like the pictures better than
the spoken drama"
Sanger on Censorship