New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-18
Relying on Heart
Appeal
ByFarriette Underhill

Having referred 70 Leah Baird, from
time to time, as the young woman on
the screen who played with her heart
as we'll as with her mind, we were
rather surprised to hear what she had
10 say on the subject when we talked
with her recently. We had fancied that
she was just bundle Of emotions, and
this is what she said in regard 70 her
emotions:
"Up to a little while ago l was firm
| in my belief that l should play as
really felt-throw myself absolutely
into my part. But when a scene had
been reproduced on the cold celluloid
something was lacking; there were un-
mistakable signs of the unnatural; 1t
went fat.
81 began to think it over; in fact, for
some time | studied the subject from
its every angle. Finally l discovered
that if | absolutely throw myself into
big scene l am but playing to myself;
lose my perspective. / am sorry that
/ it is so, because l want to be sincere,
ard there are times when that, being
mentally one of my own audience,
smacks Of trickery. Let me show you
By Just a few little illustrations why
being perfectly natural does not pro-
duce the best results in pictures.
"Take Walking, for instance. Your
natural step Of moderate length pro-
duces a short, jerky effect Made
little long, It gives just the right,
smooth motion. In nine cases out OF
ten, in pain or grief, one contracts and
lowers the eyebrows. That produces an
expression Of anger on tine film. But
raise the eyebrows and slightly con-
tract them and you have the desired re-
suit.
81 recall one scene where / felt so
strongly that not only did l weep out
rageously, but so did all about me; yet
when | saw that particular scene in the
picture it was fat. And this is posi-
lively surprising: In a picture l was
making in Paris l was supposed to
faint. happened just then to actually
faint, and every one know who sa"
the picture said: We'll, Leah certainly
fell down in her work in that scene!'
"But, as / say, be mentally one OF
your audience and you do not lose those
delicate shadings, effects though they
may be, that make for naturalness and
perfection. Acting must be acting.
"As 7 received my early training on
the stage, theatregoing is one Of my
chief pleasures. And more and more |
have noticed that the tendency is
toward the motion picture method OF
acting. More time is given; gestures
are fewer; there is no longer rush
into a climax TO arrive at-emptlness'
It is worked up gradually. The perform
ance is smoother; characters are as
clean cut as fine canoes. OF course, l
refer to the best things l have seen.
And above all lives Peter lbbetson.
Friends have urged me to play COM
edy. Mayhap because | am happy
hearted. Others ask me why | so often
play the so-called bad woman The
so-called bad woman is often the real
woman. Do startle you? most Sin
cerely don't wish to. But TO my mind
the woman who has been tempted, has
experienced the struggles against temp
tation, has even stumbled and picked
herself UP again and fought the fight, Is
& vastly stronger woman than she who
is protected both by home and family
and who has no inclination toward
wrong. I stoutly affirm that there is no
credit due the woman who is negatively
good. But the woman who has faced
evil and overcome 1t, she is the big
woman"
Miss Baird can do many things be-
sides act. She has wonderful voice,
which she keeps in trim in spite OF her
work in the silent drama, and she made
her real debut on the screen in the ca
pacity of author and not as actress. II
Miss Baird had not inadvertently told
US that she was a writer we should have
written this ourself, but after we un-
earthed her secret we insisted that she
write this In the first person, and she
did.