The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-27


all the dulness and vulgaI1ty, the
were sent by q more or less discrimi-
mating public into the obscurity they
deserved. Managers will not be COM
PEELED to exercise their powers of
imagination in explaining Just why so
many OF their dramas met with q hate
so different from that which they had
predicted for them. This win be
known as the season OF the "fiu." I'm
fortunately there are few seasons
which bring forth such a good excuse
for the Indebtedness OF the dramatic
offerings, although the poor and pre-
tentious plays are always with us.
What the cinema may do for the
spoken drama was shown in 81. o. IT,"
which was more or less painlessly re-
moved last week from the stage of the
Belmont Theatre. When Hector Turn
bull wrote the scenario for Fanny
Ward its merits were highly pro-
claimed by those interested In the
business Of the movies" The unusual
claim was made Tor this story that II
was possible with reasonable attention
to discover what the piece was about.
There could be no higher praise for a
so-called "photopiay" Intelligibility
Is not one Of their usual merits.
| But this crude incident was transferred
to the spoken stage in uncouth Ian
guage and submitted to the test of a
thinking audience. Tho Cheat"
seemed too much below even the pre-
yailing standard In the theatre for
serious consideration. II that is the
best that the cinema can render to the
| stage its cooperation will never be
valuable.
Previous plays have gone to show
that the cinema has indeed nothing of
value to give the stage. It has adopted
from the spoken drama only the
cheapest and stalest of It's devices.
Beyond such mechanical devices as
| Arthur Hopkins employed in "On
Trial" and one or two similar effects,
there IL nothing In the whole theory
OF the Photographic theatre that the
stage could with any advantage adopt.
1t needs only sue i borrowing from
the cinema as II. o. u" to declare
that Independence.
Indeed the continued failure Of the
scenario to advance In any Of the
ways that its admirers had at one
time expected, has ceased to dis
hearten and come to be looked upon
as the result of a situation not to be
improved. Well known dramatists
have tried their hand at scenarios to
mako but little success. Edward Shell
don. Paul Potter. Augustus Thomas.
these have not mot with the same
favor In the studios as that accorded
- unknown beginners. The most
esteemed Of the scenario writer's were
unknown in any other field; they are
usually women and nothing that they
have accomplished in. recent years or
in the immediate past would Seem to
justify any hope OF Improvement
These writer's have won their renown
a. the most successful in supplying
| the cinema with its needs. So there
| can be no hope OF any Improvement
In this field under present conditions.
Tho business Of the theatre is alto
sether battling to the layman. Just as
the details Of nearly every business
are often incomprehcnsible to those
who do not observe It except from the
outside. But in other branches OF
commercial ectivity. 1t is often possi-
BILE to apply some Of the laws OF COM
mon sense to their progress and feel
that little has been learned. But
that has never seemed true OF the
business OF amusements. Doubtless