Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-07
THE PLAYCOER'S
WEEKLY TALK
Observation on Plays and
Photoplays of Interest
to Philadelphidns

- That is the question which is often
asked of the photoplay editor. Well,
9 q is rather hard to define. There are
no many things which go to make up
complete program in the photoplay
theatres that to select any one par
ticular item as the feature would be
sificult.
Many theatres throughout the coun-
try lay great stress upon the quality of
their musical programs, while other
theatre arrangements announce with
much praise their selected soloists. both
vocal and instrumental. This, then,
brings up the question as to whether it
4 Is the movie or the music which lures
the patron to the box Office window.
( Personally, the writer believes that it
is the combination of the two which
proves the magnet. Often the music
which accompanies n production on the
screen is more of Feature" than the
film itself.
Another phase of the Feature pic
ttre is that attributed to its length.
AS in all new businesses there has
been created a number of techni-
cal or trade words applied to the indus
try of motion pictures. Feature is
one. It is generally accepted that, a
feature picture is one containing
5000 or more feet of film as against
the one, two and three reel subjects on
the market.
1t has been found that the movies
which attract most attention on certain
programs are the short subjects"
which are shown in addition to the
lengthy productions. Many a ne-reel
or 1000 foot picture has stood out over
the much -heralded big attraction.
These "gems" are recorded under the
headings of Scenics, Travels, Comedies.
Educational, Slow Motion, Natural
Color Movies, Song Reels and Car
toons. There are many more, however,
which are being added every day and
which should prove of great Importance
in deciding just what a feature is.
A STAR by right of achievement is
"A Richard Barthelmess, the Cheng
Huan of Broken Blossoms. Long
known as one OF the leading luVeniles Oh
the screen he Is to enact the prlnclpal
role In the next Griffith production.
Grihith rescued him from the matinee
idol roles he had been playing. When
he received a telegram to report in Cali
fornia there was no hesitation about ac-
cepting the offer and he hurried west
on the fastest train he could find.
opcainsu solie conception ol 'he
'''n,,., VI Sne tmoliia9 huihe eCois
ei.ins u,e Sninato"h Vi Aos
tsa,, @ 'inS ..sr, tne ,, il'e
-A..Sv oar e.nes IN. hnes seen!ru ne
3 nss'sn AAo 70 anu 'es 80 .hele was vi
,ASJ .a.,H w, 80 - WOE n'.ieeao ote
na.s .ss;aI.;a ~ go 10 49, seu an:t: ~ eus
49, r;,;..t;on I'm ':,e ;ati aspetIties ol
~. hsr;nn;no =, ,rorl - -, 80 ".n iron,
Nc IA nat snsr. w" oursoIros % niI 10 'tSfS tS anu
,,sxst;,. H.. tant 80 at 49,: - .HT Pr
/. av.r norr yyhep T Co. r,rsnif s;o., tto"
+ f..l tbere ara +b;nos nrn,15 g(tuie oLnu, W,
;b.5 I the chance IN DO IL go, ,,
.ACh man TO MS trade, quoted
Walker Whiteside to the Play
koer as ne caretully attached the sparse
uehru Whlcn hapDl Elkan wears II
ine Little brotner IN the stars dress
ing room at the Adelphi.
i am an actor and when 7 wall
= about the streets I find myself con
stantiy observing people, searching fol-
bits of character, types of various ma
tionalities, peculiar gestures. odd facia
contortions and peculiarities of dress
y once knew an old Jewish rabbi in the
4 New York ghetto. I was seeking fol
exact information as to orthodox He.
brew rites and usages when I wa,
studying the role of David Ouixano fol
Zanxwill's The Melting Pot / lit.
lie thought that should ever be called
upon to enact the role Of a rabbi. bu
here am I, Rabbi Elkan, and l fame,
that resemble my old Hebrew frient
of the East Side
And there he stood, a rabbi to tn
life. Gray of hair and grizzled o
beard, round skull cap atop his whitene,
- Soura ond aiost;o oaitn-.
s ,,,so,, b;s foot
iiss1 -, r,os+ 90 nv, oos+rr,,o co.,
~. tt.I onJ os nosc +bo hontbIanl,,
~ss..s - tbo CORNER notice that RI
~>,,tl, iooks first ar NV shoes snd the
s,s-,,a,s M INV face He saws to ms
scts.a toss'9 hut u,bat be tbinLs 90
.ss ~, + con onlv guess rho horho
=. nv ao,y;ns Iocks-I have :
ssss~ NV hair somewhat longer tha
usual for the part of the rabbi-an