Evening star., 1919-03-30

rapidly awakening to the
fact that the efforts of its
devotees to give it place
coequal on all lines with
the \ plain. oldtashioned theater
works neither advantage to the films
nor disadvantage to the footlights.
Much of the ingenuity which has
made the moving picture one of the
greatest of modern industries has
been devoted to surrounding the sill
yer screen, as far as possible, with
the impressions of actual human ex-
preston. In many pictures the cast
is introduced by Individual photo
graphs and the introduction of text
is frequently managed with so much
colIoquial spirit that the effect of hu-
man association is powerfully i'm
piled. In SPITE of its vocal silence.
the screen employs an enormous
amount of human language. Last
week it went step further in pro-
noting the idea of vivid human as
sociation and brought forward, in
propria persona, Miss June Elvidge,
the star of one of the striking photo
plays at the Columbia Theater. The
manager introduced her to an au-
dience that was delighted to meet the
player who had been so pleasingly
represented in picture and listened
attentively to little talk and cou-
pie of songs interspersed which set a
motion picture stars would willingly
undertake to follow. Should the idea
be generally taken up. it will mean
more work and more study to
rather discouraging extent. for pho
toplayers who have heretofore re-
Earded their endeavors as completed
when they have left the studio.
s. as q.
When the Columbia fheater turned
to moving pictures it made the transi-
i tion complete. Joseph D. Luckett.
for many years the Columbia's man
ager when it produced drama and
, music, has become one of the screens
most devoted and enthusiastic pro-
moters. His association with David
Wark Griffith has covered a period of
many years and his present interest
| is with what he considers the great
est of Griffith achievements. THE Girl
Who Stayed at Home" With both
footlights and box Office of the legit-
innate stage represented so potently
in screen theater. the relation en-
phasizes coordination rather than
rivalry.
The screen measures it's progress
by the degree in which it can throw
about itself the traditions and impress
stage long, long ago asserted itself
as an essential element of social life
and thought. The screen does not
seek to dispossess it. The title is not
heid by war measure, like our own
salisbury law. 1t has been attacked.
Efforts have been made to suppress
At under assumption of authority both
legal and divine, yet there has never
Deen a moment when the theater de-
pendent on thought, speech and physi-
cal action has not exercised enormous
interest for good or evil in the social
scheme. The films can never grapple
with the real problems OF human re-
1ationships with the direct realistic
<OASo- VI tHc speaking stage. But in
the world there must be fancies as
well as facts, dreams as we'll as reaIi-
ties The fast feeting story of the
moving picture is but a dream for
waking eyes as it silently fits on to
its close. The spoken drama trans
plants the spectator to scene Of
vital humanity. which becomes almost
. part Of his own life.
= q
Threats of literary revolt against
the motion picture director are being
circulated. Is art to have its own
peculiar little furry of bolshevism?
The man who has written a success
fu1 story that has brought him fame
and money is told by the director
that the story cannot repeat that sue
cess in picture form without being
remodeled to suit the directors mind,
and it is said there have been times
when the author could not recognize
his story in the picture called by its
name. Perhaps the author is a bit
unreasonable. but many of him are
contendlng that the directors inabil-
Ity to successfully picture literary
gem so that its own father can recg-
nize it is indication Of lack OF the
director himself in the demands Of .'the
art of all arts. the art that reproduces
life itself" The popular mind will take
sides according to its fancy, but the
right is sure to prevail in the end.
The shoemaker ought to be able to
mend shoe without destroying its
original design.