The Washington times., 1920-09-19
Hoist Her,
Said the
Rejected Suitor---
And Then the.
Whistle Blew for
Lunch and Left
Poor Little Miss
Marceau Literally
"All Up in the Air -
truth is stranger than fiction
is an old adage; and many novelists
- Couplain that fbav cannot r,,t

10 an old adage; and many novelists
complain that they cannot put
certain actual happenings in their stories
because no one would believe them. Such
a charge has never been laid up to date
against motion picture scenarios. Motion
pictures have their blood curdling situa-
tions and their hair raising adventures
lisions, blowing up Of mines and falling of
three-mile high aeroplanes. They have
kidnappings and murders, but none of them
has presented quite the situation to be out
ained on this page and which will, never
theless, never be seen in films-at least.
not in its original FORM
And New York Judge considering the
matter, said: 81 believe that the defend
ant did try to make love to the young lady
who makes this complaint believe
further that having been repulsed he de-
bberately prosecuted her, leaving her at
last suspended in air by an invisible wire
at peril Of her life.. I hold him guilty of
disorderly conduct and impose fine"
Hidden in the judges statement is the
whole scenario-as the motion picture
people call it-with the nucleus of it
in those few words, at last suspended in
air by an invisible wire at peril Of her life"
The stars in this film drama which will
never be seen on the films, were, first, q
pretty little blonde girl Of the Nell Brinkley
type named Emily Marceau. She it is who
hung on the invisible wire. The second
star is Mr.. Smythe Addison, director,
whom she charged with being responsible
Tor hanging her at the end of the wire and
whom the Judge fined.
The scene was a studio wherein was be.
ing presented three-reel photodrama at
the order Of the United States Govern.
ment. The picture was to be used for prop
aganda purposes, with the aim of enlight-
ening the public on several national prob
lens, Of which the main one Is the re-
establishment of fair prices for necessi.
ties.
Miss Marceau was engaged to represent
the symbolic character Fair Prices" In
passing It would seem that with the pres
ent high cost Of Lying it was an inspiration
that strung her up on high. Scenario men
thought SO. too, and the big scene, the cli-
max Of the play, showed unhappy "Fair
Prices" suspended in mid air, while the
meath her. threatening to devour her" In
fact, a melodramatic situation Of the old
Fourteenth Street Theatre or Academy Of
Music kind, where 1t would have called
forth Kisses for the villain from the gallery
and tears for the unhappy heroine-tears
as real as most people shed to-day at con-
temptation Of almost all prices.
Miss Marceaus complaint specified
that when the whistle blew at noon
Mr.. Addison, instead of letting her
drop to the foor took a turn Of the
invisible wire and left her up above the
place where the devouring flames had
already leaped up with considerable dam
age to one very fine dress Of hers which
had adorned a dummy used to try out the
scene.
That Mr.. Addison's alleged action was
an echo Of labor situation In the play
and the prompt dropping Of tools, and so
on. when the bell sounds or the whistle
blows, Miss Marceau Indignantly denied.
She said 1t would not have taken any
longer for Mr.. Addison to have let her drop
to her feet than It did for him to let her
hang.
"Your Honor" said Miss Marceau to
Judge Levine, in the court room where Mr..
Addison had been commanded to appear to
answer her complaint, "he tried to make
love to me long before this incident, and
when I refused him he called me harsh
names and began a series Of prosecutions
Of me. There was no one present to take
my part, so took It myself / slapped his
face several times, hard"
did you at the time of the alleged an
noyance make any outcry?' asked the
defendants lawyer.
81 did not,' said the pretty plaintiff, "be-
cause did not want to make a scene"
And them" asked the Judge.
"He scolded because I was late, though
he knew | was arranging about the dress
which should wear. He said mean. sar.
castle things;-meaner In the way he said
them than In the words he used. bore
all as we'll as'I could. ignored these
irritations. / knew my work was to finish
that picture. / knew that was his
work, too. wanted II to be good
picture, and he did too. Besides he had
apologized.
Finally we came to the big scene That
was taken last. ] was to be hoisted from