The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-11-19
WHAT TO SEE IN
PHILADELPHIA
WAY DOWN EAST"

The finest creation that has come
from the brain of D. w. Griffith is
said to be his latest production, way
Down East" now being shown twice
daily at the Chestnut Street Opera
House, Philadelphia. 1t is an elabora-
ton of the stage play of the same
name, by Lottie Blair Parker, which
ran for twenty-five consecutive sea-
sons upon the legitimate stage under
the management of William A. Brady.
Mr.. Griffith paid Mr.. Brady $175,000
for the motion picture rights to the
play-by far the greatest price ever
paid for the rights to any play. 1t
has seemed a strange thing for Mr.
Griffith to pay such a price when any
quantity of stage successes, readily
adaptable to motion pictures, were OBJ
tainable at fractional part of that
enormous sum. Mr.. Griffith, in dis
GUESSING this recently, said: 81 selected
Way Down East because | felt that
in these days of extravagant living
and social unrest we all need to have
brought home to US the wholesome
ness of this simple story of plain peo-
humanity told, and speaks eloquently
of the simple faith and high mora
standards which our fathers and
mothers have given US as a heritage
and which have made our country and
our women the greatest and most
glorious on earth. We have altogether
too many plays and pictures of the
other kind today, treating lightly Of
the home and the marriage VOW, anc
| think it is very refreshing to TURF
aside from the vampire and the char
latan to the scenes of our own coun
tryside. And then, too, think rura
life in America is worthy of historical
preservation. 1t is passing all too
swiftly. The old homestead is being
crowded out by the estate, and the
old barn with its pungent odor is com
PEELED to give place to the garage anc
the smell of gasoline"
"Way Down East" is said to repre-
sent ten months constant work by
Mr.. Griffith and his associates at {
total cost in excess of eight hundred
thousand dollars. This indicates thai
he has bestowed upon it the usual care
and attention to detail for which hi
is famous. The narrative of the stage
play has been closely followed with
Celebrations for the purpose. of in
creasing the scenic and dramatic
values. In fact, it would be impos
sible to put into a stage production
a scene as realistic and powerful as
the binding snowstorm or Annals res.
cue from the ice-choked river. But
the greatness of "Way Down East
lies not in it's effects or photography
wonderful though they may be
rather in the delightful comedy and
soul-stirring drama that touch the
most human emotions.
If ever cast may be said to be
truly "all-star" it is that selected by
Mr.. Griffith for this production. The
leading roles are enacted by Lilliar
Gish and Richard Barthelmess, both
we'll known for the important parts
they have played in previous Griffith
productions. And then there are Burr
Mcintosh and Viva Ogden, who will al
once be recalled for their portrayals
of the squire and the gossip in the
original stage production. In add.
ton there are Kate Bruce, Lowell
Sherman, Creighton Hale, Mary Hay
Edgar Nelson, George Neville, Porter
Strong, Mrs. Morgan Belmont "a New
York social LEADER and many others