New-York tribune., 1920-04-18

twists in the story that are the -.
suit OF Individual traits cropping out
1t is because l forbid theatricalitv. "a.
fuse to allow them to act ali over tn.
place, that they become natural. ana
interpret their roles by living them.
Gwen the story and the competent
cast, 1t only remains to coordinate the
efforts of the cast. to develop the poss;.
bilities of all through the medium Of
the vehicle. Then you have to decide
whether the public will like what Won
have done or not. Knowing what Tho
public will like is sixth sense. lust
at present, they seem to like nothinr
but pictures where the hero and hero.
Inc meet in clinch just at sunset and
the end Of the picture, because their
tastes have been poisoned by pictures
sWade by gentlemen formerly in the
oak and suit business, who produce
pictures as they did cloaks and suits
But Griffith produced, fifteen wears
ahead of his time, picture with an
unhappy. ending, and the public took
it eagerly. They have accepted other
unhappy endings because they were
logical endings. But the public is
harmed only by those who would moi
son public taste with illogical stories
and illogical endings, and with .theatri-
cal acting"
Mr.. Won Stroheim, who is both actor
and director, has some six years in the
motion picture industry to his credit
He was born in Vienna, Austria. the
son of an Austrian army officer, and
himself served twelve years in the
days. Coming to this country in 1908.
there ensued five years when Won
Stroheim had a wealth of experience.
first as newspaper writer, later as
retail salesman in New York City, asa
travelling salesman on the road as a
lifeguard at Lake Tahoe, where he
was, as he phrased it. the escort for
stout old ladies when they ventured
on water. That is only beginning in
the enumeration of the occupations
that Won Stroheim followed in his ef
fort to avoid the traditionally painful
death that comes with starvation.
After many wanderings. and much dis
couragement, 1914 found him in Cali
fornia, where he was advised to trv
his luck as an extra" at the motion
picture studios near Los Angeles.
Won Stroheim went straightway 10
the studio, where John Emerson was
at that time director, and became an
extra" position that afforded him
another excellent opportunity to nirt
with death from lack of nourishment,
lot ne was OF Such pronounced type
that he was seldom called for. II was
more or less as the result of the in
tervention of Fate that Won Stroheim
came to the post of assistant director.
In the course of the filming of GER
tain picture he noticed that one of the
cast, who was supposed to represent
! foreigner of distinction, looked far
more like the waiter in rathskelar.
thanks to the bit of ribbon that crossed
the actors breast. Won Strobe IN. VINO
knew a bit of ribbons and the wearing
of them, was seized with an idea. and,
after floating loan of So, went forth
and bought real ribbon and presented
it to Henry B. Walthall who happened
to be the actor impersonating the dis
tinguished foreigner. This act Of Won
Stroheim's came to the atten; IN Of
John Emerson, and it led to En- RS Is
asking Won Stroheim if he could help
in the production Of "Old Heidelberg"
Won Stroheim could and did That was
the start of his life as an assistant di-
rector. a position which at that time
included supervision of nearly all
studio activities. Some time later,
when he had passed period of work
ing with Douglas Fairbanks, Mary
Pickford and Norma Talmadge, he
wrote "Blind Husbands for Carl
Laemmle and became the full fedged
director that he is to-day.