New-York tribune., 1920-02-08
Will Carleton Literally
Grows Old on the Screen
In "Copperhead" Picture
By Ishbel M. Ross

man and an extremely old man in "The
Copperhead," which has its initial show
ing at the Rivoli Theater this after
noon. In real life he is neither. But
on the screen one has to be acrobatic.
Not only has he to represent youth and
old age, but all the in-between stages
in addition. Instead Of the usual pro-
cedure of having an understudy take
the aged role, he plays the part of
Colonel Hardy throughout, to make the
Characterization as complete and con-
sistent as possible.
Mr. Carleton is a good looking giant.
He has height. physique, an air and all
the inward and outward things that
go to make personality. He is athletic,
with special weakness for lacrosse.
We are not telling any secrets when we
say that his hair is mildly inclined to
be carroty. This has been related about
him before. He calls it plain red him
self. He confesses that his eyes got
him into the movies. They are nice
eyes, anyway. We won't tell the color,
Tor we couldn't decide on it when we
interviewed him. because they twinkled
so fast all the time that they defied in
vestIgation The trouble is ne has an
entirely irrepressiblc sense of humor.
he vowed he was only presenting his
falr side to the interviewer, so we are
all in ignorance about the dark secrets
OF his past and even his present We
would be willing to guess that both are
stlrrlng. Anyway, he has quite exalted
ideas about pictures 1--WE were gently
corrected bv Mr.. Carleton for calling
them "movies'); has a vocabulary that
is magnificent and voice that it is
Sn4mn 70 n oil
was once a singer. He persists it was
only "once," although his friends still
expect him to perform for their bene-
fit.
We took Mr.. Carleton at once for an
Englishman-his Donegal tweeds his
voice and his manner. In England. he
says. he is taken for Yankee and in
America for an Englishman. The fact
Is. he is a little bit of both. He was
born in England but grew up here.
Needless to say. he has played a lot
on the other side and can relate quite
beautifully the story of the cabby and
Queen Boadicea, feat that ordinarily
only the Londoner can get away with.
1T didn't take you long to become
famous on the SCREEN" we volunteered.
knowing that Mr.. Carleton deserted
the stage for the screen only a wear
ago.
Famous" he echoed, deprecatingly.
For goodness sake. don't call it fame
The public has been very good to me
and all that. but I'm long way from
there, but I'm still waiting for the
rart with big opportunities.
Your favorite type of picture ?"
'Oh. the kind with the society back
ground. of course"
Remembering the stunning looking
office. he was in "The Society Exile"
playing with Elsie Ferguson we de
Worthy boped he would spend the rest
Of his life doing society parts"
Well tell us about your past" we
resumed. "Nou must have had past
before YOU did pictures."
"Onc never talks about ones past I,
isn't wise" retorted Mr.. Carleton. at
/ the present and future that count"
We were insistent, however. and he
fi.laIly told Us about shocking play
"Thc Very Idea" that was all about
eugenic marriage OF course, every
cue knows that he was in "The Belle Of
New York" and score of other popu
lar musical comedies and plays.
"I've done everything but the, min
strc and medicine shows" he said COM
rrehersively 81 shall always be sorry
,hat missed them. I've been in light
orera. musical comedy and grand opera.
But the hardest work have ever done
was in stock at Boston. when we put
or the Harvard prize plays. This was
really strenuous. although | never en-
ioyed ANYTHING more. l must confess
that like Boston"
NO doubt you found all this expert
cnce immensely helpful in pictures"'
II should think so. The growing
tondcncy is for the screen actor to
al. efn hn
cause producers are seeking a higher
ssandard of dramatic ability all the
fin7e All ones technique. dramatlc
knowledge and years of study are Of
immense Importance in the making of
pictures One knows better what peo-
pie want and has an idea of how to
give it to them. But this indefinable
thing called screen personality is
born in one. 1t can never be acquired.
1t is certain warmth that radiates
from a person and is inherent. You
know how in real life you meet types
that you immediately warm up to and
Success on the screen is not a question
of looks, although, of course. all the
physical attributes, education and
breeding count for good deal.
81 believe firmly in making pictures
rs illuminating as possible. | should
like to see them so clear and simple
that there would be no necessity for
sub-titles to get the story across. Some
situations are so complicated that cap
tions are unavoidable, but there is a
good deal that might be clarified in the
average film. Few of those being
shown at present would stand the test
Of being run off without titles.
"My chief interest in pictures is
character analVSlS am never mora
interested in anything than | am in
studying people. One gets the habit
on the stage. All my life I have de-
ilberately studied types. In the sub
way. for instance I watch the man who
is tired and notice the sagging lines of
his face; the man who is angry and
ready to row with some one; the man
who is genial and at peace with the
world. This perpetual search for
color is instructive. If it is necessary
for the legitimate stage it is even
more essential for screen work, where
every detail Of facial expression is ac-
centuated."
What is the worst experience you
go through in making pictures" we
asked Mr.. Carleton
He shriveled up visiby in his
chair, threw out his hands and spoke
in an awed tone of voice.
"The most dreadful moment in the
screen actors life" he confessed, "is
when he watches his own pictures
being run off for the first time. 1t is