New-York tribune., 1920-06-06
Feeling the Pulse of the
New York Movie Fan; Test
Ut Average Mind Is Applied

Mary O'Connor, assistant supervis-
ing director, as we'll as film and
scenario editor, at the Lasky Studio,
Hollywood, Calf, has come out of the
West to feel the pulse of the New
York movie fan.
With her has come Elizabeth, a
young lady who for years has been
the court of last resort in the Lasky
studio projection room whenever an
argument over just what the public
wants has arisen. Together they are
going to theaters every night and
every matinee day for two weeks, on
q schedule outlined for them by the
Famous Players -Lasky Corporation,
long before they even left California.
When they are through with the sum-
mer course in theatergoing Miss
O'Connor feels that she will have ac-
quired an exceedingly delicate touch
on the public pulse, as far as enter
talnment goes, yet she confesses that
she is sure that she never will be axle
to get on without Elizabeth's judg-
ment
"Of course" Miss O'Connor de-
clared during an interview at the
Hotel Algonquin, when | speak Of the
pulse of New York, l mean of the
country-of the world, indeed. The
theatergoing crowd of New York, cs-
pecially in the summer, is not made up
of New Workers. 1t represents Flag
staff and Kalamazoo and Walla Walla.
When | sit in theater and hear the
comments of the audience and feel
its reaction to a certain play. | k.ow
whether or not that particular Story
will make a good picture.
II go further-I watch every play
with an eye to the application of mo-
ton picture technique to its stage
form. For instance, the other eve
ming | sat Fascinated at performance
Of Anne Crawford Flexners charm
ing AN Souls Eve,' thinking always
what delightful: picture could be
made from tha: play, And l am sure
that Elizabeth agree: Awith me-"
Miss O'Connor is Il veteran in mo-
tion pictures. For four years she was
associated with D. w. Griffith, working
in every corner of the studio from the
laboratory to the scenario department,
ters and for Blanche Sweet Recently
she las again taken up her pen and
just before she left California she fin
ished the manuscript of "Rozanne
Ozanne," story of South Africa from
Cynthia Stockley's volume, "Blue
Aloes," in which Ethel Clayton will
star.
Things have changed greatly in the
motion picture field since the first days
with Mr.. Griffith she continued.
Even Elizabeth has grown up and has
become quite we'll educated Indeed,
she knows lot about psychology,
philosophy and many other things that
we sometimes thought we. never could
teach her: When we first met eve,y
one called her Lizzie,' but now that
she has developed we pay her defer
ence by calling her Elizabeth 1t
was she, you know, who, when Mr.. Grit
fifth first showed closeup wanted
to know what had become of the hero's
legs. But when she saw closeup for
the second time she accepted it with
out question. 1t was she, too. who de-
manded subtitles explaining every
small detail in the pictures unfolding.
Now she doesn't have to be told in
words that the star goes to the win
dow to look out. She has seen so many
pictures that she knows that's why she
crosses the room.
"ln the matter of decoration and
costuming, Lizzie has also become
thoroughly we'll versed. RecentN. in
one of Mr.. De Miles pictures we used
set of six jade cups which were val
ued at $4,000. A few years ago Lizzie
would have probably thought that
Jade meant n bad woman; to-day
Elizabeth, having ip all likelihood
priced bracelet or a pair of earrings
at Vantne's, knows that jewelry NAV
be made of jade, and is properly i'm
pressed.
"Indeed-and for that reason am at
times afraid Of her-Elixabeth has be.
come hypercritical Everything in a
picture must be just right. You see
Elizabeth Is great traveller, and il she
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