New-York tribune., 1920-05-16
How Motion Picture
Producers Can Forward
Legitimate Stage Art

Broadway, the gossip lane" Of the
theater, received bit of first hand In.
formation this week concerning the
much talked of future Of the drama,''
in so far as the entrance Of the Famous
Players-Lasky Corporation into legiti-
mate producing fields was concerned
Cecil B. De Mile, director general of
the Famous Players organization, who
came to New York from California,
told his version Of the decision of his
concern to enter into the producing of
dramatic works.
Mr.. De Mile is one of the most
widely known picture directors. and is
son Of one of the most widely known
families of theatrical producers in the
United States. He declared unequivo-
cally that, although certain gentle
men connected with the theater" as
sert that the entrance Of the Famous
Players-Lasky Corporation into legiti-
mate production constitutes a peril to
the future Of the drama, he disagreed d
with them.
"On the contrary" he said, "1 believe
that the entrance Of large picture
concern of this kind into the legiti-
mate. field constitutes genuine,
healthy, sincere competition which can
only prove of greatest benefit to
American dramatic literature.
"The assertions that we wish to
produce inartistic and insincere plays
merely as feeders to motion pictures
is the height of nonsense. And those
legitimate producers who have been
the loudest in condemnation of us
know it. They know it because they
know that, more than any other art
expression, the success of a play de-
pends upon the approval Of the public
wholly. You cannot force on people
enterta nment that they do not like.
Furthermore, our critics seem to be
ignorant Of the fact that the art of
: writing plays and the art of writing
motion pictures are as distinctive as
the playing of the violin and the play
motion picture are two different art
expressions. 1t does not follow that
because u man can write a stage play
he also can write for the screen, any
more than it follows that Rachmaninoff
should be able to play Stradivarius.
(which leads to the observation that,
although they are willing to accept
large sur'1 for the motion picture
rights heir plays and novels, Amer
lean authors are wofully ignorant of
the special requirements of screen
drama. Not only are most Of them
ignorant, but apparently they are not
progressive enough to learn the crafts
manship of the art which pays them so
we'll
"Thc man who writes for the stage
knows the time and the labor and the
constant study which were necessary
before his first play was produced.
And even after the play is accepted he
'oes to rehearsals revises the script,
and stays up nights toiling to make his
ines and situations give the maximum
'ramatic effect. But is this author,
who is willing to accept enormous sums
or the motion picture rights to his
work, willing to pay the price of
now edge of the motion picture art
n sweat and toll? Almost invariably
le is not.
81 have had many we'll known au-
hors came to the Lasky studio in
hollywood. Some Of them have spent
4 week there giving our activities
perficial examination. At the end
f that time they declared they were
amply qualified to write for the screen.
othe, authors have come there and
hey frankly confessed that if they
we're to write for the screen they must
ncnd long apprenticeship of study.
Even though the popularity of mo-
ion pictures has become automatic.
hcse authors, blinded by the glamour
Broadway, have failed to appreciate
he worldwide audience which motion
ictures give to the expression of their
thoughts. 1t seems to me that if an
author has big thought, good
thought, which he wishes to express Il.
'ramatic form. he would want to t1.l it
the greatest number Of people
THE most successful stare play on
roadway will attract about 5000 peo-
pie a week, on an average. My latest
chanre Your wifer which is now
playing at the Criterion Theater, is
reaching an audience of 1000 600 pco-
nle every week throughout the world.
Can authors ignore this vast public?
Can they afford to forego the oppor-
tunities which knowledge Of this won
derful new art would give them?
mo, reiterate, the entrance Of the
Famous Players-Lasky Corporation into
legitimate production will help both
the stage and the screen. We want
better plays Oh the stage, and we pur-
pose to get them. Bad stage plays not
only will not succeed on the stage, but
they cannot succeed on the screen"