New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-23
By Arnold Prince

been playing III "DeclaSsee, would
come under the domination of a mo-
ton picture company, not for the
purpose of producing screen produc-
tons but to control spoken acting?
Who would have thought that the
entire Frohman interests would be
taken over by cinema corporation?
From Philadelphia comes word
that the motion picture companies
have bought the Opera House and
the Academy of Music.
They're buying up everything"
say the friends of the old order.
There are indications that in the
coming year the spread of motion
picture influence is to be greater
than ever.
David Belasco's Lament
cart will be commercialized."
laments David Belasco. "Acting in
the theaters will be controlled by
men interested only in money. Au-
thors will write plays with an eye to
making them available also for the
movies, with the large sums OF
money to be derived thereby, and the
character of productions will suffer"
Other theatrical managers and
dramatic critics have professed to
see similar danger, and some rath-
er scathing articles have been writ
ten recently on the hurtful infu-
ences which the public might expect
from the ''encroachment" by motion
pictures in the field Of the drama.
The food of hostile criticism became
especially pronounced recently when
it became known that one of the big
gest screen corporations had Gin
yaded" the legitimate field on Broad
way and was producing plays there
in addition to its regular output of
films.
THE hooligan is at the gate" one
writer with a colorful bent of mind
said, in commenting on this inva-
sion. wall Street has taken over
the drama" another wrote. Here
after we may expect only such plays
on the stage as will lend themselves
to motion picture production. The
end of art is at hand"
1t would have seemed impossible
70 the casual observer of events that
Inc old controversy as to the EFFECT
OF motion pictures on the drama
could be revived, but, as a result Of
these attacks and the really revolu-
uonary changes planned by the film
promoters, the discussion has famed
into fresh vigor, and actors, writers
and others are taking part in it.
May ''Uplift the Stage
but, strange as it may seem to
some who remember the general
opinion of a few years back, the ma
!orlty do not seem to anticipate any
VI the horrendous results predicted
py tne extremists. Indeed, the bulk
Of the opinion seems to be that the
growing activities of the cinema pro-
oucers is an excellent thing, and
some even go so far as to predict
'nat the motion pictures will ere
tOfm and improve the stage" which,
Z" would appear, has suffered much
recently from an overfondness for
sex plays, bedroom farces and
Crook melodramas.
strangely enough. too, among the
defenders of motion pictures is such
veteran Of the spoken drama as
E. II. Sothern, who, everything
@Sen into consideration, might be
e"pected to be one of the first to in
Weigh against the screen.
If Shakespeare and Dickens were
awe to-day they probably would
"r'te for the MOVIES" was the sur
pfising statement made to me by Mr..
'o'nern. The statement took on
Nuaeo interest from the fact that
vi sothern is one of the oldest and
'eS' known interpreters of Shake
'pearean roles on the American
stage.
b. Both Shakesneare and D;cLans