The New York herald., 1921-07-17
High Lights That
Are Cast on the
Screen in Summer
Griffith Taking Nearly q Year
to Make sThe Two Or
phans' Cinema.
BY LUcIEN cLEvEs.

lay one of the most famous plays on
Tho stage here and abroad. 1t was for
\ decade the melodramatic sensation
Of the American theatre. Mr.. Grimth
has not found the task easier than he
expected. But like a patient. or. pos
sibiy, an experienced director, he has
become philosophical.
"It has been interesting to watch
him." the director said the other day
In speaking Of one Of his actors whose
share In the piece is important and
from whom much was expected. "At
frst he was all strutting conplacency.
then perplexity and some doubt, and
now he Is In really frantic despair-so
I hope that the turning point has been
reached and that he is going to be
Just as fine as we all ex-
Mr.. Griffith has had this ex-
perience before with actors who came
under his direction and knows all the
The Cast for the Piece.
The Gish Sisters. arc of course, to play
the two orphan girls. In the original
at the Union Square Theatre.
Kate Claxton acted the blind girl ana
her sister Henriette was played by Kitty
afterward Mrs. Mckee Ran
kin. Joseph Schildkraut will act the
chevalier. which in the first produstton
fell to the famous Charles Thorne AMI
later was the property of Charles Steven
son. who acted 1t SO long as he and his
wife Kate Claxton played together IN
the piece. Mckee Rankin played In the
original production the part of the
ruffanly Jacques to which Sheldon Lewis
will fall heir.
r. F. Mackay. who Is now one OF the
inmates OF the Actors Home on Staten
Island. was the first crippled knife
grinder. and his part will be acted on
the screen by Frank Puglia- He is one
Of the italian actors that Mr.. Griffith
saw in the company Of Mimi Aguglia on
West Fourteenth street few weeks ago.
Nine. Frochdrd, whom Mrs. Wilkins in
in the Union Square Company.
fell to Elita Proctor Otis In the last pre-
tentious revival Of the old piece at tho
New Amsterdam Theatre. Lucille La
verne will act the hag for Mr.. Griffith.
Miss Katherine Emmett. Creighton Hale
and Adolph Lestina are some of tho
other actors in what promises to he a
notable incident in screen activity.
Look who's HereI
What might have given a severe jolt
to less united artistic couple took place
recently at the benefit for the Actors
Fund in Los Angeles. Miss Mary Pick
ford, Americas sweetheart-maybe-
peared in her costume as Little Lord
Famntelroy. She was. Of course, imme-
diately recognized by the audience.
Then just as much a matter of course
was she greeted with enthusiastic recog-
milton. No other volunteer received go
much applause during the performance.
A few turns later came Douglas Fair
banks in "The Three Musketeers." 1t
was not possible at first to distinguish
him from his two associates so similar
In dress and appearance were the three.
So there was no more than polite greet
ing at first although when Mr.. Fairbanks
was generally Identified. the applause
was general. The sum total in the COR
diality of the reception as the actors
call 1t. was. however. noticeably different
In the two cases. But It was altogether
a question Of costume.
Music Hath Charms. WHAT
whats the big idea?" asked the man
who grabbed his hat spitefully and start
ed to leave. IT came here to see pic
ture not to hear music. thought this
was a motion picture theatre"
The manager who had devised tho
elaborate musical interlude. was lean
ing over the railing at the back OF
the auditorium. He looked at the unap-
preciative patron and looked also at a
number Of other unappreciative patrons
who were moving up the aisle as brislxly
as the hot weather allowed. The music
was wonderfully effective as a chaser. It
was clearing the house.
A small chorus and some dancers
were attempting to do Justice to an oper-
attic extract which lay as far beyond
them as II did beyond the principal sing
ers who came later. Popular or divert
ing music might have served to enter
tain the audience until the time for an
other film had arrived. But nobody on
that particular afternoon could be made
TO take an interest In the operatic offer
ing. Most of those who overheard II
agreed with the question of the dis
gruntled visitor Whats the big idea?"
Cutting the Fat and Lean.
Playwrights who used to alternate
their humor and pathos too crudely wers
accused OF giving the public slice OF
fat and a slice of lean. as IL they were
serving bacon. The scenario writer's go
at the matter still more directly. The
other afternoon n fllm showed some ce
It's deeply melodramatic scenes until
the mood OF the spectators was unde-
niably gloomy even II they were abb
sorbed. But when the director thought
a change was due he slapped In the
comic relief by the mere expedient of
showing some laundresses at work on a
brookside while a man shied stones at
them. There was no explanation. no In
PRODUCTION. The fat was served right
next to the lean without a word OF
warning.
Equally drastic Is the introduction
elsewhere OF the dramatic element into
a monotonously domestic theme. Some
thing must be done TO stir up the spec
tators who are growing weary of
mothers unend ing sorrows. So mother.
dear mother. has a nightmare. Various
thrilling and dramatic things happen
until the scenario writer decides there
has been enough drama and mother
wakes up. But the spectators have had
their little thrill watching her night
mare Thus do the scenario writer's allow
for the qualification OF every kind OF
emotion on the part OF their audiences
He Plays the Young Ones.
Not only are plays often written in
the first instance for n particular per-
son, but now that the cinema turns
back to the old dramas II Is often
popular type that leads TO the revival oc
the old pieces. Charles Ray. for In
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