The Washington herald., 1921-05-15

Motion Picture Direction
At Fault, Says Novelist
w. Somerset Vaughan Analyses Trend of
Photoplay Making in America Today.

often the lovely heroine has been
SLOWED to be photosr4phec IN -
position that makes her look Ike n
sack of potatoes. i venture 10 tbflk
also that those directors who por-
sue beauty u have nothing q cay
about those who merely want =
produce a picture that will bring IN
q million dollars; / have no doubt
they know their business much bet
ter than doD might explore more
systematically the Photographic
possibilities Of atmospheric effect.
The camera is capable of a great
deal in this direction, and the de-
light Of every audience at the mod
est attempts in this field. such as
scenes by moonlight. show that the
public would not be unresponsive.
There is immense scope for the. d.
rector who wishes TO make beauti-
full pictures; but the Reinhardt OF
the screen has not yet arrived
II will appear from these obser-
vations that I think the director
should be definitely an interpreter
Of the author. Since I am a writer
IL 10 perhaps natural that should
have little patience with his claim
10 be a creative artist think he
has assumed this impressive role
because in the past he has too Of
ten been asked TO deal with mate
rial which was totally unsuited TO
the screen.
He could produce a tolerable pic
ture only by taking the greatest
liberties with the story he was
given, and so he got into the habit
Of looking upon the story as a peg
upon which to hang his own in
ventions He had no exalted idea
Of the capacity Of his audience tthe
commonest phrase upon his lips
was: Remember that my public
doesn't consist OF educated people.
1t is not a two dollar public: Il is
a ten and fifteen cent public:) and
IL ] may say so without ohense-
he was no genius.
The stories he offered to an eager
world were inane For the most
part the motive was absurd. the ac-
tfon improbable. the characterize
tion idiotic: and yet so novel was
the appeal. so eager the desire for
this new amusement. that the pub
lie accepted all these defects with
a tolerant shrug OF the shoulder
The mistake the director made was
in supposinE the public did not see
that they were defects. The most
successful showmen have always
pictures has worn Of. the public -
credited the public with shrewd
ness. Now that the novelty ~ r4e
no longer willing to take these de-
| fects 50 humorously. They find
them inconvenient. II seems - N"
that a Nv years ago I did not So
bored people in q cinema: now 7 sa-
them all around me. They raise
| their voices in derision. II is 70
| freshinG to hear the burst-of laugh
ter which greets a pretentioEs
title.
The picture companies are Sis~rv-
erinE. what the N- F.cs. ra-E 4-n.-
might have to- rem 'n-c Sin
that no matter how rr.'0 ne r-.-
stars and how re E7I"-"-.r -rr.- PI.-
duction. IL yo-r .l.lE hsS '-e
public will not SOtasr with Esu
The picture companies have put a
bold face on the matter They have
| swallowed their medicine with for
| titude. They have gone TO the hich-
ways and hedges and constrained
/ the author to come in. Thecv hav~
| brushed asidee his pleas that he had
no wedding garment: the feast was
set
The story is now all the thing.