The Washington herald., 1921-05-08
:: THE Stage ART WAIVERS I'M THE SECOND WEEK OF MAY
Them Furrin' Fillums!
By EARLE DORSEY.

- steamng out OF the West to launch republic
wide vendetta on. the made-in-Germany notion pio-
tureL
This new Lochinvar 10 none other than one Fr.nh
Gilmore. secretary Of the Actors Equity AssocistioA
II is his purpose CLEANS the public pr1nfx
to arouse the militant countryside artistic pa
triotie-and comnercisl-perls inherent the
movies like Passion" The Cabinet Of coloeore-
and baaf score Of others either made or in ths
making.
ouija boards or crystal eazers are needed to pass
IN advance the modus opersndi Of Mr.. Gilmore's
uon-wide jehad against the German photoplay He
WILL in all probability. freshly emphasize the HUNS
weI-known aptness at propaganda and VIII hkeIy
enough dilate the Huns diabolical ceverness
hnding nav ways Of getting his story over. the
nims- One can also fancy Mr Gilmore drumming up
the old hatreds. dragging out such things the
sack OF Louvain and the L1sitana horror ending
with a general appeal to against the German
and all his nlm works
great deal of all this IL true, undoubtedly Most
OF us know perfectly well that Germany will films
or anything else for that matter
on this side Of the water in favor repsrons
terms Most of furthermore still believe
is without morals and In thoroughly in the
cardiac region but after all. this seems to
have the slightest bearing the German situa-
tion as Il exists today
For, in spite Of his lack OF morals his black
hearted treachery his all-around untness
national society, the German has demonstrated that
he make pictures that insult inteli-
gence nor move one to demand ones money back
The truth OF the matter is simply this:
Mr. Gilmore. as the walking delegate Of the &C
".
with its actors forbidden by earn than
tithe Of the American scale, IN turning out pictures
that are proving not only immensely popular but I'm
mensely refreshing to an American public that s
utterly and inexpressibly nauseated with nursery
rhyme stun that passes ss screen drama
THAT explains amply and In toto tn. fervor and
enthusiasm with which the delegate Of the
= = actors union treks East from Los Angeles 70
more's chief motive patriotisp fancy an alb
surdity. though ostriotsm is the most handy
against the nlms that happens to be lying around
loose at the moment
The truth is that the nlm industry in Ios Angeles
is already shot ribbons. that wan Street has
begun to exercise controlling Influence in American
nlm-making- wan Street s frowning upon Pacihe
Coast production Of any sort and particularly
the mad orgy Of wasteful production that has been
the rule in the past The result is that s2oooAveek
actors working for SO and SIS day and vsst
numbers Of other have long hooked the
apartment Limousine and getting East by such
devious ways as fortune happens to suggest at the
moment
On top of this disaster comes an influx Of nlms
from Germany that is showing signs Of completely
displacingf I'm favor the ceuloid factory sweepingS
that have passed current as screen drama in this
tion for the past dozen years. Does wonder. in
view Of this development why M Gillmoreson behalf
Of his out-of-vork actors rushes fray
firm and fixed determination bite kick, gouge
stamp otherwise vsnquish his enemy though the
angels weep and Beelzebub rocks with the Absurdty
of the spectacle.
For my part do wish be misunderstood.
Beyond a creditor two have no German sffIlia-
desire II IL is good business self
protection. label all German-m made films with made
in-Germany" I'm for that But is sillyA is
infantile. It s below the dignity Of Hottent& for
nation Individual to stubbornly blind itself
thing well done be II German movie q load OF
coke from Hades!
After all this contemplated the German
nlm is abortive thing and short-sightsd Only
week ago The Herald printed a terence TO French
nlm activities French plan 70 invade
eign market The Italians, egged by the German
getting themselves together for try at
the London Telegraph. have q thing or two their
sleeves.
Not for the fraction Of a moment does any we'll
Informed man believe that Germany q monopoly
on nne making In Europe Has anyone forgotten
the Italian nIm -Csbirs-" for exampleT Isn't every
perfectly familiar with the fact that English act
ing example, is notoriously in advance Ameri
acting? Isn't Il a known fact that Vienna, Psrts
London, Madrid, frequently Contribute TO the
best offerings OF the American stageF Is supposed
to crawl into the narrow den Of bgoted patriotism
can for . prohibitive protective tariff against
nlm stun from the other side that 30 cent Of
the halfsaked authors directors and actors q Ans1
antecedents continue forcing down cur threso
the pea-soup mixtures they graciously dignf1 -
screen dramaf
mr. GILMORE has betrayed himself -
M gentleman OF extremely short-sgfted vision
AfA he is quite right, suspect In shivertng win
apprehension at the influx OF film stun from abroad
that bears altogether favorable comparison with
home brewed cslluloid. For interval the American
nlm industry been shocked and shaken BY com
petition from entirely Unforeseen quarter but this
competition should prove exceedingly healthy in
fluence.
Always allowing for censorship. this foreign
Aim invasion seems the best thing that ever hap
pened to the picture industry in America II
is a pace-setter rival that must be respected and
most OF US have faith enough TO believe that Ameri-
cans can make pictures. II only they are forced to
and are allowed to-
But, argue . may. the American aim industry
assss G the n h.8s T q s S
whole answer the screens future
can-and for that matter may-utter1y
damn and stutify this tendency toward real screen
drama-the most virile tendency the has ever
Let us