New-York tribune., 1921-12-25


"A ton vividly and sincerely is the
II foundation of success for the picture
= als.er. Along with this fundamental
.0,u;rement many other qualities and attri-
sn.os are needed to round out the talent and
1,n,nlete its realization. To the player of the
h;yhest type, capable of entertaining The pa
,,ons Of Americas $4,000 theaters, there is
.r.ct;eallv no limit to the amount of conlpen-
.s.t;on possible Such players are worth
:, ooo week and upward on the basis of their
arsvug power. Where the ordinary actor
n,svs to 500 to $4,000 night in theater
sba motion picture actor can play to 500 the
sters in one night if demanded. 1t is said
rhorl;e Chaplin actually played to 200 the
tors night, no less than zoo copies Of his
,cturs having been simultaneously circulated.
The combination of stellar qualities is so un-
,sual. and so few of the millions of aspirants
,nest the requirements, that only now and
again does 1t appear.
r. the player has the human spark the skill
-, director will discover and develop it, Abil-
;fv to express humanity sincerely isn't con-
sred to any one class The late Robert Har-
van vas an errand boy in the studio when l
FIRST gave him the chance to play in minor
rolss An everyday lad from New York's East
Side. he was not favored by upbringing or
c,h,re. He was in the plastic years, how
ever: possessed emotion and sincerity, and an
aporenticeshir that included picture versions
If Shakespeare and Browning works and other
contacts with fine and lofty thought educated
him more truly than a college course.
Robert Harrcn, as we say in the studio, "had
something" ard it was pleasure to bring it
e. 4.
ore dsv a. size was waiting outside the door
At Hoilvwnod for her sister, Marguerite, to fin
ish posing and accompany her home. Quite
unconscious of my presence, she stood watch
inc the struggles of an upset beetle to right
itself. Fun and sympathy alternated in quick
shades of feeling on the girls face, wistful
rathos contend1g with mirth much as you
have seen it on the screen.
saw Arthur Johnson coming out Of an
actors agcl cy, liked his looks, followed and
engaged him on the spot. This leading man
Of my old Biograph productions would surely
have been s5,OO0-a-week Garner had he lived.
Mary Pickford came to the studio, likewise
Lillian and Dorothy Gish. They had been ap-
bearing in stage drama under David Belasco.
Henry Wa}thall was an experienced actor. l
chose the players for their human quality.
Most Of them had stage experience but some
we're novices.
1t is better that motion picture actors be
good looking. Most of them arc, for good
thought and feeling generally speak through
good features. Yet mere prettiness without
brains or expression serves little. 1t is some
times alleged that bad stage actors make good
picture actors. The fallacy of this is evident
when We consider that a pleasing face and
figure and agreeable voice will often get by
on the stage, whereas a high degree of panto-
mimic ability is required in pictures. We can
use only the best actors of the speaking stage
for our screen work. Sometimes stage players
Of high fame fail to meet our requirements.
Our modern method of casting is by camera
test Often we use as much film footage in
such Photographic tests as would make an
ordinary ive-reel feature. This was the case
With my latest production, "The Two Or
phans." Each candidate for a role played
trial scenes of at least a hundred feet in
length sometimes considerably more. There
we're dozens of candidates and dozens of trials
for the more difficult parts, and occasionally
happened that very distinguished stars
Jailed to qualify. Even after the test has
been passed and production started, some par
'lcular phase of the character may elude the
player The fault may not be quite evident
until the whole film continuity is assembled.
took today thirty closeup "retakes" of q
eadlng male principal to "register' one
pnase Of expression that was needed to CON-
mand the sympathy Of spectators.
Both culture and brains are possessed by
nose who attain the highest eminence. A
leading star of to-day was the guiding genius
VI one Of the very largest of film organiza-
aOns In her present association her counsel