Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-09-21
WAY DOWN EAST
COMING TO STAR
Greatest of Screen Plays Booked by
Manager Relf for Five Day
Run Beginning Monday.
October 10.
AUGMENTED ORCHESTRA
ACCOMPANIES PICTURE
Said to be One of the Finest Pictures
Ever Screened and Draws
Thousands Wherever
Shown.


theatre announces that he has book
ed "Way Down East for run Of
five days at the Star theatre, be-
ginning Monday Oct. 10, and his
friends are congratulating him on
his efforts in bringing this stupend-
Gus production to the Star.
1t is the most remarkable produc
ton with which the name of David
w. Griffith has yet been associated
with, his "Way Down East made
from the famous stage play of the
same name, and will be shown here
for the first time at the scar.
As is expected the usual Griffith
effects and establishment are said
to be found in this latest work in
abundance. 1t will be presented here
with an augmented orchestra furn-
ishing musical accompaniment which
even the most spectacular Of stage
offerings could hardly afford to of
fer on tour; Distressing from the
stage version he will take his audi
ence froni the simplicity Of country
side to the lavishuess of city man
sions and thus display in a new
series Of color schemes an array
of elaborate gowns and surroundings
typical of wealth. AT the end will
come the famed terrifying New
England blizzard and the break up
of the ice gorge in the Connecticut
River, scenes which in other cities
have made audiences grip their
seats.
Mr.. Griffith has set for himself
! such pace and standard to fol-
low that he must need supply the
most wonderful in spectacle and the
most finished in production. How
ever, there may be those who in
anticipation of such things, overlook
the greatest of achievements of this
| master artist in screen production.
Griffith seized upon "Way Down
East" and paid a pretty sum for the
screen rights alone, not for the
spectacular opportunities it offered.
Any play that can enjoy vogue
among American theatregoers for a
period of more than twenty years
possesses something more than pas
toral humor and striking scenes and
way Down East" has even in times
when most stage offerings had hard
shedding.
That the pure love of Anna Moore,
her betrayal and subsequent suffer
ings were the big thing in way
Down East and is what has made
| it endure through all these years,
there can be no doubt. 1t was this
that appealed to David w. Griffith
in. selecting it as his medium of pro-
duction. Her story is that of a
woman from time immemorial and
Griffith has spared no effort to bring
this forth in all the strength of his
vision and art. I'm doing so he ha:
moulded a moral for mankind and
strikes home to the socalled stronger
sex lesson which has often been
forgotten as concerns a single stand
ard for male and female, probably
since the age of sin.
To Lillian Gish has fallen the task
of essaying Anna Moore for the
screen and very likely to posterity
Hers is a more far reaching and hu'
man Anna Moore than the spoken
stage drama could permit and /:
such a person as has existed almost
from the time of Mother Eve anc
existed in every community on eartF
where fourishes the vanity and ego
, ism of humanity and the innobility
of man. That Miss Gish has made
the most of her opportunity in the
!, role is probably best attested by th'
fact that in New York alone tht
: leading actors and actresses Of th'
day have hocled not once but twice
to view her work and marvelled a
the same.