New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-15

The cinema's prominence in the news
these mornings influences me to cxr,
tract from the recent travel books o.
Thomas Burke, the Limehouse man,
and of w. l.. George some reflections
on the business and art of the Silver
Screen. The subject, really, has no
standing in report of those congenial
volumes, since it is but an atom in
their contents. But it is timely in the
circumstances, and it may prove a
rapid turbulence of Movie-Land's most
recent romance.
Mr.. Burke takes umbrage with the
films, now and then, in "The Outer
Circle" This is one of Mr.. Doran's
outputs, and it is series of vignettes,
descriptive of the suburbs of London
the "dormitories" of London, as he
calls them, as we refer to Forest Hills
and Pelham. NHe takes you with him
to Tottenham, for instance, not par
ticularly to see the room where Queen
Elizabeth slept, but rather to mention
it just in passing. He calls your at
tention to "the girls and gardens and
moonrise, the bold ribbons, shy silks
! and lnuslins," to the throb OF beauty
in the faces Of the factory boys and
maidens as they ply their pranks upon
the recreation grounds. An amiable
companion, Mr.. Burke, you think, as
you stroll along with him, your bright
/ face upturned to his, and he reminds
you that here in Tottenhan. begins and
ends the most joyous book in the Eng
lish tongue. "There," he says, "in that
sweet shady arbour,' near the High
Cross, Piscator speaks the last words:
Study to be quiet And just be-
yond"---
| At this point the gay facade of a
cinema palace comes between Mr..
Burke and his pleasant reflections and
he frowns. Thoughts Of the Angler and!
of Robert Bruce disappear, and he for
gets what he was about to tell you of
that Countess Judith, held Of king
for ran som Of five hides. 1t is of D. w.
Griffith that he now thinks, man with
whom, you Infer, he has had words
concerning his Silent Drama, Broken
Blossoms"
Il have lately" he says, chad the
doubtful pleasure of seeing a film YER
sion of one of my stories. had always
regarded this story as invented and
told by me; and I was surprised when
certain skilled workman, called a
/ producer, claimed it as his own. ex-
| pressed this surprise in one or two
quarters, and was told not to be silly.
Welll Well!-- But it does lacerate
ones vanity to see this sort Of thing:
David Wark Griffith's great film
tragedy will shortly be seen at che
- Cinema In creating this tragic
story of Broken Blossoms" D. W.
Griffith hopes to strike out a new
hne.' d. w. Griffith presents his
poignant Limehouse drama. Miss Mary
Flckford is presented in her new film,
"soapsuds," by Mr.. Gus Michigan"
\: X j.
: %oi0c eiue' quite true, Mr.. Burke,
you respond; "but what was it YOU
were saying about that castle wherein
the Scotch James and the King of Den
mark spent some wanton hours ?" But
Mr.. Burke has forgotten history's han.
berk' helm and lance, and persists, in
discussing the silent drama. ssI loathe
the CINEMA" he continues. az toatha u
because loathe anything that pretends
to be what it is not" Eyes, yes" you
interrupt, "but why do you think, a.
you say you do, that King James was
pervert?" at is time" he responds
that somebody said what most people
are thinking about this shoddy bust.
ness OF cameras and claptraps and
the pedestrian mechanics who direct It