New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-07
Persollifying
Emotions in
Experience
How Director Fitzmaurice
Solved Problem of Rep.
resenting Human Traits

tue and every vice?
Do people in their outward asncct
suggest their dominant traits of char
scter? The first answer to this cues
ton is likely to be NO. Quite In
stinctively we are likely to think that
I. is ridiculous to believe that habits
Of mind and heart can leave 80 strong
an impression upon tho features of an
individual. that such individuals can
be classified into groups, typifying, for
instance, passion, frailty, frivolity, con-
ceit, snobbishness, love and the other
emotions and human characteristics.
But George Fitzmaurice, who d.
rected the Paramount screen version
of Experience" from the famous stage
play by George v. Hobart, has shown
that men and women do fall into men
tai and emotional types by the selec-
tions he made Of men and women to
play the various characters in the mod
ern allegory.
In Experience which will have it's
first showing on the screen of the Ri
voli Theater to-day. Mr.. Fitzmorris
shows how emotions can be repre-
sented by physical types. Playgoers
who saw Mr.. Hobart's drama on the
broadway stages ak years ago will
recall the story,la tale of the adven-
lures Of youth. AL the characters are
rersonifcations, and, despite their
names, are not symbolic shapes, but
vivid, human beings. It is 8 modern
story, and the people are the people
we all know--the people Of the shops,
OF the theaters, of the slums and of
ralatial residences. 1t is as cosmopoli-
tan as New York itself.
Thirty Important
Parts In the Play
There are no less than thirty impor-
tant parts and 500 minor parts in the
screen production. When the news
was circulated that Experience" was
to be produced in the Paramount stu
dos there was a great influx of re-
quests and personal calls. Nearly
every motion picture player in New
York, as we'll as a great number on
the speaking stage, thought there
might be part suitable to her or his
particular style.
The principal character, that Of
youth, was not difficult to cast because
almost from the beginning it had been
decided. that Richard Barthelmess was
to play the part. Barthelmess is
youth itself-enthusiastic, clear Of eye
and with a figure which reflects buoy
ancy and optimism.
Love is the next important character.
Hundreds Of young women were inter-
viewed before the choice fell upon Mar
jorie Daw.
The selection of the actress who was
to play the part of Beauty was placed
largely in the hands of the public when
the producers decided to have con-
test for the role and asked for the
photographs of every beautiful young
woman in New York. No less than
5000 competed for the honor Of play
ing Beauty in Experience" and after
several weeks of careful study Edna
Wheaton was selected, not merely as
a motion picture type, but also as
public expression of a great city's
feminine ideal
Nita Naldi Selected
70 Play Part of Temptation
Then came the character of Tempta-
tion-a peculiarly difficult formula to
express in human form. Nita Naldi
was chosen for the part. She is dark
beauty who has become noted for her
interpretations of exotic roles, one of
her best portraits being that Of the
Italian dancer in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr..
Hyde" the production that starred
John Barrymore.
The character of Excitement, rest
less, charming, always changing. will
o'-the-wisp, alluring and dangerous,
was difficult problem. A long search.
many interviews, debates, and Sybil
Carmen, young woman whose name
is an index, was chosen for the part.
Pleasure was the next character to
be cast. The figure had to be pleasant
to look at, yet must give sense of
danger. Tho producers went direct to
the stage to fill the part, choosing
Lilyan Eastman, smart looking
blonde, who played the part Of Trixie
in "The Gold Dggers' at the Lyceum
Theater.
While it was-comparatively easy to
cast the players in the more wicked
roles, because these figures have GER
tain dominant characteristics, it was
not so easy to cast the part of Hope,
for instance. Hope is difficult to per-
sonify, yet, when coupled with Love,
as it is in this production, the char
acter becomes easier to find. Demure
Betty Carpenter was chosen for the
part
In similar way the young women
typifying Fashion, Vice, Habit, Degra-
dation. Frailty and Mother were pains
takingly picked from the multitude of
applicants.
Socially Prominent
Persons Play as Extras
Casting the male roles received just
as much attention and study as did
that for the feminine parts. The play