, 1922-07-15
Uplifting the Screen

II children and the lower animals
are permitted to take the ieading psrts
In scenarios the ruture OF the moving
picture industry Is not altogether dark.
Today The superior artistry Of chill
dren as screen actors Is recognised
This Is also true % monkeys. dogs
horses and birds
All Of them po-ss-s the faculty OF
acting naturally.
Even now he lower animals are be-
ing used extensively to save situa.
ions" created by the painfully artin.
cial antics Of adult humans.
When the grief stricken heroine
stumbies into her boudoir with h.r
right forearm pressed over s.r ayes
we may expect a CLOSEUP - a par
rot on an ornate swing or n snaii bald
faced monkey, apparently q pet OF the
doiorous lady. but which aprears to be
be no more moved by her distress than
the audience is
When the hero, crossed In love. an
ters the library with the usual loco
motor ata-ia gait and drops heavily
into a large upholstered armchair thu
~soporific atmosphere of the hackney
ed srene is momentarily lifted by the
entrance OF a fine collie or 81. Der.
nard. whose antics. when compared
with those Of the master. offer an q.
Illuminating example OF high class pan.
tomime.
One is tolerant OF the lower animals
when they register their emotios- tim.
after time in precisely the same way.
When you see a dog. for instance.
register fear by a covering OF the
body and Joy by a waging OF the tail
you feel that what you see is artistic.
ally depicted because you know that
all dogs always express these emotions
in he same way.
But human beings IN real life differ
somewhat in h expression OF their
emotions. On the screen, however.
they are all alike.
i have never seen a star in the role
OF a country lass register bashfuiness
except by casting down her eyes. Twill
ing her sunbennett and turning IN he
left toe.
Why no. try turning in the right toe
o~ccasionally7
True, 1t would be an innovation and.
In a sense. n startling one, but until IL
has been tried who shall say that the
public would resent e.?
] have never seer a society dame
register anguish except by a Iabored
manipulation of the epiglotis and a
frantic ciutching of the throat with
one hand or of the head With both.
Why not try biting off the finger
nails or wildly stepping on the Picking.
ese?
have never seen the staiwnrt h.ro
pick up the fallen heroine In his arms
preparatory to placing her on the
lounge directly In front of him without
stopping to gaze in all directions OK.
cept the obviously right one, the pur.
pose being to demnstrate with studied
nonchalance how strong he is and how
easy 1t would be for him to pick up a
helpless female anywhere and carry
ner about as a child would carry a
kitten. Why not vary this a hit?
With the aid of a hidden mechanism
let the hero lift the stricken damsel
with one arm while with the other he
mixes himself a whiskey and soda
1t has been q long. long time since I
have scen q fashionable house party
where the men did anything but pose
after the fashion OF tho illustrated
clothes models of the house Of Block
enstein and where the air of reckless
sayety supposed to be typical Of such
affairs was not depicted by the float
ing % toy ballons and a chorus of
slim coryphees In fleshings.
Here I would also suggest a mild
innovation.
why not have a miniature race
course laid out over the Persian rugs?
Then have the butler and footman
bring In six rory young puppies to be
named after the six most Charming
ladies' present.
Al a given signal the a is on.
and the stumbles and falls Of the nun.
pies as they race toward the appoint.
ea goa are to be construed as pro
phedc Of tho careers of the ladies' After
whom they are respectively named,
These are but a few of the innova.
tons that might be tried. I havs
many others in mind. but before di-
vuising them I purpose waiting to se.
II any OF those i have already sur.
gested are adopted by the lords OF the
cinema N'