The New York herald., 1922-04-23

~ OLLYwOOD and the motion
~ picture world cannot COM
plain Of lack Of attention
on the part Of the novelist this
spring. To say nothing OF occa-
sional treatment. stray scenes here
and there in several books. three
long stories have been devoted
primarily to the case OF the
movies" by three very well known
writers, each one Of them writing
from personal acquaintance with the
subject matter and two at least EVIL
IDENTIFY moved to write by strong per-
spnai feeling. To read the three
books together is to get curious
composite picture. curiously alive,
and. on the whole. extremely un-
pleasant. 1t would probably be quite
unfair to consider this composite as
at all adequate or final But 1t Is
an arresting thing. worth serious
consideration, though only one Of
the three books is entitled to any
high rating as hterature-that one
being Harry Leon Wilson's ''Merton
Of the Movies"
Mr.. Wilson took them up with an
amused, tolerantly satiric criticism,
giving a full length view of their
absurdities, with only an occasional
lab at the unsavory elements in the
mixture. His concern was that Of
the artist rather than of the moral
ist, though, as in all fine satire. the
moral to be drawn is plainly there.
Next came Mr.. Rupert Hughes with
a pot OF crude whitewash which he
used to a smeary effect. His atti-
tude is that OF the special pleader
who tries to distract attention from
the weakness of his case by en-
phasizing minor or misleading parts
of the argument. And now we have
Mr.. Vance, very much in earnest,
even now and then a little peevishly
so, taking up the picture making
world as one OF the two parallel
themes of a melodramatic novel. In
this he is about half moralist and
critic, half novelist. He does not
allow his feelings about the
movies" to obstruct his plot, but
the film making element is much
more than a background. being an
integral part Of a very well planned
melodrama- 1t isn't quite the stage
villain of the piece. but it is. on the
whole. a sinister affair.
One gathers that while Mr.. Vance
tries to be hopeful and insists that
there are-or might be-great artis-
tic possibilities for the screen. he Is
pessimistic as to the present and
really doesn't look for better things
tomorrow. He also goes close tc
the root OF the trouble in pointing
out the inevitable commercializatior
OF the business. Creative art. hs
realizes, cannot function with tht
ball and chain OF fatty material
ized business fast to its leg. 1t nevei
mas. and never will. 1t can get alone
better even with a patron" il the
patron happens to be a Lorenzo. Blu
il cannot grow in an atmosphere
choked with too much gold dust
While it costs two hundred thou
sand or even fifty thousand dollar;
to make a photoplay there is small
chance that the dollars will not rule
The poet in his garret may produc'
his masterpiece at no greater ex
pense than the use OF little paper
or, at most. a cheap second han'
typewriter. The painters canva:
and materials cost more, but no
very much Even the sculptor an,
architect whose monumental dream
may involve millions Is not usual,
hampered greatly by purely com
mercial considerations. II the mil
lions come to make his dream con
crete they usually leave its work
mg out to the artist himself. Tn
WooIworth Building. for instance.
not inaptly called cathedral Q
commerce." but its conception wa
not drawn awry by its cost Ye
when the artist tries to create il