The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-03-25
Girls Sauiors of Art
Young Men Apparently Not Compel.
ing and None Arises to Take Place
InDrama of Skinner and Sothern
ny COsMo HAMILTON.

In modern days any development
Of artistic life comes from women
as far rs America Is concerned. No
one seems to know whether 1t is
the stress of the times and the
appalling struggle of mankind to
meet the demands of the landlord.
the tradesmen and the tax collector
or pure love Of the concrete or the
part Of the men, but II is certain
that IL the banner is to be hc!c
aloft II must be by feminine hands.
The men are growing old and stern.
Where are the new ones? A glance
at the drama shows such men as
Otis Skinner, William Faversham,
John Drew. the Barrymores and so
on in New York. and Sir John Hare,
Pinero, Barrie and all the other old
ones at the fore not only as actors
hut as leaders in the artistic world
They are all around so or so
should say. There is no doubt they
are leaders. but they were leaders
thirty years ago and 1t Is perfectly
evident that there are no young
men coming up to supplant them
We read Of Charley Hawtrey being
the popular idol Of the younger
set in London and stop and think
for II Is the same Charley who was
the idol of the younger set thirty
odd years ago. where's the new
Hawtrey In London. or the new
John Drew In New York?
Big Change In 80 Years.
The other day / stumbled across
brief note in a paper TO the enect
that E. H. Sothern would appear IN
a theater on the site of one thaI ne
opened thirty-five years ago. no"
ia il that the stage has not pro-
duced another artist like Sothern
In thirty-five years? He was Ia
nous when he was 26, but there is
no actor of that calibre among the
26-year-oIds now. No one approach
Ing IT. There are lots of promis-
ing Young women. but the tradl-
lions of the stage are ineXtricaoly
wound I'D in masculine lines. IL
has sometimes seemed to me thar
this Is uue to the lack of artistic
atmosphere in modern life.
II we analyze the conditions IN
London and Paris We Will see that
the actor. playwright, and artlst-
whether painter or sculptor-has
different position than tire one ne
formerly occupied So, too. IN Ne"
York. There were in former Gays
managers and actor-maHaSers VINO
had the highest concsption OF arr
-men like Augustin DAILY, Seer-
hobn3 Tree. Henry Irving. Charles
Frohman. A. NJ Palmer. Sir George
AIexander-I could name many IN
New York, London and Paris--who
we're receptive and helpful to AL
men of artistic aspirations.
Movies, ChIId's Game.
The playwright who had great
idea met them and found keen IN
tellfgence, high enthusiasm ana
courageous spirits to aid him. what
he meets now in a commerciallzed
drama and movie world 90 not
like 70 say. 1t would probably not
he believed BY the world at large.
No man who has not had wide
experience with them can even
imagine the depths OF ignorance
that prevail in the minds OF the
great controllers of these arts In
these DAYS. 1t was hoped at one
time that the great success of the
movies and the oceans of money
thew earned would revivify many
forms of art. but the truth is just
making itself felt. What is the
truth It is the movie must
always be a child's game, as far
as art is concerned. We are Just
beginning to understand 1t. The
,,vo1nrer generation has sealed the
verdict and delivered it. The her
oine Of the movies must 10 girl
in years-a child almost-becaus~
as soon as her face shows the
faintest line of character or IDEAL
ity or experience she is promptly
cashiered by the younger element,
who swing to a girl to the newer
recruit.
GKids- Are Judges.
II Is no secret that Mary
Pickford, who is in every sense 4
Young and winsome woman, Is rel
egated to the ranks of the aged
BY the incorrigible flappers Of the
new generation who have pro-
nounced % as the age limit. Why
at % no man or woman can have
learned more than the outlines Of
even a mimetic art!
was astounded to hear of cost
" reel by one of the most famous
stars in America relegated to the
third-rate houses by a big picture
concern because as the manager
put it-"the kids had put the In
dian sign on the star. Hdu seen
the star that day at luncheon at the
Ritz with some friends and she was
as beautiful and radiant q figure as
I could recall-lissome, vivid and
artistic to her finger tips. devoted
to study. accomplished in many
branches of her work and not
day beyond % years of age. Her
fame is almost universal yet she
Is shelved as too old and dropped.
Sets = as Limit.
shes gone: as far as the screen is
concerned" said the manager. Il
dropped 800. 900 on this production
because she seemed young enough
to me-but I'll never take a chance
on any juvenile heroine after this
who is more than %. of course the
young ones can't act but the looks
are there. Fortunately she has
twenty years ahead Of her in the
misunderstanding in the movies.