New-York tribune., 1922-01-22
Won Stroheirn'
Foolish Wives
Not So Foolish
Pity the Poor if You Like.
but Don't Forget to
Pity the Poor Author
By Harriette Underhill

II Is for those men who think that the
director and star Of "Foolish Wives"
is not q proper sort OF person TO have
around tho house-for those who con-
fuse Count Scrgius karanzin, the VIII
lain in tho picture, with Count Enrich
Carl Won Stroheim, who directed the
picture He also created the role of
the villain.
At the present moment 1t seems that
every one is talking OF Foolish Wives"
and up to date have not encountered
a single person who is neutral or luke
warm. foolish Wives" Is one Of
those things that you become quite
rabid over, and either you declare that
It is tho most perfect picture ever
produced or you declare that 1t ought
never to have been allowed by the cen
sors That Is, the women feel that way
about it; the mon say: pretty good
liked some OF it-but, tell me, do
women fall for a man like that Won
Stroheim?'' And then ! answer: II
do not know that Won Strohcim,' go
how can I tell you. But promise to
meet him and let you know and then
they ssy: "Well he must be a pretty
bad lot himself, or he couldn't play the
part that way This set us thinking
and VIC resolved to find out just what
this Won Strohcim was like.
Could
A Tale Unfold
Well chapcroned, we lunched with
him, and now any one who wants to
know anything about thi. marvellous
director has only to ask US We shook
hands with the arch villain and con-
graduated him or his most remarkable
picture. having been one OF those per-
sons who proclaimed it a work Of art
Ee regarded rs gravely, with sad, brown
eyes, and ! knew then and there that if
Won Stroheim had decided to plar a
rccluse who wore sackcloth and ashes
every ono would have said "How can he
live such a life? J hear that he stArvcs
hims to death" In q couple of min
utes he nearly had us weeping as hc
suthorhood. "You ere so Kind" he
said sadly, "but your sympathy is like
the handcasp OF friend at the open
grave OF loved one" Being prac-
tical, ! said what do you mean, open
grave: You don't call the Central The
ater grave, do you? And your loved
one Is the best picture | ever saw
I 4
teous but unconvinced. "But over there
is only the skeleton OF my dead child
Of course, this was merely the way
nc put the fact that "Foolish Wives"
lad been cut from thirty-four reels to
fourteen and later TO eleven"
Foolish Wives"
Not Serial
But, YOU see, We can't show pic
ture in thirty-four reel. here unless wo
do it on the installmcnt plan. People
want to 80 home about midnight"
II know, know" he continued, still
more in sorrow than in anger, "but why
not let me do the cutting? | was the
proper person" Now, while we do not
agree with Won Stroheim in this, at
least unreservedly, We held our peace
Why argue with an aggrieved author
But when he said: "And what have {:
Nobody was satisfied with IT." l re.
torted with spirit. ~ know more about
motion pictures than you do, and I've
already told you that I am satisfied
with it, He bowed again and said
courteously but firmly, "You are toe
kind" But, of course, We we're luck!
tina, he didn't brain US or throttle US
as nc did TO people and animals ant
birds III the picture when they dis
Vssrecd with him. At any rate, we wer
e sure we were right, and were ready t
> take the count il you know what W
o mean.
ie "And it doesn't look like moro tha
n million dollars, with so much Of
gone
;tt We'll, at least it looks like an eve
"a, million, and IL Carl Laemmle ism
lT worrying you needn't. 1t wasn't you
e money
lis 1T was my brain child he sale
IN wistfully.
$ "les, ard there Will be lots moro o
., them. | feel that you are going t
m have large family
so this is what Count Erich Carl VOL
e Strohci.u is like. He is wistful an
.s nnbapry--a Eeniu, who will so on giy
iii ing what he believes he should Civ
di and being crucifod at each publ
~ presentation CT hi, work. It is inevIta
a. tc And lie didn't derive much com
E fort from tho fact that anyway in
"a hundred years his works would be un
- acrstood and appreciated.
e Look at Shakespeare" I added, bu
tbls trying TO cheer UP genius is
thankesa job II isn't rs though h
were conccited and didn't caro- vhs
=. people thought. He isn't and he doc.
:. and be shouldn't. And ss for being {
al destroyer OF homes, | am quite sure
al that he wouldn't know US again If he
ir saw US, and the fact that our hair was
- the new shade Of brown and our hat the
Il rev shade Ct blue meant nothing II
bis HE. He Us much malgned man.