Evening star., 1924-04-27
A Picture Assumes
Theatre Supremacy
By Ph;1ander Johnson.

crisis are depicted There is little
need of words. School book recol-
lections supply the speeches; or
when words of historic significance
are lettered on the screen to make
sure memory has not faltered, they
seem transmitted into human utter
ance and to ring with an eloquence
that conquers time itself.
X X X X
"Am@ica" gives the screen the
! most important function it has yet
asserted. 1t enables the spectator to
feel that he is almost in the pres
ence of the men who spoke the
sentences that have become part
of American life, as we'll as of those
whose deeds interpreted them in
courageous action. George Wash
lngton steps from his familiar but
Scantly noted shrine on our postage
stamp and becomes breathing,
human figure. Patrick Henry says.
If this be treason, make the most
Of 1t, precisely as you feel it should
have been said, because your own
imagination. stimulated till the scene
the diction. You watch the battle
from afar, and were not the transi-
tions of scene so swift, you would
be on your feet cheering the victory.
r + =
You will applaud, though perhaps
rot the actors Of the scene, but the
actors in the great human drama
which was then so splendid. begun
and which is still being enacted
And they were actors, those old
patriots, with all posterity for
their audience; jealous OF re-
putation, studious of deport-
ment, and careful that the sig
nificance of serious thought
should be fttingly sustained by
dignity of phrase. They made little
of the theatcr as diversion.
When a theater did evolve it re-
flected for long time the robust
mood and the lofty sentiments of
those who had unselhshlv. and with
no thought of passing praise, SO
lived that they became models
worthy the study and imitation OF
the world.
The Cat and the Canary" re-
manned three weeks; which fact
was again brought to the attention
of the New York managers as a re-
minder that the city is no longer
normally limited to few days pat
ronage Washington provides good
audiences, but the show must set the
example. There are many who deny
that the c. & c. is entitled to be
called a good show; but multitudes
have enjoyed it, and that amounts
to the same thing.
* X x
1t is quite probably that so far as
patronage is concerned there might
easily have been two or even three
week Sothern-Marlowe engage
ment. Miss Mariowe's illness was a
sad disappointment to many play
goers. AS things were, Sothern had
a successful engagement. Washing
ton is favorite city with him, and
he has followed his custom of
spending as much time here as pos
sible while completing preparations
for sojourn in southern France
while Mrs. Sothern is recovering
her health.
!: x X
1t would have been pleasant to
the players who presented Cherry
Blossom Time" to hear what Mr..
Sothern thinks of the amateur
theater as an abstract proposition.
He believes in it. He does not see
many of its demonstrations, and was
by force of circumstances unable to
extend the Blossomers his personal
encouragement. He cites a neigh
borhood theater in New York which
chooses its caste from the nearby
dweliers, regardless of occupation,
and acquaints them not only with
the rudiments of theater art, but
with some of the best literature, as
doing a most practical and valuable
work.