Evening star., 1924-04-27

| has been the industrious desire
\ OF the motion picture promoters
to assert their art on uncom-
promising equality with that of
the speaking theater. They have
succeeded in doing this to a remark
able extent, in some instances i'm
pressing themselves as more salts
factory interpreters of certain
phases of great literary works than
the footlight drama even attempts
to be. Pictures are discussed in
terms of critical competency by
specialists who have learned to
measure details as to lighting, per-
spective and all the other fine points
pertaining to camera craftsmanship
IN a manner that enhances interest
and insures intelligent appreciation.
Even in the case of a great prescnta-
tion like America" which. in its
second week, asserts complete
supremacy-in this city's customary
realms of spoken drama. there re-
mains no new idea to be ventured as
to the extraordinary merits OF its
technical craftsmanship.
:: y = ::
Its blgness and vitality OF theme,
however, carry it beyond compari-
son with the usual studio output.
In claiming recognition as a techni-
cally fine picture it meets only an
elemental obligation, for its subject
is so close to patriotic sentiment
that shabby workmanship would
have rendered it an effort worse
than wasted.
X x <
Inevitably it has its hints of the
shop. Heart interest is carefully
introduced on conventional terms !;
yet in the presence Of nations life
struggle, even the portraiture of
our hero" as a roughriding Romeo
becomes minor incident of an alb
sorbing story. Heart interest there
must be, and no writer could be de-
pended on more thoroughly to
provide it than Robert Chambers.
X = = X
Yet if there is any portion of the
f1lm that may be conveniently for
gotten in the lingering and power
ful impression, it is the artihciality of
the superimposed romance. Lacking
the vocal graces of poetic phrase and
defamation, the lover who climbs
from horseback to the window of a
Juliet whose cosmetic arts suggest
Fifth Avenue of today rather than
har0,,,ae
beats that thunder on long since the
artillery was stilled, trife shallow.
x = = =
In the much too infrequent dis
cussion OF American themes on the
stage the highest results are at
tanned not by dramatic ingenuities,
but by faithful and sincere compila-
tion. This was the distinguishing
trait of Abraham Lincoln" which
seemed to hold aloof, in reverential
modesty, from great displays of
original inspiration. The blank verse
announcements by the herald in the
Lincoln play were, of course, moro
or less in the nature of personal
spontaneities; but. like the love
story in America" they did not
count Importantly in the sum total.
x = x
The management OF America"
has been liberal i'll extending
courtesies to disabled soldiers and
to organizations whose membership
has known first hand the experience
of war. 1t would be impractical to
attempt the magnificent phian-
thropy of bringing it before every
inhabitant of this continent whose
patriotism may have quivered with
a touch of shell shock under rak-
ing fire of we'll aimed propaganda, or
among maladroit explosions of
philosophic pyrotechnics.
X X X +
The appeal is in the plain sim
plicity with which the sufferings of
those who met the country's earliest