Evening star., 1924-02-26
Behind the Screen
Iiats, Peson1I Pictures of the S,as Of the Silver Sheet
SAMUEL GOLDWYN.
h.
light, 1923, By George H. Doran Company.

tho talk Mrs. Shaw told the story
of an Irish lad sentenced to be
hanged in the Tower for his rev.
olutionary activities. Before his
execution they came to him and
ing certain leaders in the movement
his life would be spared. To this
the lad. only about eighteen years
of age, replied. Gentlemen, you are
| wasting your time and mine"
great fire. How" she concluded.
can you conquer a people with a
spirit like that?"
When we drifted away from the
Irish situation Mr.. Shaw and I had
pictures. To my surprise I learned
then that he was picture enthusi-
/ asst. He told me that there were
two people whose films he never
| Pickford. Regarding the former he
was especially enthusiastic. ! found,
/ in fact, that he was as familiar with
Chaplin's work as am I myself.
The affectionate courtesy displayed
wright and his wife is bound to I'M
press any one familiar with some
of Shaw's iconoclastic utterances
upon the domestic situation. Ger
tainly the atmosphere surprised me.
3
as Father" and Mother" but, aside
from this failure. they seemed to be
as tolerant and contented and set
tied as a hardware merchant Of To-
peka and his wife.
Toward the latter part Of the aft
ernoon l saw Mr.. Shaw look fire.
quently at his wrist-watch. Ulti-
/ mately he mentioned that he was
due to deliver lecture that evening.
And have you decided yet what
niv,c n n hot
/ queried Mrs. Shaw, when at last her
husband rose to depart for this en-
gagement.
Not yet" he retorted: 'I dare say
I always think of Mr. Shaw as he
looked when he made this reply.
His eyes. which are. I think, the
clearest and most living blue 1 ever
,, saw, so sparkled with merry per-
versity, his figure was SO erect and
! much spring In both face and
physique--that he seemed to me
this man past middle age-the very
embodiment of electric youth.
/ suppose that he had the same
expression of merry perversity when
on the following day he told a news
! paper reporter who called upon him
to learn the outcome Of his conver-
h, satton With me. "Everything is all
between Mr.. Goldwyn and me.
Whereas he is after art, I am after
money"
Whatever the explanation. Mr..
shaw Sia never came to America, nor
Company. / was no more fortunate
in the result of my call upon Mr..
H. G.' Wells. He, like Mr.. Shaw. had
me at his home in London for tea.
focused, not upon Ireland. but upon
India, d direction determined by the
fact that young East Indian was
calling upon the author that after
noon.
The foreigner was very earnest in
! Wells Outlines OF History" and it
was indeed a privilege to me. who
had just read this presentment Of
history. to hear such first-hand COM
resentative Of that mellow civiliza-
tlon which Mr.. Wells has compared
so favorably with our western
achievements.
During the course Of this conver-
sation the Indian told the author that
a place in his country as the one
occupied by Mr.. Wells. Although the
latter must have spent many hours
Of his life in listening to similar
tributes, he responded to 1t as CRATE
fully as II this were a fresh expert
ence.
When we came to talk Of pictures
suggested to Mr.. Wells that he
visit California and write some
oh" said he, Il should like to
come, for 1 know I should enjoy
the California sunshine and meeting
Charlie Chaplin. The only trouble
with me is that never could write
on order. I haven't been able to do
II for magazines or publishers and
should certainly fail abjectly when
1t came to doing 1t for the screen"
/ thereupon urged him to come to
California as my guest. look over the
situation. But, although I assured
him that such visit would leave
him perfectly free to decide whether
or not he cared to enter the picture
lists, Mr.. Wells did not accept my
invitation.
AS I left his home that day I re-
membered suddenly that twenty-five
years before l. who had just been
entertained by the most celebrated
of the younger English novelists. had
money through these very London
streets. There was no self-cong gratu-
lation in that swift contrast of pres
ent and future, but there was a deep
wonder al the mysterious fiux' of
life.
Another feeling dominated this
wonder. 1t was my gratitude to the
work which has so shaped and COL
ored my destiny. To motion pictures
owe all the wide range of con-
boyhood handicapped by so many
unfavorable circumstances. To it !
owe also the greatest blessing which
can befall any one of uS-an i'm.
personal interest so vivid and COM
pelling that 1T survives any per-
sonal grief or maladjustment.
Almost every one who has been
connected with picture production
understands the fascination which It
exerts. l always think, indeed, OF the
answer which Charlie Chaplin once
made to somebody who asked him
more life" said Chaplin promptly.
whether 1t comes through pictures
or n not.more s life s.,,, And TT, then he
of myself out OF pictures. whatever
I do, 1 find myself wondering, Now.
will that be good for my work or
not?'"
Although, in comparison with this
great creative artist. my own sphere
Is SO humble. my understanding Of
this one dominating interest is suf-
ficiently complete to justify me in ap-
plying his words to myself. Like
Chaplin. cannot think Of myself out
TO turn my back on the far horizon
which has always called me TO It.
In the ten years since entered that
little Broadway motion-picture thea
ter with its staticxsv estern drama, its
player-piano and it's far-f1ung peanut
shells, giant changes have taken
place. Then film production attracted
few men and women OF real INTEL
lectual capacity. Today we see q
former member Of the United States
cabinet presiding over its destinies.
Then the motfon-picture theater was
rs sporadic as it was stunted and dis
figured. Today the smallest hamlet
puts up its first motion picture thea
ter at the same time that 1t erects it's
frat church. and in thA larRer COM