Evening star., 1925-05-03

1t is not remar kabie that the
speaking drama should yield in seri-
aous interest to the motion picture
play, especially at this season. when
the playhouse begins to lag in inter-
est as outdoor sports assert their
ever-conquering charms. In short
time the National Theater promise S
nearly to monopolize the field. In
combing every bookshelf and every
garret for material the films now
and then unearth some half-forgot-
ten classic and proceed to demon
strate that its worth is as great to-
day as when it originally created a
sensation. The manner of present
ing it will go far beyond anything
areamed of as the resources of the
camera replace the laborious canvas
and paint OF the traditional theater.
AS rule, too, film dramas are cast
with greater proficiency than in the
days when Monte Cristo or a
dArtagnan or any stellar role, IL well
played, was often expected to carry
talong a rather inferior supporting 6
company.
With the films, whose resources
for magnitude of perspective and de-
tail of incident are unlimited, the sit
uation is precisely reversed and a
star. however conspIcuously exploit
ed, is no longer burdened with the
sole responsibility of holding the in
terest of the spectator. The picture
entertainment is a study in ensemble
rather than vehicle for individual
art, and. while proficient film
player is a delight, the work III
which he appears if intrinsically
meritorious is not rejected, even
.though he does not happen to be en-
tirely at his best.
***
The revival of Madame Sans
Gene" is another evidence that the
films have literary and artistic rea-
son of being. 1t was first played in
this country by Katherine kidder
who, in the face of all advice, cast
herself for the role after the play
had been a success in Paris. Find
ing no capitalist willing to speculate
on a combination of Kidder and Sar-
dou, she bought the play herself and
brought it to this city for its first
American presentation.
x X X
The unexpected happened when
the self-promotion of Katherine
kidder into the topmost aristocracy
of the theater was as rapid and sur
prising as the rise of the 'Duches:
Of Dantzig" herself. The play wa:
a sensation and her portraiture oi
the dasfing blanchisseuse was one
of the memorable contributions te
the American theater. Sans Gene
needed Kidder and Kidder needed
Sans Gene" for the play repre-
standing and almost alone. 1t some
times happens that an actor is Sc
thoroughly at home in single rolt
that he never again seems quite 81
we'll provided for. Such was TIL,
case with Robert Lorraine. whom
The public wanted always in Mar
or Superman."
A comparison of her performance
with that of Rejane did not dim tn
1ustrous fame of the plucky Ameri
can actress. Rejane was robust ant
vital, while kidder was ardent ant
ethereal conveying always amid th'
s9aucheries of the role an impression
OF delicate refinement calculated tt
win the devotion OF a hero lik'
lie Febvre.
Il X X x
One of the interesting features o
the visit to the Theater Rejane
where the star whose name it Dor
was playing Sans Gene" was
typical old-time Paris claque, which
noisy and unabashed, occupied con
ypicuous positions in two groups o
Ken or a dozen at either end OF tn
top gallery. They were in reality
part of the company, thoroughly re
hearsed. tas.iag their cues for dem
onstration or retirement with tn
precision of trained supernumerarie
under directions evidently write
into the prompt book just as ou
old-fashioned political orators use
to parenthesize laughter" and zap
plause' in their original manuscript:
Nobody objected to the system
which tended to prevent the EN-
barrassment which might arise fror
any unsophisticated applause in tn
wrong place. How simple were the,
arts of publicity as compared wit
our own today. utilizing forests {