davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18
An Author s View.

pack at the end Of the month because
! didn't have the extra S. to keep it
longer. Russell Simpson, in the role
of Caleb Care, smiled his bitter, secret
smile, and | again was struggling with
my recolleCtions of one of the meanest
men / have ever known.
Nor was it altogether the work of
! the individual actors that won me to
| the picture. The public, of course,
| will have to pass the final verdict on
the merits of the picture, but 1 have
never before realized how uncanny the
! work Of a director may be.
| There are details in the setting. in
| The furnishing of the rooms, in the
dress and makeup of the children who
take part in the story. that brought
| tears to my eyes, so real they were. so
full of the very spirit of the place I
! had in mind when l wrote wild
Geese"
| It is impossible for an author to go
| into his settings with an eye for every
| last trivial detail. He must select, ar
| range. set aside great bulk of the
! material which cannot be included at
all if the story is to get along. But
the director of n picture must build
everything into his setting-countless
things that the author has no place
! for When | saw the room in which
not simply good imitation of the real
thing, not simply clever guess as to
what it might have been-It was the
very room itself | know l slept I'M
der those rafters night after night for
months and listened to the whine of
the wind about the caves. ] aWoke
morning after morning in that very
loom and saw about me the very
things the director had gathered to-
Sether for the setting of the picture
he had made.
l believe the romance of that hour
in which | first saw Wild Geese"
come TO life on the screen was largely
due to the fact that other minds had
absorbed and put into comprehensive
form an idea that, once upon time
was only a dream in my own mind
The experience convinces me that
if motion pictures are going to find
a secure place among the arts, there
must be greater unity between author
and producer. If the author, looking
upon the finished product, does not
feel-as | felt-that the characters
have actually stepped upon the screen
out of his own imagination. there has q.
been a serious departure from truth
somewhere. Having the authors point
of view, of course, l cannot help but
feel that such a departure is bound.
in the long run, to cast discredit
upon the work of the studios
Except for a minor and necessary r
economy in the plot of the story. and
except for the somewhat amazing
height of the corn stalks in Caleb
Cares field, the picture version of
wild Geese" Tiffany-Stahl Produc-
ton, is faithful to the novel.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18
Characters Count Halt,

wood stories are half the battle
when making screen plays.
Characterization is the other half
Good directors insist upon getting
everything possible out Of a character.
that's the opinion of William Well
nan one of the youngest and yet one
~ the most promising directors on the
paramount lot in Hollywood. To Well
Ian goes the directorial credit for
wings" the epic of the air. At the
nresent time he is filming companion
picture. THE Legion of the Con-
den,ned." from the pen of John Monk
Saunders. Standardization
.4,en bv Richard Arlen and Charles
noeers were very fine bits of work,
&c Wellman, but in The Legion of
the Condemned we have stressed
them even more.
.a'The story of the Legion reVolVes
.-h,,rd the activities of young Amer
,rar aewsna re- man thrown into an
.,Dztracned flying unit AT the front
tna members of whom are men who
want 10 die. Their Pasts have been SC
hack that death alone will expiate
their sins against society-death thai
comes through valor. The daring and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18

topple, despite the dire comment of
the critical ones. The latter said, how
ever. that it never could equal the
London record of "Chu Chin Chow "
and when it finally did these prophets
were silenCed.
In all. "Abie's Irish Rose was played
1927 times on Broadway, New York
following a siX-month engagement in
Los Angeles. Now Miss Nichols is
lending her talents to PARAMOUNT.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18
J3ete %Ton

7 T has long been source of regret
to those who admire George Der
nard Shaw, and who also admire
L the movies Gf those two admira-
tons can be reConciledt-Wen, any
way, | for one have often regretted
that Mr.. Shaw doesn't express him
self more freely on the art of the 81
lent drama. Here, it seems to me, is a
subject that is made to order for the
lean Irishman. who has always been a
critic first and only incidentally a
playwright.
On occasion. Mr.. Shaw has stopped
momentarily to regard with his keen,
but twinkling eye the drama that
comes in cans. There is, for example.
the famous story of his encounter with
Sam Goldwyn, who wanted to acquire
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18
Photoplays This Week
SILENT DRAMA ATTRACTIONS

FOX-"Honor First" This afternoon and evening
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. oon Hate" This afternoon and
PALACE-The Woman Trial This afternoon ard evening
RIALTO"The Irresistible Lover" This afternoon evening.
COLUMBIA-"Becky." This afternoon and evening.
LITTLE THEATER"Moneur Beaucare" This afternoon and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18

1t is reported that Florence Vidor
will appear in Emil Jannings' next
picture, The Patriot"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18

DAMON RUNYON, the sports
~ writer, has written an original
story entitled The Geezer' for Uni
versal pictures. For the benefit of
those not familiar with prize fight
terms it is stated that "geezer
is a set-up fighter And if one does
not know what a "Set-up' is he is
out of luck with the Runyon picture.
Evening star., 1927-05-17

iicans a comparatively narrow margin
Of lead over the Democrats in a
State where the total vote Is ap
preaching 100000. The enrolment
Of Republicans is placed at t,483 $50
The Democratic enrolment is 1874,
456, and Socialists. 1882, The Re
publican superiority over the Dem J.
Gratis is, therefore, only t39.324 &C
cording to the records
Mr.. Hilles estimates that 200. 900 up
state Republicans transferred their
allegiance to Gov. Smith in the elec.
ton last year. The detection Of Re.
publicans in New York City was much
less in ratio Of voting strength. This
matter is giving Mr. Hilles and the
New York leaders some bad half
hours. They are endeavorng. even
at this early date, to line up the Re
publicans as of old.
New York has gone Democratic
in but one presidential election since
the second election Of Grover Cleve,
land in 1899, That was in 1912, when
Woodrow Wilson carried the state
through the split in the Republican
forces over Roosevelt and Taft 1t re-
mains to be seen whether Gov. Smith.
the idol Of the Sidewalks Of New
York. can turn the trick again for
the Democrats, provided. of course. he
receives the presidential nomination.
Evening star., 1927-05-17
Stimson's Report of Peace
In Nicaragua Is Press Topic

| sacrosanctity Of foreign investments.
Mr.. Coolidge is reshaping the Monroe
Doctrine into a policy indefensible in
theory and dangerous in action. This
imperialistic PaX-Americana may be
more dangerous than Latin American
wars" The Lynchburg Advance
Democ-atic) holds that the country
may remain quiet for some time, but
this dollar diplomacy policy Of the
administration will increase the bit
terness Of Latin American nations to-
ward the United States" The New
York Times independent Democratic)
agrees that this Government "sowed
a crop of dislike and suspicion of the
United States throughout Central and
South America"
While Moncadas agreement to or
der his troops to lay down their arms
looks on the face of it like victory
for the Coolidge administration" as
analyzed by the San Francisco rulle-
tin independently. that paper ayers
that ''in reality it means little save
that one element in Nicaraguan poll.
ti~3 has been overwhelmed and an
other established. Nor does it insure
peace in Nicaragua any more than the
fact that Big Bill having been elected
in Chicago protects that city from flu
ture gun campaigns" The Pittsburgh
GaZette-Times Republcan) expresses
the hope, however, that "the Mica
raguans viii make good use Of the
opportunity tho are to have to choose
their government by ballots rather
than bullets"
Evening star., 1927-05-17
Another Delay,

With the weather seemingly deter
mined to hold up the New York-Paris
fight of the three American aspirants.
1t will be- exceedingly unfortunate II
dissension in the Wright -Bellanca
camp adds further difficulties and de-
lay to the take-off. It is reported that
Bertaud and Chamberiin found 1t nee
essary to go into an all-day confer
ence with the hackers of their flight
over the division of the prize money,
in case they are successful, and
protection for their wives if they meet
the fate that has hefallen Nungesser
and Coll. Inasmuch as neither flyer
is to receive any salary for his dan
gerous effort it would appear that
their wish for settlement of these
points is entirely reasonable.
No reward can be too great, mon
atary or otherwise, if Bertaud and
Chamberlin take off in New York and
land in Paris after negotiating ap-
proximately thirty-six hundred miles Of
ocean flying. That they are serving
without salary and only for the
''gFory" there is in it provides an ad-
ditional cause for the hackers Of the
flight to concur gracefully in every
reasonable request they may make.
1t is to be hoped that these matters
can be Strengthened out SO that when
the weather clears two happy and
contented aviators may set forth on
their dangerous mission. A sports
nnanlike and science advancing flight
should not be hampered by the grasp.
ing tactics of those who stay at home
and risk only the chance of being
deafened by the roar of acclaim that
will greet the successful flyers or
being drowned in the public anguish
that will mark failure.
Evening star., 1927-05-17
German Gliding Records.

While preparations are being made
for transatlantic flying and suitable
weather for the great air Derby" is
being awaited, 1t is to be noted that a
German aviator has made a. new dis.
tance record for nonstop flying with
glider. lie covered eighty kilometers,
or about fifty miles. in a craft without
motor. 4 short time ago he estab-
lished a world record for endurance
in a glider, remaining aloft fourteen
hours and eight minutes.
1t is significant that these glider
records are being made in Germany.
That country is under restrictions as
to aviation work. under the treaty of
Versailles. Immediately after the close
Of the war and the establishment
OF peace Germany began to expert.
ment with gliders, regarded as inno-
cent craft from military point Of
view, and has progressed to the point
Of demonstrating the possibility of
actually reaching objectives without
motor power and has produced ma
chimes and men capable of remarkable
feats in flotation without engines.
Perhaps it is Of no moment. politi-
cally, that these developments are oc-
curing in Germany. But it may be
suggested that the handicap of the
treaty stipulations is no. preventing
advances in plane management and
the training of aviators.
Gliding may not be of any material
moment in aviation in itself. There
are obvious restrictions upon the
motorless plane. 1t cannot operate in
adverse weather. 1t must have GER
tain conditions in which to function
safely and effectively. But the man
in the cockpit must be an expert in
plane control. Pilotage In a glider
calls for qualities of the highest order.
These glider planes may be toys, in
one sense, but they are undoubtedly
the means of training corps of avia-
tors competent to handle powered
planes most efficiently in case of emer.
gency.
Evening star., 1927-05-17
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

Q. What is the official language OF
Haiti? What is the postage on letters
from the United States?-C. II. Y.
A. French is the official language OF
the country. Domestic rates of post
age prevail in sending letters and
cards to Haiti. Two cents Is required
for u post card or ordinary letter.
@. What city is referred to as the
Birthplace OF American democracy?
M. y. M
A. Hartford. Conn. On January
IA. 1888, the freemen of Windsor.
Hartford and Wethersfield met at
Hartford and adopted the famous
Fundamental Orders OF Connecticut, !"
the first written constitution.
Q. What will make glass clear.
which has been scratched from o
windshield cleaner?--J. S.
A. Slight scratches on glass may
be partially polished out by rubbing
the part with rouge wet with water
upon piece Of soft leather. II it is
deep scratch, it will have to be
ground out with the finest -four
emery. such as is used by opticians,
and the spot polished with rouge and
water upon piece Of soft leather. If
you nave tnuCn Oh LIlIS hltiu OIL WOEk
to do. it will save time to set up a
buff wheel Of wood. and grind out the
scratches with fine pumice stone and
water; then polish with felt bun and
rouge with water.
e Q. Where Is the largest village in
the world?-M. II.
A. Oak Park, Ill. claims this
distinction. 1t has population of
about 10000.
Q. Can the Government force a
soldier to support his wife?-M. w.
A The Government has no juris-
diction over the expenditure of a
United States soldiers salary.
@. What church is the oldest
Christian church in the world?-J. T.
A. The Church of" Antioch.
q. How much has the number of
Bell telephones in this country in
creased in the last few decades?-
r. A. Q.
A. In 1880. there were 30,s72 Bell
Evening star., 1927-05-17
Chauncey Depew Kept
Young by Playmates

From the New York Sun.
In discussing his ninety-third birth
day Chauncey NJ. Depew remarked
the nineties sis that your playmates
have gone" This is the only COM
plaint we have ever known the Sena'
tor to make. Is it. after all. justified?
DIR. Depew has the finest lot of
playmates a man could wish for.
Ninety years Of pleasant memories
gather about him. He can roll hoop
again in the streets of Peekskill, live
over the days at Yale (he was fresh
man when Webster died), hear the
echoes Of the New York State Assem-
bly,, where he sat in the first year
of the Civil War; summon to view the
stirring campaigns of Fremont and
Lincoln, hear the roars of every Re
publican national convention since '88
and recall the giants of the United
States Senate of 25 years ago.
Who else has made SO many friends
or known 50 many Of the great? DR..
Depew has lived in the administrations
of "a Presidents and has been the
friend OF "A. He has known the
princes Of Wall street, the makers
of railroads. The millions have cheered
his eloquence. Emperors and prime
ministers have been eager to meet
the most polished of American orators.
On the Bowery or at the Pilgrims
in London he has gaZed into the
countenances OF his countless friends.
Playmates gone? Everybody who
loves patriotism and optimism and
common sense is DIR. Depew's play.
mate.
Evening star., 1927-05-17
New York and Smith in 1928.

The Smith menace to Republican
hopes in New York next year is fore
IDLY called to the attention Of Empire
State Republicans by Charles d.
Hilles, veteran of many campaigns.
The newly appointed chairman Of the
Republican State executive committee
and vice chairman OF the Republican
national committee, addressing Re
publican dinner in New York City,
points out the danger in the coming
national campaign, If Gov. Smith be
the Democratic nominee for Presi-
dent. Too many Republicans in New
York have cast their ballots for the
Democratic governor in the past, he
says, and unless this practice comes
to a halt, New York with its forty live
electoral votes may be lost to the Re
publicans in 1928.
Mr.. Hilles, analyzing the situation,
she's that the danger lies upstate,
which for generations has been a Re-
pablican stronghold. Indeed. he points
out, the switch of upstate Republicans
to Smith was more largely effective
In the reelection of Gov. Smith last
Fall than was the switch of Republi-
cans III New York City. 1t is Mr..
Hilles' hope, however. that in a pres
idential election the Republicans will
go to the polls practically in full
strength and that party allegiance
win be more binding than in the ''off
year" election of 1926.
Not~.i. - t:-:-- nding tae huge plurah-
ties rolled up In New York State by
the late President Harding and by
President Coolidge in 1920 and 1924.
Mr.. Hilles shows significant shift
Of strength from Republican to Dem
ocratic ranks in late years. Indeed,
recent figures issued by the Secretary
OF State st Albany give the Repub.
Evening star., 1927-05-17
GIVE Me a Lift"

The American Automobile Associa-
tion has sent out a nationwide warn.
ing to motorists to abandon the prev
alent practice Of giving lifts to
strangers along the road. Pointing
out that a serious national problem
is being created by the kindly driver
who picks up the youthful roadside
traveller because more than seventy
per cent of these down and cutters"
later must be cared for In some chari.
table institution. the association also
cautions the motorist on the score of
his responsibility should an accident
occur. inasmuch as there have been
many cases In which the free-riding
passenger collected heavy damages
from his host.
No better advice could be given the
motoring fraternity. All the dangers
of giving lifts" are not mentioned
in the A. A. A. bulletin, however.
There Is the "stick.up" man 'yho. with
u lser On his face, holds up his finger
Evening star., 1927-05-17
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

One essential knowledge, it would
seem. is to know when not to att. mpt
something.
Take the case Of the rash young
| householder who attempts to "hx''
the electric light cord running from
the outlet to the table lamp.
He boldly plunges in, without once
| realizing that he knows nothing OF
| either the theory or practice of eIec.
| tricity. He simply never stops to
! consider the matter.
| Wires are wires. he believes. 50 he
carefully wraps the broken wires to.
| gether, covers them with twine and
| turns the switch.
| Immediately a short circuit occurs,
and every light In the house goes out
! He summons the light company. and
| the man who answers the call puts
| in new fuse. but it goes out, too.
as do several more.
BY this time the householder mildly
protests that perhaps It was some
work he was doing that was RESPONSE.
ble, and he shows the man the wires
he had spliced.
You need an electrician" saws the
man, and departs.
ss X ~
The householder. Of course. had moi
known that the common explanation
Of the flow OF electricity Is that of
water through a pipe. II there is
leak in flow of electricity, it will
attempt to flow back to the generator.
Simply wrapping the wires together
caused the electricity to do all sorts
OF things at the point of juncture
| of the two wires. which should have
been kept entirely separated, each one
insulated from the other, the Joining
to be each to each, but not all four
ends together.
The point is, not that the Young
householder did not know this, but
that he did not know that he did not
know.
There is the rub.
This world today is so filled with a
variety of things, with science daily
discovering new facts, and as stead.
ily adding to its theories, that no man
in 1t. no matter how wise he may be,
can possibly know more than g. tithe
OF the sum total.
Yet it is the easiest thing in the
world for man to forget this simple
fact. and to recklessly plunge In
where only an expert in a particular
line should attempt to enter.
lie ruSneS IN, as Pope said, where
angels fear to tread.
If he is lucky. he comes out again.
x II u
Electricity is one of the mightiest
forces which the householder handles
every day.
Generally he does so without the
slightest danger. but also he gives
not the slightest consideration to the
tremendous power he SO thoughtlessly
turns on.
Maybe there is a guardian angel
that watches over us, after all
The Bureau Of Standards has at.
tempted to tell us of household dan
gers. and has done so. in an elaborate
booklet, but how many householders
have copy Of the book?
How many have ever seen 1t, much
less own 1t?
And how many, do you think, would
pay any attention to It's precepts if
they read them9
There is one danger pointed out In
the booklet that Is commonly in.
Evening star., 1927-05-17
Tree Cutting Suspended.

Protests against the telling OF trees
| for the widening of streets in this city
! have caused a suspension of the work
and the Commissioners announce that
nothing more will be done until fuller
consideration is given to the situation.
save that the widening will proceed on
those stretches where the trees have
already been sacrificed. These street
widening operations are in conform
ity with congressional direction, but
the law is not necessarily imperative.
1t should be regarded rather as per
missive. The matter lies, in fact.
within the discretion of the Commis-
sioners, and 1t may be that upon a
public hearing on the question, the
holding of which Is intimated as prob
able, views will be expressed and pro-
posals will be advanced to cause the
adoption of different methods than
street widening for the relief of traffic
congestion.
It is not definitely established that
street widening is the only remedy for
the traffic troubles in Washington,
Certain streets in the heart of the
business section perhaps require
greater traffic width. Some widening
operations have already been con-
Quoted with a plain advantage. But
it does not follow that all the streets
should be widened with the assured
sacrifice of feature of Washington
that has distinguished it from all
other cities in this country.
Viewed from one angle, there is a
distinct disadvantage in street widen
ing. 1t sets up a vicious circle. The
wider the street the more traffic can
be accommodated. more vehicles will
be put into use and the more traffic
will have to be accommodated. The
net result is no gain whatever if the
number of vehicles increases in pro-
portion to the area available for move
ment in the congested portion Of the
city.
If the downtown streets could be
cleared of long-standing cars and the
outlets were likewise available for
free traffic flow. there would be no
imperative occasion for street widen
ing. Much Of the congestion has re.
suited from the narrowing of the traf-
fic ways by these long-standing cars.
The sentiment of the community for
the preservation of the trees is un.
mistakable. 1t has been needed by
the Commissioners, though unfortu-
nately not until heavy inroads have
been made upon some of the finest
growths that adorn Washington. 1t
is a wise act on the part of the Com
missioners to suspend operations pend
ing fuller consideration.