Evening star., 1927-05-01
FEW GREAT ORIGINALS;
MANY BAD COPIES
BY pHILANDER JOHNSON.

hnriOus industry OF the most patent
/ stage director cannot lessen their OF
. fenses. but usually serves to helghten
them in the quest of large emotional
moments.
One form OF censorship might be
in some degree effectual-that OF
permitting only writers who had won
honest regulations III one field or an
other to be exploited on the stage.
This would provide at least an as
surance of cleverness or logical con-
sistency to palliate work to which
morals might object.
X X
The careers of memorable actors
do not parallel closely. In some cases
the great and towering success that
associates the player with fame in
disputably is delayed until the years
begin to mount. For others fame
comes overnight, as in the case of
Richard Mansfield, who begged the
privilege of playing what was re-
Rarded a minor role in his own way
and made it the outstanding feature
of the piece entitled "A Partisan
Romance
Mansfield lived for work, and
among his brilliant attainments moth
ing ever appeared sufficient to sat
isfy him. He died at the age of so.
George Arliss, however, journeyed
along trying to have good plays, usu-
ally getting them, and giving always
a splendid account of himself in the
matter of character delineation. His
"Disrael" was Photographic in its
distinctiveness and air of accuracy.
His Alexander Hamilton" remained
unconvincing, for Arliss is an Eng
lishman, and an easier analysis might
be expected from him of British than
Of American craftsmanship. he
finds the great, substantial success
of his career in an English play, "Old
English" not biographical, but dis
closing type so minutely studied
and carefully drawn that it enables
the player to exert the fullest re-
sources of his art. Arliss has had
longer life than Mansfield, one less
tempestuous in an artistic way and
is we'll rewarded by "Old English"
for a career of confident patience in
the maintenance of good, literary
standards.
A luncheon recently given in honor
of William Hartman Rapley on the
occasion of his SEVENTEEN birthday
recalled many changes that the th~-
atric pattern in this country has exc
cuted in the kaleidoscope of time.
| The materials are much the same;
the rearrangements have brought
striking contrasts. When Harry
Rapley, as he was familiarly known
to many friends then, just as he is
known now, took on the response
bilities of management of the Ma
tional Theater, a managers occupa
tion required him to keep in touch
with available productions and per-
n1itted him more freedom of selec-
ton than is now possible under the
present system of booking and rout-
ing. Each theater was an independ-
ent enterprise with policy OF its
own consistently observed. The
chain theaters idea was undreamed
of, and any man who undertook to
manage four or five theaters stimuli
taneously was regarded as tempting
fate.
A readjustment of theatrical reia-
tionships became inevitable when the
so-called theatrical syndicate was
formed under the leadership of Klaw
& Erlanger. Harry Rapley was one
of those who readjusted with re-
luctance. The theater is conserva-
tive, some of its methods, both as to
plays and publicity, being notably
archaic.
But it was soon evident that a
new system had asserted itself in
the theater and that big combina-
| ton could work with greater Sc
curity than the individual manager.
After the syndicate the motion
picture at first a faint hickering
shadow was suspected of threaten
ing storm in the amusement world.
Harry Rapley was one of those who
asserted without hesitation that he
did not believe he could ever become
a movie fan. However, after the
"Ben-Hur" picture played a month
or so in his theater Harry was first
to admit that pictures-any how, GER
tain pictures-have claim to places in
real art. No manager has shown a
more consistent respect for the ira
ditions impressed upon him in his
early experience with the greatest
figures OH the American stage. There
is one ideal of theatrical management
concerning which W. II. Rapley has
, L1~
ton "papered" house. He has often
expressed the view that scattering
passes for a doubtful show is poor
Iway to make friends.
As organization becomes more
compact and authoritative it brings
pictures and the speaking stage into
closer relationship. Even in the
houses known as Picture Theaters"
the film is becoming an incident of
the program in many cases instead
) of the outstanding feature. The
!. point. of Standardization has been
reached which gives quotations of
: theatrical interests respected place
: in the stock market and the prob
J ability becomes apparent that or
: ganizations that have been so power
; full may find still more powerful
, organization waiting to take over
5 their affairs.
, 4
In the meantime everybody appears
TO have become more comfortable
) with each succeeding step of these
= evolutionary processes; comfortable
, at least in travel and housing, and
} with guarantees against being left
= stranded more reliable than it was
at one time deemed possible to make