The Washington times., 1934-03-31

and Particularly Columbia
Pictures.)
sold down the rivera de-
ecription rendered familiar and
famous in the old days when dra-
matte companies toured the land
playing ''UnCle Toms CABIN
was the term applied until re-
Gently to those who deserted the
legitimate stage for the fleshpotS
Of the movies.
>. It was accepted as quite q
natural step for the actor immedi-
6tely that film entertainment as
gimed responsibility through at
tanning Importance, but until COM
paratively yesterday the execu-
tives Of the legitimate theater re-
garded with diStain transfer Of
their activities to the so-called
younger and humber brother Of
the stage.
Becomes Important
Suddenly the creators and the
selling forces Of commercial en-
tertainment discovered that the
latter view Of motion pictures was
without foundation in fact. Film
entertainment, while younger,
had assumed a position Of inn
portance in American life never
achieved by the legitimate theater
In its palmiest days-in fact, 1t
had taken a position well in the
forefront Of the staple industries
Of the country, with financial i'm
portance such as no form Of en-
Gertainment in the history OF the
world had ever known.
No suggestion Of humbleneSS
had q place in connection with
enterprises so vast, or social influ'
ences so great, as are connoted by
the term motion pictures.
Immediately talk Of being sold
down the river disappeared from
Rialto chatter. Those who had
been loudest in attributing real
or implied inferiority to motion
picture activities leapt into the
stream, fairly choking it in their
efforts to reach the port Of pic
ture making. They no longer
waited for the side-wheelers, or
stern-wheelers, that are pictured
as carrying unhappy slaves to
market far down the great river.
The majority have found them
selves floundering about nowhere,
for the legitimate theater has
fallen on evil days. destroyed in
q large measure by the very con-
dition that made the motion pic
ture great-masS production.
PubIiciStS Are Hit
None within the show world
has been hit as hard as the pub
licists, an army Of huStling fel-
lows gifted with a rare combina-
ton of imagination, literary abll-
ity and commercial sense. who
constitute the selling forces OF
the theater under the general
term advance agents. Some have
graduated into producers, some
have become successful play.
wrights, but the majority have
been content to represent en-
ployers, year after year, working
In New York or touring to the
uttermost reaches of the country,
or the world, combining the func-
tfons of business manager, press
agent and interpreter Of the pur-
poses and ambitions Of producer,
playwright and actor to the
patrons of the theater.
They have enjoyed good in
comes and a mode Of life in
which economic forethought for
the morrow had little part. The
theater had prevailed throughout
the ages in some form or other;
what reason had they to fear
that the machine age wound
sweep it into a position Of secon-
Diary Importance and little finan-
Cial consequence?
That is why these men, who as
the intimate personal representa-
tiYes of the producers have
Scorned all union affiliations,
found themselves compelled to
appear before the code authori-
ties through the Theatrical Press
Representatives of America, Inc,
to demand group recognition and
to complain of practices that are
impoverishing and destroying
them in the perplexing tumult
Of the hour.
These thoughts, and a further
estimate of the tremendous diff
NEW STAR