rS9ft?9miurdmtl, October 23, 1915
tb i -"S jb
HERBERT CORTHELL
To be Me at the Adetotu Moa
ky wgfet in "A Full Howse."
A Comedian's Start
Herbert Corthell, comedian cf '"A Tall
House, ni born to a small New Ens
lamd town, not rerjr Jar from Boston, and
after leavisc the grade -schools his fattier
efatatoed aim an honorable. though not
very lucrative, position In. the office of
a shoe factory. Tiriaj: of this dull work,
he asked leave to visit a friend In Bos
tea, aad irhlle there was attracted by
the hricfct-Hcfets et the cH Boston Mu
seum. Haagise arouad the stage et that
temple of dramatic art, he was hired on
several occasions for mob scenes and
other supernumary work- When he re
turned to his native town he boasted of
his stage achievements and became quite
a prominent figure. "When vlsitlns
"troupes" came to town, usually the
cheap repertoire companies, young Cor
thell was pointed out as an actor.
One day an humble repertoire company
struck the village. It was Diamond, and
"Wilson's organisation, papular In the one
night stands a score of years ago. Wil
son, the leading man of the company,
was taken sick the day before, aad there
were no understudies in the little troupe.
D"imoDd told his troubles to the hotel
keeper, who at once sent for Herbert
Corthell -aad introduced him as the actor
cf the town. The young man was given
a part of "sides' and told to be ready
to play It that night Corthell still trem
bles when he thinks of that night's ex
perience. He no sooner came before the
footlights than he was struck dumb. His
knees gave way aad his muscles con
tracted. As a last resort the part was
placed In his hands and he read It in a
feeble vote. But before the week's en
gagement of the troupe was over Her
bert Was himself, and he left town with
the Diamond and Wilson organization as
a full-Hedged actor, with a salary of $
a week aad his keep. Now Corthell owns
a ,. home at Bayslde Long Island,
and 'carries his own car with him on 'the
road.
ARE TEE MOVIES
. DANGEROUS TRASH?
Csaetaira tnm rage a
They can carry a racing narrative of in
cident and adventure hurtling through
scene after scene. They can give such a
narrative both reality and beauty. They
can show us real people in real places,
from Spanish mountains to bull rings."
They can give, us not only beauty of na
ture; they can build, if their producers
-will only realise it. settings utilizing all
the most effective qualities of the "new
stagecratt," And they can light all this
a "Carmen" Is lighted with a beautiful
illclty, directness, warmth and rich-
; of tone that the stage can't equal.
If most photoplay directors aren't doing
this. It is only because the art la young,
experimentation has been brief, and
really talented and artistic directors are
only beginning to work In It. They
haven't yet learned all the richness of
their medium. Just as they haven't
leaned tts limitations. When they do
they will give tou fiddling with "Peer
Gj-hV They will choose stories and plays
Wee "Carmen, vehicles of pure emotion
or beauty. They will film tales of ro
mance aad adventure, from "The Ara
bian Meats" to "Treasure Island."
Vr. TBatan contributes one big, suggest
If Msa hi hte attack on the movies:
saade a new Industrial prob-
has now made a new
Both demand whele-
aadtstB9fits and the best efforts'
are Jb . They do indeed. But
it stemand the recognition that the
fta Industry has opened w a ru
ff oasSsv'SAd freedom to the work-
M dramatic art Is
the wssjissw'r erthetlc a-
a fltee fee can pay. It Is
0C Ws MM4G9hO'
f tfce tWtre.
iMIf
t MHi Ba W lsrWC
rrissr
TOUCHSTONE'S LAMENT
By WILL R. ANT1SDEL
. In cap and bells I sport today,
Yet not therein my spirit dwells
My heart is sad, though dad so gay
In cap and bells.
Under, the motley ebbs and swells
The passion of a higher clay
Ambitious, heartsick, rapt, by spells
Just as the passing mood has sway.
Little this fooTs-garb ever tells
Of noble thoughts or learning gray
In cap and bells.
Mr. AntUdel Is the most erudite press agent who ever supplied
dramatic editors with "learning gray" and "planted" bright stories in
their columns. After more than a decade's service as music, dramatic and
literary editor of the Philadelphia Record, he became manager for the
American tours of Ermete Novell!. This season he is business manager for
William Hodge.
WHAT MUSIC DOES
AND SOME
Without Music a Movie House Would Be Too Terrible
to Sit In Some Music Is Worse
Than None
TIHE first thing that ought to be said
about music and the movies Is that the
movies owe a lot to music, and so far
music owes nothing to the movies. That
is not a knock. Music Is old enough to
give away a little, and It is strong enough
not to need any help.
Looking at pictures occupies only one
sense eight. Now the Intense stare which
you and I give to the screen Is a little
too much for us. If a picture were shown
In dead, silence, without any leaders, the
silence and the suspense would be unbear
able. We'd want to get up and yell. In
simplest terms, the music does our yell
ing for us.
Too often that Is literally true. The
loud piano, the organ pushed to the ut
most, or the orchestra playing what the
critics might call a tutti. fortissimo, are
all mistakes, because they distract from
the picture. But the well-regulated pro
gram, played by an intelligent accom
panist. Is a necessitv to the success of a
picture.
I say "lntelligeni ;ompanlst" because
the music must be only an accompani
ment and should never have a special
part of Its own, except between pictures.
To show what I mean, let me illustrate
from a picture recently shown here, as
compared with a song recital. The great
song writers have realized the position
r in. ntnn nA tiftv mihAueA It at cer
tain moments, let it sing out bravely at
others and sometimes carried along the
feeling of the song after the song Is done.
They have also known the value of let
ting the voice go it alone. In "The Iron
Strain" (Triangle) there was a tremen
dous scene between two girls concerning
a man. One of the girls was the man's
wife, the other a jilted sweetheart. As
the- two fought (with fists, too), the
music swept up, growing In volume and
In effectiveness as the light progressed.
Then the sweetheart broke free from the
other girl and swung around with a flood
of words. Tou could hear her talk. Ton
could feel the silence In the room as the
man and his wife watched her, afraid
to Interrupt. Tou knew what she was
saying and why she was saying It And
the total effect of this whole scene was
due to the fact that the music had
stopped stopped absolutely,
Of course, that waJ an exception.
Usually you have to blend music and
action, as is done notably in "The Birth
of a Nation." The choice of old Southern
tunes and of Northern military tunes
nrna i-totwi tw hlstnrv more than by fit
ness, although they are all admirable.
But the use of the Walkyrie music, from
the Uibelungen Lied of Wagner. Is a pos
itive Inspiration. It is played whenever
the Klan Is shown flying over the coun
tryside. It stirs the audience uncon
sciously. No one realizes that the music
is helping the color and the action and
the plot to excite him. But the music
does help.
Some criticism of the use of "In the Hall
of the Mountain King," from the famous
Peer Gynt suite, has been made. This
music is used In the scenes showing Pe
tersburg and the burning of Atlanta (If
memory does not play me tricks). The
only answer is that if the music flu It
ought to be. used. Probably more people
will associate the music with "The Birth
of a Nation" than with Ibsen's play.
The great danger of music in the
movies is that It tends to become stale.
Every time a bride is shown the accom
panist plays "Here Comes the Bride."
Every time a queer hat appears you
hear "Where Did Tou Get That HatT"
in the bass. Last year every love scene
went to the Parisian tune. "Un Peu
d'Amor" ("Just a Little Love, a Little
Kiss"): and so on. That's a great pity,
because the audience will eventually get
tired, and because a fresh picture needs
music to carry it over. The life of an
accompanist no doubt, is not a very
merry one. although it may be exciting
to watch Jack Dalton nine times a day
come within half an Inch of killing lit
tle Mary Picksteln. The accompanist has
FOR THE MOVIES,
THINGS IT MAY DO
to have plenty of nervous energy, a
bright eye and an immediate control of
his instrument and of his stock of mu
sic. No wonder her'plays "the regular
thing." It isn't his fault What he needs
la a substitute.
A number of the larger companies now
issue programs to go with their feature
releases. For example, here is Reel 4.
from Kindling (Paramount). Maggie In
House of Wealth draws "La Clnquan
talne." Steve Gives Brooch to Maggie is
shown with the "Henry VIII" dances of
Edward German. And at the end, Maggie
and Heine have visions of their future
happiness In another country, and the or
chestra or pianist plays appropriately the
famous ballad. "A Little Gray Home in
the West" When the music is so ar
ranged, you know at least that there
will not be a sentimental song when the
husband quarrels with his wife, and that
there will not be the thunder of horses
when a man walks along the grass.
By the way, why should horses always
METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE
FIRST TIME IN PHILADELPHIA gSFSShgT0
BOSTON GRAND OPERA COMPANY
In conjunction
with the
Pavlowa Imperial Ballet Russe
Memdar and Friday evening "THE
Zenatello, MlcaUoO.
Tntxlar evenlnc and S&turdajr matinee "MADAMA BUTTERFLY." Tamakl Mlura,
LcTeronl. Martin. Coalmen. With "SNOWFLAKES BALLET." Pavlowa and Ballet Russe.
Wednesday matlneo (popular prices. 50c to fS.SO). Pavlowa Matinee. PUPrENFEE,
SKOWFLAKES AND DIVERTISSEMENT.
Wednesday evening "L'AMORE DEI TRE RE." VillanI, Ferrari-Fontana, Baklanoft.
Mardones. With Clack's "ORFEO" (ELTSIAN FIELDS), with Pavlowa, Ballet Russe and
Grand Opera Chorus and lima. Gar.
Thursday evening CARMEN." Gay. Lyne. Zenstello, Baklanoft. With Original Bizet
Ballet aad Spanish Dances br Pavlowa and Ballet Russe.
Saturday evening "OTELLO," VillanI, Leveronl. Zenatello, BaklanoIT. With Pavlowa
and Ballet Divertissements.
Conda. Moransonl, Jacchla, Kuper and Schmld.
Complete Orchestra and Chorus of Boston Opera House. Scenery by Joseph Urban.
Subscribers to the Regular Opera Season may enrace seats now. Regular sale opens
Wedndar October 27. at 1109 Chestnut street Trices, tl.00 to tS 00.
ACADEMY OF MUSIC
SATURDAY AFTERNOON. NOVEMBER 6,
AT 2:30
GERALDINE
F A R R A R
ADA SASSOLI REINALD WERRENRATH
Harp Baritone
RICHARD EPSTEIN. Piano
Tickets, J2.50. 12. $1.60. $1. Boxes $12 & $18
On sale at Heppe'a, 1119 Chestnut St
Wed. Afternoon, Dec. IS. PADEREWSICI.
Sat Afternoon. Jan. 8. FRITZ KREISLER.
Direction C. A. Ellis. Symphony HalL
Boston. Mass.
ACADEMT OF MUSIC
Saturday Afternoon, Oct 30, at 2:30
IN 'AID OF .
Polish Victims' Relief Fund
PADEREWSKI
will make an address on
POLAND. PAST AND PRESENT
Followed by a
RECITAL OF CHOPIN'S MUSIC
Tickets (1 to S2.S0, at Ileppe's
All boxes sold at private sale
Academy or Music, Tuea. Nov. . 3 P. M.
RECITAL:
Sc!iuinannHeiiik
Reserved Seats. 75c to $2.00, at Heppe'a,
Ills Chestnut St Sale opens Oct 30th.
ORDERS RECEIVED NOW
Kneisel
19th Season
In Philadelphia
Quartet
SUBSCRIPTIONSALE
' peas Mon., Oct 25, 9 a.m.
University Extension Box
Office. Juniper St En
trance. Wltherspoon Bide
WITHERSP00N HALL, Tots. Eve, OcL26
RICH Qwrtet HORATIO SSSdl
Tickets. JL80. It 80c, Wlierspoon Box Off.
diBaKRisliBiBiBBir-
if tejtk kSSEp?
IS -LLHsbsmL " JjiSlsHb,'?i
-j flmBP3SiBaHiHr.4BH $;
' w - -r-" a,,,i r. ,.iy.yjifr"-M
JULIA DEAN
At the Chestnut next week, in
"Matrimony."
have the noise of their hoofs indicated
while poor man has to walk in silence?
Why should a revolver ahotfbe fired and
a man's voice be unheard? What is the
logic of this, anyhow? Aren't the movies
great because they are silent? Doesn't it
spoil the effect a little to try to express
every sound heard except the voice? The
proper sphere for the music Is to follow
up and second the action. It ought never
to do what the action fails to do. For
this very good reason that the producer
ought never to try anything which isn't
in the proper sphere of movie activity.
There Is no need for a reform of the
music end of the movie. It's good and
all it needs is developing. And the pro
ducers, each in his own theatre, ought to
tell the accompanist to go ahead and use
his own Judgment as to what is to be
played. A little variety now and then
won't hurt G. V. S.
life U a comedy to the man who thinks
and a traredy to the man who fctU.
Horace Walpole,
DUMB GIRL OF PORTICI," Pavlowa, Lyne.
CONVENTION HALL
Broad Street and Allegheny Ave.
Tuesday Evening, October 26
United Singers
of Philadelphia
Men's. Women's and Children's Choruses of
2100 Voices. Orchestra of 75 Musicians.
CONCERT
IN AID OF THE
German-Austro-Hungarian
Relief Fund
MADAME De STLVA-SCHOEN
Mezzo-Soprano
AUGUSTA KOHNLE, Alto
Tickets 25, 50, 75 cents and $1. on sale at
Glmbel Brothers. Ninth and Market Sts.
German Society Hall, Marshall and Spring
Garden Sts.
F. Ostendorff, It N. 13th Street
1915 ACADEMY OF MUSIC 1916
Monday Evening, Nov. 1, at 8:15
BOSTON SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA
(100 Musicians)
Dr. KARL MUCK, Conductor
PROGRAMME
Brahma's 4th Symphony; Schumann's "Man
fred": Strauss' -Death and Tramftrura
tion": Llszfs"Les Preludes."
Tickets at Heppe's. Amphitheatre, 25 cents
MITirERSrOON HALL
MOUAI AlfXISUAUON, NOV. I, at 3.00
&ong
Marcia
Van
Dressei
Recital
by
Eminent American Sonrano
PRICES $1.50. $1, 75c and 50c
Tickets at Heppe's. 1119 Chestnut St