AMUSEMENT SECTION
m I "jPSTfe shootI
PHOTOPLAY
THEATRES
. DANCING
MUSIC
iJltflQtt
ttenmrt
PHILADELPHIA, SATURDAY
EVENING, JANUARY 15, 1916
HOW AN INFANT
INDUSTRY AND I
GREW -UP TOGETHER
BURNING A $15,000 FACTORY BY MISTAKE
The Star of the New Stanley
Photoplay, "The Ragamuf
fin," Recalls Her Beginnings
j M. 7A fcsr'TO &
m Fftx $m 4
Nlii8ill2&'
He. ft ll Vi A Jl ""
1
I"?3 fox builds' a film city in the east
"'j, mi iii i " " n r n iy- i i , ,
rrr . i j' aw.MiW..wiawu4iitlli.tjUWMWwi(ti;i)ijjiiw.iMujiiMiiiiiiiiim-i ' MiMiii.iiHijtiMimjiLUiimwfc,wwi
""rt iimmoMi i ifw"-MirwffriiyiwffiwiTifliiiiihrriiinniWir TiiiTirniiniyiiaiii mumwiimjih i iiiiiiiiii mil i iniiminniiiwiinMM
f plluwm'""tmmlt'tasssi
aaajaasmygaa'rr-ft'mfcmto6ww6.
If One more film city is to rise, this time in the East. Tho Vox Film Corporation hns begun, construction
kworK on a lu-ucru jnui ui hiuuiiu near vjuiuuu, u. i., wnuru uiLiiuniciy uuiuhiikh, us suuwn in mo nrcni-
KWect's plans above, will house the studios and, manufacturing plant of the Fox forces. On this 10-acre plot
'Micro will oo oroctcu a largo iwo-siory nuministrnuon milium?, nvo suiuio pinnts, eacn a complete ami in
dependent unit in itself a factory for manufacturing much of tho equipment requircil in the making nnd
f- production of motion pictures; garages, concrete storage warehouses, a miniature hospital and adequato res-
It; taurant facilities lor taking care ql tlio OUU
or more neonlc whose services will bo emnlovcd dailv by this
'company. A photograph of Architect Thomas W.t La mb's plans reveals the location ( of natural gardens,
iwhlcn will oe piannea oy Horticulturists; a lane wiui icrraceu nnu icvcicti suies lor utilization in picture pro-
duction and a largo outdoor plain with horticultural setting for the taking of big water effects.
EATON SEES "THE ETERNAL
MAGDALENE" AND OTHERS
-The Others, Which Include Joseph Urban's
IScenery and "Around the Map," Seem Supe
rior to Two Acts of Dream-Sociology
By "WALTER rRICIIARD EATON
"rnllE Eternal Magdalene." a much.
J-J. heralded work, was written uy ltou
rt' McLaughlin, a Clevclantl nowspapor
Ktportcr nnd local theatre manager, ami
Ml, produced nrst oy a. stocit company
lk3!L
wmmmL2-i
In the Ohio city.
This production at
tracted so much pnt
lonngo that the piny,
which hud previous
ly been refused, wo
understand, by many
mnnngcrs, was now
eagerly bid for by
these samn gentle
men. It 'was llnally
Bccured by tho Sol
wyns, nnd by them
has been brought to
Now York, with
.Julia Arthur In th3
title role. Miss Ar-
,tbr P. EATON tluir making her first
eislonul tin, npnenrnuco since she
ti more than a dozen yenrs ngo Into
itrimony and Boston. Of course, tho
PWiranco or MIsa Arthur Is a matter
moment.
iM.the play Itself is of very little con-
IWoence, from nny point of vlow. Tim
igsle who said It should bo called "Tho
rail Magdalene." following the nro-
twcutlon lit uio at Oxford, was nosslbly
JjlStUs lerere. Yet it Is Impossible not to
Tgonthlxe with him, That good actors
J'wBla',! employed -ntid Rood capital used
immaterial so crude and undigested
Moil 'a Ihnim.iml n(H.!t
I?the first place, the author, who Is
WMDly quite sincere, strives for nn Ima-
suve enect nnd knows how to nchlovo
only by writing a dream play. Wo
-. manager who will not read the
iuscrlpt of a dream play, oven If It
ua Dear tho name of Plnero or Harrle,
0 tend to svmnathlzB with him. It
JS. cheapest nnd most poverty-struck
-,vt acmcving unreality anil ror nny
Fw,1nitance, the leading character In
. tternal Magdnleno" Is a rich.
9, .Pious banker In n mid-Western
who Is backing "GleaHon1' (Hlllle
ay, or course) In a grcut crusade to
I up the sczrecnteil vlcn district and
'Q Sll the Women mil nt tlm f.ltv Onn
AtM women writes to him. cursing
nyiftr that shn will livn In sea his
;thlef. hin daughter ruined, his wife
L'l OtlP nln,,. r.t 1 1 . LI..I
.Tt"" .twwa ,i,vi(U JO lUl IIUUUIL'U
Fitals epistle, but Bits down to his
Ilo nrepare a final statemenr for the
jKr, Then he falls asleep, and dreams
r.io v acts, in nis urenm the
( Jiagaalene comes to him. In the
Of Whit h. Villu la !. .In..nl,t.-
( "nan he wronged years ago his
, mai is. B..o is one or these
'n women. Jle tnkes her Into the
l,as a servant, and then disasters
IPT
EE
i -s dmm
SESSIRBARRISCALE
Sean nf , aj:.. .
k "The Gulden Swan," 'a
aagje production.
follow. Ills son robs n bunk, hlH daughter
elopes with n married man, his wlfo dle3
of tho shock, and Incidentally ono of tho
"landladies" from the vice district comes
In nml defends hor profession or at least
Justifies It by quoting statistics and men
tioning n long list of famous practitioners,
rrom Cleopntrn down a cntaloguo of tho
chips, as the old Now York Sun would
hnvo dared Hnmerlcnlly lo call It.
Presently our smug friend wakes up
to find It hns nil been ti drenm. but ho
Is a new mnn. Ho tears up his statement
lo the papers, appears to think tho
segregated district shouldn't bo broken
up nftor nil, nnd tells his daughter ho
may go to tho theatre.
Now, of coin-so, men nrcii'l romndo by
dreams. In llv) first place; and audiences
aren't persuaded by dreams In tho
second. The ilrcnm Is a posslbllty, but
even tliero a somewhat doubtful expedient
In u comedy such as "Tho Phantom
Itlvnl," or a bit of pathos llko "llannele."
Hut when you wish to show the remak
ing of a stubburu, powerful man. and
when you wish to preach a social mes
sngo Into the bargain, tho dream won't
do. It takes either tho shock of reality,
or clso tho still greater shock of vision,
not drenm. In the upheaval of character
It Is always n vision or a "conversion,"
not n dream, which accomplishes tho re
sult. Tho mind must know Itself awake.
This Is so elementary that ono can hardly
forgive nn author for not realizing tho
fact. Not knowing that, ono distrusts
anything ho may hnv.o to say upon seri
ous questions of human conduct. It Is
because authors como Intp our American
theatre so ill equipped with knowledge
as well as with stylo nnd technique, that J
our iirnma, seems so seconu cinss o mo
foreigner.
Perhaps Mr. McLoughlln choso the
dream aid in this play In order to glvo
tho supernatural ilavor to tho rolo of tho
eternal Mngduleno. Wo luvo no quarrel
with Mr. McLaughlin for trying to Intro
duce the supernatural element. Indeed, bu
ought to bo praised for trying to do
something n llttlo Imaginative. Iluf. as a
critic, wo are concerned with results, nnd
the result here Is thnt ho has neither
written n play which Is convincing na n
human document nor convincing na a
supernatural document. Anybody enn
dream nbout the supernatural and wake
up to resume life exactly where It was
left off. Nobody can actually encounter
the supernatural and be quite tho same
persqn again.
One of tho latest muslcnl comedies la
"Around the Map." at tho New Amster
dam, book by C. SI. 8, McClcllan, author
of "The Ilelle of New York" ant "Leah
Kleschner," with muslo by Herman Flnck.
Mr, McClelluu has done better work, and
for all wo know Mr. Klnck has, too. Hut
tho great fact about "Around tho Map"
is that tho scenery has been devised by
Joseph Urban, and In ono Imaginative
scene he has also been allowed to light
the stage, without having his offecta
ruined by the conventional spot from
the gallery or tho equally conventional
footlights.
He has framed ail his scenes with a
false proscenium of Jolly figured material
like cretonne, covering a forestago, and
deep seta alternate with painted drops, as
In the Piatt productions of Shakespeare.
Ilia drops are, of course, well painted,
and his deep sets are at times unusual
and striking, though not always as charm
ing as ono would have expected. Possibly
his inability to light them properly has
1 something' to do with this. He seems un
used to painting- tor a. wmie iikiii ex
clusively. But In one scene, as we have said, he la
allowed to go his own gait, and there
he achieves an effect out of all pro
portion to the actual dramatic value pf
the scene, out of all proportion to the
Imaginative appeal of the play He does
It by color and light and grouping, by
sheer pictorial charm. And the audiences
love It, applaud it, remember It. Curious,
that the nw stage craft should bo
making It 'ay on our stage not in the
serious drnma, but In. musical cofnedy!
The scene (It la supposed to represent
a. dream) grows out of darknee, emerg
ing a mystery of Maxfleld Parrlsh blue.
At the rear, betweon blue hangings and
against a blue nothingness of light, are
two pillars, each bearing aloft a basket
of flowers-aUo blue. At one side Is a
hich throne chair on u daU, and boated
thereon Taunbauser and Yenua. Tann
hauser wears green and gold. Suddenly
a skaftof Invisible lavender Ugbt strikes
tho two baskets of tlowers. and they aro
two spoU of living lavender. 10 feci aloft.
V iiiii- sprite enters, a sort of Puck.
dressed entirely in Ibe vivid re4 of bar- (
berries " "" " "-- -- -
ever sco barberries In n lavender dish?
Tho combination Is wonderful. Then tho
dnnccrs enter, nnd their gowns nro either.!
tlio blue of tho pervading- rndinnce, or clso
tho lavender of tho itflwera ten feet nloft.
Thoy do not dance, they How about tho
stnge. There Is no spot turned on then,
no glaro of footlights, only tho hush nnd
mystery of tho blue rndlance.
Tlio scene, dramatically of no Impor
tance, lasts but n brief time. Then wo
nro back In tho chnotlc wnlrl of tho piny.
Hut while It lasts It Is a. fenst of beauty.
Wo wonder If sometime n malinger will
not permit such a mnn ns Urban to stngo
nn entire romantic operetta in Ills own
way and crento what would amount to
for us n new genus of ntngo entertain
ment. We bcllovo the public aro ready
for It In musical comedy, If not yet, per
haps, on tlio drnmatle Btage, whero con
ventions of "reality" still bind us.
By BLANCHE SWEET
As I look back over tho last 10 years
nnd compare tho chenp llttlo sets, the
cruda acting nnd photography, nnd the
hastily written stories mostly mado up
as wo went nlong with tho clnborate
productions, the painstaking nttchtlon to
detail, the careful direction, tho care- ,
fully selected casts and tho scenarios de
manded todny, I feel much older than I I
really nm, nnd wonder what will happen
In the next 10 yenrs.
1 was a stngo child from tho .time I be-
gnn to talk. I wnH born In Chicago, on i
, JUno 18. 1890, and went on the stngo when
, I wns .1 yenrs old, plnylng In support of
I Mnrlo HurrougHs In "Tho Hattle of the
Strong," with Holbrook nilnn and Maurice-
Hnrrymore. I was with that company
for a year nnd then went with Chnuuccy
Olcott for three years, ngnln playing n
' tlitlo girl part.
I Tho members of tho company looked
after my education, nnd every day for a
certain number of years I was forced 'o
study, whether I liked it or not.
When I wns D years old I left tho stngo
nnd wont to a fnshlonnblo boarding school
nt Hcrkcley, Cnl. Tho school wns so strict
thnt I never mentioned being on tho stage,
for fear tho other girls would snub me
nnd tho tenchers would send me nwny
When I had renched 14 I returned to
New York nnd decided t no bnck on '
tho stnge. From n baby, I luul loved lo
dance. Music seemed to thrill me nnd
I could not keep my feet still, so when
Gertrude Hoffman selected nio as ono
of the children to nppear with her In
"Tho Spring Song," 1 waa delighted.
When vacation began after a long tour
I went bnck to New York and wns of
fered the position ns leading woman, t
child's part. In n play called "Clmrlolto
Temple." .
After "Chnrlotto Temple," I began to
feel that I wns an established actress,
nnd through Thomas Wise, the well
known star, who was then appearing In
"Tile Ctcntloman from .Mississippi," so
cured an Introduction to William A.
Hrady, the theatrical producer. Mr. Wise
recommended mo for tlio lending femlnlno
part In a second company of "The Gen
tleman from Mississippi," which wns
nbout to go on the rond. t talked to Mr.
Hrndy nnd wns making n decided Impres
sion until, In an unfnrtuuntr moment, I
smiled. Mr. Hrady throw up hb hands In
horror and said, "Great Heavens, Tom, I
enn't hire a lending lady that hasn't nil
her teoth yet."
Undismayed by this blow to my artistic
ambitions, I decided to go Into the motion
pictures.
Accompanied by a girl friend who hnd
already played extra parts, I descended
on n studio.
Wo climbed three flights of carpetless
stairs and entered tho ballroom, which
occupied practically the cntlro third Moor.
Thnt is what the Lubin forces did out nt Tncony Inst week. Tho film under production, "Tho Gods of
Fntc," enllcd for n factory fire and a rnilroad wreck. Tho lnttor was successfully negotiated at Altoona.
For tho fire, Lubins bought tho factory whoso gutted walls appear in tho picture. It was there that tho
William Pcnn statuo was cast many years ago. Tho intention was to light ono corner of the building, let
it burn four or five minutes and get nil the close-ups of fire, smoke and rescues needed. But once t)ra
blaze got going, it insisted on finishing the job. Hnlf a dozen fire companies were of no avail, tho wholo.
thing went up in smoke, and a "movie fire" a thousand times more genuino than the stage kind turned
into terrible reality. The result wns a particularly good set of pictures, taken at n phenomenally high
cost. Daniel Carson Goodman, scenario writer, is happy. Tho V. L. S. E. people, who will release "Tho
Gods of Fntc" on January 21, are decked with smiles. Only the treasurer out at Lubinvillo wears n frown.
nnd. In conjunction with tho roof, was
used ns tho studio.
People wcite pneked In llko sardines,
all hunting Jots. Over In tho corner, on
ti platform, Director Frank Powell was
taking n scene for "A' Corner In Wheat."
F.vury ono wna mnklug a fuss over tho
money spent on' the production, but It
wns n very chenp llttlo nffalr compared
with tho productions of nowadays.
One day we were working In the studio
when Mary Plckford entered. Sho was
tho only ono with n regular contract from
tho company, nnd had Just been on n
vacation to Maine. I remember oxnetly
how wo all looked at her anil mnrvclcd
Sho had a blue beacr hat on and a slmplo
blue dl'ess.
MIssMMckford looked then Just na ho
docs now, and, as Bho was tho flrst pcr-
Cnntliiiied on I'nge l'our
GEORGE MONROE, PHILADELPHIAN, DISCOVERS
THE DICTIONARY AS A SOURCE-BOOK OF HUMOR
Ho3ftW; no
1 W" I
GEORGE MONROE AS HE WAS
G'
bines a record of Philadelphia birth
Willi his reputation ns n comedian In
"Tho Passing Show of 1913." manages to I
get a good deal of fun out of leading the
dictionary. "Anybody," hays Mr. Mon
roe, "who bus not rend the dlellmutry
from ono end lo the other Iiiih hiIkhciI
a lot of fun. In tho llr.st place, the dic
tionary reader will discover nn extraordi
nary number of words which he will I
never meet with in the general course qr
Kngllsh literature. Where these word.s .
eonio from, or who uses them, or how i
they happened In the dictionary, Is a
mutter of much curiosity to me. Hut tho
funniest thing nbout a dictionary is somo
of tho dollnltlons,
"One hns to rend pngo nftcr page of
Moo Miller's Jest Hook' to conjn upon a
real laugh exciter, but ono doesn't have
to go far In any of our dictionaries be
fore coming on something thnt Is ns
funny ns na open switch. Let us, for
example, take a standard dictionary.
Turn to tho definition of 'trot' and you
will find this line. 'In the fast trot all
four feet are oft the ground twice during
each stride.' In another dictionary you
will find the following: 'Pie: A crust
baked with somothlng In it for feed.'
In another, 'Amblicvous: Left blinded
on both sides.' Hero's another, 'Mezzo
Hut: A manner of engraving by drawing
on a rough surface and then removing
the roughness.' Evidently tho editor was
an Irishman."
Needless for tho press ngent to say
Mr. Monroe's hobby is collecting diction
aries. In hi.i homo ho has several hun
dred of all kinds, ngea and conditiona.
IK c3mm
j mga? JV3 mxr
i l X.' : 'j
EVERY PLAYWRIGHT HIS . '
OWN DRAMATIC CRITIC
The Author of "On Trial" Tells Why That Play
Is or Is Not the Great
American Drama
GEORGE MONROE AS HE IS
JOHN DREW'S NEW TAILOR
IT IS seldom that tho theatrical world
Is startled or even mildly ruffled by
tho appearanco of a now playwright. A
new play that has strength and somo
originality may come into vlow to In
torest and even enthuse one, but as re
gards Its author It merely leaves a hope
thnt he may labor to advantage again.
The mero fact that ha has turned out
one commendable work proves little or
nothing; he may never do so well again.
There are so many cases In point.
Hut there came into bloom In England
this season Horace Annestey Vachell,
who had SUCCCB3 as a novelist and had
taken to writing 'for the stage. Hardly
had the public ceased to applaud his flrst
effort when another one from his pen
appeared. It was rather good, so
that play-goers began asking about the
author. Evidently he was no man of
ordinary ability, and he proved this Im
mediately by having two more comedies
accepted nnd produced. Two of these
plays have already been produced In this
country, "Qulnney's," which has been
on sale as a novel, and "The Chief," the
comedy in which that finished actor,
John Drew, Is to be seen at tho Hroad.
Any man so proline he Is likened to
the late Clyde Fitch In Ills love of and
ability to work Is certainly worthy of
consideration.
Horace Annesley Vachell was born In
England In 1S6I, and ono Is assured by his
publishers that his family, on both sides,
had produced "generals, statesmen, aris
tocrats." In their little biographical book
about him. his publishers also print a
picture of him deer-stalking In Scotland,
and a picture of hla English home, one
of those tine, low houses sinking comfort
ably Into luxuriant foliage, covered with
Ivy and faced by a magnificent open Inwn
In short, the type of house and land
scapo gardening that only 200 yeara of
English mist and English money can pro
duce. In shaping his literary career America
played a large part. Graduating from
Harrow, the young man was destined for
the army, but Instead of taking up his
commission he remained In California,
where he had gone on a visit. He bought
a ranch at San Louis Obispo, and for two
decades he waa In active pioneer life be
tween the Sierras and the sea. His broth
er joined him there and Is still a member
Continued an I'uge l'our
I
i
Wo ma 3cfian, 18604916
By JUSTIN HUNTLEY McCARTHY
f
HOW can I praise you? Were I asked to sing
An empire'!) fall, the conquests of a king,
I might undaunted, entertain the Muse,
Might hope to win, nor greatly fear to lose,
Might through the past with Alexander pace.
Or tell anew the tale of Troy's disgrace:
Hut here, ah, here a happier task Invites
The heart that worships and the hand that writes;
For here Ambition sets my heart ablaze
To be the laureled singer of your praise."
So great a ded Ambition should not ask
Of lucklaaa rhymer. I renounce the task.
Tear up my paper, fling aside my pen.
And, inost dejected, of the sons of men,
Uo sighing hence.
Yet, stay! Hope's flattering tale
Bids me reflect that though foredoomed to fall,
My failure's but a question of degree.
For greatest bards must come to grief lke me;
Must, like me, halt, adventure and despair
For Jack of words to "praise that passing fair."
Oh, happy generation that can see
The dearest daughter of Melpomene
Play all those queens of gracious carnival,
From passionate Nancy to enchanting Val ;
That can behold the wild Miss Hoyden :aurl
Her laughing lip. or love the Country Girl;
Or, n the shade of Attic olive trees,
Pay homage to the Wife of Socrates,
And with Petruchio kiss tho silken shoe
Of Katherine, the divine Italian shrew;
Or tread the ways of Arden wood to find.
How blest t In you the "Heavenly Rosalind."
Enough! Farewell' Arul when another age
Delights to count the glories of our stage,
The highest altar in the shrine of Fame
Shall number with the noblest Return's name.
Uy ELMER L. REIZENSTEIN
NATURE did not destine mo to bo a
drnmatlo critic. I hnvo no heart; I
lack discretion. When I go to sco a play I
cannot resist tho temptation to tell all
tho world how bad It Is. 1 do not consider
tho feelings of tho palo young author
munching his cruBt of dry bread In
squalid garret tthat, I bellevo Is tho tra
ditional occupation of pale young au
thors) ; 1 do not think of tlio benevolent
producer, who Jins exhausted his ex
chequer nnd his vocabulary of oxpletlvcs
In placing before nn ungrateful public a
work of art; I do not think of tho actors,
to whom the failure of tho play will menn
nu enforced return to the stimulating, but
unremuneratlve pnstlme of detulllng tlio
nattering managerial offers, which thejr
artistic sensibilities have prompted them
to decline.
The milk of human kindness does not
courso through my veins. I bavo not
learned the nrt of employing gracofully
and convincingly such mild and treacly
adcctlvea as "ngreenble," "pleasing,"
"Interesting." "entertaining," "amusing."
For me. rather, tho virile and belligerent
"rotten" or "awful."
Henco It is with some trepidation thnt
I undertake to review "On Trial" trepl
dt nun born of my warm personal regard
ror tlio author. My position is not an
ensy one. If I were to writo what I
really think of "On Trial" 1 should llnd
my renders (I trust that tho uso of the
plural Is justified) divided Into two
classes: The first a small group of lit
eral-mlndcd Individuals who would be
lieve whut I said and accordingly would
refrain from going to seo tho pjay; tho
second, n largo group of persona who
make it a point never to bellevo nnythlng
they sco In the newspapers nnd would,
therefore, mlstnke my candor for diffi
dence a pale virtue, whoso possession I
violently disclaim.
A Heavy Score With Conscience
On the other hand, If I should pretend
to ngree with what most of tho other
Interviewers hnvo said, I should have a
heavy score to bettle with my conscience.
Ono alternative, starvation and gross
misjudgment; the other, tho ceaseless
gnawing of tho worm that never dies.
Hydra-headed Scylla on tho one hand,
yawning Charybdls on the other. Im
agine a tragic Lancelot Gobbo a Lance
lot Gobbo who la at once Hamlet and
Macbeth and you can conceive In a
slight measure the task I tiavo set my
self. The choice, believe me, gentle
readers, la not an easy one.
Well, I have fought It out. I have
wrestled with tho good angel and (to my
shatiK be It written) won. My justifica
tion? None, except that (Respite Voltaire)
a man must live that conscience must
yield to the Btomach. Farewell then,
principles, hopes, aspirations, Ideals!
Sacrificed to the spectre Hunger)
Know, then, that "On Trial" la a great
play, nay, more, It is a. phenomenal play,
a gigantic play, a colossal play. You ate
nil aware, by th'i tima (thanks to the
activities of the press agent) that "On
Trial" Is "The biggest hit In M years."
I deem that an Intensely Interesting fact.
It seems to me rather remarkable that
precisely S5 years should have elapsed
si ice there waa a bigger bit. I wonder
wiiui ii ntisi -1 rccuiicciiun oc ma me
atrlcal season of 1SS9-1890 are somewhat
vague. Perhaps some kind reader can
enlighten me. What was the play that 1
scored such a tremendous hit In is& that
for a quarter of a century It has remained
unchallenged? Mercy, that's a long time
.go. Why, Sarah Bernhardt must have
been retiring from the stage Just about
then I
Fondness for Round Numbers j
I'm glad, though, that it Is Just 25 I
years. I have a fondness for round num
bers. Now, If It had been 2T or 22 years,
S months, I should never have been able
to remember It. I have no head for fig
ures at all. What excellent memories
press agents have, though. I marvel at
tbem.
. ( want to digress, rlgbt here. 4o say a
word In praise of them; I arrogate the
function merely because I want to see
justice done to a much-maligned and
underestimated race of men. Let me
say, then, without qualification, that tak
ing them by and lrrfe I bae never met
a more consistently optimistic set nf
folka than press agents.
From the press agent, then, we learn
that "On Trial" is the blggeat hit In 25 f
years. Now, why la It the blggeat hit, In
25 years? Is It because, as I have said,
It is a great play? Not at all. 1$ It be
cause it tells vividly a realistic life story?
It tblnk that's the way the thing goes I j
haven t my scraptooK nancy.) Mot a bit
of It. la It because it throbs with with
with whatever It Is that makes a play
throb (blasting in tho next block, per
haps)? Again no. What Is it then7 Read
er, it Ik simply this; It Is becauso "On
Trial" wna taken from tho "movies."
Surely that is upparcnt to even tlio most
casual observer. Indeed tho thing Is so
palpable, thnt It la only the abiding dread
of penury which Inhibits me from making
over my royalties to Kdtson or Ford or
Marcus Loow, or whoever It Is who In
vests In moving pictures. Tho plagiarism
Is obvious to tho point of naivete. Reader,
at bottom, I am an honest sort of person.
I shall not tlls.flnibli; I shall tell you,
without reserve, in what manner tho mov
Ing-plcturo art la responsible for "On
Trial."
Thus did It befall: Somo 12 month
ago I saw the pictures of Captain Scott's
expedition to tho South Pole. "Here,"
Fa Id I to myself, "is u initio of dramatic
material. Think of writing a piny that
shall. In every detail, bo unlike, tho 'Cap
tain Scott pictures!"
The Idea was mngnlllccnt, stupendous,
monumental! I set to work. It was ho
child's play (though I say so who should
not), but I stuck to It grimly, bent upon
vindicating tho "mnvleti." "On Trial" Is
the result. Wherein It haa fulfilled my
nlm, modesty forbids me to suggest.
Suffice It la to-say that 1 was sufficiently
skilful to make the source of my Idea,
apparent to every one.
I was greatly interested In learning that
in "On Trial" I have employed a "cut
back." I haven't the faintest notion
what a "cut-back" Is, unless It refers to
on evening dress worn by ono of tbj
ladles In tho first net and for which 1
hnsten to disclaim any credit
Does It Revolutionize Drama?
For tho rest, when I have told -you
that the technique of "On Trial" la des
tined to revolutionize not only the dra
matic art, but the entire Bystem of na
tional Jurisprudence, tho science of deep
sea diving and tho bricklaying trade;
that the story is the most ingenious, tha
most inspiring, tho most absorbing since
Homer (I mean the Greek novelist, not
Mine. Louise); that the characterization
la nothing short of masterly; that the
dialogue would put Shaw, nt his best, to
the blush, nnd that, on the whole, with'
the possible exception of the Panama
Cnnal, George Stalllngs and well, per
haps wireless telegraphy, "On Trial" ii
quite the thing of the age. I have
Bummed up the situation with a fair de
gree of accuracy. If I have understated
tho case It Is because I want those of
you who haven't seen "On Trjal" to be
agreeably surprised.
P. S. Be Lure to tell the young man In
the Oarrlck box office that you went to
school with me. He's an awfully nice
chap, and he feels terribly disappointed
if you don't-
HELEN MacRELLAR
Comiugr to the Adelphi in 'ii.
ners" nest mlc
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