7""
AMUSEMENT SECTION
PHOTOPLAY
THEATRES
DANCING
MOJ S I C
IMtger
ituetitng
PHILADELPHIA, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY S, 191G
SPORTING WITH THE MERMAIDS
MRS. PISKE WINS
COMEDY SUCCESS
IN PENNA. DUTCH
BETWEEN THE BATTERIES
America's Most Distinguished
r
i L
Which is simply the business of carrying the actresses in Annette Kellermann's new Fox film to the par
ticular spots on the Jamaica seashore where they must act. The mermaid costume is worse than a hobble.
Life Is a Stage and
tne World Its Setting
Director of the Famous Players Talks of the
Work Which -Is Necessary to Nature's
Wonderful Backgrounds '
By HUGH FORD
THOUGH tho stago and the motion
picture are Inevitably linked to
gether by many common tics, there Is
it least one point ut which they diverge
widely tho obtaining ot settings. When
the motion picture was now and naturally
looked to Its older biothcr for guidance,
the studio played n very Important part
In the staging ot plcturo plays. Borrow
ing the scene painter and the stage car
penter from tho theatre, tho motton-
plcturo producer proceeded to build and
to paint tho greater portion of his back
grounds. So, as In the theatre, tho painted drop
represented ever) thing that the stage had
ttr called upon It to portray, from tho
village street to tho exterior of a house
or ithe very woods themselves. There
wttttwo reasons for'tUls falluro of tho
Mm men to take advantnse at once of tho
rtatlsrajn settings which was offered by
the mobility of tho motlon-plcturo
earner. One was tho fact that tho
technicalities of moving plcturo photog
raphy did not develop to that point which
permitted the uso of tho camera In
natural sunlight for some tlmo after tho
actual taking ot moving pictures became
a commercial possibility. A great deal
of the early experimentation had taken
place with artificial light and the newer
development was not matured at once.
The other reason wns tho fact that a
treat deal of trick work wns Indulged in
during theso early stages of the photo
Play, Slcn were shown climbing up and
downthe fronts of houses with great case
and guato. This sort of work must of
necessity bo carried on In tho studio. Tho
process was very simple. A canvas replica
f the front of a building was painted and
erected In the studio. Then, when tho
scenes on tho sldcwulk had been photo
rraphed, the canvas was taken down and
laid upon the floor ot tho stage, tho cam
era being shifted to a, platform from
which It was tilted downward to focus
own tho canvas. The man who wns to
aeen crawling up tho front of tho
OUlIdlnir would then nrn.A,l trt Mfiwl nn
hands and knees across the canvas, his
,W peril existing in tho possibility of
retting splinters In his palms.
nncn mo finished plcturo wns showni
the public gasped at tho sight of this
man- risking his neck by the daring feat
Mascendlng tho face of a building,
WW can fool tho peoplo some of the
me but tho trlek work began to pall
as the; most gullible of persons learned to
5w that it was far fiom a fact that
27u see it In tho films It Is true."
Mh many trick comedies continued
Sft n c tno manufactured thrill ceased
10 thfilL MpnnU'lllln aTtnrln,. nlmtnnrnnhu
Mch first manifested itself in tho plctur
Vj'aprcss tmlns, raco horses and an-
-vuiico, Decamo moro and nioro im
jwtant and tho uso of natural settings
"Ndly Increased in vogue.
47121 tt'nu l.n ....... il. -
" M backgrounds aro concerned, be
turt'ti 'neatro and tho motion pic
Here realism stepped In, In tho one
J and tilled a gap which must ever
.Krn un'llle" In tho other. But the
ten aj by no means taken in Its en-
Itnl' A tnu t,me Now York nnd New
CaHr l"'0 tl10 Producing centres and
a i5.Su ,wa3 as yet undovcloped from
"""n-picturo standpoint. As a result
JACK ABOARD SHIP
JHEl j JeHEt 1 ffiirf&Em sKssKlllllllllllB 1
uHHnHlv iiiiiiiiiiiiHiHBw iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiBMVlVfr
liil Ja'k ls Johh, of the Barrymore ilk, and he has just received his
em royal snub in "Kearly a King," a Famous 'layers production,
due at th,e Stanley the last; ha of next week-
tho Jersey woods served every conceiv
able purpose and wero made to represent
everything In naturo but the ocean It
self. A curious Inlluence ot tho stage
still manifested itself in the penchant of
many producers for building false fionts
of houses out In the country rather than
use tho real thing.
Of course this method of obtaining at
mosphere Is still essential in some cases.
Where ono Is reproducing some familiar
tavern or a building which would un-
Contlnued on rase Tho
PERSONALITY IS THE
MAKING OF A STAR
By OLIVER MOROSCO
Some of tho stars who have been tho
greatest favorites on the stage may fail
entirely when put into film. No matter
how popular a star may have been on tho
stage, nor how great her success, she may
be a Hat failure in motion pictures. Wo
may put her Into ono picture, believing
that her stage popularity will remain with
her to the end; but as boon as that picture
Is released, we may learn, to our borrow
nnd heavy financial loss, through tho ef
ficiency of the criticism blank system
with which tho Paramount Pictures Cor
poration obtain through their exhibitors
tho opinions of the picture-going public,
that this star will not do for motion
pictures.
Qn tho other hand, somo girl may como
along who never has had any stage or
screen exporlenco whatever, but who has
a pleasing personality and a natural
aptltudo for acting. She may score in u
plcturo from tho very first, nnd spring
Into national popularity within n year.
Such u girl we call a decided 11ml.
It does not apply to men as much as to
women. As you know, there aro far
more popular women on the stage nnd
screen than there are men. There aro n
few men who may class ns "matlnco
Idols," but for tho greater part popularity
clings to tho women performers. Only
occasionally docs a man get Into motion
pictures who ranks high ns u fuvorltc.
Dustlu Fainum is one of tho very few.
That is why so many of tho plays aro
built around women stars.
One of the prime reasons why the
movie dramas time such a central level
nf trashy inrdlncrlty U hccuunr the man
ufacturer, ho fur ut up could figure It
out from the (Ilea of the Irudlne trade
journal, were producing In America lat
autumn ut the rate uf about 0000 film
a year.
There nrr not good story-writers
enough, there are not good directors
enouEM, there Is not daylight and time
enough In all the world to turn nut hulf
of 110(10 mot leu In a year which tan lay
any claim to nnrratlte skill and origin
ality anil (harm. The sooner the movie
mariufutturrm wake up to till full, the
fcixmtr ue "lilghhrowi' will utoii telling
them they are making pictorial dime
It la safe to nay that not one movie In
SO la written ulth huflirlent rare, re
beamed with auilleleiit rare, directed by
a man who ian't fugged iliajraJlr or
at least whose brain Ian't hiiizlnc with
the piece he chined the week before or
the one he's got to stage the nut day.
and finally, that ta rut with tuhicirnt
rare, Walter 1'rlchard Katon,
MY BRAIN-CHILD
MARIE-ODILE
By FRANCES STARR
Just how our stage portraits arc created
It always nn intciobtlng mystery to the
layman. To conceal tho "means" so com
pletely that an illusion of truth Is gained
Is the perfect art ot acting. Hut how docs
tho nctpr know so many sides ot life?
Ho cannot depend upon "Inspiration" or
a mastery of the a b c's of his art. known
ns "technique," to carry him into these
different recesses of chnrnctcr. Uocs he
live the role when ho plays It? How many
absurd things have we read about"llvlng"
roles. Lot us dispense with that Im
mediately. Imagination Is tho principal factor In
the creation ot nil things artistic, hut If
a painter wero going to make a sketch
of Norway, he would. I dare bay. have
seen what Norway was like. The painter
might not paint a moonlight at night
while tho moon was shining, but ho has
looked hard at It and remembered it the
next morning. With the nceutaey of his
memory, stimulated by his Imagination
ho creates tho Illusion of truth that we
admire In his catnas. So tho actor bhould
know his "Norway" or bee his "moonlight"
and remember. '
When ".Marlc-Odlle" came Into m
hands I imagined what u convent whs
like, but l was consumed wltn a acsire to
see It, bo 1 journeed Into tho cloisters
and stayed there, all too shoit a. time, for
I found peace nnd happiness with the
wonderfully human and kind sisters. I
did not go theio to Imitate, I wanted to
absoib their life, thtir wnys, to sloie in
my mind an Impression, to remember. I
lived their life us nearly as a visitor can.
I must confess that it appealed to mo
strangely ami I dreaded the day of de
parture. Tho content, tho simplicity of
tho sisters, the beauty ot their faith, the
concentration of their souls, made tin Ir
rcslstiblo appeal not only to my religious
sense, but to my lovo of tho beautiful. It
is the memory of that impression that
went Into the characterization ot "Marlc
Odlle." How accurately my memory
served me. In what degrco my Imagina
tion stimulated It, enn only bo Judged It
un Illusion of truth Is felt by those who
view It. Alas, that tho actor cannot step
back from his canvas and sea his picture.
All ho can do Is "feel" and trust to the
other fellow's opinion!
WHEN SPARTA CRIED,
1AST Friday I'hlllp Mocler's stupen
J dously amusing satire ot Sparta, Troy
and Herlln, "Helena's Husband," arrived
ut the I.lttlo Theatre via tho Stage So
ciety. It shared tho same fate that fol
lowed Its production by the Washington
Squaro Players In Now York, Immediate
famo and unending laughter. Portions of
tdo plalct have already been printed In
Vanity I-'air and tdo Uoston Transcript
Hero Is the tlnal bcene with tdo Introduc
tion supplied by the latter publication.
"At tde beginning of tde play, Helena
of Troy Is being beautified by dcr Nu
bian slave, Tsuiuu, a lady of mucd profes
sional efllclency and wide knowledge ot
life, wdo das "been so busy having chil
dren" that she hasn't "had time to get
married." Helena speaks patronizingly of
her Moo-Moo, olllcially known in state
documents as Menelaus, King of Sparta
Moo-Moo, It beems, falls to understand
her, and has taken or into to much read
Ing and study with tdo royal librarian,
Analytlkos, wdo serves tho kingdom also
as a bort of unofficial prime minister
When her royal husband enters, Helena
"convinces him In a thousand words that
she Is a silent woman," and pettishly goes
off to her bath. "Will no one rid mo of
this pest?" cries tho king In agony. But
his blmple brain gradually generates an
Idea namely, that ho would be rid of his
wife If bho were to run away from him.
It becomes his royal aim to introduce bomo
handsome stranger into her apartments
and "manage to leave them alone
together."
Then, us from the gods, a joung shep
herd leaps over the balustrade. Analytl
kos la about to liiako ready tho boiling
oil which the law prescribes for such us
enter the queen's apartments, but Mene.
I.iiih restrains dim. wishing to hear the
stranger's tale. Having lately come
down from tho dills the shepherd re
counts ho was munching an apple when
he was stopped by threo gipsies. Kach
begged the apple of dim, and one offered
him money, another wisdom, aid tho
third a pretty girl. "Having been a long
tlmo In the hills. I chose tdo pretty girl,"
the youth explains. And now ho is here,
hoping for one glimpse ot tho beautiful
Helena. Tho matter can easily bo ar
ranged, Menelaus replies, discreetly with
drawing with tho librarian. And when
Helena enters, Paris needs but a few
soft and well-turned linos to convince her
that she U all wisdom, beauty and truth,
spiritually choked in this stuffy atmos
phere, a mutreateu anu nuauiuieisioou
i woman. Helena scribbles a fow )lnea on
a piece ot papyrus and pastes. It on a
nearby shield, llenelaus enters, rejoicing
in, the success of bis ruse and bin newly
gained freedom. Forthwith tho slave.
Tsumu. rushes Id, bursting wttSi the
I happiness of evil news to tell The play
t&SA contuiuwj.
Actress Scores in Version of j
Helen Martin's Novel
By WALTER PRICHARD EATON I
TIIK return to the New Vork stage of
tho most ersntllo nnd most brilliant '
nntress now playing In tho Kngllsh
tongue recently attracted nn exceptional
audience to tho (lately Thcntrr. nnd this i
audlcnco was rewarded by nn evening
of exceptional enjoyment, future nil- I
dlences may not have quite so good a
time, because that first assemblage was
made up so largely of other players and
It takes pl.ijcr to apptcclato to the full, i
perhaps, the extraordinary nrt of Mrs I
I-'Iske. Moreover, thcrf was in the olr I
that night a tare feeling of cvportancv l
before she appeared, and a warm glow of
welcome nftcr she enmo out, which inndo
the evening memorable. Illanche Hales
nnd Nnsslinmn sal on one side ot the
Identic, applauding and they know,
tllllle lUukc sat on the other side, and
she too applauded, crn though It mav
bo doubled Judging by her praetloc
whether she knows. Certain. It is that
Mrs. Klske has not looked slimmer and
ttlmmor in many a enr, and that not
in a long while has sho nctcd with such
nbundnnt vitality anil sued Infectious
good spit Its.
Sho has dad better parts to play. Her
present rote t rally makes verv little de
mand upon her powers, though It Is
doubtful If nny other actress in the
country could have triumphed In It,
except May Irwin, who, ot course, would
have played It quite differently. What,
however, is a slight demand on Mrs.
Flske's powers may be a fatal drain on
many another's. Tho llrst and the last
Inipiesslon one takrs away from "Erst
while Susan," her new play. Is the im
pression of mastership. Stronger than
any Impression of the story, any impres
sion ot (ho character Mrs. V'lskc plns,
Is tills senso of a personality lhrnnt
with vitality of a mind mnnelously
alert, of n voice trained to every shade
of feeling nnd expression, ot a technical
mastery of all the tricks of the trado
which enables this placr to pick up n
part, a play, and cany It smilingly off
on her little shrugging shoulders. The
plncrs who give us this sense In the
theatre now are so few, their appear
ances so Infrequent, and, moreover, wo
have been so satislicd of late with the
"silent drama," th.it Mrs. Flskr actually
swept back, after three years of absence,
like a cleansing wind, and the grnteful
nudlciict' on that opening night simply
roso to her Joyously and unciltlcally, anil
Continued on Pace Tour.
FISKE O'HARA
The popular Irish singing come
dian who returns to. the Walnut
next week in a new play, "Kilkenny."
1 F . kjSSsm
fM
"WE AND ZEUS!" AND TORE A SCRAP OF PAPER
Tsumu points to the shield. Analytlkos
tears tho piece of papyrus off the shield
and brings It to Menelaus,
Menclaim (reading)--"I am not a bar! woman.
I UM what 1 luui to tlo." How tireck to
blamfl tale for tvtiut one wants ti tin!
Tsumu prostrates himself before tho kins
Tsumu A rumor l!le throufih tho ttty. lie
III
An.ilyllkni (Himlirusl)) Well? Well?
Tfumu He He
Menelaus (furiously to Analytlkos) Ilia ino
of ibis triNtkinu ratcn.
Tsumu lit II has fallen on ijpnrta. He
Andl tlkos Vcs Yes
Menelaus iln a ruse) -Out of my sight, ou
pertldluuu Nubian'
ALEXANDRA CARLISLE
The distinguished comedienne,
who will support E. H. Sothern,
at the Adelphi, when Alfred Su
tro's new comedy, "The Two
Virtues," la shown there Feb
ruary 14.
mmvr-WMtwBB i
At work on "The Lure of Heart's
Director Francis J. Grandon, of the
SCREEN SUBTLE
AS SHAW
By SHELDON LEWIS
If there's nny one thing above nny
ono thing that gles mo nn excessive
pals In tdo region t tde well-known
neck It Is tne nsscrtlui that the sctecn
Is an Inadequate medium for delicate
expression.
The trouble with sued critics Is that
they are not clear as to just what kind
of expression tho screen pretends to.
"You call tho screen subtle!" they
say, derisively, "and ct you admit
It's Impossible to lllm tho plas of the
most successful modern dramutlsts-Shaw,
Galsworthy, Strlndbcrg, Barric, Suder
anann, etc."
"An Intelligent man and woman might
discuss the most urgent question of their
Joint lives," they rant on, "and only make
apparent Its Import by the words they
use, never gesticulating or changing their
facial expressions enough to Indicate the
drama of their position. It happens fre
quently nnd with tremendous effect on
the spoken stage, but what kind of screen
diama would it make?"
It wouldn't make any kind of hereon
ill .una, I tell them. Ilut that's Just
ttbeie they muff the big point. Motion
pictures do not pretend to take the placo
of the legitimate stage. A motion pic
ture is a pantomime whoso Held Is tho
giaphic depletion ot stories whose uction
is In itself cloquent-nnd this leaves out
onl it very siuill percentage of contem
porary drama. It's all very well to tall;
nhout tho futility of screening the dramas
of Shaw, Galsworthy. Ilarrle. etc., bu our
disparaging ermes iuii io recoK.u, . m.-
ulstinciion oeiwecn uuiu num. w. .,,..
binln and the warm drama of tho emo
tions. This ultra-modern diama Is drama
I nr v iimit nml Us verv incisive anabsls
rnlis it immediately of that romance and
I subtlo personal charm that attacdes to
' the dramas of the great majority of peo
plo whose expressions aie tho true mir
rors of their emotions. Of course, It's Im
' possible for the screen to register emo
I tlons In plas where people's brains usurp
the places where their hearts should be!
There's not a single subtlo shade of heart
felt mnntlnn that can't be registered on
the screen by a nuance of expression. Of
tourse, It takes actors of Intelligence nnd
sensitive perception, and of course there
aro few such, cither in tho spoken or
silent drama; but then tho spoken drama
Isn't condemned because of Its Interpre
ters, and neither should tdo bcrecn be.
Sounds nf confusion In tho courtjard. Sud
denly Tsumu sprhiKs to her feet unit jells at
tho top of her toko.
Tsumu-He was Paris. Prince of Troj !
They all start lwtk. Analj tlkos stumbles
Into a Mat. Mcnrlaus turns pale. Tsumu
leers llko a Wai.U Nemesis.
Analj tlkos itery ominousl)) Who can read
the set-ret of tho futes.'
Menelaus (f-lBhtenr.l What do oq mean
Anuls tlkos He Is tho nun of Priam, klnc
"Tsumu (adding Mel) nrt of Hecuba, Queen
of the Trojans, (hhe rushes out to pread the
Aoals tlkos- That makes tho matter Inler-
Menela'ua-llut te hate treaties with Trot.
Analytlkos Circumstances alter treaties.
They ttill mean nothlnff.
MrneUUB -.Nnthlnjj?
Analytlkos No more than a srrap nf papy
rus Hparu IU tight to resaln her queen.
Mrueiaiir tlut I don't want her hack,
AnalitiKos tan ou igii mat u nwnc .
Itemcmber tho klnc tan do no ron Uist
nlcht I dreamed of war
Menelaus-No' .Vol Don't say that. After
the scandal I can't bo eipetted to lluhl to set
"Anatytlkoa-Sparta will seo with the oes of
1 Mencfaus (fuming)-Ilut I don't believe In
Analtlkoa (still obdurate)-Hao sou for
colien Uio oath pledued of old. with L'lwses
nf Ithaca and AKamemnon. kin of Mjcenaa'
They liato sworn If ever tho time ume to nslit
I "'ASffiS? tbltterfy'f-l didn't think of the
Triple Alliance. c . . . . , . ,
Mentlaus Let's hear tho other side. We
can perhaps arbitrate. Teace at any price!
Analytlkos-Some parenlns aro loo cheap
Menelaus las a last desrerato hope) Out I
Analytlkos You are Menelaus of Sparta, and
Siuiia a nation of toldiers. Here, put on jour
i A great clamor comes up from the courtyard
AnalvtUos steps out on In balcnnj anU Is
I Creeled wllh shouts of "The King! The KIiibI"
Analytlkos (addressing the crowd) t'tople
i ot fcparta, this calamity has been lorted upon
I us. We did not etk It. (Menelaus whites )
Wo didn't start this war. Vta are a peaceful
i Innocent people, but -ctn In times ot fieare
we have prepared for war. Thanks to our
, unparalleled efficiency the military system of
I Sparta, la the most powerful In all Greece and
' we can moblllio In half u hour
i .,. ,ni,im, from the neoDle. Menelaus.
the papyrus still In hand, crawls over and at
tempts lO SlUP rtUIJ..w. ....
Analytlkos (not noticing hlro) -Prom clear
sky the thunderbolt has fallen. In the midst
or connubial and communal pta.ee. the ter
rible nows has reached tho king. IMenelaua i
tugs at Analytlkos' toga.) Uroken In spirit
as he Is. he Is already pawing the ground i
like .a. battle steed Impatient to atenge tne
"T .' ...... vt-.. .. ..... .,... ,n ml villi, I... I
nation. Neter will we lay down our arms!
ICht-ers) Never until the queen Is restored
to Menelaus. (Menelaus squirms). Be It a
week, a month, a ter. ct ten years. In the
end wo wUl be victorious, we and Zeus, for
the sods will .fight on our sfde. (A loud
cheer) Kten now the klnc. ts buckling on
his shield. (More cheers. Analytlkos steps
further forward and then with bursting elo
quence). One hats we have and one alone'
(Yells from below)
Hate by water and hate by land.
Hate of the head and hate, of the band,
lata ot Paris and hate of Troy,
That has broken the cuecn for a moment Joy
Jove's thunder wlU shatter the Trojan throne.
We bate one bw sod one alone'
Menelaus sits on the floor dejectedly looking
st the paptrus A thunder of voices from the
people 'We have oae hale sod one ajone.
Troj ! Troy!"
Helmets and swords sre thrown late, the
sir The cheers crow tumultuous and toe
eurtfttn falls.
Desire," Etlmuntl Brecee, Virtus Seott, John Mahon, Evelyn Brent and
Popular Plays and Players Compnny (Metro). Can you pick them out?
Clean Native Farces vs.
Naugfhty Importations
The' Author of "BabyMine" and "Twin Beds"
Tells Why, as a Business Woman, She
Likes Clean Farce
By MARGARET MAYO
I
WItlTK clean farces because I'm a
business woman nnd because t like big
audiences and long runs. And I know
that the only ay to reach the largo pub
lic Is by giving thorn something that
amuses them, without nt the same lime
making them ashamed of themselves for
being nniiiscd by It.
, When I followed the success of "U.iby
Mine" with "Twin Hcds." both of which
tho critics were good enough to call clean
nnd wholesome, in spite of the fact that
thc were built about mole or less lnti-
IRELAND UEBER ALLES
IN MUSIC, SAYS FISKE
O'HARA
Dublin will be tho mccca of musicians
at no very distant date. Is tho prophecy
of Kiske U'llaia, who comes to the Wul
nut In Augu.stus Pltou, Sr.'s new play,
"Kilkenny." It Is tho belief of this oung
Irish tenor that before long our orchestras
will bo tilled up with Irish musicians and
nost of our oncrtlB wlu be wrttcn by
composers educated In the tight little
islnnil.
"And why not?" asks O'Hnra. "Why
our leading light opera composer, Victor
Herbert, ls an Irishman ; Arthur .Sullivan
is the son of nn Irishman, and the leading
composer of (..rent Hritain today Is nn
Irishman born Sir Chatlcs Villiers Stan
ford. If jou want to go back to llrst
principles, blnce most of, my critics will
s.iy that these men weio educated In Ger
many, wdo was It Hist taught tde Ger
mans musical art? Look up ancient his
tory nml ou will llnd that It was the
Irish monks who went oer to Germany
and not only taugdt the Teutons music,
but dow to read and to write. Ho all tdo
bo.ibted musical culture ot Germany is
due to the Irish.
"Since tdis Is tde case, why can't we
again bu in the lead? Thero is no reason
at nil and, by tho way tho art of music
Is now progressing I look for u charac
teristic Celtic school of music within a
very brief period of time and for greater
operatic works. Ireland has tho greatest
treasures of folklore In the world, most
of which Is still untouched and which
would make tho mpst magnificent grand
opera or music drama llbicttos. Young
Irish mublclnns of great promise arc com
ing to tho front and tdey will Ue followed,
no doubt, by even greater ones, to tdat
In time I look for n composer to arise
wdo will set tomo of the wonderful nn
ulent legends to music, Just as cdaractcr
istlc, and which will bring tdo people
from tde four corners of tdo earth to
ben tho productions that will be made in
Dublin. There Is nothing impossible in
what I am forecasting, and the present
rate of musical progress In lieland
makes it oven possible that stub uu event
will not be delajed many jcars."
"U" FOR UTAH
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The above- picture shows the famous patural ' I " n the State ot
Utah, which the State s'lghtly reinforced, with concrete It is within
Bight of the offtc-s of the t mversal turn Corporation that r.atarqilju
claims it as its own quit s ouih as the Mate s. Ihe "L is ot hug
d,mrM'jr' r" " r fv nf t " '"
mate things. I wns at onco assailed with
questions from all manner nnd kinds of
people. Almost tde llrst question was, "If
oii cm- make sued u dugo success with
tlieso, why don't you try your dand 'at
something n shade more we'll call It
Tiench' and have a fnrce'that will run
for 40 years?" And almost everywhere I
hnve found people holding the theory that
wholesomencss In a farce Is a handicap.
The troublo with such people Is that they
deceive themselves. They theorize -cynically,
but in practlco they havo the same
basic love of cleanliness that oil tho rest
of us have.
Naturally enough, I havo watched audi
encessometimes wltd my heart in my
mouth, hut always ns closely as I could.
I wns nn actress before I tried writing
plays, nnd when you're behind the foot
lights tr Ing to please them you're evert
moie agitated about it than when you'ro
"out front."
And during these experimental observa
tions of mine, I have Invariably come to
the conclusion nbout peoplo gntdcred to?
gctder In tde theatre they lovo to laugh
so much they'll laugh at anything tdat
gives them half n chance, but they laugh
moro and longor and come back oftcner fill
ana recommend more wnoie-nenrieaiy, it
what they have laughed at is clean.
Of course, any playwright knows thnt
tlic world is divided Into certain warring
groups, not all ot whom he can dope to
please. There ls u public for oft-color
farce we can't deny It. Tdat particular
public would have liked "Twin Beds"
much better If I had, as tdey put It,
made tde most of my opportunities.
rPV-i ti t s.n inn milt lli la 4tis nna Tirfifnli Hno
given most of tdo besmlrcded plays of 111
lliu litnt ten jvia tiicu lubiilto tupuu.
I bdould imagine tdat wltd a thoroughly
insinuating and suggestive farce a play-
M.rlf-lit nliT.l ivillnl nn i-nn(1.uWr1 nllrll-
ences for at least six or eight weeks. Dur- .'il
lug that time you wouldn't be able to get
your littlo finger into the theatre, because
whatever else the public Is or Is not, it la
nt least eager to get at Its favorite enter
tainment. Then, however, the naughty
fnriifl wnlllrt tin throllirll. It wnlllri llfiVA
shot Its bolt. It lias. In passing, done this 1 1
much damage: It has convinced tho super
llclally minded lookers-on that a "big- lilt"
is synonymous with a "double meaning"
You'll hear them say sardonically: "Such
and sued a theatre is Jammed to tde doors
every night that's the way to make
money. So and so knows the public!" Anil
so forth. They quote the placard of the.
King and the Duke in "Huckleberry
Kluu": "Great entertainment tonlgl)t
women and children not allowed to cnlcr."
and append tho Duke's ''If that don't fetch
them, then I don't know Arkanbaa."
1 don't know whether to laugh at them
or to cry over them. They are eo piti
fully deluded. They are bo unaware of
tho deadly "special public," which has
wrecked more playwrights than nn thing
else since tho world began. They paver
dream of that great, unpretentious, wide-
spreading public that stays out of MU
"cliques," lives and loves normally, Ji
lauglltf juyuuaiy uuu ut I'lctli. tilings ttiiu
makes a long run! Tho psychology of all
tills Is very simple peoplo resent being
mado uncomfortable In tde theatre, and
Continued on rage Four
OR UNIVERSAL?
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