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AMUSEMENT SECTION
PHOTOPLAY
THEATRES.
DANCING
MUSIC
raiMfitt it MOBBa iiimiiim'
PHILADELPHIA, SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH )r , 1016
WHEN CHARLIE GOT HIS HALF MILLION
WHAT MAKES A
REAL SUCCESS IN
PHOTOPLAYDOM?
IS THIS THE END OP THE "FLASH BACK?"
f
The Views of n Prominent Di
rector of Photoplays on the
Real Secret of Popularity
jx-- wiwgTt'W ' ; w;'" '-- 5
li
Of course, Chnnhn's share of the next year's profits weren't delivered when ho signed the Mulunl's
20,000-word contract, but President Freulcr, on the lc t, handed a $160,000 check to tho famous comedian
and Charlie turned it over to his brother, Sid, who stands between them.
Shakespearean Interpreter
Interprets trie Photoplay
A Few of the Reasons That Caused an English
Actor-Knight to Take the Movie
Plunge
IF YOU DON'T LIKE
PART, PLAY IT
BADLY
at . the Triangle
JlulslliiW ttcll'IU
Sir Iferbert Tree la
fhnftos tn t'afiornfri.
etore the camera, nnuie nt htx tnn.tf tn
mous rotcv. "Mncbtth" has been selected
as the subject tor the Arst picture, which
irt to hi iroituc it Ut miiii i,mt rvoji. In
the following article the English actor
manager analyzes his reasons lor going
into the. movies.
THBHI5 seems to have, been somo aa
tonlshmont In tills country that I was
sufficiently Interested In the photo-drama
to consider an appearance therein. I In
turn am astonished at tho astonishment.
Can It bo that you in America, whero
the photoplay has developed so umaz
Ingly and become, so largo a part of your
"recreational life, are behind us In rccogm
Bitlon of its high artlbtlo Importance? I
hardly think so.
For myself overlooking tho fact that
I have already appeared In two photo
dramas in England I would be ashamed
not to bo most keenly interested In this
new and Impetuous art.
Surely the artist who Is alive must
needs bo Interested in every new develop
ment of tho art to which his llfo Is de
voted; only tho moribund lack Interest In
what Is new.
Dcsldes, I am nn eclectic person. In
art I am a socialist. I want whatever
gift of art I have to belong tn tho multi
tude. And Is not posterity a multitudo?
Tho actor hitherto has lived but for his
generation. Tho cinema has given him
the enfranchisement of posterity. This at
o'nee a spur and a -warning to ambition.
We can no longer llvo on our reputations,
but, on the other hand, wo can speak to
millions whero before wo could reach only
thousands. This la an Inestimable privi
lege that I would bo tho last to belittle.
Yes, every facet of an art must bo fas
cinating to the artist. Science has given
ua this new fucot. It Irf our opportunity
to give our best endeavors to Us highest
achievement. Ignoring tho unworthy uses
By SIR HERBERT TREE
it has been put to for tho sake o tho
noblo destiny that It Is bo certainly ap
proaching. The thcatro can do what the cinema
cannot do; the cinema can do what the
theatre can not.
The Gpokon word will nlways have Its
appeal It Is an exhaUstless houico of
beauty that will itrow In nur retnect and
nffectlons, tho more the silent drama holds , bad merely different I would have had
mo uoaras. wo will never loso our aesiro , i" miiraumy lauura; nut nooouy takes tho
"Tho one thing for the talented young
actress to do when given a part not to
her liking at tho start of her career Is to
play It ns badly as she possibly can!"-''
This Iconoclastic bit of advlco Is prof
fered bv Miss Alice John, of "Twin Beds,"
at tho Garrlck, who suggests thut if you
do not believe tho uilo oho lays down
cast your mind's eye back over her own
rnreor. which lias been a constant Htrnir-
glo against "typo parts," and Imagine
wnni would have happened to her Jf only
she hadn't played her (Irst unllkablo part
with all sho had In her.
"If I had bungled that part as I now
sco I should have I would have had a
little harder time getting tho noxt one;
but when I did got It. it would have been
as different ns possible from tho ono I
had failed In." said Miss John.
"If the next ono had been equally ds
to have tho urtlst himself In our presence,
to bo touched and ho hypnotized by tho
daze of his personality.
On the other hand, the photoplay has
developed a form of pictorial narrative,
swift, sure, direct and Intensely dra
matic, that makes tho wldo world Its
stage, renders tho Impossible- possible by
its fantastic necromacy, and still registers
with infallible precision tho personality of
Its players.
What would wo not pay to sen tho dis
tant past upon the screen as clearly as
we seo current events projected, to watch
tho pageant of history back to the days
of Napoleon's battles, or of Shakespeare's
presentation to Elizabeth! Yet that is tho
sort of legacy wo aro leaving our children.
And wo can do more for them. Dy tho
painstaking researcli of tho btudent and
tho constructive Imagination of the ar
tist wo can rcpioduco with remarkable
accuracy upon the screen many of tho
crucial ovents of history, thus revivifying
them for tho eager eyes of tho children
that aro to come. This is an undertaking
as stimulating ns it is worthy, and Is oc
cupying more and moro of the attention
of big-minded producers.
It Is but n step from this type of pic
ture to the historical drama, but It Is a
Btep from recording to creative art. True,
the narrative of record may bo tho In-
falluro of soung actresses very serlouslv
Any determined young woman who sim
ply won't let go will bo given chances
not important but numerous.
"The thing for her to do Is to wait
until something comes to her that loads
up and then put all her power Into It.
She will havo her success. Something n
Httlo better comes. Finally, almost be
foro sho knows It, sho will have broad
ened out In her uork her opportunities
will bo varied he will arrive at her suc
cess. The golden rulo Is to get your big
suecees late, not early.
"You ask mo how many youngsters you
can convince of that? The answer, brief
ly, Is none, niess their dear hearts, they
will do anything that comes, and pour
Into it ovcrx shred of ability they have."
By1 CECIL B. DE MILLE
Director Ocneril nf the Jcfio I,. Lasky
Feature Play Company
Tho motion-picture producer spends
ifrom six to tan weeks In producing r
'feature picture, lto has done his best
work toward malting the picture a suc
cess, and when the film la delivered to
tho distributing company his, work Is over,
although but 50 per cont. of tho success
of tho plcturo Is accomplished.
After tho plcturo li delivered, It rests
entirely with tho releasing company, tho
exchanges and tho exhibitors as to what
tho success of tho picture will be. The
releasing company and tho exchanges put
their best efforts toward advertising the
photodrama .and bringing It beroro tho
public until It goes to tho exhibitor. With
him rests tho great Biiccess of the picture.
Careless projection or wrong music may
ruin It ns much ns If tho producer had run
a broad, black pencil mark through ench
foot of film. Music nnd tho atmosphero
aro as essential to the photodrama as thoy
aro to tho spoken drama.
i Many theatres aro abolishing the stago
entirely ond blending their screen Into tho
i scheme of tho house. I think this is u
good plan, ns the stage Is essentially for
mal nnd a moro Intlmato feeling can bo I
established llfftn-rtAtl thft nllillnnnn nnrl tlin
screen by the absonco of the cold barrier
j of platform.
The screen on a stago was first used In
tho motion plcturo theatres to creato tho
Impression In tho minds of nn observer
that they wero watching a silent the
atrical performance. IJut now the photo
drama has taken such strides that I think
It better that the public bo impressed with
tho fact that they are watching on actual
chain of events, something occurring in
tho lives of certain pcoplo to which they
nro a privileged observer. Ilathcr the
Impression that they aro sitting at a
window observing incidents In tho street
outside than sitting In a theatro wntchlng
nctors Interpret emotions.
There is a great deal of psychology
necessary in the proper presentation of
n photodrama. Atmosphero must bo cre
ated so that tho audience may bo car
ried along with tho story of tho picture.
This can be dono in many ways. A scenic
film run prior to tho presentation of a
feature has a great deal of effect toward
putting the audience In the proper frame
of mind. For n simple, quiet production,
scenes of country life nnd views of cities
aro necessary. For dramatic pictures,
scenes showing cities In action, life, rush
ing waters, anything in which there is
action, to carry tho audience Into the
spirit of the production thoy are about
to witness.
Many exhibitors go to great lengths to
creato this so essential atmosphere. For
Japanese pictures they will decorato their
stuge and theatro with Japanese settings.
For Spanish pictures they will give their
-theatro n Spanish tone, so that tho audi
ence Is carried Immediately Into tho atmos
phere of the production. No details
should be overlooked to create this atmos
phere, as It Is as essential to the successful
production as our work In the studio.
Then thero Is the music, which should
bo given tho greatest consideration. Tho
wrong musical noto will Jar an audlonco
as much as If ono of the actors stepped
completely out of the character. Music
should be studied with a great deal of
care. ,
Ono of tho greatest faults I have no
ticed Is running a film off In a hurry in
ofder to srmcezo In nnother performance.
Tho director has timed each movement for
tho proper expression during tho taking
of tho plcturo, and when the nrtlsts are
mado to run through their performance by
an Industrious operator It not only hurts
tho producer, but tho exhibitor.
We hardly think so. But hero wo fintla World director sliootinjr his camera into every room of a house
nt tho same moment, instead of pursuing tho peoplo of the plot from one floor to another. It is an
interesting experiment at reducing the confusion though, also, tho variety of quick shifts of sceno.
THE ART OF THE
PHOTOPLAY
By MME. BERTHA KALICII
I have had to npologbo to myself sinco
I began posing for tho screen.
In the days beforo I knew anything
about tho business at nil I believed that
motion plcturo work was degrading, and
that I could never bring myself to appear
In a film. Now why. I am so deeply In
terested In It I want to leaiji moro and
more. I want to know all thero Is to
know about thoJworlc, nnd I seo tremen
dous possibilities,,' that Wero neer appar
ent to me before.
Oh, I shall nover give up tho speaking
stage I belong to that, you see. IJut thlH
I regard as an entirely different sort of
thing, bringing Into play now Ideas, now
avenues for the utilization of ono's nrt.
Tn my acting upon tho speaking stage
tho thought of posing neer enteicd my
mind. 1 nlways have tried to feel the role,
of course, to enter Into tho spirit of It
nnd, as nearly as possible for tho tlmo
being, llvo tho llfo of tho person I was en
deavoring to represent. Well. In this now
field I find thut it Is quite natural for mo
to do tho work without effort, nor do I
havo to resort to pantomime to any extent
It is truo thero Is no actual part to learn,
but thero are lines, and I naturally have
tho story of the sceno I am doing in my
head. Then every posslblo use of facial
expression is made end new opportunities
for tho delineation of tho character unfold
"The Eartk1' Is the Stagfe .."
ana the Newspaper World
W. P. Eaton Sees Grace George in Her Fourth
Offering This Season and Writes of It in
This Week's New York Letter
M'
1SS GRACR GEOIlQi:, with the addi
tion of "The Karth," by James ller-
nard Fagan, to her repertoire at the Play
house, now has four dramas to her credit,
all of them well dono and worth doing
nnd not ono of them
a new play. Her
first production was
a revival of Langdon
Mitchell's "Tho New
York Idea," a play
10 years old. Her
second production
was a revival of
"Tho Liars," which
Is nearly 20 years
old. Her third pro
d u c t i o n was of
Shaw's "Major Bar
bara," which was
now to America, to
be sure, but which
was produced In Lon
don nlmost a decado ago Now sho has
By WALTER PRICHARD EATON
l ALTER I' EATON
themselves continually. Oh. It Is deeply
interesting. And I am qulto happy in my ! added to her repertoire Mr. Fagan's play
engagement with Mr. Fox I am planning
some really splendid things In u pictorial
way for later on big, fine things.
THE DIVINE SARAH PLAYS A CATHEDRAL
Continued on l'ltce Four
1 WHEN SAM BERNARD WORE A "FRIGHT WIG" .
THE engagement of Sam Bernard at
B. F Keith's Theatro next week. In
a style of co:-.icdy virtually unknown
to the stage of the present day, make3
us ask "What has become of the
make-up comedian of exaggerated type?"
Some of these "make-ups" are still seen
on the burlesque stage and every onco In
a while one appears In vaudeville, but
tpe fact remalnB that tho exaggerated,
typo li almost extinct and the comedians
wno possess the talent can get along very
well without depending on make-up.
Sam Dernard Is one of the latter class
ei comedians and has made good in musi
cal roles, character parts and oven sentl
I,! roIe3! yct lle was " of tlle "old
SChOOl" of COmedlanH whn 25 vp.nrq nirn
5?.'" exaggerated make-up with a
....ik wig- una loose fitting clothes.
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SAM BERNARD 25 YEARS AGQ
When Sam Bernard came to Philadelphia then
wa the age of the "fright wig" and he wore
a nnii apccionii. Kath patrons will see, Yery
different make-up next week.
Thero wero many of the same type of
German comedians In those days, Weber
and Fields, who are again In vaudeville;
Morris and Fields, Watson and Kills.
(, .KM nMiara ...tin ...lit ln ... a.. I. .... .1 t '
those who used to patronize the Grand
Contial Theatro In this city and other
amusement places of Ua class. Like
Weber and Fields and several others,
Sam Bernard began his career us a com
edian on tho Bowery In Now York, first
doing a "mixed team" with his brother,
Dick Bernard.
At that time Weber nnd Fields wero
"trying out" and received nothing but
their board for their labor, whllo Sam
Bernard and his brother received a salary
of ?15 a week. It M'us a dispute over
this salary which really forced the Ber
nard boys out of the
"beer hall" class and
gave them a start in
the "varieties." There
were I no theatrical
contracts In thn.tn ihvi
and Manager Gansbertr,
of Kronhelm's Garden,
simply kept a book
In which lie entered
the names of the
acts and the amounts he
Intended to pay them.
On Saturday night of
the Bernard boys' open.
Ing week they were
handed )5 for the two.
They understood It was
to be MS apiece, and
when they lost their
argum'ent with the man
ager, as well as the other
t5, they decided they
had had enough. That
night they were forced
to steal their one trunk
from the theatre and
carry It three miles to
their home. Later Sam
V f and Dick presented their '
"mlrl nnf'ln tna r9 ha
variety halls In New
York city, DJclraoliig the
"woman" half of the act,
and for several years
they were familiar fig
ures on the bills, ad
vancing steadily with the
progress of the variety
business, now known as
polite vaudeville, In
recent years Sam Ber
nard has rained Interna
tional fame as a' star
of musical comedy, being
one of the hljrht-sal-iarled
character come
dians on l be waaa and
ont) at the meat popular
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about British yellow Journalists, supposed
to bo a not very much veiled attack on
the present owner of the London Times.
which has long been available in print
In this country, and was even tried out
hero at ono tlmo by ICdmund Brcese.
We nro not stating theso facts In criti
cism of Miss Georgo. Itather aro they an
Indication of tho standards sho has set
herself at tho Playhouse. She is evidently
.Intn.mlnAil tn tt,,l 1 1 rr, nnlu onmfliltfiq i!tVi
MllW4llll V" ' .... ...y ....... ."' . , ,. A. ,. - ,
literary merit, with a distinct llavor. Tho i maio eneeu un me expunaiuu qi ucn in
oridpisin Ih rather of our American dra- i dlvlduals as himself. Ho will thunder
brand new, native drama, to start ner
season with.
As to tho latest play In her rcnertolro.
"Tho Carth," though tho sceno and tho
characters are English, tho real subject
matter Is so closely paralleled by jour
nalistic conditions In this country (hat It
has n very definito value for Usj'-'if the
last act of "The Uarth" wero as good as
tho other three; that Is, If the solution
were of equal Interest and plausibility to
the problem, tho play might take a high
placo in contemporary drama. Unfortu
nately, however, as so ofton Is the" easo
the author has been unable to untanglo
his web with anything like the success ho
achieved in tangling It, and the play falls
down at the finish.
Tho plot Is simple. The Right Hon
Denzll Trcvena, M I'.. Is tho author of a
wage bill, evidently tho typo of legisla
tion being puhhed by Lloyd-George before
the great war, and denounced In pertain
quarters as Socialistic. The bitterest op
position to this bill comes from Sir Felix
Janlon, a man who controls an lmmenso
number of newspapers with fabulous cir
culations, and who preaches one thing
in his editorial columns nnd practices an
other in his news columns. In this
particular case, of course, the great edl
tor, who poses as tho champion of the
pecpul, is opposing tho wage bill as a
blow at lingllsh liberties, tho sacrod free
dom of tho individual, hiding behind thlH
catch phrase his real opposition, which is
to legislation that looks toward an ultl-
matists, who have had nothing to offer her
which sho considers worthy of Inclusion.
If wo ourselves were a playwright at tho
present time, and had any ambition to
wrlto a high comedy of American contem
porary life, wo could lmaglno no better
chanco for a good production than Miss
Georgo Is offering. Certainly, by next
year, sho should bo able to nnnounco a
again.st tho trusts, hut never admit that
ho is u news trust, as it were, that he
has the power to pol.xon taste and preju
dice opinion to a dangerous exjlchtl
Now It no happens that among the
guests at Sir Felix's houso party are the
Karl of Killone and his wife the Countess.
Continued on 1'ace Four
W. H. CRANE, 'ARISTOCRAT OF THE THEATRE'
This remarkable woman, still sufTerinp inconvenience frqtn her artificial llnib, finds net most remarkable
part in a patriotic piece. "Lea Cathedrals. ' Statuesque, in a chair of carven stoat, eh& impersonates the
soul of that churchly edifice now closest the warring heart of France, the- Cathedral of Strassbourg
THEim Is no love like the old lovo and
to many theatre-goers of the last gen
eration there is no finer stago figure than
William II Crane. His career under Froh
man was one of artistic achievement.
Wliere Is thero more pleasure to be
found than In honoring a person who de
serves tho honor given him? At least,
that was the attitude of tho -100
guests at the dinner tendered Mr. Crane
a few nights ngo In Now York. Men of
prominence from all fields of arts nnd
sciences paid homago to Mr. Crane on the
Both anniversary of his stage career.
Such well-known peoplo as Daniel
Frohman, who acted as toastmaster;
David Belasco. William Winter, the prom
inent critic i Tresldent Nicholas Murray
Butler, George Ade, the humorist, and a
large number or tneumcai ceieorities
joined In making this
gathering unique.
Among the many
tributes paid Mr. Crane,
Mr- Henry Miller's
sparkld with the Joy
of the occasion.
"It seems unnecessary
for me to offer you any
estimate of Mr. Crane's
art that Is of value
so generally appreciated
and so long aeiermmeu.
It is well to rememocr
however, that ne prove;
hia worth when ir
,i.n,tfinl nf acting w
the highest ; there lfc. Oh,
doubt of that wo- ""Shea,
Btandard-bearers,'""" Car.
as many ui - acq.
remember,
rett. Mcijj
idan,
May
Lo
Jefferson,
un. Crane. Itaymon
Goodwin, the elder Soth
ern, Stoddard and that
splendid uctor. William
Warren, and many,
many others of their
stature. I was only a
raw recruit standing on
the threshold of my
theatrical adventure
when I looked up and
saw that line of stal
warts that princely
company. He has come
down through, tho years
and experienced the
many constant changes
that fcae taken place
iaanea$ that have gen
crated, no bitterness In
his soul, no discontent, no disgruntled
sense of holding In contempt the present
In comparison with the past. Ho has
preserved unto himself nnd to us an ever
youthful heart, his great kindness and
never-falling modesty.
"In truth, ladles and gentlemen, take
him for all In all, I cannot summarize
his qualities more eloquently than by roll
ing back the years and saying,- as that
actor said 38 years ago, 'Billy Is a damn
fine fellow.' "
Mr. Crane, In his turn, spoke simply and
earnestly:
"Gentlemen, I thank you. I should be
untrue to myself If these were not the
first words to be spoken by me at this
moment. No one could be the recipient
of so distinguished an honor without a
Continued on 1'itre Twa
r
fHHnH;
WILLIAM H CRANb
The veteran actor, celebrating tha 0th yea
of his etage life, corner to the AdelpM next
week in, The New Henrietta," a nwderR&aUoji
of his fanoQ3 early success.
1