iV rc- OTBHIKG liEDOim---PHn;ADBLPftA. SATUBDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, iSIS NEXT WEEK: MARIE TEMPEST, "HOUSE OP GLASS" AND "SYBIL" THE LATEST PHOTOPLAYS , rj xk '(flow Not to Sell a Play, By One Who Sells Max Marcin, Author of "The House o( Glass," at the Gamete Next Week, Describes His Woes r" A scholar with a book on one end of ft teg. and a teacher on tlio other constltuto a university, as a savant ones observed, then a student of the drama seated In a Itallerjr chair and a band of players across tlio footlights con stltuto a rival to Kngllsh 47. th Harvard course In playwrftlng which produced Edward Sheldon and other nota ble dramatists. At least that Is Max Marcln's be lief, and the fact that within two years he has had three plays pro duced and has a fourth on the flro entitles him to a hearing. For years Mar cin worked on New York and Philadelphia newspapers and following the custom of his craft, contributed to Various magazines. The longer ho kept at it the moro certain he be:ame that the only big money In the writing ramo, unless one had the genius and luck to write a best seller, was as a drama tist. Subconsciously ha had always told himself that eorao day ho would write a plky (that Is one of the universal weak nesses of newspaper men), but the urge did not assume concrete form until about four years ago. It found Marcin, as It does all except the Bhakcspeares, without any definite knowl edge of the techniques of the medium he was about to employ and he decided that the chief study of plays Is plays. So -Marcin began to haunt the show shops. He esti mates that during the tlmo he was study ing the rudiments of dramatic construction he saw "Seven Keys to Baldpate" fifteen times, "Get-nich-QuIck Walllnford" eight times, and "Ofllcer 6C6" ten times. Of all of these he made an exhaustive study. His first Impression upon seeing one of these clever examples of the dra matist's art was always that there was no such person as the man who could conceive one of these. And then with each suc cessive review the wonder would be further dissipated as the means by which the dra matist achieved his effects became ap parent. Once the wheels behind the veneer of dialogue had been detected It was im possible not to see them and to watch them move to the dictates of iho author. After numerous visits, the most Intricate drama resolved Itself Into a series of easily dis tinguishable elements. Marsln decided that not only could he write a play, but that any newspaper man who would take the trouble to study the technique could. He set to work, and In a few weeks had written and sold "See My Lawyer," a farce that languished briefly last season. It has been his observation that any one can placo a play with a man ager, that the difficulty lies In getting the manager to produce the plfce once he has acquired the rights, and that after the first produotlon, whether the piece Is a success or failure, tho author can get a hearing In any office. v At least his own personal experience led Marcin to come to that conclusion. One of his stories, when ho was still earning his liv ing as a magazine writer, camo to the notice of Georgo M. Cohan, who thought ho saw a play In It, The story was called "Are You My Wife?" and as a play It Is now Im ' pending, though Mr. Cohan never got around to dramatizing It. But the incident Introduced him to tho Cohan and Harris of fice, and when "See My Lawyer" was fin ished, that firm accepted It , The, script remained pigeon-holed for 'some months, during which time Marcin busied himself writing 'Tho House of Glass." When It was ready ho passed copies around freely among tho producing offices. Including the C. & II. office, but being still an untried dramatist the manu scripts did not consume much of the time of the readers. Marcln's etory of how he finally landed the piece with Sam Harris Is amusing. "Harris kept putting me off," Marcin relates, "promising to read the script the next day and never doing It. In despera tion I made the rounds In a vain endeavor to get some one at least to read my play. Finally H. II. Frazeo did and offered to take It. I thought I would make one last effort to get a hearing In the Cohan & JIarrts office, so I made an appointment with Sam that afternoon. When I reached the office he said he was just starting home, and if I would motor up with him wo could pun over It there. "Outside In the car were Willie Collier, Wallle Eddlnger and Mortimer Shea. I didn't quite understand what the party was about! but I didn't begin to suspect any thing till we had sped past the street where I knew Harris livedo I protested, but It Mdn't do any good, f and finally we wound up at the Dunwoodle Club. There I was tensed to play golf and after dinner wo mo tored back to town, the Idea being that we. . would read the play that evening. Soon after we reached the house, Antonio Scatti same and was asked to sing, and by the time he had sung a song or two Walter Moore had dropped in and tried his voted THE CURIOUS CASE OF MATINEE GIRLS AT LAST SOLVED Franklin Sayles, a member of the com yaay playing "For the Man She Loved" at the Walnut Street Theater next week, is axlpus to solve the problem of the recent ttfaiappearancs of that sweet creature known as the Matinee Cllrl. "Her dlsap- r trance," said Sayles. "was remarkable as was sudden. Mo more do we see her as C yore In great throngs clogging up the stage entrance after the matinee. In my pinion she Is Just as numerous as ever, cty as soon as the matinee performance Is mnr aha hurries herself away to a 'dan mmi', and instead of giving the 'orico over Is bar popular stage favorite as he emerges , JVsro the mysterious precincts beyond the door, her afternoon is taken up 'dip w atMT,' tiasltatlng,' 'grape-vlnlng,' "kitchen '"s"" and wbat-not-lng to the tunes of , . tfc latest dance music." r r I PAULINE FREDERICK'S "IDLE LIFE" on Scottl. The result was that when It came time to go home The House of Glass remained unrend. "I gavo up then, and the next morning called at my lay broker's to mako arrange ments to give Fraxee the play. Thcro I found three calls from Harris. It seems that Mrs. Harris was unable to sleep after her guests departed tho night beforo and. In desperation, had picked up my play. She liked the first act, nnd when sho had finished the second, she awakened her hus band, who could no longer dodgo the issue," MORE OR LESS AT HOME WITH THE AMUSEMENT FOLK "V woutd seem to the oasual observer that quite eftMffft to ask of any motion. star that she play two roles at oace eh MTn. Wot eaiy did Pauline Fred. loorewlsw this feat in the Famous Paranwunt production, "Aah,M to " la which she is to appear at the Thesiar mil Mxt week, but atia did all Uta, UtifuM at ohe time in her mm proaucuo was a a reporter. rust a visitor, sjwwns bar chauffe aluui ami Mororce Waits Is) awt of man ! u fur the cta pea tu iiwir oit atasarswra la mm- ittrtWN. to -m outrt f UsV kui uat iiih haaM. .''. wy w mgspgw wpp 915ST 5lf. i- svyfit u"vt. r,;fi&.i,-; i, U SMteUfMr XWAM, 4T- r, isatruoMd bar waid as sM was t wear that day. ur orders abcut fear asur Msi fit Them HHViSQKIBH ' T toQali3ggiSSBBBBSBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBllM V- Sm$?XW0'. aBBBBBBBBBBBBsPBII H tlsW- BsKlGaBMBBHBHSMBS&&4BBBVBBBBBsllVBllK wf I SBBBBBsTw BBBBBBb1 JaBBBllllllllllllSBBSMB) tlMmMb? ' ,4 ' WmWSm A r BmmF JB AKHk' i " I' lltfi WmMWM ' HbsBBBBsHBHsma bbbbsbbbbtbbbK' KH i . -alfrt'Y jAftiV. ZW SBBBBBBBBBf7BBBBBBBSbaBBBBr BBBBBBBBBBBBV bl BBBBBBBBBBBBBBVBBBBBBBBBBBBBlBBBBBBBBBBBBBBSBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBa BBBaBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBT BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBr BBbUbBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB pJL SJlT. J . 1 flS. .BBBBRBBBBBBBBBBb SBBBBVK W-S 2 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBkIbBBBBBBBb! LbBBBBBBBBBBBBBBSBBBBBBBH BBBViaBBBT BBBBBBBBBBBa II f f sm. "i, n4r 'm' v Julia Sanderson wonders who is l V. 5if sbbbbbbbbbHIHKi m flBQi SiCS l k i Mk if "J I,,!' ; i& " 4 l cominpr down the stairs. Is it Don- f(fL KBmWk M iSj VEsl ML & W3b tm'H 4 '!' li I old Brian or Joseph Cawthorn, or, J 1 VJr JBV0RBBA S KJW WMSi II M)r I TbbsV. &,MJml ilf J jM maybe, one of tho authors of that Gfc&Jtf "WH B W&m sml , l.'skBlaV SsHPiAj&'N ' if M C il II musical play, "Sybil," which comes rV 7x7-. m M bbbbB VsattJl W tS3ll3SPv V lllte J Ma ' J 1 to the Forrest Monday? XGijft-. JBK BSj 1 bbbbbbbbbK'MsIbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbmI sbbbbbbbbbbbW, i ffT HKf fljMHnB S K Si ZJ m C&HpmW W bbbbbbbbMBsbW Til IN II 'I " mk I I I W N 9HKB Ik HBl' ?i mfw&vyB $ !- y Wrnkm JlJLJL vv Vi55S-V ' , vx t eaHraBBBBBBTI m B BBBBBBBBBBBBBWAO&.r m"TBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBb! mmr 'X3HH IKbbbV IbbbbHHsVjHHH fm9 i I ' .vmW m H ' Y mw ' vT If il- -r" m f fi bbbbWc I AbbbbbIbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbI ' . May Ryan lives in a "House of Glass," but the star, who will be seen at tho Garrick Monday, is very far from casting stones. Sho values these pretty windows of hers too much. Tlie Theatrical Baedeker 'The House Three St Glass," at Garrick "Sybil," With ars, at rorrest iriarie lempest iNext Saturday at Broad BROAD "A Lady's Narao," with tho distinguished English comedlenno, Marie Tempest, who will open tho dramatic season next Saturday night. The play Is by Cyril Harcourt, author of "A Pair of Silk Stockings." Tho original cost, headed by W, Graham Browne, will bo seen. Perusal of press matter convinces the reader that tho pleco is one of delicately adjusted intrigue. The star will play a lady novelist. rORREBT "Sybil," with tho well-known musical comedy trio, Julia Sanderson, Donald Brian and Joseph Cawthorn. Tho book is by Frank Mart03 and Max Brody, the score by Victor Jacobl. It is In three acts. Handsome mounting and tuneful muslo are among the promises for the production made by the press agent. Mr. Brian, of course, will dance; Miss Sanderson will wear pretty clothes, and Cawthorno will "comede." OARRICK "Tho Houso of Glass," by Max Marcin. It is a drama built on tho aphorism from which It takes its name. Mary Ryan heads tho company, which also Includes Ada Oilman, Sam Myers, Frank M. Thomas, Thomaa Flndlay, Jerry Hart, E. J. McGuire, John Fenton, Frederick Burt, Harry C. Browne, William "Walcott, Florence Walcott, Mann TVada and Albert Tavernler. AT POPULAR PRICES KNICKERBOCKER First production at popular prices of J. Hartley Manners's comedy, "Peg O' My Heart." Carewo Carvel is the leading woman, taking the role made famous by Laurette Taylor. WALNUT Beth Merrill is the principal player In "For the Man She Loved," a new melodrama. Others In tho cast are Florence PInckney, Marguerite Alien, Alice Johnson, Francis Sayles and Edwin Walter. CHESTNUT STREET OPERA HOUSE "The Birth of. a Nation." with Henry B. Walthall, Mae March, Lillian Dish, Bobble Harron, Wallace Held and the well-remembered cast D. W. Griffith's photo drama of the Civil War, seen last year at the Forrest and now returning to the city for Its first showing at popular prices. CONTINUING PLAYS LYRIC "Robinson Crusoe, Jr.," with Al Jolson, Lawrence Doraay and Kitty Doner. A Winter Garden show with a plot and all the other things. Jolson at his best. ADELPIII "nxperlence." with Ernest Olendlnnlng, William Ingersoll and a large cast. A "modern morality play," with more reality and humanness about It than graced "Everywoman." Glendin nlng acts superbly. NEW rEATURE FILMS STANLEY AH week. "Ashes of Embers," with Paulino Frederick. The star has a dual role, that of twin Bisters entirely different In character. Supporting her are Eurl Foxo, Frank Losea and Maggie HoIIowny risher, "Some Tropical Birds," an educational feature nnd "The Spanish Pyrenees" also on tho bill. ARCADIA First half of week: "The Jungle Child," an Inco-Trlanglo. with Howard Hickman and Dorothy Dalton. Latter half of week: "Diane of the Fol lies," a Tine Arts, with Lillian GIsh In s ru , t a.-o.a.ivxng wars onf Celluloid I Griffith's Job Famous Director a Hard Working Joffre o tne " Films Is the Dustin Farnum is never so much at homo as when he ha3 a fishing rod in his hand. Never? Well, maybe when he plays a "Fighting Parson" for the Paramount patrons of tho Palace. Paulino Frederick in jail! The Famous Players-Paramount star was sentenced to one hour in prison for "creating a scene" in tho Stanley's new photoplay, "Ashes of Embers." the part of a chorus girl. Scenlo and news features too. REOEST First half of week: "Tho Glided Cage." a Brady-World film, with Alice Brady. Latter half of week: "The Wheel of tho Law," a five-part Metro, with Emily Stevens. PALACE First half of week: "The Big Sister," a Paramount production, with Mae Murray, First local Bhowlng of this feature Latter halt of week: "The Parson of Panamlnt," a Pallas, with Dus tin I'arnum. VICTOEIA First half of week: "The Dark Silence," a World-Brady film, with Clara Kimball Young and Paul Capellanl. Lat ter half of week: "The Wheel of tho Law," a Metro production, with Emily Stevens in the leading rolo. VAUDEVILLE KEITH'S 'The Garden of the World," a dancing pantomime, with Adelaldo and Hughes; Cecil Cunningham In song reper tory; Carmela and Itosa Ponzlllo; "The Prediction," a dramatic sketch; Emmett Welch, Al. Oerard and Sylvia Clark; Clark and Verdi ; Lillian Gonno and lWt Albert ; Jack and Kitty Demaco ; Ernette Throwing Bones to the Philadelphia Dog THE "profession" calls Philadelphia "a bum theater town." Well, who's to blame? The playgoer or the "profession"? The answer ought to be plain enough after the atrocity com mitted at the Broad Monday in the name of "The Two Janes." "The Two Janes" was literally the poorest production, from every point of view, offered to Philadelphia in years. How did it get into town? Of course, no manager can be expected to know a success from a failure by reading a manuscript, or even from seeing it in production. Otherwise, managers would all be millionaires, play-going would become an almost perfect dissipation and there wouldn't be the slightest necessity for giving doubtfuls like "Sport of Law" and "Ruggles of Red Gap" a chance. But there couldn't be the slightest doubt about "The Two Janes." One reading of its book must have shown its absolute nudity of humor. One glance at its score must have been enough to lay bare its banality. Add to that the fact that this amateurish piece was given a poor cast and an entirely inadequate production for its premiere in Long Branch. Then what excuse remained for putting it into a first-class theater in a metropolitan city? There is one very obvious excuse, perhaps. The manager of a theater has next to nothing to say about what his show shop tries to sell the public. He has handed his property over to a wholesale booking syndicate. But that only "passes the buck" to the booking powers. What do they get out of such a blunder as this? What do they get out of the many blunders, only less vicious, by which Philadelphia has become a metropolitan dog town, and, what's worse, a try-out for failures, almost never for successes? All they get is one more city that has learned to distrust its theaters. It is bad enough to expect play-goers to remain a loyal clientele to a theater presenting the many different sorts and degrees of plays and players drama, comedy and musical show, good, bad and indifferent which the wholesale producing and touring system of America makes inevitable. It is madness to expect anything but "a bum theater town" where things like "The Two Janes" are foisted on the patrons of a first-class house. K. M. t-n kxt nnmpwi, , ... u....i ,,i m, m JL. about and probably th ..-. . after movlo man In America. jj iJ! how to plan things In the making 7t COOO scenes of "The Birth of a NatlJ he would hav been lost He nil through the myriad and one busing-!! tails of a theatrical success without tart Ing a hair or developing the slljhtert a. of "nerves." When the tumult and 7! shouting die nnd tho houi -i; aj. ,7 refreshment is the dance or a friendly ,Z wtth a round tablo of chums. It was said, on tho first nleht" u York, that only the son of a soVr 25J have conceived and executed 'The t,J . a Nation." As a Kentucky lad. thffcot Brigadier General J. W. Griffith he d5 In tho Civil War narratives greedily wJ2 ho grow up came the poet's vision of n! entire struggle and of reconstruction a. In the prlmo of manhood he awoV. S genius to make It a reality. " While planning the b.itn n n.. .. Griffith drilled his rcglm.nts as ftlSnS as Kitchener In England or McClellan m the Potomac Like them, he hi SStofl guardsmen with whom to work. They knw the manual of nrms. but had to acquire tfe grand tactics of picture evolutions. Aft the drill was completed tho director tobk his thousands of m lltlamfn on a moBtVi countryside campaign. Each squadron wti commanded by n subdlrector. 4 Pioneers preceded tho soldiers, to dig tat long miles of trenches, to throw up embshk. ments and rcproilucs the physical Una. mnrks of tho battle. Among the noted Pe. luisuuiK liinumarKi was a high tower Griffith made It sere a double purpose It using It as field headquarters. From lti lofty eminence he commanded the whol rango of mountain and valley. R'ght tt hand was a modern telephone switchboard. From It field wires ran to his various tub. generals. Mostly these wires were in con. dults underground. They had to be or thi camera would hao produced the anaeh. ronlsm of field telephones In Civil Ww time. Thus, completely equipped as a modem .Toffro or Von Hlndenburg, Griffith hw everything nnd telephoned all his liutro. tlons. In tho artillery action real cannon vvero used. They discharged real sheila An were of tho 1861 pattern. When the In. fantry got busy they used the antlqui Springfield muskets with tho old-fashlonel bayonets. As tho men charge It Is to U seen that their uniforms nre far from spick nnd Rpan. Many of them are costless nd hatlcss; tho clothing of others Is tattri4; the flags even have the look of battli scarred ribbons. For the first time tht grime, dirt, sordidness. as well as the (lory of war, are accurately presented. I DAZZLING THE REPORTER By KITTY DONER Asorlo and company, and the Sellg-Trl-bune news weekly. GLOBE "Sons of Abraham," a comedy; tho Great Lambertl and company; Bcr rick and Hart In "At the Movies" ; Kelly and Sawtelle ; Kelly and Sauwatn ; Baker, Lynn and Company ; Billy Klnkatd ; Blx- ley and Lerner; Lillian Doherty; Bob Tip and company, and tho Laffertys constl tuto tho long program. WILLIAM PENNVlrm half of week: Lew Wlnsch and company; Billy Wilson In Continued on Neit Tate Jv fS ANIMATED NEWS IN F Iffir r-fc REELING RHYMES SO I Vo) (liSfc The Avon bard Since lie likes best " ry L CSe A M Might well be jarred, The Golden (?) West V . IjJJ vC. jtMi Were he alive and prattling, Fair Fatty has gone to tt. ymSu d$rV VS cCJJ To learn that his Old Harry Fox, Hfil, fMsW M Xi2JT7 Romantic biz Unless he mocks, 11 VsWs'afc'siJ? V IK Had set directors battling. Would now direct. (He'll' rue it.) UM y I mTv 1 YS tP&C Aiv Soon comes the day The Smalleys' split Thc - c0rj -vk w,ten ,R' and J" l Doe8 not abit ' - b?4 W SI N S(- &J. Will, he nrntlnrpil tnilh llimhrunn. THattirh Hip. TTnhiermrL The rival Jltl' The Grlmih "Blrth" i eSt iL 'vX.rx nJ -7 , 'e' (keep cool) Still tours the earth Mn mmmWz n It rfo J. ' roxy Theda. Shush, man! Without a fresh reitearsai. i pf . v I St&T v t$J Our Vernon's wife "Intolerance" JEd Li u I "-Xslb2js-S5j!!?L-v Uaa risked her life Is worth a glance. V-J Jwi Asa' By jumping In Lake Erie; Kcystoners still break dishes. Hsk II M. I AcO vHsl n(' atne8 Pearh And now hold fast Um isM I Ay He 8erlal oM, The best Is last: m m vBLI y (J fr Of stunt stuff is not weary. What's happened to the Ghhes? l lJL -&3f -gsftsMaBBsffssssssMMlmsV afcstf -vlBaSsra, 'TCPsW.atr t r I ' -m 1 "ffKMIMMMgBBBf . , , ' ) ' SBBBSBSBBBBBBBSBWIIWarajlsMlilfMyfflr To describe adequately the charm of Kitty Doner would require the whole seven col umns of this page. As the space Is not available, wo condense on space, but not enthusiasm. The Interview started out to be a severely classic chat on the difficulties of Impersonit. Ing n man Hhen one Is twenty years oil, and distinctly feminine. But It evaporated Into a discussion of cverythlrg under the sun tho lack of frivolity In poor old Phila delphia, the delights of golf, morleJ, Larchmont, haberdashery and the art of tbi comedian, especially Mr. Al Jolson. How ever, tho dazzled Interviewer did get a momentary grip on "copy" when the subject of people who w rite to actresses was mo mentarily broached. r Miss Doner took out of a dlmtnutln blue bag a crumpled but exclted-IooWr-l letter. "You get hundreds, don't you?" b was nsked. And she gave the Interview tho shock of his life when she told hla most of them came from ladles out front They rango all the way from cool requeiuu tut jjuuiu&iuim' vu me musk ii,t, v. .r preclatlons," was the way she, put It, "M they do make life more Interesting. But one can't spend nil one'B time answering such stuff, can one? I remember a few that I answered: one. In particular, from a llt tie boy In Philadelphia who wanted to know how I kept my hair so slick. Another frpm soma vounc lad reauented a portrait be- causo ho was being Initiated Into a frsttr mty nna tno ruies uemanueu mm us v duce his favorlto actress's photo. Pretty tintA il,?,f Stripped of Its social verbiage, the t that followed disclosed such facts as tMM about tho little boy-girl of "Robm Crusoe, Jr.": Been on the stage since JJ w.-in fniirtenn. wasn't a bov originally, W ' played a girl In 'The Candy Shop,'' In r-,J vised form and under tne unprci -of a. M. Anderson ("Broncho Billy.) i California; vaudeville, too; parents o timers on the "big time"; has a brotnel who's Just been married nnd a sister; P" Besses what have been called "presj-stw toeth"; has her "regular clothes" madewl pockets, as a result of habit; Is exoewlW good-natured and likes almost everyoewj thinks D, WV Griffith Is almost the st1' man in the world; adores children ow. there. The Intorvlewer's mental pencu Be gan to blunt at that point. . He wondered how he Was to convey w readers of the Evenino Lepokr all nice things that Kitty Doner Is. lis knowledges his failure : but It has said that "to fall In high spirits Isw ' In life." And Miss Doner begets 6'fJ spirits. Her every look Is a wine i - jocundity, I SNAPSHOTS OF SOME PLAYS COMING . TO THIS CITY . . . ... hialft4 Two new musical corneal" "--MM. . a dash Into the movies, has returned WP-, first love, and will , be seen, b''uri'' December i, In "Step This Way." . 7 write" of his old success, -ine " -r, the Counter." "Katlnka," the Hauwbj Frlmal collaboration, after a year in i-. York, will open an engagement on VT X is. T. Jloy uarnes ana am the cast. ' " . ;.Soe:.w.hP0."A?.t,;,l'ia''J m ....?' .-i . ij.tnhi Theater WrUBBt Will VlHli 110 rtUOiF" " .' i .1.1. minKsAii'i (TnOlOO popular L'ngllsh comedy. Is due at te,r playhouse at some future date. uooa, isddle," a musical comeajr, DrobDect there. . .-,., . tin front Mi tviiuam i'aversnam, wiw'b "", BmU continued popularity of Bernard WTJi pieces In America, plans an elaborate jj ductlon of "Qettlng Marnea, rieiia urosman ana jjhu i"" .,!- ing parts. The play Is a "conysrsaUos several acts, "so divided for the i va,MW convwjlence." as the unity of urn ' served throughout The Uuhl fihubert. perhaps W bv th rnu-nui tit Jiiatlo.u will Jobs OaUwoHhy's "Ttis Fugitive wW U aaaasiliisl as 'a s'JOaC tt sit tVBasa Man at s, wo jreTpWsW Tr ww ssp P'
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers