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EYEIOTG liBDaEEPHlCADEIiPHIA', 8ATOBDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 101G
flEXT WEEK'S BILLS : THE BALLET RUSSE, THE STAGE SOCIETY, AND "GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS
America s First Contribution
Synopsis Versus Scenario
As An Expert Sees Tkem
To the Great Ballet Russe
SHAKESPEARE AS A YOUNQ AMERICAN SEES IT
r- ' ' ii.1 .1 N-- I . . ....... ,M.t
ftert E. Jonca, America's
and riw WBC rrora country JLJoy to the rirot
Non-Ruflaian Rival of Balwt
KriEEtf
years ago Robert Edmond
VjoflW
ft now laniS'""-
;.i.ved th violin tit vlllngo entertain
"" V,A nnrbari till
Ten years B he nnd ei hl
into Harvard. Five years ago no was
Instructor in uio n ,...........
fe, university. Today n- is mo icre-
llHI "" ...1.4 - An.rlra I (h
t.aallve scemo """ " -"" " ,
,.i,,n to bo called upon for work
ttirinvtlte Barker In his New York sea-
lh.onIrAmer.cnnu-:r:T.rr:
icenlo side or mo Brin oii-
Ig&H.n masque of
ISit. Antltntr of
Caliban" last spring,
... ..Imer of 0O costumes lor it,
Ml u" -
'now the on,r non-Russian artist to
. wd by the Ballet Itusse, through
!U Bakst won his world-fame. Next
In NUInsars now uh "
- '2 Svii.j.tnhin. will seo tho culmlnn-
KSZriL-ao for In a rcmarkablo career
! u a picturesque figure at college.
sffM ".?". i.nnrtment. ho spent most
S, its energy on such things as "making;
tP..f. in tha Harvaril Dramatic
54 .hows and sketching Valcska Surntt
Stn. BtoS theater He had no earth y
il.lra to be a succosstui pcuaKuK ...
ffioui ny too much energy Into nt
Msto make posters and cm er designs
twines .Ho wanted something with
JCtrVweTp and more life to It Hunt
MlLhe tried sewing costumes onto women
Eridana of vaudollle, and window dress
Eifwhen the department stores wouldn't
J hint a real chance to malto their wln
!Tw, over Into, a flash of beauty, or pay
W'ifiV.. A for draping 'comhlnn-
toas?or rocking chairs well, there was
SSm for It but tho theater and New
Kit New York held llttlo for Jones even
!?J"iC: n,irnn.iiro ot a theatrical pro-
taur'wlth moro artistic Impulio thnn com-
Pf resources. Tho "now stagecraft
S, lw new for America. Jonc, took
2Jf for Europe. Tor a year he llNed
taTaa about Max Ttelnhardt's theaters in
it watching, wntchlng. with that rare
Sa'erato devotion of tho artist. Tho
Stat War drove him back to America a
committed to tho new art o making
ST...,. nci Its scenery a beautiful, cx-
ZZZw? llvlnir nart of tho drama. By the
.1 if good luck. Qranvlle Barker,
5;;i7 hi. season at Wnllack's
In
New
.. T..,. n...r Antnln Frnnco
Man
TO Married a Dumb Wife" from the Now
Terk Stage Society and took over with It
te!nu which ho hod designed for It
Sdirhldvwo saw last winter at the Ade -Jit
Jones's fame was made but not his
wrBM. . . , T ,..f
KCommlMlons camo ' """,.: ,;;
one man, uiai BiiiKum.ijr ....n..
..i.n.ruine vnune manager, Arthur
tHmklns, wanted Jones to paint scenery for
Urn, But that man gave Jones courngo
?ZT,, .. ,mml,lnn' nnd while th
.'.. .wi.t worked on tho problem oi
Jiklar realism expressive and beautiful
In.rti Devil's Garden" ho found nnd nc-
WeoJtttmes for "Caliban " Then this
Muan earns "Tho Ilnppy KndlnB." which
tiitS wihapplly tor every ono um uu.i,
Hood Gracious Annnbelle," a farce pro-
k dueUon, and then DIaghllev's Ballet Ilusso.
i'sryjEnirland contributes a nne restraint
F5M dimity to balance Joncs'B longing for
r,I..i, .11. r,, h. hnaf thlnir nbout
IttULrian and his work Is tliat ho la no
I'iBidiapUt portrait painter or poster
HirtM tackling tho problem of painting a
Miaji canvas aa big as a back drop j he Is
U'atirouna worur in i "iwui ....
imrefUtii all His multitudinous aspects
'tteUte art and uses them for the single
urijof representing In tho environment oi
tha actors the spirit of tho play. His set-
WlW act dramas. Even when ho must
!rs the problem of realism, as in -a no
Diyu'i Garden." ho demonstrates that tho
(iolcrcf the wall paper in n third-class hotel
as express the passion of a scene enacted
tttre juat as well aa the words of tho
ttera, To make a play live jonea uses
Jjwy means. Ho la not tied to tho big
lira, turf ace of the nusslans, as Is Bakst;
Itfentei "flats." "plastics." "drapes,"
ftatats" or "props" as ho needs them. Ho
,Bjot tied to beautiful color or BtrlKlng
Wrsnectlve. as Bakst: ho knows that
Pct plays the biggest part In the theater's
ut. ana some day no is going to maxe a
traduction In which" not an Inch of canvas
Will hit nnlntail In i..hl,.l ..ftlnvari nntl
ijslansd light will do all the work.
Jones's fecund Imagination la usually
aittut a block ahead of hln last nroductlon.
Mka all New York was talking about the
tjcorauons of "Tho Man Who Married a
Pml) Wife," Jones was talking about a
Brtsr production of "Tho Cencl" in an
auditorium built like the ringslda of a prize
"tat. and exhibiting clay fleurea which
rtprtsented the evallltlnnaSif rhnms.flcnirea
ptliltjj shpuld surround the principals and
:r.T" " "ii-umr eniuouimeni at mo aciion
w Proceeded in their midst.
JOnfiS'S irenllls for rnlni. nnd lfn la i,n-
SUUkably great, but ho has a feeling
HUil", "ter aa a creative Instrument,
"i en. aanng imagination which are
trotter ttllL IIh U nn ntrltra,- fnr mi-
MMrelty; but tho democracy of his emo
UMtjTteeps him close to tho Immediate do-
" impulses ot American lifo today.
W "TILL," GERMANY'S PUCK
gtag'"""" nyy i' h.j H '' "in ii iim.iiji im ft11 ' ,' ' . t"11 ;t).1"
64h.n fi jflt,Mn -Mtm. rf,.ioT which Niiictky Wll animate In 'Mi
Leading Scenic Designer,
"1 dont believe there are going to bo
any Frat American painters." says Jones.
"American Instincts ars against IL There
Is too much ragtime and Hula-hula. In us.
IH.-iYr "tMtlo development we are Just
surging over painting. All our great flow
is going Into the theater. We. are rushing
?h??5 .w .,ln9 of the drnmallo. And I
think this la a great thing for us. It will
keep us young. Do not Imagine that for
e gn nrtlsta have oorlooked this. NlJIn
sky, who Is certainly one of the greatest
Ti?. ..; ta cra,y nbout fogtlmo. Ha
thinks It Is wonderful
"After the Barker production 1 was
ruined 1 never could paint again. 1 saw
only thrca sides of a room, with lights
Playing and people moving. To think that
for j ears t was satisfied to dabblo with
paints nnd try to plcturo life In two di
mensions' When I compare tho sensation
of actually draping cloth, real cloth, over
real nrmi nnd legs, -with that of Indicating
a fold on enntas, the Idoa of painting Is
almost rcpulslo."
Horo nro throe
o Btrlklng examples of the Bconlc design of Robert E. Jones, tho younsr American cnKnged by tho Hnllct Ilusso to paint tho scenery for
tho top is for tho sccno of tho ghost upon tho pnrnpet in "Hamlet. Tho moonlit sky is seen through two finely proportioned oponinK3 in
, eilhouctto for a battle sccno and at tho left nn Italian garden in wnrm moonlight.
Tho sketch at
JUST A BIT ABOUT
A COMING
PLAYER
Heine Davles, who will bo seen In the
newest musical comedy, "Qlrls Will Bo
Qlrls," at tho Lyrlo Theater Monday oven
Ing, ha. had her share of adventure. For
several generations tho Davleses have been
a, seafaring people, nnd she herself was
born down by tho sea where Its rugged
shores gavo her the spirit of the venture
some aallor.
"If you want to hear red-blooded adven
ture," aays Miss Davles, "find un old salt
ot forty years ago, nnd ho will spin yarns
of how ho was thirty days rounding The
Horn' or of tho last typhoon when the sea
ran over tho ship from sprit to stern, or tho
tima when, with cutlass and bludgeon, they
beat off tho pirate crew In the China Sea.
Theso stories will make red-blooded fiction
seem trivial compared with the reality
They nro colorful tales, and when one hears
them from the cradle they feel the call ot
tho sea the samo as those old mariners did
before them Dut I was a girl and could
not go before the mast, otherwise I would
tune been a sailor, too
"Nevertheless, tho spirit of travel was
my heritage and when a small theatrical
company came to our town ono night I made
up my mind that I would try tho profession.
An opportunity presented Itself In vaude
ville and I took advantage of It, playing In
tho two-a-day during that and tho follow
ing season. I hae had several tempting
offers to join the legitimate drama, but It
Is too serious for a young girl. To become
a grent'dramatlo actress ono must lho the
part tho moro human you mako your char
actor tho greater your success Hut youth
Is too fickle to bo stilted by deep-thlnklng
problems, ar-1 I believe that a woman
should be on the sunny side of forty before
she settles down to serious dramatlo work.
At that time of life she has probably ex
perienced ltd sunshine as well aa Its sor
rows and Joys, and In her work she can
express the emotions gained from life ex
perience nnd clothe her characters with
realism such as no young woman of lesser
years can express.
"I like musical comedy because It Is full
of Hfo and color and It keeps youth youth
ful. It comes to us but once and we should
keep It as long aa wo can. My greatest
ambition Is to-later play In the romantics
drama, and when I leave musical comedy
I hope to .find oontlnued success In that
field."
mmm'lMmmmmmf,mim t
WHAT "PHIL AND
DELPHINE" DID
FOR GIL-SPEAR
The following letter from Adrian all
Spear, winner of. tho Evcnino JEDocn
Scenario Contest, speaks very enthusiastic
ally for Itself. It arrives Just aa his script,
"Phil and Delphlno," Is rapidly assuming
celluloid form:
81r Tha Jmmtnftnc of our ot3 friend. 'Thtt
and Delphtne'a," tUbut la nnturnl!y soou nwi,
rapeclally bo. alncs I now har that llnnclAll
Stark, la colnff to ba amonir thoao preterit botilntl
tho mecaphona From my acijuatntanca with
Mr Hlark. 1 feel that I'M I and Dolphlne nro
genutnel lucky to aecure Ills aervlcea at their
aptlam and thit their entura ta aaaured an
artlatlo aucccaa and a popular ona
It would bs more than kind of you If you
could nnd ttmo to ktpp ma posted reKardlnff
any llttlo "Inalrt Info" of tha production 1
ahould greatly dcalra to ba on tha Job myaelf.
but am at tha moment juat a trltla bualer than
tho W K. ona armed iMiicrhanur halnif Just
finished tltlelnc lha completed 'Uarrler nnd
atn doep Into tho socnorlo of Ueach'a next bis; ro
leaaa 'Tha Auction lllock " And, by tha way
bealda having lho honor to bo Itex lleach'a
"oniclaf adaptor I am now worklnc with
Ralph Ineo and Hob Warwick, adaptlnc "The
Arsyla Case." which will bo Warwick's drat
starrlnx ehlcla under tho Selsnlck banner.
U occurs to ma, In mentioning tha work I am
now doing, that I owe tha Kticmso I.gDoa my
most sincere thanks for having been Instru
mental In launching ma Into tha game 1 or
in,, wlnnlnr fh irntnit I h&Va had tha nlens.
ura of finding my original storlea In demand
aavarat havo been bought by Vltoiroph. World-
llrady and Kamous.
OUS J'laiera iiirnv kib n,
Itobert Warwick Juat nnlshed
",..Ihmi ' 9n nn
one of mine for llrady, called Tha Honor of
tha Wayna'a," Kdlth Btory having completed
another ono. titled "Tho Counlosa " aoma tlma
ago iiotn or tneaa, i near, ura niwut n, o r
laased. so mention of them seems In order. . My
I mentioned, am now at work on rna
Auction lllock." In ten reals, which will shortly
ba put In production by Ua Ilex Oeach Days
""hops you will forgive Oils effort to become
my own press agent, but I honestly feel that I
owe tha Uviiko tigoosa a alncora debt of
thanks and Incidentally have a hunch that tho
foregoing all of which Is authentic may coma
under tho head of "News "
You will. 1 hops, convey my bast wishes to
Messrs. Htark and Itedwlc and tha merabere of
tha cast of 'Phil and Delphlno"
Any servlca that I may render them tn thla
venture I should ba happy to voUinteer and.
bellava me. sincerely, alb Si lMl.
Ventnor. N. J., Nov. 1. 1018.
THE SPEECHLESS
PLAYER
Mr, Oslo Satterlee, who will play tho part
of the stock broker In "Droadway After
Dark" at the "Walnut Street Theater Monday,-
Is a dlstlngulshed-looklng stranger,
of dignified manner and bearing One
striking peculiarity of Mr. Satterlee Is
his objection to being known as n member
of tho company with which he travels, ow
ing to many petty annoyances the players
are subjected to, and he Invariably gets
array from tho station directly upon the
arrival of the train.
A few seasons ago he was with a com
pany playing a one-night stand In Illinois,
and, true to his usual custom, grasped his
valise and started out ot the station, as he
Intended to walk to the hotel. In an in
stant he found himself surrounded by a
mob of hackmen who endeavored to force
hlra Into a, vehicle. "Cab, sir!" "CarrlageT"
Take you to tho CommerclalT" "Qlobe
Hoteir "This way, Blr," "Want a cheap
room, sir?" "Jump right In here, sir." But
still Mr. Satterlee walked right on, looking
neither to tha right nor left. At last, one
persistent Jehu, after 'receiving no answer
to his cries, said, "Deaf and dumb asylum,
take you right up for a quarter," And right
there was where Mr. Satterlee rode.
OUT-POTASHING
POTASH
Ooorre Ashby, who has won reputation
for courtesy and wit at tho Oarrlck box
office, nearly lost his nerve the other day.
There was a Una of customers at the win
dow when & woman, rather stout and
middle-aged, reached the bead of the line,
"Ilave you two good scats not back further
than the eighth row for Thursday night?'
she asked.
"Yes. madame," replied the courteous
Ashby, taking down tho Thursday seats and
selecting two.
"One of them must bo an end seat You
know I am Inclined to ba a llttlo stout"
"I wouldn't have noticed It," gallantly
replied the (ticket seller. "However, one of
these l an end seat,"
"IIpw much?"
"Two dollars each."
"Well, you take ray name and leave
them for roe. If It don't rain I'll probably
come, but I feel that I am catching cold.
a? If the weather Is Inclement I'll come
round the first clear day and you can
change them for me."
Thla show will cure your cold, madarae.
to don't hesitate on that couftL w had
il, man hwa the) other mi
mo
.4.H.I
rSll-WU"
Repertory of Ballet
Russe
Mirrnoror.iTAN nkxt winnr.
Thursday 'Taplllon " "Til T5nl-
RvenlSg 'ensplegel" (new) "I.a
SSTo" si Bpectr- do la Stoea"
and ' I'rlnca Igor '
Frldsy "Pelniuchka " "l.es
leaning 8 y 1 p ti I d a a" and
Nov a "ttchcherniado '
Hiturdar "Bsilko" (new). "Til
Afternoon. Tsiileneplegel ' "Car-
S'ov ? "3 naval- and "L
"ov' 1'rlncessa Knchantea"
WHEN "WALLY" WAS
A COWBOY
BOLD
"Can you Imagine a young fellow Juit
out of college, with the true college rig ot
several years ngo peg-top- trousers, short
coat wldo extenslon-soled shoes, comedy
hat and noisy socks, getting off a train at
Cody, Wyo.T That creation was me,"
laughed Wallace Held, tho I.asky star, who
will be seen at the Stanley Theater the Inst
half of next week In "The Yellow Tawn."
"I was hunting for my first Job fresh
from college knowing everything In the
world, I had a letter of Introduction to a
ranchman near there, and ho gavo me a Job
as a cowboy and v,hat tho other cow
bos did to me was aplenty. I was bucked
off horses, sent on wild goose chases found
snakes In my bed, got Into lights got
licked, but there was one thing that I could
do, and that v.is imlm Just at that tlmo
tho Yellowstone Klver was running at Hood,
and I dared everybody to swim It with me.
Nobody took It up nnd everjbody said It
couldn't bo done. Finally, I Bwam It, and
after that tho cowboys knew that I could
do something which they could not
"I soon quit the ranch, howeer, and got
a Job aa night clerk In tho hotel at Cody,
but I nearly queered tho hotel for life the
first night I was on the Job by appearing
in a dinner Jacket However, the hotel
recovered from this taint on Its character,
and I didn't dress up any more."
ROBERT E JONES
Whose BcenJc work Is pictured ari '
T CsHsHsK & JiVsflssssalssssssssssssssssiejssilasssssVlfl
INTELLIGENCE IN
AN INTELLIGENCE
BUREAU
Thevi are happy days for the followers of
tho varieties Moro and moro those who
preside over this form of entertainment nro
roachlng out nnd bringing tho best talent
In other fields within their lists. This tea
son a long lino of nrtlsta from tha
legitimate, grand opera nnd musical comedy
stngo has been recruited to tho rank of
nudollIe Ileatrlco Herford, an enter
tainer who onco conflnod her distinctive
tnlenti to drawing rooms and Individual
recltnls gUen In theaters, has found genuine
fnor In tho rnnks of the two a-dny artists
with her aeries of characterizations of
comedy types.
"Where do you get your Inspirations for
theao fragments of charnctcrlrntlona?" an
Intcrvlower nsked hor, knowing as every
onn docs, tint sho writes her own storlea
before she recites them.
"Oh, I get n, hint here, see a funny ex
perience there nnd make tho rest up," she
replied. "You havo to. Life Is rarely
sustalnlngly funny, or sad, or trnglo. The
bit I do on tho employment bureau was
written before I ever stepped Insldo of one.
How did I know? Only from what I read
and heard my friends say. But when I
finally wmt to one. It was pretty much aa 1
hnd Imagined
"At a certain employment bureau where
I have bocome known, the ladles looking
for servantn not Infrequently edge away
when I appear They are loath to have
their conversation utilized for matorlnl and
regard me very much askance. It was there
that I onco had a reverse experience from
that on which Is based my tale of tho tried
and found-wanting applicant for a servant
I occupied tho position of would-bo em
ployer I, like the lady of my sketch, had
been found lacking by a series of prospoo
tho employes.
"As I Interviewed tho next one, who
wanted exorbitant wages and was obvious
ly Impossible, a thought flashed through my
tired head. She stood there haughtily,
having answered all of my questions "un
satisfactorily, though she did not know It
"And now,' I snld gently, Met me ask
you one more question Do you play tho
plnno?' Her eyes opened widely. No, she
did not 'Oh, I'm sorry, I replied. 'I'm
afraid you won't do I'm nfrnld you won't
do. You see, I take singing lessons and my
maid must be able to accompany me during
tha day. No I couldn't think of hnvlng
a maid who couldn't accompany my music
I'm sorry When I wont out," she con
cluded, "there was a group of girls all
waiting to see the lady who must have a
girl who could play tho piano, so she could
accompany her singing. I fear I- derived
considerable satisfaction from that exploit
and felt quite repaid for my trying morn
ing" HERE, SAYS DRAMA
LEAGUE, IS THE
MOTHER'S PLAY
This Is tho play for the mother, says
tho bulletin In which the playgolng com
mittee ot the Drama League Indorses "The
Harp of Life" at tho Broad She la thirty
six years old without any one over noticing
It, when suddenly her boy has become a
man I A moment or two ago sho was romp
ing with him In some skylarking, boyish
game; and a moment or two before that
sho was desperate over the loss of his baby
curls. And now she Is thirty-six long years
old, and she Is sitting up all night waiting
for her boy to come homo; and when he
does come home at daylight he Is no longer
her eon. She had spent nineteen years mak
ing him Into a man, she said, and with one
nod from a notorious fills de Jols she has
lost him. That all those years shall not be
a hideous waste the mother fights, and In
tha end she wins.
Mlsa Lauretta Taylor, the mother who
will not grow old. Is unquestionably a
player of power. She tpuches her bearers
with such subtle, unobtrusive art that they
mote with her moods; they wait with her
during the anxious hours; they are tor
turned by her doubts; they suffer with her
fears, and their eyes brim with her tears.
One becomes for the moment tha eternal,
watchful, loving, forgiving mother; and It
Is pleasant and healthful transmutation
even for a man.
J Hartley Manners, the author, has (old
a story dealing frankly with the mystery of
birth, but he baa done It with simple dig
nity The company ot players, which In
eludes Philip Merlvale, MUs Lynn Fon
tanne. Miss Sara Blala. Mlsa Ffolliot Paget
Plon Tltheradge, and frank Kembte Cooper,
assist notably In keeping the Illusion ot
Korlousnota. u la not by any means a. ope.
.JartplaXr
rianrjlc'o Mr. Ellis Tells
Wliatfl What in Making Sure of a Check
From Photoplay Concerns
By CARLISLE ELLIS
Scenario Editor for Triangle
Here, at t moment ichen iht Jtvenlng
Ledger 1'rUe Scenario, "rill nnd DelpMne,"
U being fllmeil, comes an nulftoriloJIve ar
ticle on icfiv certain big producers prer
Ihe "ivnoptli" to the scenario. It shouM
prove ni'dltible to redder who followed
Harry O. lloyt't lesaona In photoptow
writing published during the jnmmer.
TRIANQLE nnd Its studios ask only for
the synopsis form, believing that this
form is fully adequate to giro all the vital
elements of a photoplay, If properly em
ployed. The question Is not really one be
tween synopsis and continuity, but one ot
synopsis construction.
It la simple to define a synopsis as a
short, running narrative of a photodrama,
but the drama contains a well defined
theme, tho characterisation of socrnl per
rons, the development of a dramntlo story
by episodes tho character deelopment that
their now ballet, "Till Eulcnspletrel."
tho wall. At tho right is a striking
GRUMPY'S CREATORS,
ACTORS AND AU
THORS, TOO
Although "The Little Lndy In Blue."
which brings rrnncca Starr to tho I road
n week from Monday, la tho first play
by I lorn co IIodgcH and T. Wlgncy I'orcytnl
to reecho a production nt thn lunula of
David Bolneco, two of their other plays,
namely, 'Grumpy," In which Cyril Mnudo
appeared last season nnd "Sunday," which
lHhnl Bnrrymoro used several yenrn ago,
nro fnmlllnr to American theatergoers
Messrs Hodges ond Percy nl nro two
actors who havo been Identified with the
English stngo for many years They ap
peared with tho Into Wilson Barrett in
many nf his plays, and canto to this country
with tho noted actor on (ho occasion of
hla last visit when he played In "Tho Sign
of tho Cross." They rcmnlncd with Barrett
for a period of fourteen years, appearing
In London and tho pnnlnces In virtually
every play that ho produced It waa dur
ing this time they conceived the Idea of
collaborating on plays and turned out "Sun
day" us their first Hodges played tho
rolo of Lively In tho production both In
tho provinces and In London, whore It wna
HrBt produced back In 1304.
"Grumpy" was their second play, and
so popular did It prove In tho hands ot
Cyril Maude that when this English actor
came to this country In the piece, Hodges
organized a company to tour the provinces
In It with himself In the rolo of tho eccentrlu
old character which Mr. Maude made bo lov
able to American theatergoers.
"Little Lady In Blue," their Intest effort,
wns suggested to them when playing an
engagement In Portsmouth, Kng, Tho Im
pression they gained of that seaport town
during their stay there Influenced their
writing of the pleco nnd was responsible for
the nnutlcal atmosphere which characterizes
tho play.
The Vicarious
Scene-Painter
COMMENTING on tho "Midnight
Frolic." tho New York Morning
Telegraph says, "As for tho now
stage setting, designed, aa hereto
fore, by Joseph Urban, who seems
bent on providing scenery for the
entlro world, Mr. Ziegfcld has out
dono himself." Business of Mr.
Urban biting his thumb at the press I
A BIT OF
affifirt - H r --i" ' t-ti- .,'ifr iwnwvv, ..'.. ,; ,,., . . - " i fiin-feaaasBsf
Bobert E Jones's grotesque conception of a me41 paB; 1a fM
. JuJMJ)legel, tlMi jBll$ Sussa's poveUl $M aWMWsV
tne Movie-Struck Writer
the culmination of the episodes Involve
and nil expressed visually.
Tho perfect synopsis would contain all
these elements, though all of them might
not bo specifically stated.
To write an ntlequato synopsis it la eti
dent that the drama must first be thought
out In dotnll; tho scenes mentally visualised
and nrrnnged In sound and effective con
tinuity, tho theme clenrty held In mind J
characters so well developed that they Bra
actually living In tho author's Imagination,
and nil seen
Then, whether the synopsts Is In 1000
wnrdn or 6000, It will automatically register
the visualized drama and In Its readlnjr
will awaken to tho ee of the reader a plo
turo story rather than a spoken one.
The writing of continuity from auoh
si nopsls. with tho staff man's knowledge ot
hK studio's methods, limitations and per
sonalities, will becomo a comparatively
simple tnsk nnd may closely reflect the
plan nnd Intent of tho author.
It Is still true, however, that highly In
dlvldunllzcd creative product to be really
great must rompleto Itself In the mind of
its author. An operatic composer may not
conduct his own performance, but he would
not dream of turning over tho orchestration
of his score to another man. The coming
geniuses of tho film will think out their
pictures to the minutest detail, and even
though they do not actually direct the mak
ing of tho picture their thought and vision
will be roerenlly studied nnd Interpreted,
Tho nrmy ot scenario writers, following
the lend ot tho current product, with but
llttlo practical training In building either
tn pictures or In dlnlogue, rather dazed by
tho momentum ot tho new art, ye't limited
by tho necessary standardization of a,
product mndo to eII widely nnd uniformly
tho nrmy of scrnnrio writers Is foeltng Its
way rather blindly
But the big nnd fatal error of tho ama
teurs Is tho belief tint nny story In any
form, bo long ns It contains certain stock
oxternnla, will mako a picture; and that
slnca they aro nsked only for synopses,
they do not hno to put constructive thought
and Inbor Into their product They have
been told "It ti Idoas that oount," and
thoy Imnglne nn Idea to consist merely of
the framework of an episode something
thnt may coma to ono while, wiping tho
breakfast dishes and be Jotted down while
tho potatoes nro boiling.
Not ono sccnnrlo synopsis In one hundred,
except thoso written by men who haVe
worked on studio staffs, shown thinking
out of tho drama In torms of oonsecutlvo
pictures, and It Is for this one hundredth
that tho editors nre looking. Given that
attrihuto the matter of a continuity Is
secondary.
A to subject, the present demand Is
for contemporary dramas ot American life.
Tho renl meaning of this demand is that
plcturo patrons seem to want to see stories
that aro convincingly actual excerpts from
a life, they know; that touch their own
lives In externals as well as In theme.
Characters In costumo ploys, for example,
cannot quite bo believed In na real people.
Therefore costumo plays, according to ex
hibitors, are anathema. Symbolto plays
with an clement of fantasy or pure Imagina
tion "couldn't bo true." Therefore they do
not say anything to a great mass ot plc
turo patrons Therefore they havo failed
almost Invariably, slnca there Is bo far no
specialization of motion plcturo nudlohcos.
'When that comes, there will h a demand
for a new nort of picture, that sets Innor
truth nhove realism, and a now picture
vision will be born.
Trlanglo finds, however, that given ft
solid and literal realism. Its patrons are)
moro nnd moro responslvo to tho newer
elements In the shadow drama. These ele
ments and this tendency are plain enough.
The drama ot merely extornal happenings
to more lay figures, tho play of fights and
chases and daring deeds and nothing else,
li chlng place to the drama of tho human
consciousness. Not only must the charac
ters of today's photoplay be living people
with souls and moods and minds ot various
sorts, but theso characters, going through
the flres of dramntlo conflict, must change
and grow. Character development things
going on Insldo of folks Is the big and
vital element of tho big, vital picture-drama
that Is nhead of uu, aa It la of all real
drama, of all real art.
This almost predicates that plays must
hao a theme. The story must bo not only
nbout people ond things; It must bo about
something bigger than lndlvlduals,and vital
to all or many of them.
Theso aro tho elements that Triangle is
looking for In the scenarios that come In
to it And if they are not at least Indicated
In tho synopsis the search Is seldom carried
farther. One would not look In the
architect's specifications to the contractor
to find out whether he was building an
Italian Itenalssance postofflce or a Spanish
bungalow.
So wo beltevo that It Is the synopsis which
will becomo the recognized medium of trans
ferring photoplay Ideas and plans, but ft
rebuilt and Illuminated synopsis, am much
a literary product ns a good short story,
but quite different from a short stop-, ft
skillful and well-packed compendium of
colorful fact, carefully constructed to carry
continuity of Interest and Indicate the entire)
structure and plan of the drama.
BIZARRERIE
srar
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