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NESTWEEKj "WHICH ONE SHALL I MARRY?" AT WALNUT; MARY PICKPORD
Movie" Operas Promised
Soon By Tliomas Edison
Inventor, Deploring Certain Tendencies Film Pro
duccrs, Foresees Blend of Music and Pictures
as Artistic Entity
VlZiLnnn 0 .Volo i'ark toto fins had o
ffi "' ,0"' timc,u ""' '"""f''?,"'
f& 6WIvm (II fne Nlnrtf 0 MlOflB
pi-flint oprraj , .
TnatZ A. EDISON la not well illcnrert
' ,;h ti movliiB Ploiuro Hltiiatlnti,
" others .hare His reeling, nmlMwM It
Jlr nsrhano the namo feasnnst. Mr, ttdlson
K,ff" hH suggestions. Wn predictions, mint
& .ken ni th full value. Itn Is n lonfc.
Sf,wn." 'h'nlr. Ills pcreentngis of nc
eurnrv In fore, .is! lug Brent event nnd in
mrwnt hatme.i "f any Kind outranks that
of any .mrrlc.in
He . ''IP IUHI in I" "I""--"." "" . --
lltht. tin- pluuingrnpll,
the mollon picture:
iieen Instrnmental to a further
anrt I"' ,,n"
riri.vmg out those prophecies than
'
nv Ami ni "
For tllttl teasun oiona ins
cplnton iJ "eighty.
Thotn.i' i'lis"ti typifies tlie Croat Ameri
can of tiul.iv There Is n popular mlsbP
niefth.it gieut Amerlenns aro Inaccessible;
JL. 1C1 are ilitlleulB men to meet and talk
Jo Tin' nun hn liavo notlilm! to nay to
cat -iti'i icuiH aro responsible for that
rumor
Inlhe case "f Mr. Kdlsnn, that belief has
taken 'he f'"" "f ,l tradition. Newspaper
interrleuers bring bank tlio report tlint the
treat Inunior tcfuse.i to grant an nudl
,nre tli.it he postpones Intel views week
' after no.lt: that ho l Mil rounded by a
biiln-oiK .f secretaries, whose pole occupa
tion l uantlng off ambllluut .ion nut lists.
Ierl)ip" 'hat I" true. Wo did not lltitt It
true ami the i en inn. we tlilnlf. la that Mr.
' lMI'nn hilieved that the Motion I'lrfmc
News could iv.iney his utterances to a inoro
OSCAR SHAW SAW
ZEPPELINS RAID
LONDON
Itlghi i. it liom under the boom of the
Zepnelmi tti.it h.ul been Shelling London
Mh.iu. over a year hi;, to He
roine a nieniiitr or
"Very Hood KUdle,"
and hii hua remained
ever since In that imi-
oil rnmedy, now at
tho Adelphl Theatre.
iiw.ir Shaw, who la
.t l'hil.uli Inhlan. and
limi S inm. a to tlioiiMunda
! "Vit& 33t?SR horo aa Oacar
:-.. Iiwart., was playing
a t the Itaymarltot
Tliontri'. In London. In
a musical levuo. One
night ln Foptember
iho show was proBresa
uiK peacefully, when
the in was heard a loud
boom, about 100 times
louder than the noiso
tfi.miti'mobilo tiro bursting. 7'roplo lu
th. theatr.i beeame ncrvoua, looked about
and suddenly l(ali7.cd It wa tho Zcp's.
"I .wan on the HtaKo doing the last nunc,"
said Mr Shaw, "and T heard tho nome. At
once I kni'u what It V.ih, but tlie mualcal
director nodded to bo on with tho bong.
Then the s-rape director Ftepped to tho front
and advisc.1 the audience to vemutn seated,
as It waa siifi-r In.ildo than out. Hut eory
ona rushed for tho Htrcet, and so did tho
actors, i.iaUe-up and nil.
"I saw a m.ndorfut slclit. Thero was
a, huge ballnon-Mhaiieil thing apparently at
the end f a .scoro pf senrchllKhta, Theno
cre folli.K ng it about constantly tp keen
Its act 'on in view. But It dropped shells,
while tho antl-iurcraft guns IJred shrapnel
at the Zep. If T had not realized the dancer
I would luin hten lost In admiration at tint
ueautiful nlKht Thero were threo Zaps.
though . uiild iieo but one und one of
them ilri,pi.il u uoto saying tho next time
thero m. ild be a dozen. .
"Aui.i.i i.iy name I was born Schwartz,
right In..' :n I'hlUdelphln, and I am not u
German Hut the Unglish authlnltUs f ured
I might bo a .spy, and put me through u
third decree I had to appeal to tho Amer
ican Ambassador, cable homo for documen
tary elilenca of my birth, ami finally
change my namo to Shrtw to hldo any evi
dence! of M-eming to bo a Herman. As Lon
don audiences wero exceedingly kind to me,
and as I intended to return thoio after the
war, I derided to rotnln my new name permanently''
Ki came (im'hi
re :
P- x ;' -v'M
I; fdt4hi
Or. In other Avorda, Charles "Winruijer'3 remarkaBJe imitation in -The Cohan Revuo tOlfi of Leo Ditrtch
stem's Jean Paurel in ''The Great Lover," beside whom he is standing in the photograph. As to which is the
geatletnaa playias at tho goriest nnd vhich tha one at the Garrick, you'll have to decide for yourself.
Inteliieent anil representative audience than
any publication In tho field, fn fact, that i,
what Mr Mdhmti tnhl tm.
tlo wna worlilhB In the Utile brick Inb.n
ntory upyi one of hi cndlesa ftpcrlmerc
when. the reporter from the News nrrlwd
and bo got to the subject without ahy mn.
lime wasted than that consumed In tva-lum;
his hands.
"To tell you the truth,' he said, "I nm
Quite a little disappointed In tho trend tin'
tho film" are taking, tn fact, t had. until
quite recently, almost decided to tunc n
more In do nlth them. The Impulses of th
bullish y s"em to be so spasmodic Tloi
are no sigim of integration, of a gclihiK i.
Bethel- Thete doesn't seem to he or. h
level-headed thinking being done. It sc m
to me Kvery man Is for himself. Wii
cntl't there be more team Work?
"tit course, as a .producer In the " .1
d.iys, my interest tenda now towaid pm-
ductlon. and productloti problems. Th..i
are n (treat ninny! t visited on of th
theatres tho other nlsht. and what did I
see noting on the screen? Sticks Whet
nre moilng-p'ctuie actors and nclresse" '
Why, there nrrn't any! A producer mma
ilays hires people with nothing more than
tmmes.
"The tniivlns-plcture nctors and actresses
of tomoi row nre undiscovered, tn time there
will be a gradual sifting down. I'nkpie qual
ities nre dematfded by tho screen, and the
stane Is not supplying them. Ill n few years
hc will have men and women who nre
trained for the screen from tholr youth.
They will develop n desire for their art at
infancy, Just an a painter or u poet devel
ops his Instincts in youth.
"1 du not believe In five-reel pictures
Throe reels Is the Ideal lenatli. With three
I eels, perheps two. there call be lio pad
ding, ''or dramatic pieces the t" and
three reel picture will survive. The five-reel
play Is a fad. as slapstick comedy Is a fad
Hnt'li will pasa on.
"The theatre owners the exhibitors
wero rather hasty, I think, In condemning
school shows and church shows. The ex
hibitor has been trained to fear and tight
finvthltie which has savored of competition.
He falls In realize that moving pictures In
schools and churches would stimulate tho
Interest in pictures generally; that, before
long, the publlo which now looks down
upon thu film would sense Its remarkable
appeal. Ills patronage would be broad
ened. I am sorry that exhibitors feel the
way they do. I think they will chango their
minds when conditions beeoiifo mora set
tled. "Hid It ccr occur to you that people
don't llko to bo educated by forco? My
suggestion of education by means of film
was taken too literally. I'eojilo had an Idea
that film education might bo crammed down
their throats. That was not my Intontlon
at nil. Tho eventual picture tho popular
film of the distant future will liavo what
wo might call un educational tone. It will
not bo labeled educational.
"Within n year or two I hopo to liavo
moving-plctuio opera to offer tho public.
Our limitations ut present are those duo to
the phonographic receiver. The compaHS or
tho tecelwr Is not great enough to Include
a grand opera stage. We have not quite
overcome the obstacle of dbtanco aa yet.
That Is one of tho difficulties that tlma and
effort will remedy."
SOME FACTS ABOUT
AN ACTOR-KNIGHT
Sir Herbert licet bohni Tree, who Is soon
to present at tho ll.urick his ievlv.il of
Shakespeare's "Henry VIII," was born In
Loudon lu 1853. His llrst appearance un
thu stugo nas in a play called "Alone," at
tho r'nlkstoiie town hall. Altur fHo years
spent In laming the uiruvlnceH, he under
took tho iiiunasciiuiiit of a London theatre.
Sincu Ihiil tlmu ho has been ulmost con
tinually in London, and since 1SU7 has had
his own theatre. His Majestya. Twenty
years ago he visited America, in repertory,
ills success In tho lingllsh metropolis, how
ever, kept hiu-tlt homo and It was only
due lo conditions lu Knglniid that lust
spring he was able to comu to New York
to take part in the Hlmkespearo tercente
nary celebration. Tho phenomenal success
of "lloiiry VIII" In that city led him to
muke u slioit tour of the Hast this fall. In
January ho returns to Kngland to produce
"The tlreat Lover."
Sir Herbert has played In two movies In
Ameilca, one, "Old Folks at Home." has
been seen In ' Philadelphia. Tho other.
"Macbeth," has yet to ho released here.
"THE SINCEREST FLATTERY"
EVENING MDGKR-PniLADBLPnTA, SATURDAY, JANUARY 13,
i
I lj0i
W' .
Wliat litllf iioy tan toll tho n nm1
Uitfhl! I.. M. P. (which mmh'
Motion JNctu'o or Litilu Mui
on n hit of Scotch ground, "shot nt
Mnrblcliunri, Mass., whero thou
munis of people authored to fcl her
act in "Tito t'rido of tho Clun." It
eomua to tho Stanley next week.
'Pearl of tke Army'
lly OIV McCllNNIlM
Sri'M.irlo !r
(iKOKdi: nierKi:iT snir
Author of "Thu Iron 'lnw " 'Tim .HhU-.tln-r
Stut.li.W.
!'H(nnci;i nv i-atui
Rt'lftU!)!. n "I'or th Stnr- unit Slrlnf."
Cuinrlnht. Iflltt. by rtforse Untekftt elt.
'Voft to the wntlrr .1 nfw wciutrto of "ttnrl
of the .irwj, ' witt b imblithvd in this titUsptuifr
trtt y tcrrfc. Itnul it here, thru aro how the
fjirf-t''' tro proditrtU from It i tito((i-i(o-tiiru
theatre thouittu "Peart of the Army,")
CAST
T. O. Adnm ltnlph Kellanl
iVarl Dare .Tenrt White
Colonel Dnre...... ..."VV, l. Cnrlcltut
M u.l or Brent Theolore Krlflimi
TtrUia UtHin, Maria AVnytie
Toko T. Tama mot o
Tho Silent Menacn U
PAUT ONR
Subtitle Orderly AJani-4 Imn rcHcuf-l Poarl
from Urn Hilutit Munurt iiimI the (Imnatlian
bninllt. Holvnt. Hut th Vm tin run r.iniil nlnn-i
wUU'h thv aouKhC ho Iihh m-ix.tl from Pearl
for hlmMt-lf.
Menu i-l.ot'utInn n.i pir last si-n of pruvioiij
p-imt. opi'M iliaphinmn on forRrontnl nf
Pt-nrl ami Arinmx by tiutomoblb. AJm has
Ju.Ht tjififii iht napfrrt from !Narl nnl bho l.i
v'tfplriff. Full "ft A'lama Kofs buck to top of
I 'noil to Hf.ii if ttny are bciim ourutifd. Ohkps
nhout. Show foi-iirouml ttf Pnrl tn niitinno
bll Hhttilow r Hllfiit Aliuirtpi appours on
machtp-. S'mw fon'Ktourul Atl.una sutlatlfil tiwv
nr ttnftf from purmili, ttirim . bai'k towanl
mnrhliK Htnrtlcd at thtt ntbt that tireetH him.
.Show furruiiii.l of KHent Moii.ilu b-uphm Into
autumobltu ami ovtrpowurinit Ptnrl. who
strtirtL'k'i with him. Full . fee t Rllfttt Mfnarn
Hwlftly HturtM rar olT with Ptari 111 AJama
(rumt'H up Adama rutia a f) HtopH lu pursuit,
but tho purault la plainly hopeletti ami liu kIvb.-
up--btat''U. 1'lnHf Ulaphraum
H'np " Locution oulal'dn Hdobe nhai'k. HM
liora tthpretl u-ur i Silent Monaco ami
Parl drlVM uu lu auto. Silent .Mnuco luupa out
ami ioutls I'tjjirl Into tthitck
Hcens R f iwl1 Hlmuk. Meslcan woman in
picture. Silent Menar cumvi In otxuine with
Puarl. w'm turn- to htm petulant. v nnd an:
Hpoketi tlth "I haie told yuu the truth, thfl
man who was with m atolo tho pUtu." lnt
MHPafu ordcia wo.n in to -Miami I'earl for
import, yik-nl Alutmio oxlla aa wuman vlaita to
ubty.
Hlhiia t Outside abuok as par scone i Hib'nt
M'-n.ii'n pti'Mns niMouKly up and down. MhsW.wi
woman nnnoi to floor, tflla him aho ha btt-n
unabla to lind apthinu on Pearl. Silent ilenaet
uua into room nti woman.
Scfim 5 Inside shark aa per scono 3 Ivarl
la iut ftnlKhltiii dresHimr. Hllcnt Menape and
woman roiiid In. Hiletit Munacu thliiku a
iiir.mtnt, thun apaka.
Hptikan tltl" "You had better rniialn here.
The uotintry la lull f Itolpru'a men nlm nilKht
hurt yoy. I'll aeml word to the Amerlruna
whvio ou are." iuitiliiuluir Hit-m. Silent
M-n ti-Q M'rlhblofi not- uud Kive it to wuman lie
.Hh wlih hr.
Smnw tl uutalriu shark as per nrn- 'J Slbmt
?.ltn.iu and M'xieuu woman imiih- out M-xb'nn
unman iid off on horm. Silent Alftiao drlvta
off in automobile.
Heena 7 i3ruh location Adauia oit-il on
uroutui fxamlnliiff plana. Suddenly heartt x.nnv
..nt. a pproa chintf from behind, I Itrtuta pap m
u.i.. i.id iittit. druviy uun. ri0S and turn aa a
handful of !ioleroa men rlda up. AtUma mm
ilipin up wllh hla rvohvr. but soon atiH(li3
thiiu that lm la a uupporter of ItoWru. Un i
ifiul"rt tho una at an extra, horse and ride olf
witn mem
SubiUU-An hour Utar.
WHEN MARY
af the pupular him
mran cither, KooIy
1'n.Kfonl) m -tuii'lini
Here wo have the rear icw of a Si
bo scon tit the extieme right of
light pole in the picture was put
work in connection with
Scene K Headquarter.-! Amerind ramp tui.
and other nillrrra In ptttir .Mounted ntllt it
cornea in with Mexican woman. Hh dlniiumii
iiiiu Boua up to Dare, and presetitH ito. H
leads. Insert rlosy foreuruund of notu un
KcTPHn.
Colonel riarf Voiip d.niBhtor I? safe. Thla
woman will lad you to her.
ONB WHO KNOWS.
Continuing scone, raro laauos orders tu of
llcers. KxlM with woman.
Scene 0 Oiiteld' aback aa per aecno 2
Iiolt-rlut and Aiiuum rld"H up.
8cine to Inxtdo Hhark na per arnne n. Pearl,
sealed, disconsolate. Hjtara aounda oulalde. Uoea
to wluduw. ihun Hti-pH ba k In fear. HolcrlMtera
enter boiafproun!y thtoush door. Surprbtuil to
hpo her and Imuiedlnti'ly attractul by her
beauty th rrowd about her. Adams puatiea
hla way through and aunouuct-M:
HjMiken tlth--"Tip num.in Is mine." One of
tho Uolertjfters attempt . ta dispute tho nt He
rnent and ataita to draw his ami. 1ml Ailunt
ahoota him dead. Tho others aru plainly emtd
by this prompt roiirar ami under hla teot"d
revolver flHuify tlu- aro wtllliu? lo Iciwi the
Ctrl to him.
Subtitle Holt ro' PtmnHhoId and the tnetlna
plate of the Ant! merb-'ni Lvuuti.
Seen.. II outaldn stromrhold. Th HIIhii
M'-iiui e ta iloui ii.i). Attaint I'purl and
HolerlHtera ridti into picture. Sib-m Meuaett
Loobying for tke
V 3BlPiiBefi&SSKJ5J& tfiwfret VkmSK!
Ar a"'!! Is-SaSii M&SlSli
1 WSwiSi?. "I
xftftsS'f 'iui Hii&zft S.sS Krsraf 'i f&wyS
EAR Or.D GALLERY DAYS," music by Irving Berlin,
words by Henry IVIiller.
It ought to make a hit. There is a swing in tlie
title to satisfy the most exacting ragliiueri and Poet Miller has
a theme full of memories and romance wiiich ought to blossom
out into ton everlasting verses
Miller has done it into free verso already in connection with
the news of the theatre he is maiding in New York. Miller, like
fill the rest of us, got his start in tho gallery and loves it still.
Consequently, he is going to make the upper shelf of his play
house as habitable and inviting as the parquet.
Some of us may not like that. Romance flourishes on hard
ship, and the memory of tho climb, mental alpenstock in hand,
which brought us to the heights whenco we looked down on all
the kingdoms of tho dramatic world, is still sweet. If Miller
puts in .an elevator, as did the Shuberts in one of their new
theatres in St. Louis, it mny be like urging tho Alpine mountain
climber to try tho funicular railway.
But there were delights of the gallery which no amount of
comfort can over wither. The democracy of it, tho fellowship;
freedom from the bibs of etiquette; elevation, mental and physical
together; tho gathoring of tho house as an indication of the
play's popularity; peanuts and chocolate consumed with sublime
self-possession ; the program sheet of handy if not handsome in
formation ; polite hand-clappings, then foot-scrapings, poundings,
catcalls, when "eight-flfteen" became eight-thirty! the play it
self from that magical treetop angle, and tho riotous spurring of
applause, wave after wave, which Anally brought that dearest
treasure of tho gods, the curtain speech.
Perhaps these are memories now. But it is not because the
galleries have become too comfortable. If there is less of cama
raderie and commotlun in the gallery today it is because the
gallery has become too costly and the moving picture too cheap,
Time was when fifteen cents bought "San Toy" at the Chestnut
Street Theatre or "Mile. 'Awkins" nt the Walnut, when a quarter
purchased Mrs. Pat Campbell at the Broad. Now it is a half-dollar
crowd and half a crowd at that which toils upstairs to find
somstimes a thin red line of seventyftve cont aristocracy across
the front of the gallery.
Obviously, plays must be move costly nowadays, what with
finer productions and more expensive actors, So we complain
not at a two-dollar-and-a-half scale Saturday nights; New York
pays patiently that same price every night of the week at half
a dozen theatres. But was it good business to raise gallery prices?
If the movies have eaten up gallery audiences, as we are told again
and again, isn't the right answer not a more comfortable gallery,
but a cheaper one? Better the half loaf of a gallery filled at
fifteen cents and a quarter than none at all at fifty cents a seat.
The theatre should fight the movies fight them for the audi
ences of gallery democrats that have been lured away fight them
with prices that will bring them back again. K, M.
MAKES A MOVIE
. mw- hi ? l . NssKa wsf wAWriatP
T ' ' Ta1 I 9 tB ftliXVi'aA tc4ft3lFii Vwlcflie'
xtar in thu lui'tui-f '.' ' t ' Hi H 3 wrawnWWfc5
- .i ii mttapre, the front of which may
the photograph above. Tho electric
up in order to facilitate night camera
"The Pride of the Clan."
pilcklv eoora facH with black handUrrchlef.
Hitnili to sevtirnl cf llolero'a men and mdr
Ad una x.-iyed. "I'hen. IndlratlriK Peart, ho epeuk.
Hpoketi tltlit "The irtrl la to bo uu harmed, abe
la under inv protection." fontinulns n-ena.
Silent Menace Btvi's orders and Adatna and hla
captora follow tho Silent Menari out. Pearl I
Ii-ft severely nlone,
Hceue PJf Itoom In atronahpld of Antl Amer
ican loanue. Anti-American Leupue In picture.
Hilnnt .Menu co comeH tn with Adatna and his
taptora. who arc then sent out. The Silent
Metuit'o turna to Adama nnd demaudn the plana.
Adams iioneh'ilantl) hand th.jin oer. Silent
Menato cxnmlnea them qukUj, then uddrtHnea
Adama ngaln.
Spoken title "And now, my ambitious" voumc
friend, why did ou Keh the plana from th
,'irl and why have you fought me"" Cotilluuine
KKini-. Adama hesitates. tln aiiHura.
Spoken title "I founhl suit becnm 1 wanted
tbi plana und had no Idea who on wr. U
v:,in my Intention to hand the plana over to
HuI.-k, i..'t.tiitse of all thin.' I harp tlie I i;il--.
Statt h of Ameilca." Contimdns acene, silent
Mi Mai Kazeu aharplv at Adama for a few
iiiometit". then npparenth MiIiIh-u a decial in and
IndicatuM ho may go. Mli m Mt nac. turnn to
('oalluued on Page Mne, Column Two
Gods of 'trie Lot
1917
' Watih the birdie'" Maiy ts nppnrentlv
sayintr in emulation of 1 he old-time pho
tographer's trick with sulky babies nhout
to be .snapped by the camera. She, how
ever, isn't sulky. See that smile.
THOUSANDS OBSERVE
MARY'S NEW FILM
IN THE MAKING
Tlie mutter ut Imnilllnir tho crowds that
gntliiTPd to watch Mnry Plckford at work
on "location" liri-atnp nu item of nn small
concern to the producers of "Little Mary's"
new ilintoil:iy. "Thn l'rldo of tho Plan,"
which will ho exhibited next week at tho
Stanley.
When It was learned at Marblelicad.
Mass, that the famous r,crren, Idol would
proiluoo exterior scenes there for her new
Scotch picture, the entire Hiiri-uutidlng
country laid plans lo see her nt work. The
i-oadH leading to the "location" became con
KPHtHd with iiiitniiiobllra dally und the local
polloo proved entirely Incapable of handling
the crowds. Iji rector Tourneur. the well
known Krenrli producer, who Btnued Miss
I'ickford's latent artccaft vehicle, s-oon
found It Impossible to po ahead with the
production, iiuil a force of special police had
to he etiRUKed by hid nsalstaut to handle
tho i-airer spectators, who unintentionally
spoiled many feet of tfood raw stock by got
tlnir within the camera Hues.
When finally the site hail been toped In
nod tho M.-ikIiik of the play wnn again ic
sumed, many uiiione the lurjto "nudlence."
at the peril of life and limb, petche'd them
Brlves upon housetops and othir point if
vai.t.iRe. iJiiunR her nay at MurbU-lieuil
Miws I'ickford recehed hundreds of letters
in cadi mall from her muny fi-lunds, re
quest Iiijt all sorts of information rausInK
from how to become u film star overnight to
how one run develop a dimple. With the
nssistuiiCH of two secretaries tho "Darliiu;
of .Muvrlca" tried vainly to catch up with
hvr mall. Such are Hi.) perils of popular,
lty."
Nature's own geulogy saved Mary u trip
to Scotland for "Tho Pride of the Clan."
(in no pnrt of the Atlantic roast Is there a
mare rugged ami rocky strip than that at
Murblehcad, and It Ideally resembles the
weal coast uf Scotland. On these rocky
shores Mary and the members of her com
pany lived for several months making the
new picture. In one of the Incidents of the
story Miss I'u-Ufonl appears on u half
sunken fishing boat, and In this scene slio
was forced to uct bits of icallbm that
proved distinctly real and which the camera
lias faithfully recorded.
The craft, a very rickety and water
son krd veteran, sprung a leal: Just as the
important puit of the scene was being
filmed. It was only ufter considerable dltll
culty that IMreulur Tourneur rescued the
tumous star from tlio naves. Several other
scenes about the old bulk, staged later
dining the chilly November mornings, re
sulted in Miss I'ickford getting several
seero wettings.
DON'T "DOUBLE," SAYS MRS. CASTLE
Mns' VH
i.X that dot
VKIIKON CASTLE dares do all
oes become u woman; who dares
do less Is none. tu she. lu mlier words,
Mrs. r Is not a till been on the ule.i
of "doubling" In the
chances to be taken
by a feminine siar
might to be taken
really by her, ac
cording lo the dancer
und film actress
w b o s e n c w 0 . I
serial, "i'atna."
begins next week nt
Keith's Theatre.
Mrs. Cabile, lu the
title role, dives head
long front the dtck
of an ocean strainer,
thirty feet into tlie
t,a. and swims to..i
drifting launch, in.
which she ebcapes
her fues.
"Why employ mine
one eUo to do what
one can do quite as
well unefelf?" Mrs
i-atlle ai-Us In
making mot Ing pic
tun-s 11 i.t taut to
si.cct b To have ibr
beioiitu of Ihe stoiv
arouse the interest
and 6iiipathy of the
audience to an in
tense point and at
the climax let them
see, or even fcuspect
that another person
has been substituted
to perform the thrill
ing deed called for
lu the plot. Instead
of the one whose
futtunes they have
been following all
along cause a reac
tion of feeling which
immediately destroy
all the interest you
have been trying
throughout to ere -ate
'The audience
mmmmmmmmmmMmmm&&mm
ft Vj '
AT STANLEY
How to Snare
Sound Waves
In Playliouses
Expert Te
lis Methods
for Making Theatres
Record Whispers
I'fia fnUdwttia taken front itr. Krtc
reru intrreithw book, "Play Production fe
America." pubUthrd by Henry Holt Ooiiy
pann. Setc l'orfc. The book covers a tcort
nt suri angle of theatrical irorft rfit n
authoritative and irl popular nnd interett
(no fashion.
By ARTHUR EDWIN KROWS
J'ntsage of sound from th stora lo tli
sent is beset with many dllllcilltles. It I
i. h a tricky subject. In fact, that most
tieairn architects let It severely nlons and
build their houses on seemingly tried and
proved plans, without Inquiring Into eclen
tiflo whys and wherefores.
We have In America one of the greatest
constructs e authorities on theatre ncoustlcs
In the world Dean Wallace C. Sabine, of
Harvard, tlo has ninda his (Indlnss publlo
on many occasions for the good of tho the
atre In general.
He takes his views from Vltruvlus, th
an.-lent nrchltect. who said that for a the
atre, a plncc must bo taken whore the vole
falls eoftly and' not so rellccted as to nro-
duco a confused effect on tho ear,
VcouMI&t of a theatre nro now deter,
tinned lu advance from tho jilans, almost
os readily as lines of sight. arl the method
of doing so Ii Intensely Interesting.
The process In favor Is that known a
hc Toepplcr-Boys-Koley method, devised
bv three authorities on tho subject. First,
n sca'e model of tho projected theatre la
ii.iislructeil Sides of this are removed
and a sound Is produced at that point cor
r spondlng to tho nctlng zone of the stage.
As thu sound Is passing through the model
H Illuminated from one side by a fine and
somewhat distant electrlo spark. After
passing through tho model, the light fall
on a photographic plate placed at a littl
distance on the other side This light Is re
fracted by tho sound waves, which act a
their own lens In producing n photograph.
The resullnnt picture shows a sllhouctt
frame f i oni shadows cast by the model,
nnd all within this framo constitutes an
actual photograph of the sound waves and
their echoes. Ily taking a series of pic
tures at different times after the sound ha-l
been Rtarted, a complete record of th
waves, their interferences nnd echoes. Is oh
tallied.
Through such analysis the new Scolla)
Theatre In Boston was prevented fron
being acoustically faulty by a change Ilk
plan before any building operations weru
commenced. Minor adlintments nre mart
lu the actual theatre after construction for
the scale model docs not take aroutit of
seats, draperies and so forth. These minor
change's are commonly accomplished by
placing reflecting walN and panels of
acouitlc felt nvented hy Sabine himself
In various parts uf tile auditorium, re
moving heasy valances, rehanglng chande
liers and adjusting other details. There are
archltectutal Units that make n specialtr
of acoustical correction.
Of the corrected New Theatre, which,
with Its echoes, has been n target for much
rtdlciile by pesous who did nut understand
Its problems. Sabine says. "It Is safe to
say theio are few possibly no modern the
atres or opera houses 30 free from this
particular disturbance as the New Theatre
at tho present time."
Dean Sabltio was called upon' bv Wln
throp Ames to correct tho echoes and inter
ferences of tho (iuoi.ii.im New Theatre. He
succeeded so splendidly that when Mr. Ames
prepared to build his own Little Theatre
his plans weio submitted to the ncan fo
criticism from the acoustical Mandpoln'
And tho I-lttlo Theatre Is. therefore, one o1.
tho most acoustically correct theatres in
America
Sabine found the plans of the Little The
atre, New York, well defined and presenting
all points necessary for his profound con
sideration. It was designed, lie was told,
for production uf plays which could be ad
equately rendered only by the mmt delicate
shades of expression ; it was to seat Just
less than 300. and nil seats were 10 do as
nearly as possible of equal excellenes. The
important assuranc- was given that every
sent should bo occupied at every perform
ance. (Which Indicates, parenthetically,
uiiother danger of empty theatre scats.)
The Dean himself explains what hap
pened: "Tho first sketch showed a slighi
reverberation ; so tho floor was lowered
at the front, the cellliiK was lowered, and
tho walls near the stage were brought in
and reduced hi curvature, with correspond
ing changes In aichltettural tjeatment The
rear wall was made straight : the side wulls,
near the stage, were curved. In order to
still further reduce reveiberatlon nnd to
break, acoustically, the curvature of the aid
und rear walla, 'acoustic felt' was applied
in panels three panels on the side wall
and seven panels on the rear wall." These
panels, I may add, are hidden beneath
painted tapcslrle3.
When 1 issued a story from the press
department of the Little Theatre In 1D1S,
declaring that In that playhouse the stage
whisper had been perfected, I meant It.
One can sit In the last low of the Little
and actually hear u genuine whlBper on
the stage.
feels, and rightly so, that It has been
cheated, robbed of Its sympathy and affeo
lion perhaps for a heroine who falls 6
'make good in a pinch.' "
,j
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