Camera - April 14, 1923 to February 16, 1924 (April 1923-February 1924)

: A M E R A ! The Digest of the Motion Picture Industry Page Five It is more than passing strange and indeed pnusually interesting how a certain line of parts will pursue an artist. The case of willam Humphrey, now portraying the role If Chevalier de Chabbrillane in Rex Ingram's production of "Scaramouche" at the Metro Studios, is extraordinary inasmuch as le has played one single character in no less jhan a score of different stage plays and photoplays during his brilliant histrionic lareer. And, that character is none other Ihan Napoleon. In fact, he has characterized his famous personage more times in more productions than any other living actor and pe has not finished with him yet, for he is now writing a Napoleonic photo-drama in krhich he will play the stellar role when it Is produced by one of several film concerns lit present negotiating for it. During the last fifteen years every time knbody presented a play in which Napoleon vas an important character, William Hum)hrey has always been selected to play it. 5erhaps his most noteworthy appearance in his part was in the stage onering of "More than Queen," in which he supported both fulia Arthur and Blanche Walsh, but due to his remarkable performance was later ktarred in the piece. Almost equally as potable was his Napoleonic interpretation in rMme. Sans Gene," in which he so distinr fuished himself as to be hailed by critics is "the very reincarnation of Napoleon himelf seemingly." Other high-lights in Mr. Humphrey's artis;ic revival of interest in the Little Corporal were in "Mile. Mars," in which he created he role in Mrs. Langtry's American presenation after Lewis Waller had originated it n the London engagement, and with Mary tfannering in "Glorious Betsy." Still another me of his stage appearances as this same ;reat military genius was in "Imperial Dirorce." Little less active has Mr. Humphrey been is this same Napoleon on the motion picture screen. He has "Napoleonized" for the entertainment of movie fans in fully a dozen lifferent photoplays and whenever there is i picture in which this historical celebrity igure it seems producers never conside anybody else but William Humphrey. Many :hink his best performance on the screen was in this role in the very first three-reel jicture ever made by Vitagraph quite a few years ago. According to all the available paintings of Napoleon, Mr. Humphrey is, physically, almost his exact counterpart. He looks at least enough like him to be a brother and for many years he has studied every book on the man and every pictorial illustration of him until he has acquired as a matter of second-nature all of his known mannerisms even to his way of standing or sitting. "Years ago when it became apparent to me that I was destined to essay characterizing the great Napoleon indefinitely, I began a most assiduous study of the man," Mr. Humphrey says. "And, I've been at it ever since until I have gotten so filled up with information regarding him and ideas I have formed from that information that I simply had to write as an outlet for the vast store, which explains why I am devoting all of my spare time to writing a Napoleonic story for picturization." Although Mr. Humphrey is best known on the West Coast as an actor, he is also a director of very wide experience, having been behind the megaphone in the making of several important picture features. WILLIAM HUMPHREY There Are Directors---And Directors For whom does the motion picture director really work? Directors of films have been classified as "commercial" or as "artistic." ■ So familiar has the public become with the pictures of today that thousands of picturegoers can look at a film and immediately tell you who directed it. One man is noted for his human treatment, one for pathos, others for comedy, a few for spectacular scenes, two or three for the masterly handling of children, one or two for daring treatment bordering on, if not quite, risque, some for individual and original touches, some for rapidity of action or smoothness of sequences. Some are noted for gorgeous settings, jazz sequences, mob scenes and a very few for appealing simplicity. Yet all of these shades of directing can be turned into two separate and distinct classes — "commercial," or "artistic." Box office history tells us 1 hat commercial pictures are the financial successes and that simplicity is the best quantity that can be injected into a film. The pictures which have really become the mile-stones of picture progress are the stories of human emotions, told simply and in a human manner. The great "artistic" pictures have not been financial successes from the reason that all else has been relegated to the back ground in an effort to create "art." Few picture-makers understand that art is not merely artistic effects; art is just as real in homely background as in the grandeur of the most splendid scenes. Art must be in acting as well as in pictorial effects. Americans, on the general average, are not strong for things overly artistic, they want to be entertained. But if you can entertain them in an artistic manner without detracting from the strength of the story they will appreciate it to the extent that they will help to make box office history by their attendance of picture shows. By this simple reasoning it must be deducted that directors are working for the general picture-going public rather than for producers, releasing organizations or for any certain class. With this idea in mind First National's own producing unit has purchased a limited number of the very best stories of the year. Stories which can be transcribed to the screen in a beautiful manner yet retaining all the dramatic strength of the original vehicle.