The theatre of science; a volume of progress and achievement in the motion picture industry (1914)

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SntroDuctorp quality was conspicuous by its absence. But the art developed rapidly. It was found possible to do more than portray outdoor scenes of moving trains and other objects or simple pantomimes with exaggerated gesture a la Francaise. Methods were discovered and evolved whereby powerfully dramatic scenes could be produced, subtlety of expression in either serious or humorous view could be communicated to numberless people — their emotions played upon, laughter or tears evoked at will — in other words, the motion picture "got across" just as surely as the written or spoken drama — but — without words. The Silent Drama was bom. Classic and standard literature were then reproduced in picture form — Shakespeare, Dickens, Thackeray, Scott, and Hugo became known to millions of people whose previous acquaintance with their famous names was either very slight or non-existing; it was at this stage when literature was combined with the other arts allied in picture production that the real impetus was given and the triumphant onward march of the world's greatest educator and entertainer commenced. To-day millions are invested in great industrial plants for the creation and manufacture of the wordless drama; thousands of people rely upon it as their maintenance and profession — millions upon millions of m.en, women, and children all over the world look upon this form of entertainment as their principal recreation and, incidentally, are being unconsciously educated to understand and appreciate the higher forms of art and culture. Bernard Shaw says: "The great artist is he who goes a step beyond the demand and, by supplying works of a higher beauty and a higher interest than have yet been perceived, succeeds after a brief strug