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

of %citnct 137 Griffith idea of what a photoplayer should be, is apparent from the fact that the young lady's portrayals are vested with a naturalism so far away from the average stage interpreter of characters that one may understand Mr. Griffith's theory, that the photoplayer to achieve the best results is the one who has nothing to unlearn. Miss Sweet has achieved equal success in light and serious characters, and has been particularly happy in historical roles, her "Judith of Bethulia" standing out as one of the best conceived portrayals of the modern photoplay era. Mabel Normand is now better known than many of the stage stars with prolonged careers to their credit. Yet it is only since she left the Biograph Company, less than two years ago, that her name v/as revealed to the millions of patrons of the photoplayhouse to whom she was endeared. In her Biograph days, Miss Normand displayed marked versatility, in that while comedy roles predominated, frequently she was enabled to portray characters of sterling quality, requiring ability to simulate varied emotions. And it was in one of these portrayals that I was first brought to realize the significance of Mr. Griffith's contribution to the art of photoplaying — that of the so-called "close up." Now that Miss Normand is winning added renown with the Keystone brand of films, there must be many like myself who, while grateful for the intensely amusing releases of that comedy-producing organization, would welcome just a little variation in the style of Miss Normand's vehicles, for no one can doubt that the intensity of her dramatic expression, so evident in her Biograph days, must have developed during her prolonged experience in the West. Long before I knew her name, I was impressed with Miss Normand's