Motion Picture Classic (Jan-Dec 1920)

photo Tiy T-umk-rt' MoNTAcr Liivi: is a hero to liis valet. I Iiavc trieil for three weeks to got away from that outstandiii;; fact that I iiiislit, as )icr my mission, i'X])atiate on his Shakespearian ]ilans. ideas, ideals, heliefs. cl <i/'. • T went there for said Shakcs|)carian linrpose. I came away with the ojieninj; jiaragraph Tsee ahove) howlinj; in my cerehelkini. It will not be j^ainsaid. \or downed. Perchance, if I get it out of my system via tlie Underwood, it will let me be, and I can then get on to the Rard of .\von as eNpoinided by Mr. Love. I talked with Mr. Lo\e at his al>artnient. In the room with us besides books, two libotographs of small boys and a fireplace, was a dinner-table set for six, rose-shaded candelabra and all. .\ dinner party was im])ending. Hovering over Mr. Love, lighting his cigarets, supplying his sundry needs. even to occasional gap.s in our conversation, was Victor. \'ictor is the last word of the opening paragraph. (See above.) Some years ago. it seems, Mr. Love rescued him from a street accident and look him to his home. The_ accident left X'ictor crip|)led and devoted. His devotion was charming and very real. Wherever Mr. Love moved, there the eyes of Victor followed, wistful and adoring. Whenever Mr. Love said a humorous thing, a reflection of the huiTior touched V' i c t o r ' s sensitive mouth. Re fore Mr. L<ive could utter a behest, the nimble lingers and swift foresight of Victor had sui)plied it. There is poetry in such an adoration. There is psychology. There is so ntiich of psychology that your iier.sonality The Shakespeare Specialist interviewer would need go no further than Victor to take the measure of the man. Such being the case, let us consider the measure of Montagu Love taken and pass on to the next. The "next" is the P.ard of .\von. again (or yet) in the limelight. If bis stones — I inean bones — be disturbed by such a|ijiarent flipjiancy, let him observe that in this day and age frail, flaunting jjoppics grow on sacred graves. Mr. Love reads, breathes, inhales and exhales William Shakespeare. He is an enthusiast on him for the stage. He is also an enthusiast on him for — something new is about to burs' u])on you — for the screen. He ought to know. He has studied Shakespeare as, probably. no other actor ever has or will. He has studied him in sections and in toto. .\nd what is more, be has played him, all of him. I asked him what made him believe that Shakespeare would "go" on the screen. He bad a diversity of reasons for his belief, .\mong them : "I know be would be wonderful for the screen," he said; "in the first place, he was himself, first of all, before he was anything else, an actor. He wrote play.s with a capital 'P.' and hi,s plays were piet\irc.i, surcharged with color, with rhythm, with action and emotion. These are all I)icture (|ualities. The screen rciiuires the sitiry first of all. It re(|uires characterizations. It re(juires situations. Shakespeare knew all there is to know about all three. He knew all there, is to know about the presentation of all three. Think for a moment of 'The Mei'chant of Venice' or 'Othello.' I'.very line is a word i)icture. F.vcry paragrajib is a situation. livery character is a character. There isn't a person in the cast who wouldn't have a definite opportunity. There is some controversy on the subject because of the fact that the Shakespearian jilays are costume plays. That is, of course, footless. Consider 'The Piinb of a Nation' or 'Dr. Tekyll and Mr. Hyde.' Cos Ptiplo l.y A Simpsnu Mr. Love reads, breathes, inhales and exhales William Shakespeare. He is an enthusiast on him for the stage — and also for the screen. He has studied Shakespeare as, probably, no other actor ever has, or will Photo by A, K. Korsdyk, f Forty-eight)