Motion Play (Nov 20, 1921)

mand for better pictures ? It is not often that a two-reel subject awakens more than passing comment, but this seems to be the exception that proves the rule. This story is a picturization of the Burne-Jones masterpiece now hanging in the Tait Gallery in London. So impressed was Hugo Reisenfeld with this short story that he put on a special prologue for it, consisting of a duet in an old garden, followed by the recital of Tennyson's poem of the same name, on which Sir Edward Burne-Jones based his famous painting. This is the first of a series of short pictures based on the masterpieces of art, which reaches the screen through the Hodkinson Corporation. It was produced by the Triart Films, headed by Isaac Wolper, who gave us ‘‘ The Miracle Man,” and was taken under the direction of Herbert Blanche and Lejaren A. Hiller. Back of ‘‘The Beggar Maid” is the plan to humanize the great paintings of all ages and at the same time preserve the entertainment values so necessary to a successful presentation on the screen. Twelve paintings are to be chosen by the following advisory board, made up of the leading art patrons and authorities of the day; Robert W. DeForest, President of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Francis C, Jones, Treasurer of the National Academy of Design, trustee of Metropolitan Museum of Art, Edwin H. Blashfield, President of the National Academy of Design. Charles Dana Gibson, President of the Society of Illustrators, Editor of Life. Robert Aiken, President of the Sculptors’ Society of America. Louis C. Tiffany, Founder of the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation. Daniel Chester French, famous sculptor. This board has thus far chosen ‘‘ The Bashful Suitor,” by Israels; ‘‘The Young Painter,’ by Rembrandt, and **Mona Lisa,’ by* Leonardo da Vinci, to follow ‘‘The Beggar Maid.” Uy | TT zi : : : : = ~ Ga a #5 * 7 ragged before King Cophetua, Beauty 8 knees in suppliance the aged father of ‘‘The Beggar » id j Maid,” is saved through the in. ee oe ee Ps agi tercession of his beautiful / i father’ Chelge ised doakae , ather’s life. hesnggenesagmensggmenmpenspenemamrenen an a TEST iF e Lebmeipemneneehsuisiatuinduninmeggimomiautine ISSO OY. ‘a KRADASARAAAA AA, \apusnsstststesussareasasnesmannnenstesnemeenemeenen ee SR gga. E ’ y , 4 a ; ‘ ay Lacpapinehseemeteensiteneinesiansnemeeeemenmmmmnedst are ee aa ‘Subjects of this kind,” said Mr. . a | t a ae The picture was made on the aia i. mil = nig pe ae . _—— al ppvch Long Island Estate of swer the demand for be pic& eo Mr.. Tiffany, a member of the tures on the part of both the > “% ee af a Advisory saat and so infsath bir scan Pavia aan hs : —— ey si eee. Ser ryey 3 were the nite , ' . vé i a ' worked out that it is said 20,Here, on the screen, they witness y *., : we 000 feet of film were used to get oe eee Thess cs he ‘ P.va\ % . “ae ip ain “eng feet comprising ie g 4 ; = £ e subject. artist at work on it, and follow be : a e fe wy, : every stroke of the brush in a vivid picturization of his pec Whether or not the public likes this sort of a picture received a decisive answer in its pre-release nieces t W me showings in New York. SA RCAIN ERE. We Mpet bare . oe s > ee ; the shadows in life as well as the Before ‘‘The Beggar Maid” was : j _— = «= ti lights, but here is a consistently filmed, a scenario was prepared, Ps aera ey ee Ls —— worked out series of pictures constructed upon the story of oa x aie a . _ a without heroes, villains or do.King Cophetua and the legend on "4 3 es. ie ete a » mestic triangles, yet absorbwhich Tennyson based his poem. ’ " Be OF ag ; ; ingly interesting.” Burne-Jones is shown in a reverie — eg Oe > ne yaa over a volume of verse, and when It was, of course, gratifying to Ns aibor, « Youre ‘Eaeleh ee ee earl, bursts into praise of the . ira matchless beauty of the daughter quickly and so enthusiastically, of one of his tenants, the idea of It. has encouraged us to enter the painting unfolds to the paintupon the other pictures in the er’s imagination. He seeks out spa with. ‘ eeasen of confiche pemant gi, to pose ab the ape eet fon Sh eggar Maid, and promptly enAg ; : ag lists the services of the earl as hibitor something his audience King Cophetua. is going to appreciate. ‘Our whole idea in presentin these pictures,” said Mr. Wolpers, “‘is to emphasize the things worth while in art through the medium of genuine