Moving Picture World (Nov - Dec 1918)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 2. 1918 tertainment," call it what you like, to which the critic gives attention, consciously or unconsciously, irrespective of the drawing power of a star's name, because the good-will of every picture house depends on satisaudiences. -. suspense, subject matter and characterization. These are four very high values in feature plays. Their best combination might be found in high comedy. In that or in powerful drama of modern times. Weakest in these values is the so-called "vehicle." Critics may be thoughtlessly blamed for distinguishing between the entertaining qualities of a screen product and those which are destructive of audience interest, but it is impossible to pass honest judgment without doing so. There are many other values to be considered, but their presence can neither cover, nor compensate for, the absence of those elements named. On the other hand, given a story of absorbing interest through high suspense and vital subject matter logically developed in rightly typed characterization. whether comedy or serious drama, it will usually get over. What kind of plays do the critics enjoy? All good ones, like the audience, when they have a chance. Audiences turn cold on illogical stories and are dulled by stale stuff. They love laughter, originality, beauty, variety, accord close attention to high suspense, give warm applause to sympathetic characterization and can be moved to ovations by vital matter, truthfully, splendidly and forcefully presented. Capable criticism makes for development, for improvement, for progress in quality and for the ultimate prosperity of motion picture production. AN INTERESTING CONTRAST By Edward Weitzel. AN article in The Writer's Mopthly for October, by Arthur Leeds, calls attention to "two novelties of the just-opening 1918-19 dramatic season in New York City." One event was the production of Anthony Kelly's stage play, "Three Faces East." The other event was the coming first night of a stage version of "The Cheat," written by Hector Tumbull. author of the screen story, and the stage dramatist, Willard Mack. Under the title, "I. O. U.," the Turnbull-Mack play made its stage debut the first week in October and met with very little encouragement from the newspaper critics. One of the screen's biggest successes and the first photoplay to be transformed into a spoken drama, the reason for its failure on the stage is worth studying. As for "Three Faces East," it is «>nc of the biggest hits of the season and is turning people away at every performance. Uncovering the Skeleton. Most of the reviews on "I. O.U." agree that the only big situation in the play takes place in the last act. and thai the dialogue throughout is much below standard. The nature of its theme robs the heroine of sympathy, and when she attempts to justify her acts by words she only succeeds in exposing her own want of brains and the poverty of her excuses The big situation. where the enraged Oriental brands the shoulder of the woman who made an infamous bargain with him and then refused to fid fill her part of the contract, illustrates a vital point of difference between the art of the screen and that of the stage. One is reflected; the other is acted out before the eyes of the spectator. Tt is the actual presence of the human beings in the scene that makes the branding repugnant to the physical senses. To repeat an iron bound axiom : True art never strikes below the belt. The restrictions of the stage and the screen differ on many points. What may be good art for the one is often bad art for the other. The most skillful dialogue in the world would not have made the stage play as convincing as it was in its original form. The subject was adapted to the medium for which it was first conceived. Denuding it to a skeleton for a stage play left it only the bare bones of a once well rounded story which spoken words could not adequately cover. The Importance of Dialogue. Referring to the success of "Three Faces East," the Leeds article says of its author : "He had the good sense to wait until the really big idea came along and until he had sufficiently grounded himself in the technique of the regular stage." The fact of the matter is, the Anthony Paul Kelly play is almost dialogue proof and could have been adapted to the screen as readily as to the stage. Curiosity and suspense are so aroused by the Chinese puzzle of a plot that everything else is forgotten by the audience. Had "The Cheat" been built along the same lines it could have been turned into an equally good stage play and snapped its fingers at the words spoken by its characters. But this does not entirely dispose of the question of dialogue. Quoting once more from the Leeds article : "If writers for the stage may come into the photoplay field, a knowledge of stage technique seems to be the only thing which need be mastered by the successful writer of screen plays before he may at least attempt the legitimate drama." Dialogue is a very important part of the technique of most stage plays. If mastered it will assure the success of many a plot that is anything but dialogue proof. The screen writer who turns stage dramatist must command the services of a profficient collaborator, or he will be restricted to but one class of material, unless he buckles down to hard work and learns the trick of writing stage talk himself. FIFTH AVENUE HAILS DOUG FIFTH AVENUE, the great highway of New York, known everywhere of all men who know any highway, uncovered something new under the sun on the afternoon of October 17. Even as this is being written the throngs are filling the famous thoroughfare at Fort)rfourth street. The sounds of cheering and handclapping come down the avenue and turn into Forty-third street, into the sanctum of the Moving Picture World. Doug Fairbanks is out there selling Liberty Bonds. This actor-man came up Fifth avenue as a himself parade — and the town stopped work to see and hear. Fears of contracting influenza through mixing in a crowd apparently deterred none from jamming in around him. Escorting Doug were tjie full police band and six mounted policemen, the latter in pairs. Between each two of the "finest" was a lay figure, suspended by sturdy bluecoated arms. Out in front was what looked like the Kaiser after reading a Wilsonian blast. The two following figures appeared to be in the same deep dejection. Here on Fifth avenue the denizens of the offices see many parades and arc as you may say accustomed to them. But this one of today is rare. Tt is Fifth avenue's tribute to the screen, the screen as personified by Douglas Fairbanks.