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PART V CLASSIFICATION OF PHOTOPLAYS EXTREME accuracy of classification of photoplays is not essen- tial, nor is it always possible, since the various forms of drama blend one into another. A play may be partly a drama and partly a melodrama, or it may be a mixture of comedy and farce. It is not required that a play shall be announced as a drama, farce or comedy, for what it is will plainly show in the script, but where any designation is employed the three terms just given will be amply de- scriptive, though any other may be used if desired. The minute sub- division of class employed by some Editors is often misleading and never exact. A comedy is a comedy and "parlor" or "polite"' comedies are none the less comedy. In general practice it is best to write to one type and not to blend, but drama may be given greater strength through a touch of melodrama at the climax and farcical action may give zest to the finish of a comedy. Whatever the combination made, do not seek or invent a title to fit. Send the play in unclassified and let the Editor classify it for himself. He is guided by the story and not by the fact that a play is called a drama or society drama. CHAPTER L DRAMA DRAMA in its broadest sense is a term applying to anything written for the stage, and covers the entire range of plays from tragedy to slapstick. Used in this sense it is referred to as "the" drama, just as the term the silent drama covers all forms of photo- play. More strictly, drama is a play of serious purpose making its appeal to the noble emotions. It is less elevated than tragedy, but tragedy scarcely forms one of the photoplay classifications, and to all intents the first classification in photoplay is the dramatic story. 2. Tragedy assuredly can ,be done into photoplay, but seldom with success. Tragedy is a dramatic story wherein the inevitable outcome is defeat. Tragedy, by its very nature, cannot be terminated satis- factorily in the happy ending. This in itself militates against the employment of tragedy, but there is another and perhaps better reason. Tragedy in its true form is a play of lofty sentiment, largely dealing with character rather than action and relying for no small 250