THE PICTURE WORLD

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 86, 9 October 1915, Page 11

THE PICTURE WORLD

In no line of endeavour has woman made so emphatic an impress as in the film industry, which has created in its infant stage a new and compelling art wherein the gentler sex is 1 how so active a factor that one may not name a single vocation in either the artistic or business side of its progress in which women are not conspicuously engaged. In the theatres, in the studios, and even in the exchanges, where film subjects are market ed and released to exhibitors, the fair sex is represented as in no other calling to which women have harkened in the early years of the twentieth century. Few persons have not dreamed at some time in their lives of the stage as a career, and since the motion picture has been the vogue the desire to become a performer has been intensified. Almost every child, after a first visit to a picture theatre, aspires to become a picture actress or actor* and hundreds of young people form wild hopes of brilliant achievements in that line. Perhaps the one sound piece of advice is "Don't." 'There is no profession which is so overcrowded or one in which there are so many bitter disappointments. The entry of the World Film Corporation into the feature market is an event that has stimulated comment and curiosity. This corporation has developed in America an extraordinary amount of enterprise, especially in distribution. It is an open market, and it is claimed in America, that there will be no attempt made to make -the pictures of this company exclusive to any particular firm. Whether this can be done remains to be seen, but at the present time every picture of the World Film Corporation is open to any purchaser without any imposing of restrictions. The clever actress, Clara Kimball Young, is being featured extensively, and her work in an adaptation of Arthur Shirley's melodrama, "Woman and Wine," is said to exceed in dramatic intensity anything that this clever actress has ever previously accomplished. "Woman and Wine" is a drama well known in the Dominion, having been played here with great success by Bland Holt with Walter Baker as the hero, who went fiora bad to worse, but eventually being saved by his fiancee, who was forced to mix with the demi monde in order to make the regeneration. The work of Miss Frances Ross and Mr. Baker will no doubt be compared with the picturestar's work: Miss Ross and Miss Clara Kimball Young, by the way, rather resemble one another. America has the reputation of starting "get-rich-quick" schemes, but for down right audacity, a scheme for exploiting a picture through the morbid curiosity of some individuals, has some points. The plan was something like this : A socalled feature film was purchased, and an agent went ahead to secure locations, theatres, etc. After securing the- biggest theatre in the different towns for one performance, a private one, the information was scattered broadcast that a film that overstepped all the limits in decency was to be tried out, privately. Admittance was to be had by booking seats only, and the greatest secrecy was to be observed, entry to the theatre was to be made by the stage door, and only a limited number of seats were to be sold, etc. — the limit, of course, being known to the agent as being the capacity of the house. The price for admission was high, but people paid, and were rewarded by seeing a film that could have been exhibited in any place without causing comment. Winifred Kingston, an English actress, has joined the army of screen actresses ir. America, having been enrolled under the Mutual and Thanhouser banners. Miss Kingston was leading woman for Cyril Scott and other notable actors in the legitimate, where she made a big name for herself. For several years she played at the Scala Theatre. Later she scored one of her greatest successs ill " Hypocrites," which was presented under the management of Charles Frohman. The Keystone policy of limiting its output to a two-reel subject per week is meeting with general favour in England and Australia. The effect of this policy is to do away with the oldfashioned slap-stick farce comedy, and supply really laughable comedies with a story that can be followed and enjoyed. The newer Keystone comedies are of the society order; the throwing of brickbats and the ill-fitting clothes, accompanied by a grimy appearance, is afcout to be a thing of the past. Now one can see the reason for the Keystone making contracts with so many of the legitimate stage comedians. Charles K. " Harris, the author of " After the Ball " and many other great song successes, has become a scenario writer and picture producer. Mr. Harris intends to make pictures out of his melodies and stories. His first production is a noteworthy one, and is issued under the World Film Corporation. "When It Strikes Home" is the title, and the cast a remarkably strong one. That dainty actress, Muriel Ostriche, and clever Grace Washburn are the featured actresses, with William Bailey and Edwin August in the leading male roles. The trend of scenic films to-day is to add something of the industrial to stimulate the interest. The Kineto Company, almost always the first to grasp the coming idea, is the pioneer of the new order, "A Trip Up the Clyde" being the newest to arrive in the Dominion. The Clyde is the home of shipbuilding, and at the present time all' hands there are engaged on turning out battleships for our Fleet. The film will no doubt be shown here shortly, and gives a good idea of the magnitude of the yards and the class of boats they turn out. The success of " Within Our Gates," the first film enterprise of J. C. Williamson, Ltd., has encouraged the firm to still further extend its film-making organisation, and several important features are now being prepared. In various portions of Australia, as well as the South Sea Islands, Williamson experts are at work at the present time, and the result will shortly be shown on the screen. The firm's studio, opposite Her Majesty's, Melbourne, is now fully completed, and is elaborately equipped on the most up-to-date lines. Picture-mak-ing promises to become one of the most important of the firm's successful enterprises.