THE PICTURE WORLD

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 18, 22 January 1916, Page 13

THE PICTURE WORLD

About ten years ago, when moving pictures had asserted their right for serious consideration, and the man with money to invest was feeling the pulse of the market, so to speak, almost everyone in, the theatrical world was asked for an opinion as to the chance of the pictures being a permanent institution. The opinions of the Weinheimers ranged from "Oh. how long can any fad last? Say three years or so." "Well, I don't see why pictures can't last a considerable time. Look at skating; that has not yet disappeared." The resnlt of these opinions was that the present industry, which is about the third biggest in the United States, was left to struggling showmen to nurse and foster. And now many of the struggling showmen of those days are reaping the reward of their work, receiving reports of their always increasing wealth from their secretaries. Those days it was the last resort of the showman—a Picture Show; now the biggest theatrical syndicates in. the world are struggling "for a place in the sun."

The moving picture having established itself, began to "get even" with the haughty magnates who tried to frown the tottering infant into oblivion. It first' attacked the cheap class of melodrama, and soon there were very few "Stripped for Vengeance," "A Mother's Curse," and plays of that description on tour Then came the "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "East Lynne" class. In a few years Eliza gave up trying to escape across wooden boxes with springs nailed, to them and covered with calico, and Madame Vine ceased from her wailing cry; "Dead, dead, and never, called me Moth-er!" Higb class melodrama felt the influence of pictures, and now, unless the emotional stage play is something out of the ordinary, "4t° is^ compared with the picture shows and found wanting. Result, a short run and quick change to some other play It has been discovered that authors can make the actors express their ideas better by acting than by mumbling his lines. The result is a complete win for the screen.

Just recently, in America, a manager had a mirror glass screen put into his theatre. It was claimed that mirror screens were the best things invented. The screen cost the manager nearly £200 to instal... One night, during a performance of a melodrama, when the villain was pursuing. his second act career, and heroine was pleading -for mercy, the words qf the villain were thrown on the screen: "I will make you the vilest creature that walks," and the picture following showed that the villain had bound the suffering heroi»e with ropes, and was walking off with her, when a,voice from the back was heard ito shout, "Drop that girl!". Of course, the\ villain weni on with the business Then came a shot from the excited spectator. B«sult, £200 worth of mirror gone,, and several of the orchestra laid up for repairs.. Marguerite Clark,"- whose performances in the " Famous Players" pictures has made her one of the biggest favourites of the screen, has crowned her- acting triumphs •with a wonderful performance of Jean" in a remarkable play by Mark Lee Luther,- "The Crucible." It is a story of a struggle against ■. circumstances—of the 6trong love of a mother for one daughter and her nearly unaccountable neglect and seeming hat* for the second. • 1 Mary Pickford, who has, not left th« .'' Famous ■ Players " .Company, '>-"as was reported in an American -magazine,, is now called the '" Spirit of the Screen.' This title was given her because of. her marvellous performance in a drama called "Rags." When Miss Pickford made her first appearance; on the screen she: was not considered to.be of sufficient account to have a name, was not even asked her name. When salary day canie along, D W Griffiths, heT .first employer^ said to the treasurer, " Give this (25 dollars) to the wisp> who played Morgan's daughter." Miss Pickford signed theealary sheet "M. Pickford.1'; "'What :is your Christian name?" asked the treasurer.' " Mary,1' replied the new screen 6tar' After that she was knowii as "Little. Mary"; hundreds of actors knew her then as " Little Mary " who did - not know her maiden name. As she rose in the world she was known to the public as Mary Pickford Since then1 she haa been called eveTy endearing name, ■'■ from " Little Mary " to the " World's Darling," and now the "Spirit of the Screen."

..'• The big combination, made up of the Vitagraph. Lubin, Selig,. and Essanay Companies, known to the trade as "the VL.S.E.," began the New Year with an output of eight productions a month. The first picture of the year was a dramatisation of one of Rex Beach's novels, said to be a stronger picture than "The' Battle Cry- of Peace." The second "was a.-drama especial]} written for Miss Nance o'Neil, which was unnamed wnen the last mail left. Each of the individual companies of the V.L.S.E. has adopted a standard which, when it reaches the plane set for it, will give. to this organ!, sation a high general average of merit. Clara Kimball Young, who has played "Camille1' on the speaking stage hundreds of times, has now added it to her film repertoire. Albert Capellani's great work wu released in America on 20th December, 1915. Extra care and extra time were.devoted to the finishing of the ■picture in order that.the fullest possible justice could be done to all concerned.

In Chicago there are now six hundred and fifty motion picture theatres, and more are to be built. Thomas Ince, who has been in the motion picture business almost from the beginning, gave rt as his opinion that there will soon be about ten or fifteen high-class picture theatres, rear big ones. These houses will screen only the highest' class of. photo-plays, and.will charge prices much in advance of the present ruling rate. Maurice Costello, the Vitagraph star, has played in more than a thousand screen plays, and has portrayed almost every character,from a servant to Our Lord. His opinion of pictures is '' That they have broadened in their scope of usefulness to . the public. Their educational value is already assured: The cheap, meaningless pictures are being crowded out by the high-class variety that one seee upon the screen which teaches a, moral lesson or instructs, elevates, and delights." His two daughters have appeared on the screen, and he hopes to see them, some day win a high place in the motion picture world.