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i Interesting Chat and Stage Gossip for Playgoers
Nemesis 11 Get You
If You Don't Watch
Out, Says Corrigan
By Harriette Underhill
The night that Augustus Thomas's
new American drama "Nemesis" opened
ut the Hudson Theater we were among
those present. We enjoyed th? smart
dialogue, the smart gowns, the acting
of some of the members of the cast,
the chance to see Ethel Winthrop on
tho stage, tho beauty of Marie Goff
and Olive Teli and the lovemaking of
Pedro dc Cordoba. What we didn't like
was the cold-bloodednesa of tho villain
und tho untimely death o?.' the hero,
"Aye, there's the rub!" We learned
later that Mr. de Cordoba wasn't the \
hero at all?that he was the villain -
and by acknowledging our error we, of
course, put ourself in a class with
the character in the play who said:
"Tell me again the sad story of that
poor Mrs. Potiphar and Joseph."
But in justiiication of our attitude
in regard to the play, let us say that
there were plenty of people who felt
just as we did that first night, in?
cluding our Aunt Elizabeth, a con?
ventional and God-fearing woman, who
has, however, seen every play that has
been produced for the last forty years.
She said she thought it was awful to
put the hero in the electric chair and
let him remain there while they turned :
on the current, and all the women in j
row H were on the qui vive waiting !
for that last-minute pardon to arrive, j
It was only after we talked to Em-?
mett Corrigan that we learned we were
wrong. "I don't think that the critics
scratched below the surface," he said.
? They missed the true meaning of the
play."
" Hut don't you think," we ventured,
timidly, "that a play should be so clear
hat even a critic could u-nderstand it?
t is just another triangle play, isn't
it?- -only the hero, the heroine and the
villain are not as noble and as weak
and as wicked as the usual hero,
heroine and villain. Now, you, the vil?
lain, had a lot of good qualities which
one doesn't expect in a villain. Your
greatest fault was that you were dull.
The next worst thing that could be
said about you was that you murdered
;, our wife."
"I am not the villain in this play,"
-aid Mr. Gorrigan, and we thought he
was going to be angry with us, but he
only laughed. "Jovaine, the sculptor, is
the villain! "
"Mr. de Cordoba?" we said, incredu
tsly. "But he is such a candid, fasci?
nating person in the play, and he
couldn't help it if he fell in love with
Mr?. Kallen. It wasn't her fault, either.
!r was your fault for not keeping her
interested at home. She said that you
read a lot of dull magazines which we
won't attempt to name, because no one
n our house has ever read them, while
she read the Satevepost, tho Smart Set,
Vanity Fair and Life. Now, if you had
been better informed she wouldn't have
g :ie over to Jovaine."
"But she did, and I think that no one
watching the play could feel that fate
liad not dealt her a winning hand when
? killed her. if she had gone to Paris
with Jovaine he would have tired of her
as he did of all the others, and she
would have been in the gutter. Jovaine
was a philanderer."
. "But how do you know that? Marcia
seemed to be the love of his life and
???re wire no 'others.'"
"In the courtroom scene lie tells of
'the models.' You know his wife was so
I? alous of them that she left him and
then divorced him, and later killed
herself. He must have been all wrong,
always, this Jovaine."
"Oh, but you know he said that none
of that was true; that h?3 wife had
jealous fancies."
"You didn't believe him, did you? He
said, too, that there was nothing wrong
in his relations with Mrs. Kallen, but 1
think no one ont in front believed thai
he was anything but a thief who stol?
into my house and accepted my hospi?
tality and took my wife."
"Mr. Thomas may have made it plait
to all the others, but not to us; we be
lleved everything Jovaine said on th?
witness stand. We still believe tha
such innocent relations are possible, ii
plays, and we think that you, we meai
Mr. Kallen, were altogether too har
on the young people. Of course, it wil
he a lesson to them, but it's doubtfu
if they will profit by it."
"Well, it was not supposed to be ;
triangle play, anyhow. It is a story o
circumstantial evidence and of ho\
simple it is to furnish the most con
elusive proof of guilt when a person 1:
innocent. Even the fingerprints ca
^^ < asily be planted, as you saw."
Bt "Yes, but we knew that severa
mm months ago, because, like the heroin?
[w^ ?>r the villainess, or whatever she is
we read the Satevepost, and there wa
a story in that about two counterfeit
ers who framed a cop by getting hi
lir.gcrprints in wax and then havin
rubber stamps made of them. Ant
rhen, wo like the story of the triangl
better than the one of tho finger prints
You see, we always did prefer geometr
to physics. If you are ao nice and at
tractive in the first act, and you ar<
why should you be so horrible in th
other acts? When we see Mr. Thoma
we intend to tell him how to improv
his play. It needs a happy ending."
Here we half expected Mr. Corriga
to say scornfully, as Carol McComa
had done, "You movie critic!" How
ever, you noticed, didn't you, that th
next night Zona Galo wrote a happ
inding for "Lulu Bett?" So who sha!
say we have lived in vain ? All that Mi
Corrigan said, however, was, "I do no
think there is any one who could tel
Mr. Thomas anything about writinj
plays,"
Charle? Ray to Direct
Charles Ray has turned director. H?
will officiate in that capacity in his ne*
picture made from Charles Van Loan'i
Scrap Iron; but,of course, he also will
appear as the star. If Mr. Ray enjoys
this .doubling ha will continue thes<
w#l appcaruiices.
Stars of Stageland to
Appear in Brooklyn's
Benefit for Actors Fund
Twenty-four of the stara of stagc
land, supported by a score of leading I
actors and actresses, will appear in the I
first annual benefit performance given
in Brooklyn in the interests of the j
Actors Fund of America. The perform-;
anee is scheduled for the Montauk:
Theater next Sunday and will begin !
promptly at 8 p. m.
The program as at present arranged j
will be opened by Mrs. Fiske in a j
speech outling the purpose of the j
Actors Fund.
Mrs. Fiske will be followed by Al
phonz Ethier in a novelty act; Frank
Bacon in short stories; the first pres?
entation of "Love," v.-ith a cast em?
bracing Francine Larrimore, Norman
Trevor, Robert Ames, Merle Maddern
and others, and Ada Mae Weeks, in an
offering of dance and song.
Alice Brady and company will open
the second half of the program with
a dramatic one-act play, "The Recoil,"
its first performance on any stage.
Those who have seen the rehearsals
pronounce it a remarkable piece of
stagecraft. To offset the tension Alice
Rowland will offer a program of songs '
and will be followed by an all-star cast
in "Love and Kisses," the playing of
which will enlist the services of Helen
Laura Hope Crews, Grant Mitchell, Ann
Andrews, John Drew and Blanche
Yerka, "Tho Man" will follow, with
Jeanne Eagles, Robert Warwick, Mac
lyn Arbuckle and Edmund Lowe.
"The Triangle" will be presented by
Frances Starr, Edmund Br?ese, Vincent
Serrano, John Craig and a strong sup?
porting cast. Tom Lewis will offer his
famous "League of Nations" speech,,
and others who will appear will be
Charles AllthofP, Robert T. Haines,
Frederick Truesdell, Paul Everton,'
Marc MacDermott, Alice Fleming, Bart
ley .Huntington and Catherine Roberts.
The entire program has been ar?
ranged by Daniel Frohman, president
of the Actors' Fund of America, and
will be presented under his personal
direction.
H- ???? ?". ')
<? 'THE GKESIT JLOVJtKj:
^ut-fMiteS?M?i'0
Ann Andrews Discusses
Clothes ; Likes Them With
A Touch of Sophistication
Ann Andrews, who plays with Grant
Mitchell in "The Champion" at the
Longacre Theater and Is considered
one of the best-dTessed women on the
American stage, has not won this dis?
tinction without merit. She is a thor?
ough shopper. To spend a day or even
i two matching a ribbon or getting just
the proper sort of a veil is not unusual
? for her.
"My sartorial creed is: the big things
will take care of themselves; it is the
little things you must w^tch," she says.:
"It is easy enough to buy stunning
gowns or suits if you have the money,
but the art of* costuming lies in match?
ing up all the accessories and present?
ing a perfect ensemble.
An actress has to think a great deal
about her clothes, but every women
should, because she is judged by
them and unbecoming clothes handicap
her in any line of work. On the stage
I do not always get the parts I want,
but I do insist on dressing according
to my own taste for tha parts I do get.
I like clothes with a touch of sophisti?
cation, just as I like that type of peo?
ple. A simple white muslin frock is all
very well, but I want a little hint of
intrigue or subtlety .?."?out it some?
where."
A tribute to Miss Andrews's taste
was paid when she made her appear?
ance the first night in 'The Champion."
She wore a gown of American Beauty
colored velvet marvelous"y draped, and
j a corsage bouquet of metal flowers.
j There was a ripple of excitement
? among the women present when they
j saw it and then they burst into ap?
plause. The gown, as well as the
I actress, had scored a hit.
Instantaneous Sellings by
New light and Color Method
To make a complete change of scen?
ery, just turn an electric switch. This
is the newest method in stage investi?
ture, which Hugo Riesenfeld will pre?
sent soon at his theaters?the Rivoli,
Rialto and Criterion. The change is
made instantaneously by a mere change
of the color of lighting which floods
the stage. Tho change ^rom a Moorish
interior into an old English garden can
be done in a wink by means of the
newest art, evolved by Nicholas de Lip
sky, the young Russian nrtist, who has
been commissioned by Dr. Riesenfeld
to paint a scries of settings for his
theaters. Work has already been be?
gun on settings for the Rivoli and the
Criterion.
De Lipsky's method?while is it new
in the theater?is based upon one of
the oldest principles?that color is af?
fected by different lights; that, in fact,
a light thrown upon a color may either
make it invisible or bring it out more
completely. But, while the principle
was known, it was the mission of the
young Russian to apply it in such a
way as to make it an aid in the art of
the theater. So faithfully has he held
to his task that he has found it practi?
cable to paint three superimposed
scenes upon one canvas. In ordinary
light the canvas may have little mean?
ing?-it is a weird and unintelligible
mingling of lines and curves. When a
strong light of defined color is thrown
upon tho canvas a landscape comes to
view; the switch is turned and another
color Hoods the setting to bring out a
second scene, and a third color reveals
the third.
In his studio on upper Broadway he
has a model, hardly more than a foot
square. With ordinary light the set?
ting means little, yet when a deep blue
is thrown upon it a dreamy summer
evening is revealed on the little back
drop. Saplings are outlined against
the hills. There is a click?the light is
changed to an orange, and a snow-cov?
ered landscape, with majestic, barren
i trees is shown. Again the light is
! switched back to blue?back and for
I ward until the eye grows accustomed to
the sudden changes. Yet after careful
examination it is impossible to trace
the one ever the other. Each setting is
distinct in itself and in no way a part
of the other. By superimposing and by
calling upon the desired settling by
means of colored light the artist creates
his arrangement of painted colors.
Not only is De Lipsky a muster of
the combinations of color and light ?
the scientific side?but he is also an
artist and creates individual canvases
which reflect the best traditions of the
modern stage art. Were he merely
one or the other, the success of merg?
ing color and light might be
of unquestionable value?but he has
brought the scientific to serve artistic
ends.
For the Criterion he is painting a
cyclorama of two settings?an exterior
and1 an interior. The first is a richly
colored garden, with a vista of distant
hills?a dewy, scent-laden spot; the
second is an interior with columns and
draperies?warm and harmonious in
color and design. The two scenes are
painted upon one great canvas and,
when erected at the Criterion, will give
the stage department two distinctly
different settings to be at its com?
mand by the mere turn of an elecric
switch.
The Rivoli is to have a fantastic Bet?
ting which not only takes advantage of
De Lipsky's combination of light and
color, but also makes use of transpar?
ent hangings, thus bringing the light
behind the settings to play in harmony
with the lights and colors on the face
By the use of transparent and opaque
colors it is possible, says the artist,
to blend silhouettes into live color and
lights, thus presenting more than ti?*-?
two dimensions found in all painted
scenery.
The principle of painting with colors ;
for certain lights can also be employed j
in costuming and facial make-up, says
Do Lipsky. He has painted a young
lady's face and costumed her according
to his principle, and in one light pre?
sented her as a charming nymph, then
by changing the lighting has trans?
formed her instantly into an old witch
in rags. In the daily life of the com?
munity, too, there are great possibili?
ties for his idea, he says. In draperies,
wallpapers and upholstery it would be
fo"und of great value, inasmuch as a
room may be entirely changed in its
color scheme by merely changing the
lighting.
Dr. Riesenfeld believes the innova?
tion means a great improvement in the
modern theater and especially in mo?
tion picture presentation.
"Nowhere do patrons demand so much
change as in a motion picture," said
Mr. Riesenfeld, "yet we have no oppor?
tunity to change our settings in the
way that the speaking Etage can. We
have no intermissions and cannot ex?
pect our patrons to sit idly by while
stage hands make a change back stage.
With us it must be swift."
' of.Z/?tEMEA O
DlTRlOr-STEIH
v?=^
ik "THE PURPL ? JKrfSK:
Thoto.hy WhitoStudio,
y ou /i .
JK/7SOW?"
??j? Cbolutton of a ?>tar
%to ?Bttrtc?jotetti
There have been actors and actresses j
on the American stiige who have risen j
to steiler honors overnight. That was
not the case with Leo Ditrichstein, one
of the most finished actors before the
public to-day, at present playing the
title role of Toto," a comedy of Pari?
sian life, at the Bijou Theater.
Although not an American by birth,
Mr. Ditrichstein is essentially an Amer?
ican star, and has appeared before the
American public continuously for thirty
years. Temesvar, Hungary, is his birth?
place. He was educated at the Uni?
versity of Vienna. His parents offered
him the choice of the engineering pro?
fession or the priesthood. The youth,
however, had decided that the stage
was his vocation, so he accepted an en?
gagement with a light opera company in
Hungary. He received a thorough
training in Continental methods of act?
ing before he decided to e. rve out f
career for himself in An. rica.
The first play which attracted atten?
tion in America to Mr. DLtrichstein am
his polished, quiet, yet effective meth
ods, was "The Other Man," in which hi
appeared in 1S93. Then he had a sue
cessful season as Zou Zou in "Trilby,'
which wa3 presented at the Gardei
Theater in 1895.
In the next four years Mr. Ditrich
stein became better known, appearin?
in such successes as "The Stag Party,
"Under the Polar Star," "Dr. Claudius,
"Hedda Babler" and "At the Whi
Horse Tavern."
At this time Mr. Ditrichstein bega
to develop talent as a playwright an
in the course of the next fifteen year
he wrote or was the co-author o
adapter of twenty-one plays, some c
them being produced with great su?
cess. T'p to the present time Mr. Di
richstoin has thirty-two plays to h
crcrMt and he has appeared personal
in almost all of them.
Among the earlier of these pla;
were "Gossip," of which he was tl
co-author with Clyde Fitch, in 189i
"A Fool's Errand," 1895; "A Superfl
ous Husband," 1897; "Mile. Fifi," 189:
"The Song of the Sword," 1899; "A
On Account of Eliza," 1900; "Unlea
ened Bread," 1900, and in the sar
year, "Are You a Mason?" in whi?
he did a clever female characteriz
tion.
Then followed a number of plays
rapid succession. Ditrichstein had t
como one of the favorites of the sta?.
Among these plays were "The hi
Appeal," in 1901; "Vivian's Papa:
1903; "Harriet's Honeymoon," 190
"Tit for Tat," 1903; "What's the Mi
ter With Susan?" 1904; "Milita
Mad," 1905; "Before and After," 190
"Nocturne," 1906; "In God's Countr;
1906; "E Pluribus Unum," 1907; "T
Ambitious Mrs. Olcolt," 1907; "Bluff
190S, and "Is Matrimony a Failure
in 1907. ?
It was in 1910 that Ditrichstein p
duced the play that was his mont p
nounced success up to that time,
was "The Concert," and his r?le t'
of Gabor Arany, which he contint
to play for three years.
"The Temperamental Journey," "r
Phantom Rival" and "The Million" i
lowed and then came "The Gr
Lover," which rivaled the success
"The Concert." The title r?le g
to Mr. Ditrichstein a sort of trt
mark that has clung to him ever since. :
It was in 1014 that "The Great Lover"
was produced. It served Ditrichstein
for three seasons. Recently it was put !
on the screen.
"The Judge of Zalamea" was a char- j
acterization which ranks with the best i
Ditrichstein ever presented, but un?
fortunately the play was not of the
sort that appealed to the tastes of
playgoers and the play was taken off
to be succeeded by "The, King," in
which he maintained his fame as "the
great lover of the stage." "The Mat?
inee Hero," in 1918, and "Tho Marquis
de Priola," in 1919, were two other
successes with which he made a tour
of the larger cities after their New
York presentation.
Quitting the lighter vein of comedy
temporarily, Ditrichstein produced "The
Purple Mask," a romantic melodrama
in which "the great lover" became the
great hero. A long run in New York
wa3 followed by record-breaking en?
gagements in Boston, Chicago and
Philadelphia. It was only a couple of
months ago that he closed "The Pur?
ple Mask" to allow production of his
latest piece "Toto." In this new play
he is again the wlover. As the leader
of the gay set in Paris he gives to the
r?le of Antoine, de Tillois, nicknamed
"Toto," the sparkle and polish which
have earned for him his high place
in the theatrical world.
?-.?.??
Art of the Screen
Is All-Einbracing,
Says Helen Porten
Helen Porten, one of the stars ol
"Deception," the European film im?
ported by Paramount and depicting th?
story of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII
has high ideals of her profession
Screen acting, she declares, is mor
than a profession: it is an obligation
"If we ourselves do not wish tha
the screen drama shall remain tie<
fast to its early sins, we must take i
seriously. Even what is being don
now is merely the beginning?it i
nothing but a groping and a seekinj
but it is rich with promise. Tho cine
matographic art of our day may er
and may go up blind alleys. But a:
its mistakes cannot obscure the fac
that the film furnishes a means fo
culture of unequaled power. W
should realize this and feel that w
must help it along and not turn awa
from it.
"Acting for the films," says Mil
Porten, "is a profession which d?
mands an actor's entire devotion, :
well as sincerity, industry and a pit
less self-criticism.
"A good film delights millions. TI
thousandth repetition of a reel fi
away, in some foreign land, has tl
same breath of intimacy, of freshnes
because all the spectators, the fir
and the last, see the same perforr
anee which was made in the enthus
asm of the immediate creation. It st
reflects its freshness, even thoui
years may have passed."
Miss Porten plays the part of An
Boleyn in "Deception."
"Deception" was created by the sar
screen craftsmen who gave "Passio
i tc the world, and is declared to
I even greater than ?is forerunner,
fyun'/iJZijT?ji.
jvuid: ?
Strand Theater Celebrates
Its Seventh Anniversary;
First House of l?a Type
In celebration of its seventh anniver?
sary this week the Mark Strand Thea- ;
ter will offer as the screen feature \
Miriam Cooper in "The Oath," a pic- \
turization of "Idol," the William J. '
Locke novel which went through sev-?
eral editions.
A specially arranged anniversary
overture will be played by the Strand
Symphony Orchestra, and the Strand
Male Quartet, lately returned from a |
road tour, also will assist in the cele?
bration.
The Mark Strand Theater was the
first of the picture houses to present
as a part of its offering of photo
dramas an elaborate musical program ;
flayed by a symphony orchestra. Since i
then every picture house of conse- j
quence in the country has followed its;
example, and nearly every big city has j
its "Strand" theater.
Because of the many theaters in the j
country bearing the name "Strand" the ?
originators of the type of entertain- !
nient evolved in the original theater
have affixed the prefix "Mark" to Strand
to distinguish it from others infringing
on the title.
Walshes With First National
The Walfih family ?3 to make two
special productions for Associated
First National. The first is an original
story, while the second will be a pic
turization of Peter B. Kyne's celebrated
novel, "Kindred of the Dust." The
athletic George has just arrived from
New York in Los Angeles to play the
leading male, r?le opposite Miriam
Cooper in his brother Raoul'a new pro?
duction. Miriam Cooper, who in pri?
vate life is Mrs. R. A. Walsh, will be
the feminine star in both of these
productions.
\-??^ m?ms^reb Pxwui:
Drania Should Dojninate
Motion Picture Story, j
Says Scenario Editor;
Drama should be the predominating
ingredient of a motion picture story, ?
according to Lucien Hubbard, chief of i
the scenario department at Universal ?
City. Write history if you will, write i
propaganda, drive homo a lesson or
construct an autobiography, he advises,
but make these things incidental to
the ?drama of the story. Audiences, he
believes, will accept the pill you wish
to give them if it is sufficiently coated
with interesting, entertaining drama.
"In addition to the predominating in?
gredient of drama there may be op?
portunities for fine photographic ef?
fects, for the women characters to
wear elaborate costumes?even a moral
may be gently conveyed?but every?
thing must bo subordinate to the dra?
matic quality of the story," Hubbard
says.
"Our department returns hundreds
of manuscripts every week, and natu?
rally we cannot write each contributor
a personal letter and go into details
why his or her story is net available
for production. But in ninety-nine
cases out of a hundred the reason is
the lack of dramatic material in the
scenario. We receive dozens of stories
tin the 'No Children Wanted' theme, in
v'iich the writers air a personal griev?
ance rather than create an interesting
story with dramatic situations; scores
of stories have been submitted on the
profiteering subject, and almost invari?
ably the author has written propaganda
rather than drama.
"Others have taken the story of theiy
lives or of the lives of their friends,
and called our attention to the fact the
stories were true to life. This is not
always an advantage. While there is
basis for drama all about us, the ex?
istence of most of us is commonplace
Even the most adventurous life mus?
be high-lighted and concentrated, pro?
vided with necessary conflicts and con?
trasts to make it really dramatic and
interesting.
"The most elaborate settings and the
most striking costumes will not make
a photodrama. The most careful de?
tail and the most faithful atmosphere
will not make an interesting picture
All these features merely enhance the
value of a good story and help to make
it 100 per cent perfect. But a real
drama will survive without these ac?
cessories. It always has been my con?
tention that perfect drama can be en?
acted against a simple background. Nc
matter how excellent a scenario may
be, the best producers will not spare
any expense in settings, costumes anc
details. A gem may sparkle under an-j
condition, but the wearer prefers it ir
a suitable setting."
Ohio Also Yields Stuff to
Make Musical .Plav Heroes
Heroe3 in musical comedy often ap- '
pear so stiff, except when they dance,
and so stodgy, except when they sing,
that audiences accept them, as certain
Shakespearian leading men, simply for
the heroine's sake. In several of the
newer musical plays, the heroes have
had sufficient chairo, youth, good
looks and ease to win favor for their
own sake. "Honeydew," "Mary,"
"Sally" and "Lady Billy" have all been
blessed with he-man heroes, and the
story behind at least one of these
young men?Boyd Marshall, of "Lady
Blly"?reveals the stuff of which the !
new musical comedy hero is made.
Marshall is from Ohio?yes, one of ;
the real Ohio Marshalls, who are al- ?
ways lawyers first and mayors, gover?
nors, senators and vice-presidents
afterwards. Boyd Marshall followed
the family precedent and after his
graduation from the University of
Michigan, he read law in the office of
his brother, then Attorney General of
Ohio. "At that time," confesses our
hero blandly, "I was dead set on be?
coming a professor of classical lan?
guages. The law bored me stiff. So I
had a convenient break-down. Yes, I
broke down so effectively that the
family commanded a complete rest.
"But rest was even duller than legal
routine," relates Marshall. "Finally,
I was permitted to study music as a
not too strenuous mental activity. I
entered the Michigan Conservatory of
Music in Detroit, and spent three
corking years there, studying piano,
voice and boxing. Well, I didn't ex?
actly study boxing at the conservatory, j
but it all happened in Detroit, so
what's the difference?
"By now I looked so confounded
healthy," sighs our hero, "that even
my mother felt I was ready to tackle
the law again. But I just couldn't.
And as I wanted to earn a living, the
next best thing seemed to be to take ad?
vantage of my musical training. Well,
I jumped to New York, aspiring to the
Metropolitan Opera House, and landing
on earth as a chorus man in a road
show.
"The family thought I was safe in
a Broad Street law office, when they
saw me on the screen in a Wild West
movie. You see, I tackled the movies
my first summer East. Well, I alibi-ed
myself out of that, but In 1917, my
first season with Mitzi in 'Pom Pom,'
we were booked right through my home
territory, and I had to stick. Anyway,
I felt prouder than Punch as leading
man in a Henry W. Savage production.
"I got my first Broadway chance
through Mr. Savage in 'Head Over
Heel?,' Mitzi's last play, and though
there wasn't much to the part I had
a good time playing it. Miss Zelda
Sears did me the honor of writing
John Smith in 'Lady Billy' for me to
play% so I'm having a groat time in this
engagement."
As you talk with Boyd Marshall off?
stage, where he isn't supposed to bt
John Smith, you discover that John il
Boyd,?breeziness, manliness, awkward
easiness and all. And you are glac
that one Marshal!, of Ohio, deserte?:
statesmanship for stagecraft.
?
Tyrone Power's "Footfalls"
Tyrone Power is making his last ap
pearance in pictures at the Wiliian
Fox studio before being starrea in "Th
Wandering Jew," which David Belasc
will produce next season. William Fo:
had rather a difficult r?le in "Foot
falls," which Charles J. Brabin is di
recting, and induced Mr. Power to ac
eept the engagement before going t
Europe.
Reinhardts Art on
Screen To Be Seen
Soon on Broadway
An unusual combination of the m0*
ern and the ?ncient?a combination
both beautiful and dramatic?is ?ti.
Golem," a film play based on an 0"d
chronicle of the fou rt*f.31th centur
whicb Hugo Riesenfeld wlil presen?
soon on Broadway.
In puro pantomime, with highly dec?
orative yet realistic settings, p0i?.;.
spirit and rich coloring in light effect?
"The Golem" stands forth as a great
expression t?f the art3tic photoplay, u
is an exemplification of the theories
worked out by Max Reinhardt, ?fc,
placed imagination and the play'tpoa
the soul higher than the mere phot,,
graphic. To this European master of
stagecraft the theater was to be &
f?ame for the fields of poetry beyond
?an opening to peep through and not
an independent entity in itself. A*,
cording to modern students the einem
will be the art through which Rcin
hardt's theories will be best revealed
and "The Golem" is rrr*;ar.>?;d as an ex?
ample of the realization of h?3 ideas
Just how closely Reinhardt is con
nected with "The Golem" can be
guessed from the fact that Paul Wer?
ner, who played the title role and abo
directed the production, is his es
sistant. Wegener studied Reinhardt'?
theories of lighting, of stage settings
and of acting?worked with the mas?
ter and caught his spirit. He carried
his ideas into the motion picture field
and gave expression to them, holding
fast to the principle that the stage
and its human figures were mere ac?
cessories to the greater purpose?th?
idea of the story.
And the result has been an artistic
production, at times charming and
delicate, at others terrific in its dn
?natic power. The story is an old Jew?
ish legend told with all the racial char?
acteristics and ar.cier.t forms. A Jew?
ish community of 600 years ago is rep?
resented, not with photographic pre?
cision, but with a poetic melting to?
gether of dreaminess and imagery.
Portraits rise from the screen; grass
covered walls with the quaint little
watch house of the gatekeeper float be?
fore the eyes; the cavernous vaults o?
an alchemist come to view; a giar.t
rages through the conges of the city,
killing and burning, ?.nly to be laid
low by the hand of a curious child.
It is a story which can best be ex?
pressed in the mehtods of the Rein?
hardt school. It is an imaginative
story, as all legends are; a piece o?
literature which has been handed down
through the centuries and is best ex?
pressed in shadowy terms. The old
patriarchs are ihown in soft tones on
the screen, lights and shades which
play with loving: touches about them.
The old walls of the ghetto, the houses
which lean affectionately against each
other, the staircases which have been
worn by many generations of feet
these demand the soft tones of the
camera art and the rich shadows which
speak of the past.
The Golem was the name of a giant
figure created by one of the wise old
men of the ghetto as servant and pro?
tector. Many hours were spent in
building the massive frame, the cole,
unexpressive feature of clay. The cre?
ation of life fascinated the old alche?
mist. He turned the leaves of his bit
books to find, the secret of life and,
having ascertained the vital words, be
calls upon Astaroth to imbue the clay
giant with motion. Supernatural in?
terposition confers the gift of life.
The Colem becomes the servant o?
the family, a willing, patient sfave.
When his master wishes him to beconi*
clay once more he removes the silver
star from the breast, the star which
holds within its shell the sacred scroll
of life. The king calls upon the alche?
mist to entertain him and tM clay
giant steps with stilted walk into the
royal presence, sensing for the first
time the sweet smell of a rose and th?
beauty of a girl's face. Life has be?
come dear to him and for the first
time he refuses to permit the alche?
mist to remove the star
And so the fascinating story go?*
It tells how the Golem >aved the lif*
of the king and how it crushed out
that of a courtier who loved the mas?
ter's daughter. The youth's death
aroused his brutal instincts and he set
fire to his master's house, carried off
the fainting girl only to drop her
when something else interested his
slow-moving brain, and marched
through the ponderous ghetto gate
to meet his death at the hands of a
child during the festival of flowers.
Wegener's portrayal of the Gole?
is a marvelous piece of charateriza
tion, according to those who have seen
the film play. As he walks he give? ?
sense of cold and rigid limbs; his sma.i
eyes move slowly, yet, at times, with
deepest expression. His maw open*?
and closes like that of a piece o?
mechar.ism and there is a touch of th?
grotesque in his smile. Half beast,
half clay, the figure of the Golem seems
both the slave and master of bis cre?
ator.
Opening of "Dream Street*
The collapse of a frame, which ?t*
stroyed 2,000 feet of film, made it nec?
essary for D. W. Griffith to postpone
the opening of "Dream Street" ?ntHj
Tuesday night, at the Central Tbeate**
The picture, which was shown at th?
benefit held Wednesday night at tM
home of Mrs. Vincent Astor, was ??
old working print, which was incom?
plete.
-.- . i
"The JPoor Relation" Filmed
Bernard McConville, who wrote th?
screen version of "Doubling f0"
Romeo," Elmer Rice's vehicle for V'?*
Rogers, now being filmed at the Gola*?
wyn Studios, has been engaged to adaP5
"The Poor Relation," Rogers's next pic?
ture, to the screen. Mr. McConvill?**
wrote the scenario for "A Connecticut
Yankee in King Arthur's Court." %'j^
