Griffith Gives the Plot Scant Courtesy By Virginia Tracy Somebody reminded us that since Gritftth had been taking ten reel pict ures he was said to use thirty or forty reels upon each of them and to spend all the rest of his time trying to cut down to ten?what was left of him now, then, in five? "Ho^- docs he go, real ly, on a programme?" Wc rcplied with haughtiness that hc went at least his own way. "Hc that is rcady may ridc with me, and hc who can may ride ahead!" Thc most wilful and origi^al of all produccrs, it does truly seem to us that in machine-made and imitativc days, days with one hand feveTishly clutching the public pulsc and the other chained by the censor to such enlightenments as not mentioning an illegitimate child unless born in an cient times, to havo prcserved intact that originality and will is cnough even for him; just the assurance that he will always use what material inter? ests him in whatever way it interests him to use it. Yet there remains the bitter truth that pictures sometimes have to have in them thlngs which do not interest him, as he might not be interested in floors, and yet his house would hc rather curious than comfort able without them. He does not mind putting in the floors if he has time, but in a programme picture hc is so little apt to have time. In "A Romance of Happy Valley," where his own material swarms upon him with such richness?his own mate? rial of side-lighted, incidental, acci dental treatment?as to embarrass his story, hc does not hesitate in his choice. It is the story he flings ovcr board like dead cargo. Sink or swim, Hurvivc or perish, he is for the moods, thc temperuments, thc adjustments of persons and ploces. Places, We should ay. aro quite as much to him as per? sons, and hc will not huve bo much as the hecls of there trodden upon by on irrclcvoncy which, of course, hc knows only, don't bother him!? he must stuff in somewhere; that Irrelevancy of ? plot. Look at .tohn Logun's side yard in Happy Valley, How little. it roKomblei* the pretty lawn of tho ma chine-mado picture! It looks so itrnk'tfly and him such v/orn patehoi ln it! The boredom of a thoutand Sun? day aftornoonn hangH around that yard an.! tho atepa leiiding into it; yeari or deferred hope, of dolng witliout every thing you really want, and yet of being on the whole fairly comfortablo, have worn the edges of those dispirltod steps. The tollgate keepcrs starving for gossip, the struggles of the heroino with her new dress, the bullying tem pers of tho older gencration, ground hectoring and hopeless by hard Avork, thc excitement of the community as to whether the minister can bring "young loiiu" to thc mourners' bcntfii.---the.ic p.rc thc things their produccr is after, and if any cssential of the plot asks for the space where the poor little heroino is scarcd of a burglar under her bed, so much the worae for tho plot, and if it comes to a Btruggle be tween the story and the observance of that homely heroism which breathes from the face of a plowed field, or of that strange veil which Sunday drops over a landscape, then throw out the story. How many would wc how gladly heip throw out! But, alas, this seems such a good story! For, do you supnosethat when young John backslidcs from thc mourners' bench bo far as to run away from Happy Valley, you are once more asked to pity tho rash youth ruined by the wickednes8 of the great city and crawling back in defeat and ruin to ihe innocent rural sweetness he has defied? You do not know your Griffith. It is the udventurer in tho city whose life, free vo follow its own instinctive course, is too full and eager to waste itself; it is the innocent country father, plodding in the unbroken mo notony of those deferred hopes, who comes to spiritual and worldly ruin. But why develop your hero so ten AMUSEMENTS 0(OHtH?UliOWH > New York Boys Your Boys Boys you know SEE THEM IN "THE GLORIOUS27th" an Eye-WitncBB 'Th* Mntl-.n Ple?lr?, _*a r-i,M,.,| Ul,,r tffa of va)f)p SEE THEM r?'"* f? ?"' *nJh?-r*_p?ther ?-..- Prleml*? Urnlher* *l??er?-~*weethw?'l Spai'UI Attrmtiim Th* Htivr ?f-"Tb? iUmnt U Berlln," RUPERT JULIAN m "The Fh-e Flinger?" BOTH ATTRACTIOMS STARTINC TO DAY tlerly and humorously and wisely and then, when, he Icaves the place you are interested in, drop him down a hole and forget all about him? Lingering amid the beloved vexationa of his Happy Valley, Griffith thenceforth re members about young John only that, eventually, he must come back with money. "Well?quickest way for lots of money? Invent something. Some thing not too grandiose in tone for picture of Happy Valley? Mechanical swimming frog?good enough!" Young John is gone seven years, and in this time he is never shown to us doing anything whatever but kneeling over a tub, impassionedly testing his frog. Once he comea home and thrusts him? self by force under his producer's eye hc is picked up again and treated ten derly, as no saint, but a quite justi fiably cocky youth, bursting with con ceit and ripe to dazzle. All the same, we have had a chili and are to feel a worse one. We have no quarrel with the circum stances by which the father seeks to steal tHe wallet which he does not know is his aon's, nor because, in the struggle in the dark, the father strikes the son a mortal blow. So far breath taking truth and misery! But the trashy and senseless contrivance by which thc son is saved puts out our lire at a splash, nor can we, on a hearth where our confidence has been so warm, forgive the icy insult. After so much truth the most bromidic of contrivances would have been better than a false one; it is as if somebody had reminded Griffith and he had re pliod, "Punch? Oh, yes, so they do want one! Hit 'em with this." Is it coincidence that "The Greatest Thing in Life" broaks in two in mtich the same way as does "A Romance of Happy Valley"? Tho break, iiulced, is not so plain, nor is it this time thut the story la left to go wild, but thnt it turns into u different story from that with which we startcd out, ao that prcacntly we find ourselves wltncssing an admirable, conventional picture of war heroism instead of tho unconyen tionnl, the incomparablo picture of war adjustmciit which tho premiseB prom l?od. We do not meati to alight the line accnoa of huttle- or of smokcl nor tho bitckborie they gain from the utrong litck of wcak nbuso with which thcif titloe march them 011. Tho Ger? mans are callod Germnns, nothlngolso; thero ia not a rape nor t i atroclty, nor even n villain, and tho effect Ir cxtraor dlnary?tho Germans come on and sweep over and doBtroy the little town quite, we might say, quietly, like sorne great machine calmly grinding as it goes the humanity in its path. And j the soul risos against it in a colder I hatred than against a million devils. Neverthcless j Surely no need to name thc title's "greatest thing." But we begin with a young aristocrat so ill at case with life as to be practically disassociated from it whom enforced association with low private soldiers smashes into the common mud, only that fr'>m the com mond mud it may remodel a perfectly functioning hurr.an being, glad of the drink which a nejjro soldier offers from his water bottle, glad to console that negro?dying of wounds and fever in the sholl hole where they hido and acreaming deliriously for his mother ?with the kiss which thc negro thiuks it ia his mother gives him. So we know that thc lovc Griffith refer's to in his title is the love of human kind.and when he pretenda to us that all he re fers to is the love of lovers, we know he has simply deserted in action on the field of battle. Not intentionally, we suppose. His is a most comprehensive mind, and desiring, probably, to weave in more kinds of love than one, he has made his heroine a little girl looking for the Perfect Lovcr. And the minute he bejrins to think about her the story of democratizing an aristocrat goes straight out of his head and he de votes himself to her story; so that between the hero as aristocrat and the humanitarian in the shell hole wc have absolutcly only one singlo scene of development. Is that why, even to its creator, the shell hole seems a little sudden and he feels callcd upon | to explain such a movement bv inter 1 rupting it with fade-ins of the negro dreaming in his mother, as if there were dangcr we might think the hero only kissed him out of carelessness? This is the rcverse sido of that orig? inal will for which wo thanked heaven in the beginning, and not less now at the end. If The Tribune didn't have a programme of its own on which it will insist upon others than ourselves appearing, we could gladly discourse for a few columna about the heroine's love eearch; we do not know how it could have been done with a lovelier juster, funnter senae of adolescenl girlhood; and although we think tht demoeratlc story of n deeper and i proudcr kind than hers we should b< glad to get either developed truly foi Itself. Fully driven home either it plenty for any programme picture, um suprrflcinlly skipped over the two to father are not enough. Yet who bu Griffith Is tfylhg to do BUt'h thlflgi Al nll 7 Who else aer? with bo ff??l an #agef?iea? otir fjtJMf world, , verelon ot George Rroadhurat'a "Th. Woman on tbe fnd?x," pliiyH (,t. t\? Rialto thia week. The play w?? iidapt ?d for tho acracn by Willard Mack who la found in the rftle of Hugr Deelaaaa. Wyndham Btandlng and Her Iltndricka are also lm the cast. Tht picture waa directed by Hohart Hen ley, "An Eesay of tha HilU" ia the tltU of tho Tlobort C. Bruco sconlc picture. Tho Kialto Magazine offerB its weekly array of news picturos clioscn from curroiit ncwB reels. Tht comedy is ?"? Hnrold Lloyd-Pathd, cntitled "Next Aisle Over." Mlllctl ' Livoli pic William S. ilait in "The Poppy Girl's Husband," showing at the Rivoli this week, has doffed his trademarked chaps and Bombrero, but he is still a "hold, bad man and a desperado." The story was written by Jack Boyle for tho Red Book. It was converted into a Bcenario by ('. Gardner Sullivan. When it came to thc making of thc picture Mr. Hart himself took a hand in the direction, in collaboration with Lambcrl Hill; cr. The c< mi tly "Keilly's Wash Day." '! torial of tho week has been amplilied to cover the functions both of the news reel and the scenic elements of the programme. The Bolin Ballet appears on the pro? gramme under the title of "Silhouette Dancc." It was 'arranged by Adolf Bolm, of the Metropolitan Opera House, with a special musical score by Victor Herbcrt. 1). AV. Griffith's latest achicvement, "The Girl Who Stayed at Home," will be the photodramatic feature at the Strand Theatre, a story of thc Magda Ien of the war, Robert Herron is the boy, and Clarine Seymour portrays the girl. Others in the cast are Curol Dempster, Richard Barthclmass, George Fawcett and Tully Marshall. "Reilly's Wash Day" will also be presented. The Strand Topical Re? view, edited by Director I'lunkett, has been compiled aa a special tribute to the 27th Division. Other film features will be "Topics of the Day" and scenic and educatlonal studies. Malcolm McEachern, the famous Aus tralian basso, will render faVorite Seotch songs. Ralph ii. Brigham and Herbert Sissen will alternate in ren dering an organ solo. Tbe Symphony Orehestra, under the direction of Carl Edouanle, will play the "fjarice of the Hours," from "Lfl GiacSonda,'* by Pon chielli. At tho Broadway iluperl Juiian will be seen lfl "The I . | ,. . ,? : ?? jjf, will he SUpportetl by .Inn.? N'ovak. Tbe story, which ran in "Tbe Saturday I ? ?? "ifif I'"'*." Is b ? U'illiam ,1. Neldlg The exirn added utl.tiori will b? "Tbe Bjtploil I of O'ttyitn'fl" T.velil, . Mth," M elflfrflBtOgPaplHe fieeontil ,,, 'hrofielofiiai trjui ni ?? uf Ui< ? ? .. ? . t.f the 87th Divi' I..,, Th** hi(/ Bttfaetlon at Leew'i New York Tli'miK. and llpof th.inilnu W?nk Will lie Dnlnihy D?|i.,i, |n "(,.,,' travaganea" on Monday He ite Bai HhUAU in "JleiutH Aileej," ,,,, Tm,v d?y; Hryiiiit Wirlibu. n |n " | b- I'ooi Hoob" on Wediie^lny; Georga Walsh (ft "Nevcr Nliy QuJt" ou Thiirsilay; 1'riscillii Deun in "Tbe ;,ilk |,m,.,| Uurglar" and Franklin Farnum ln "Go Get 'K'm, GarririKor," on Friday; June Klvidgo in "Tho Lovo Defendcr" on Sat? urday, and Violu Daria in "The Paril* lan TigrctiB" on Sunday. Shadowa on the Screen !' Briggs Pictures, Inc, announces that the company has completed thc first three one-recl comedies. The pictures are made from the cartoons of Briggs, appcaring in Thc Xew York Tribune, and are said to be entirely different from any other film comedy ever prc sented, The first picture is titled "The Days of Real Sport," with n sub-title of "Xew Folks in Town." The second is called "When a Feller Needs a Priend" and thc third is "Skinny Is Surprised." The films are being cut atul titled, and the company will announce their re leasing plans within a fortnight. I' rank .ii;. i. ?, brother of Aliee, and : Flo Lewis will be scen al thc Colonial Theatre during Ihc week ol' March 21 in a one-act comedy with songs and i ' dances. The dialogue was writtcn by Miss Joyce, who spcnds her "vaca- I ' tions" between pictures doine; things ; ' like that. * '? Kenneth Webb, Paramount director, used to be a musical comedy author. Several of the musical plays that he wrote with his brother, Roy, were pre sented for runs on Broadway and now the fever has come back again, so the two Wcbbs are devoting their spare moments to a new production whicn they hope to have ready for an early fall prcsentation. Lawrence Windom, who directed Taylor llolmes in "It's a Bear," now is engaged in assembling the supporting cast for this comedian's next picture, the working title of'which is "Upside Down." This is a screen adaptation of George Agnew Chamberlain's story, publishcd in "Harper's Magazine," "Lovely Reason." The scenario is being written and revised by Clara Barengor, who recently finished tiie scenario of "Coma Out of the Kitchen" for Mary Pickford. Miss Barenger is collaborating with Wallace Clifton, Norma Talmadge in "The Probation Wife" will be shown nll the coniinrr week in the Loew Theatres in greater Xew York. The Famous 1'layers-Lns.ky Corpora? tion hfta Belected its cast for the screen adaptatlofl of "Secfel Service," the William GlUette play. The players are Shirley Mason, Theodore Roberls, Tom ami si;mi;ms 'orman, Casson Ferguson, Irving Cunv lings, Kdytho Chapman, Robcrl Cain ilUinn Leighton and Guy Olivcr. Hugr, "ord will Btage tho lilm, Samuel I.. Rothapfel announcei thal .'ork on the i: Lhapfcl Unit Pro ;rammc i , it wil ppear just w hen ball Vvi ; ; beginning to tantu thc ncrves oi tmerica. In this story llaj is a "bush' sague pitcher. This new tale of tht ianiond was writteti by Earl Snell and /as put into continuity by Julien .lo ephson. It was directed by Jcrry torm, under the supervision ol 'homu8 11. Ince. World Pictures announces thc rc ease in May of a five-reel feature, wi.tr. Jarreth Hughes, Violet Palmer an< ?aul Everton. The vehicle fmployet 0 exploit these artists is callei Ginger." Paul Everton was success ully starr-ed by the late Henry B larris in "Thc Lion and the Mouse,' The Third Degree" and other playi hat were big money getters for thii nanager. He was also starred ir 'harles Kline's play, "The Gamblcrs.' larreth Hughes belongs to thc younge; dement of actors who have made the itrical history in thc past five years /iolet Palmer has been connected witl i number of lilm suceesses as well ai days on the Icgitimate stage. Where and when authors get ideai or their stories is tflways the myster; )f the writing game. Some confess fr retting them out^of a bottlc, other iteal them and still other authors ai nspired. William Pnrker, nuthor of Jesse E Hampton's "\\ hat Et ery Womai '-Van* i," releai < d by i' I bitors Mutua ind foaturing Grace Darmond, con fesgea he obtained the idea for thi itorjr from the advertising seCtions o I'he Xew Vork Simdav Tribune, fiol dif Hcult to get Ihe nuswer. ami si,mi:m..; ?HM *?*?*-*'?*-?.?wa?a? I io.iiim II. I,i|. Ill llin , I |'. if PAULINE FREDERICK WILLIAM S. HART A BRUCE BCENIC KIAl/m QUARTBTTE RIALTQ MAGAZINE BENNETT COMEDY PRIZMA & PICTOWAL RIVOLJ ORCHESTRA BOLM BALLE1 \Sllhouetle Dance arrangtd by ././.,/ RlALTO HRrurCTDA i/.'"/"' "/ "'?' Metropolitan Open ff?#? Riofm/fid .f .v,,i /.???,,?? ,????,????? Mlerbert, "La Femme el la Pantin" Screen Play for Priscilla Dean ln nnnouneing the purchase ot a story entitled "La Femme et La Pan tin," aa a future vehicle for Priscilla Dean, tho Unlveraa] scenario depart? nient, erroneously announced that the screen version was to bo an adapta tion of the I'nnioiii French play by I'iene Louys. The lilm Mlory will not hc nii ntlapliil lon ol' ihe play, I'tH will bo put. Into aconarlo form, adaptad from thc novel direct, It it* expected that "La Fritimi! et La J'aiitin," under the tentativo titlo of "Tho Woman and the Puppet," will be produced following the completion of a Bayard Veiller story, which will si'tvo as Miss Dean's next vehicle. Fair banks to Make Film For Fifth Liberty Loan Douglas Fairbanka has assembled an all-star movie cast to play the allegori cal characters in his propaganda film for the fifth Victory loan. Douglas plays Dcmocracy clad in thc same costume that hc wore in the third Liberty loan film, "Swat the Kaiser,' and in the last frovernmont bond drive "Sic 'eni, Sam ! " Heading the supporting east is Frank Campeau, in tiie part of Dis sension; Sarah Mason as National Lib it:;.'. Charjes Stcvcns as Propagan? da, Bull Montann as Prusslanism Spike Robinson as Brutc Ignorance, and Citizen by William A. Wellman, the American ace, who has seven German 'planes to his credit. By Harriette UnrJerhill Even before we met Allan Dwan we were sure we should like him, first because he had a sense of humor and second because he wrote to us from the coast more than a year ago, when we were fresh from the kennels, in a manner of speaking, and asked our advice on two separate occasions. It makes one feel so important to be consulted, especially when you know that you don't know anything much. When we first began to see pictures we were not greatly concerned with who made them. If the story was good and we liked the star that was as far as our interest went, and then one day we talked to Maurice Tour neur and he said, "When anything goes wrong cherchez le directeur." So we started to notice and wc soon became acquainted with the best sell i ers of Cecil De Mille and Thomas Ince ; and Herbeit Brenon and Marshall Nei I lan and we came to visualize these j directors as we watched their work on j the screen. If a man is known by the books he reads how much better is he "known by the pictures which he directs. Therefore we know that Allan Dwan had a sense of honor and we never ceased to remember "Bound in Mo rocco," in which the heroine, rescued from the harem, wore a Liberty Loan button and with tears in her eyes gasped out "Is the subway finished yet?" Of course to bring that up to date the title should be changed to "Is the escalator at Park Place fin? ished yet?" But to return to Mr. Dwan. as who would not, when we heard that he had come East and that we were going to meet him at a luncheon we were quite sure that we could pick him out with? out any guidc. We expected him to bc tall and blonde. something like Ilenry Warner, only with curly linir for we'll leave it to any one if Allan Dwan doesn't sound like that. And there he was dark and looking almost like Douglus Fnirbankit! But he had a sense of humor, thnt mar velous gift of the Crcntor, which aloni makes it posniblr for ineti to HVa nnd use the telephone nnd the surface can nnd th* subways day after day. Mr. Dwan is a peculiar person, atn! wi cun't think of any adjactive to d*' ?enl.e him. As soon an lu- apptara h. tuketi tho n inn und nobody ha? tc bother about anything at all nfter that He aweeps everything beforo him likt a simoon, only his forces are not sc scattered and neither are they inter mittent. Always on tlie lookout for easy copy we said: "We want to do a story abou' directors, Mr. Dwan, and wc want yoi to write it for us. .Something aboul 'Home Lives of Great Directors,' or, per? haps, 'Love Letters of Dead Directors ?no, that wouldn't do, for you wouli never come undar that classiiication? perhaps 'Memories of a Director' wouk be better." "All right," agreed Mr. Dwan. "I'l dictate it just as though you had writ ten it. Here, take this down: 'Om day last week, when I was walkinj down Fifth Avenue, I met Allan Dwan "Hello, kid," said I. "Oomc in and hav< a drink." So, while wo stood with ou; feet on tho rail, thinking sadly of ; date not sy far distant'"? "But," we interrunted, "you forge' you are supposed to be tnlking to ? lady! However arroneous the supposi tion" "Well, then, write it yourself?saj In Which Allan Dwan Telts AllAhout Supervision anything you like?use your own diu cretion!" f J "You are an optimistic soul, aren' you?" we began and just then ftfc man Kerry and Matt Moore joined u and Mr. Dwan had an idea. "Go over to the Rialto with rtie to morrow morning and see my pictut. 'Forbidden Fires,' which is to be 8h0^ there, and 1*11 give you a story about . supervision." Putting on a picture lt i 10 o'clock in the morning is cruel aJ inhuman, but when we got to the th atre we found that Mr. Dwan and Hun Riesenfeld and the whole orcheitr, had been there all night working w the orchestration. It was a marvellous picture and thrilling orchestration even at 10;|(i But not a word did we learn of aupV vision, for you can't talk when yotj are watching a picture like "Forbiddm Fires." Louise Glaum and Matt Moore played in it, but Mr. Dwan supen^ed it. Never have we seen such degert scenes, such lighting and auch photoc raphy! Some of the ecenes were taken from the back of the tent with tht figures in the play silhouetted agsintt the sky and the desert atretching for miles behind them. "Who are all these people fn front of us?" we whispered once during tht picture. "Prospective purchasers," Mr. Dw?t whispered back, "representing, I shoult say, at least $300,000,00(1." It seems a lot of money, but, thm no doubt the picture is worth It. But we never did get our etory on supervision. Also, w? forgot to say that AUm Dwan has not always been a director He u?.ed to have something to do wjt> electricity, until, one day somcthliif somehow, ehocked him and he nev?>i has been able to go nenr eleetricit) since, because he is ehargod. P?rh*B! that is what makes him so attraetiv* but, at any rate, right nfter that hi wrotc a scenario and had it aerenUi and then he wrote another one and hn that aoetptad, und then he wrot* a lo more nnd had thrni all acoepted, am one day the dirtttor fell II] and th? told Mr, Dwan h? h*?l io dlreet hi owti picture, Aud ho did, and ha* been deing i ever hhue, We are t|uite mn? tha Mr. Dwan could do anything that w? auggea'ted to him, und corao te thlnl of it, we wonder why he doeaot takt a day off from the Btudio and ittth this L. of N. controversy once for ill Strand to Celebrate Its Fifth Annivenar) During the week of April 2(1 tii Strand Theatre will celebrate ita fift \ anniversary, on which occasion thepul lic will have an opportunity to witnei the most eigantic ?how ever offered i ja motion picture theatre. Manager J< seph L. Plunkett has already con menced the arrangement of an elabt rate programme which, he promise will be the talk of the town, if not i the United StateF, for during tl Strand's anniversary week the FiratNi tional Exhibitors will have their annoi convention in Now York, and every ci hibitor will, of course, witncs? t1! Strand show. One of the features will be a specii screen presentation which is now beir lilmcd under the direction of Mr.Plm kett. AMUSEMENTS AMUSEMENTS AMUSEMENTS .-\v.:v ' ? $.1 A National Institution, Broadway and 47th Street Direction Joseph L. Plunkett Commencing To-day DWGRIFFITHS New Production The Girl Who StayedatHome Aa AKTCGAFT Picture Telling the Vital Story of Today The tale has been told of the heroes of France'e trenches. Now D. W. Griffith, with his genius. tells the story of thc heroines of the trenches that extend from New York to San Franciaco?the endleas trtnchea lined with wonien'e souls, It's not the story of the soldier who marcbet* M parade dewn th? avrmie, U la tli? big drama ef the giti who atatida eti th? curb, waitlng?fetafiiiluB rsgarly th? ift?#s ei the man Ii.me men, <.?.... i?it.fcj (or one faea, tht face &l the man who mutn Utntf whst hapnened while hf waa ?w