39

JU LY. 1925

Where are the Movies Moving?

T h e B r i l l i a n t Success o f t h e C i n e m a in P o r t r a y i n g t h e F a n t a s t i c a n d P r e p o s t e r o u s
B y

T H E

m y

c o u rs e

fa v o u r ite

b e g in s

r o lls
o f

u p

to

h is

o n e

d r a m a tic

s in g .

H e

eves, h e

c ro tc h e ts

o u t

o f

a n d

o f

h is

h e ro , F e lix

th ru m s

opens

h is

h is

h is

th ro a t.

th e

. a ir

above

T h e

th e

little

com es

b la c k

e x p re s s e d

1 h a ve

h e

a n d

s tre a m

in

v is u a l

im a g e ,

it

is

r e s u lts

p e r fe c tly

s c o o te r

m o st

h a n g

h a ve

a t som e

b u t n o t,

in d ic a te s

p re g n a n t

le n g t h

1 th in k ,

v e ry

o n

u n d u ly .

c le a r ly

p o te n tia litie s

w h .a t

o f

e ve n

F e lix s s o n g

h im .

L o o k in g

u p ,

F e lix

th e

F o r

th e

books

th e

th e s e

v o u n g

e ffe te

lite r a r y

it

m a ke

suspended

th e re .

r e s o u r c e fu ln e s s ,
c ro tc h e ts

a re

he

ith

r e a liz e s

e x a c tly

h is

a t

th e

usua l

on ce

fu ls

fo r.

o f

H e

t h in g s

th e m ,

has

h .a s

b e fo re

th e m

y o u

to g e th e r

can

in to

lit t le

tr o lle y

o r

s c o o te r,

o f

a re

m a d e

o u t

o f

th e

ro u n d

w o r k in g

s ilv e r s m ith s

th e

fra m e w o rk

o f

th e ir

m o st

flig h t s

In

c o m p a n io n

in to

h e r

h eads

s c a t, c lim b s

th e

b y

its

th e

b a rb s

le v e r

th e

o f

s e m i- q u a v e r

p r o p u ls io n
a nd

o f

o f

o f

th e

o f

p ic tu r e ,

b lis s

to

o n

in to

h is

m o u th

th e

w e

s c re e n ,

s c o o te rs

lo g ic a l

seem s

th in g
a n d
a

som e

a re

th is

in

th e

th e

th e

u n k n o w n

n o t

c o n v e r s io n

w o r ld .

T h e

s y m b o ls

c o n v e n tio n ,

F o r g e ttin g

a n d

w e

th e ir

c o n c e n tr a tin g

p e r c e iv e

th a t

to

lin o s

ro d s , th e

ra w

o r,

o f

in

g iv e

easy

to

n a m e

o f

w o rd s ;
th e m

th e

F re n c h

m o st

is

s c h o o ls .

to

fre e

T h e

lit e r a t u r e

th e

a n d

to

d re a m .

g iv e

it

th e

W h a t

th e y

fa n -

s u c c e s s fu lly

th e

a tte m p t

n o t

v e ry

T h e

c in e m a

a d v e n tu re s

o f

in

th e

F e lix

h ig h e s t d e g re e .

o n ly

F e lix .

M a n y

o r

o f

o u r

d r e a m - lik e

in

best

film s

th e ir

p h a n -

T h in k ,

opens

o f

so u n d

in

n o te s

m akes

a s c o o te r.

in

th e

n a tu r a lly
th e

th e

D o u g la

o n

a r tis tic

A s

a m e re

e n v v

h im .

te rm s

n e a r ly

c o n c r e te ly ,

w h e e ls

o f

D o n
to

o u t

S p a n is h

F o rd

a n d

p e r v e r s e ly

th e

n o t

fro m

r e s e m b la n c e

in

lik e
to

w o u ld

say

seem

th e

c e r ta in ly

th e

it s

p h ra s e
p r in te d

s lo w ;

iin s a t is f a c t o r v .
d iffic u lty
s tr ik in g
m o te

is

to g e th e r

o ne

in

s u g g e s te d

th a t o n e

b y

th e

th e

n o te s

r e c a lls

th e

a n d

is

w ith ,

s p a re

b e g in

n o te s

o n ly

p r in te d

o n

w o rd s .

th e

o f

speak,

p a rts

th e

Is n o t

th e

id e a
an

th o u g h ts

H e n c e
th e

a r tis t

h i

h ila r io u s

b y

C h a r lie

a d v e n tu re

film s

o f

F a ir b a n k s .

e x p lo it

a m

an

e v e r - in c r e a s in g

m e d iu m
it

th is

le n d s

w o u ld

b e

ca n

th e

s u re ,

th e

te n d e n c y

p o te n tia lity
e x te n t.

o f

I t

th e

is

w ill

c in c m .a

in e v ita b le ;

be

ia c

e x tr a o r d in a r y

case.

O n

o v e r,

space

th e

v e ry

in

th is

o f

c o lo u r

th e

th e

a r b itr a r ily

a n d

sup er-realis7>i

it s e lf so w e ll to

p e rfo rm e d ;

tim e

to

uses

b y

h is

use

w ith

c e r ta in

be

have

th e

to

is t o

fa c t

be

.as

h is

in

th e

th a t

th e
b u t

im p r e g n a t e d
a n d

a o c ia iio n s .

T o

e m p lo y

a t

a ll.

o r

re a d e rs

c lic h e s

H e

m o st

be

i f

th is

s c re e n ,

w e re

th e

la r g e ly

im p e r f e c t io n s

a rc
id e a s

lim ita tio n s

ig n o r e d .

o f

n o t

m ir a c le s

in c o n g r u o u s

a s s o c ia te d ;

can

re s p e c t, a n

to g e th e r

been
to

th e

s im ile

s c re e n , w h e re

fic a tio n
th e

th e

o f

M o re

c in e m a

i m p o r t a n t a s s e t.

jo in e d ,

be

ta lk in g

nonsense.

is a l r e a d y

o f

m o st

v io le n t

H . - W 'E

it

w o u ld

w ith o u t

id e a s

o f

c a r

a n d

ca n

h o w

b y

easy

a n d

fo r

a r b itr a r ily
b r in g in g

som e

c .x a m p le , h o w
a

w r ite r

p r e lim in a r y

Y o u n g

fo r

tv r a n n ic s
to

fo r
fo r

m u s ic a l n o te s

im a g e s .
h a ve

be

lo n g

a lm o s t

s im p lv

seen

th e

d is s o c ia te

o ld

id e a s , t o

w .a v .

It

o f

a n y
p a ir

fig h t,

fu r io u s

g iv e n
lik e
o f

a n d

T h e

a rc ,

absence

an

th c v
th e

th e

d o .

In

in

r e v o lt
h a ve

use w o rd s
c a n n o t

be

a m o to r

tw o

in

id e a s ,

s u iu b lc
F ra n c e ,

. a g a in s t

tr ie d
in

th e

a n e w

s a id

th e

fo r c ib ly

th a t

a n d
th e

o f

o f w h a t

fu tu re ,

q u a litie s
a te lv

o f

o f

be

fro m

ill

b u t

p e r s is t
a

little

to

little

th e

th e y

th e

u n fo ld
s id e

is

g la s s
th e

in d u c in g ,

as

e n h a n ce

th e

in

d rc a m -Itk c

s c re e n .

be

s u p e r-r e a lis tic

a re

m o re

n o w .

d c lib e r -

T h is

docs

r e a lis m

w ill

s c re e n .

c in e m a

it s

b v

It

th e

th a t o r d in a r y

b y

its

T h e

e v e ry d a y

s id e

le a v e n e d
b y

ill

a t
a rc

d a rk n e s s o f

th e

o n

b lo w s

s o u n d !

fa m .a s tic ,

c in e m a

c o u rs e ,

lo o k

s ta te

see o n

th .a n

m u s ic

s p e c ta to rs

e n liv e n e d

fa n ta s tic a l

th e n

th e

to

even

s tr a n g e ly

fis h e s t h r o u g h

h y p n o tic

th e n ,

is

is

m o rta l

th e

th e

n o t 'm c a n ,

it

s im p li

w h ic h

p la c e

th e y

e x p lo ite d

o u s te d

A n d

o f

in

w ith o u t
o f

m o n o to n o u s

k in d

m in d s

q u a litv

ta k e s

w h ic h

a b a ttle

a q u a r iu m .)

th e a tre ,

a r b itr a r y

fa n ta s tic
in

e x c h a n g e d

w a tc h in g

a n d

s ile n c e

a c tio n

(H o w

e ffo rts

le t
to

ill

R e a lis m

s u p e r-r e a lis m

w ith
it,

e p ic s .

us

h o p e ,

c o m p e te

a n d

w ith

a
its

r iv a l.

B r o a d ly s p e a k in g , t h e r e a r c t w o w a y s i n w h i c h

film , w h o

o f

c s p e c ia ll_ v

o f la n g u a g e . T h e y

r e v o lu tio n a r v

p a rts

m a k e r o f

.a s s o c ia t e

b e en

d iffic u lt
a s s o c ia te ,

e x p la n a tio n ,

th e

to g e th e r

w r ite r ,

y e a rs

to

T h e

som e

c o n tin u e
E

a b o ld

r e a lity .

n ig h tm a r is h .

c a n n o t

b r in g

p r e v io u s ly

h is

W h a t

m e a n in g s

m u s t

id e a - ,

be

in v e n tio n ,

th in g s ,

s p e c if ic

n e v e r

a p p e a r in g

n e w .

tv o rd s

d e fin ite

u n d e rs to o d

m a y

lim ite d

o w n

w r ite r

lite r a

it

lite r a tu r e

s e v e r e ly

lo n g - u n ite d

w h ic h

th a n

w h o

n o t

fro m

h o w

e n tir e ly

h e r e d ita r y

o f

e x te n t,

o rd e r

a n d

p h a n ta > y

a re

a n d

w ith

c e r ta in

th e

re

p r im a r ily

s y m b o l.)

O n

d is s o c ia t e

com e

m in d

se co nd

in e f f e c t iv e n e s s
in

to

so to

w ith ,
is

a u r c o le d

b e tte r

h im s e lf

uses

c e n tu r ie s

in

o r

h o w e v e r

a v e ra g e

a n d

( T o

th e

to

c . a s ily

w ith

s im ile

m a d e

o f

h e

th e

be

.-\n

tr a d itio n a l
b v

d o

fin d s

e x p r e s s io n

d iffe r s

d ra m a

s o m e th in g

can

f a n l.a s tic .
m e d iu m

w o rd s

sp o ke n

in to

c in e m a

p ro c e s s w o u ld

te rm s ,

th e

th e

id e a s

w o u ld

c in e m a to g r a p h y

th e

d e v e lo p e d

w ith o u t

g o o d

be

h o w

a n d

su g g e st th e m

s lo w ,

m u st

to

w o rd
it

e x p re s s e d

In

re a d e rs m in d

o b v io u s .

a n d

t h a t is u n d e r s t o o d

tw o

N o w ,

s o u n d ;

in a d e q u a c y
w h e n

B u t th e
b e in g

s im ile .

b e tw e e n

im m e d ia t e ly

o f

s im ile

a n o th e r,

th e

c lic k .

c o n n e c tio n

id e a

A
b ad

m e ta p h o r

fro m

s m a rt

a n d ,

a n d

m ig h t

m e a n in g ;

n o te s

in

d e lib e r a te ly
r e fle c tio n

im a g in a t io n .

be

A t

q u ite

P r o lo n g e d

b e tw e e n

a ir

p a rts

a s s e m b le d .

w o u ld

to

T h e

s o ft w a rm

p a n s o f a m o to r c a r m ig h t fin a lly
s e lv e s t o

fo r

g u ita r

c o m p o n e n t

show s
tu re

v e ry

th is ,
h is

th in g

b e

lik e

th e

be

s im ile

id io tic .

a t la s t e x t r a c t

m a n ,

sam e

to u c h e d

h u n g

w a itin g
th is

c o m p r e h e n s ib le ,

a n d

D e h , v ie n i a lia fin e s tra .

n ig h t,

car

r e a d in g ,

th e

w r ite

G io v a n n i

s in g ,

n o

d r a m a tis t

lite r a r y

d o

r e s u lt

m ig h t

o f

be

to

B r i l l i a n t s o n o f a b r i l l i a n t fa th e r . T h is
is a re c e n t p ic t u r e o f th e E n g lis h n o v e l
i s t a n d c r i t i c w h o . i n c id e n t a lly , liv e s
in I t a l y a n d w h o is a r e g u la r c o n
t r i b u t o r to th e p a g e s o f V a n i t y F a i r

tra d e s ,

e a s ily

th e

th o s e

Is c h i l d s p la y .

a n d

to

th e

im a g e
F o r

t h in g

tr ie d

w o rd s ,

n o te s f lo a t e d
th e

o f

w o rd -m o n g e r
i f

c a t o f a ll

O n e

ALD O U S H U X LE Y

e n g in e e r . O u t

im p r o b a b ility ,

o th e r.

s o rt

nonsense.

began

n o

lo g ic .
th e

th is

F o r

e x a m p le :

is

o f

in v e n te d

th e ir

c ir c le s

th e

th in k

F U T U R E ,

a ir
s ig

a re

ro d s , F e lix ,

T h e re

s u g g e s ts

s c re e n ,

m o re

e .x a m p lc ,

n i g h i m . a r c '

song

s y m b o lic a l

th e

fo r

s u b tle

s im p le

cat

e x c lu s iv e ly

m a te r ia l o f

o f th e s e w h e e ls a n d

c x tra v .a g a n t

Is

th e

lo g ic

o f

b r illia n tlv .

n o t

th a t
a tta c h e d

fir s t

i- .

y o u n g

s u p e r - r c a lis tic

th e

o f

m o st

re n d e re d

to

to

shape,

o f

ca n n o t

E g y p tia n

re

p r iv ile g e d

m o s t n a tu r a l,

w r itte n

fa m ilia r

h im .

n ific a n c e

a n d

it

C a t a r c s u p e r - r e a lis tic

bv

a p p e a r,

in

th e

be

h o w e v e r,

fro m

C h a p lin ;

above

o f

o f

h im .

E E K

fl.a w

w a y ,

s u p e r - r e a liits

th e

d o

a n d

a nd

Y o u

te rm s

it

t.i- .v .

and

w h a t
T h e y

s e rv e s

w o r k in g

a rc
fo llo w

d o

th in g s .

f o r w a r d s , s h o o ts .tw a y ,

to w a rd s

w h ic h

w o rd s

o f

m e d iu m .

in

c a n n o t

th e s e

lib c r iv

.A n d
g io n

th a t

h e lp s

th e
o u t

sam e

s c re e n ,

a c h ie v e
v ig o r o u s lv b a c k w a r d s

is

n o t a g a in s t

h im s e lf,

w h ic h

a n d ,

w ro n g

w o rk

fa n c v

th e

to
as

m a ke

n a tu re

S n p e r-re a lis m

t.is tic
s e iz e s

fa c t

th e

o f

H e
in

to

th e

th e

th e

o f

in

w h ic h

ta ils .

in

c o m p lc tc lv
h is

in

d o

a im
n o te s ,

tr y in g

d o ,

a rc

re c e n t
w h e e ls

T h e

r e b e llin g ,

a n d
th e ir

c o n v e n t io n s , b u t a g a in s t la n g u a g e
a re

c a n n o t

fo rm .
g e n io u s

a re

th a t

h a n d

K n ife !

say

th e

a d m it

been

rc .a c h e s u p , c a tc h e s a f e w

a n d

fit te d

g e n

th e s e

o n
he

th e

q u ic k

th a t

h e

to

r e a d in g .

w r ite r s

T o

s e e m s n o n s e n s ic a l;

have

d iffic u lt

T h e y

g r a n ite .
lo o k in g

s u c c e s s fu l.

secs
th c v

th e m

a d m ir e r s

a rc

c in e m a ;

v e ry

th e ir w r it in g

th e ir

its e lf.
in

b e en

e ra l p u b lic

d w e lt

e x a m p le

g u s h in g

n o te s

is

H U X L E Y

s a tis fa c to r y .

C a t,

g u ita r ,

m o u th .

s e m i- q u .a v e r s

o f

it

a d v e n tu re s ,

A L D O U S

s to rv ,

to ld
m .a y
is

o n

th e

c a ll

to ld

film

d e p e n d in g

in

s c re e n .

th e

h a n d s

o r

e ve n

h u m a n

T h e

in

o f

m e th o d .

p s y c h o lo g ic a l

s ig n ific a n t

fe e t

c h a ra c te r,

fir s t m e th o d

B e h a v io u r is t

te rm s

a b o u n d s

o n

m o v in g

is

T h e

d e ta il .

c lo s e - u p s
u n d e r

can

th e

( C o n t in u e d o n page 7 8 )

be

w h a t

o f

s to ra T h e
fa c e s ,

s tre s s

o f

V A N IT Y F A IR

78

O n the C haracter o f K atharine C ornell

(C o n tin u e d f r o m p a ^e tO)

o f the common lo t that is allowed to

women like her, shows that she, were
she free to belong to herself instead
o f the public, would like to liv e in her
home and enjoy her good, substantial
surroundings w ith the blood o f the
little lady o f the middle-west that she
is, recalling to her her grandmothers
d e lig h tfu l and leisurely life lived out
on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.
Her grandfather, Colonel Cornell,
that w ell-know n Buffalo figure in his
silk hat and boutonniere; debonair w ith
his waxed moustache, at his favorite
pastime o f amateur theatricals di<l he
guess, one wonders, that some day his
pleasure w ould flow er out in his
grandchild in the fu ry and radiance
o f a dramatic genius?
H er grandparents lived gently and
expressed the ir moderate tastes w ith
ease and sim plicity. T his g irl, too,
would like to have a household stabil
ized and calm. For there is a great
deal o f Candida in her, as there was
also in her grandmother. But stronger
than a ll this has been the call to an
impersonal life and she has had to be
a ll obedience to that.
A t her dinner table the shadowy in
fluence o f her parents survives in the
sober linen and dignified accoutre
ments o f a fa m ily life . But an hour
later, on the stage, she is beniling and
wrenching at her roots. When the
storm o f anguish seizes her, one thinks
o f a flow ering tree, wind-swept and
torn by the tempest o f life .
But she is a sturdy g irl. Although
her nerves are drawn fine and the
pitch o f her lyricism is keyed above

our average sensibility, there is not a

sign o f anything neurotic in her. She
is f u l l o f common sense, the good
common sense o f her ancestors. She
is practical. She w ill take care o f
herself, like a ll really great women.
She is m arried to the theatrical pro
ducer Guthrie M cC lin tic who has en
joyed the most fortunate training and
success, in the theater. He served a
nine years apprenticeship w ith W inthrop Ames w ith whom he worked
devotedly. Indeed he had the honor
o f rin g in g up the first curtain o f rlie
Booth Theatre w ith its first produc
tion o f T h e G re a t A d v e n tu re .
He himself has produced T h e
D o v e r R o a d , S quare P eg, h i th e
N e.xt R o o m , and other plays.
This
w inter he produced M r s . P a rtr id g e
Presents w ith Blanche Bares in the

leading role and, after many success

f u l weeks on Broadway he is taking
it to the coast as fa r west as Seattle
which happens to be his birthplace.
So, w hile Katharine Cornell plays
Iris, in Michael A rle n s T h e Green
H a t to crowded theaters (her hus
bands production, by the w ay) he
w ill accompany M r s . P a rtr id g e on
Its sunny Pacific journey.
Here, then, is a great Americ.'in
actress in the bud, and here are her
attributes: F irst o f a ll she has the
g if t o f genius, the prim ary genius o f
the heart, not the lesser type o f cere
bral or neurotic genius. And to serve
her g if t she has beauty, character and
obedience. Surely there can be no
more form idable combination fo r succl-ss on the stage.

W h e r e are t h e M o v ie s Moving?
(C o n tin u e d f r o m page 3 9 )

A -writing paper that is a happy medium between the

conservative and the extremehappy in its novel "cord
effect with self-tone cross lines, its delicate colorings, and
its smart folds and unusual envelope shapes.
Cranes C ordlinear is just the paper for those who
want novelty without loss of distinction and good taste.
M a d e up in p ea rl, sapphire, amber, a n d amethyst a n d packed
in one a n d fi'v e quire boxes.
E A T O

A N

O -

P I K E

C O . ,

x x 5

F ifth

A v e .,

N e w

Y o rk

emotion. The method is an excellent

one, provided that the actors can act.
In the hands o f unimaginative pro
ducers and bad actors it leads to the
most h o rrib ly dreary results. (Oh,
those heroes and heroines who gradu
a lly look over their shoulders towards
the camera and smile, or make a
face that is meant to be one o f agony!
those huge, close-up smiles o f tender
ness, eight feet fro m ear to ear! One
shudders at the recollection.)
T he second method, which is fa
voured by the Germans and, more re
cently, by the Italians, may be called
the Expressionist or P icto ria l method.
For the producers belonging to this
school, the small details o f human be
haviour under emotional stress arc not
so im portant as the general pictorial
effect o f the scene regarded as an
expressive, symbolical composition.
Where the Behaviourists would pre
sent a close-up o f a face gone suddenly
rig id , a nervously tw itching hand, the

Pictorialists b u ild up a more or less

fantastic scenic picture, the general ef
fect o f which is expressive o f horror,
fear, or whatever the emotion to be
rendered may be. The great defect o f
this expressionism has consisted, so
fa r, in its pretentiousness, its melo
dramatic ponderosity. Touched w ith
a lighte r fancy, the method m ight be
used much more successfully than it
actually is. A study o f F e li.x the C at
would teach the German producers
many valuable lessons. M y own hope
and belief is that the Behaviourist
school o f producers w ill borrow hints
fro m the Expressionists, that they w ill
learn to touch their realism w ith a
certain picturesque
Those
dismal stories o f m illionaires, adultery,
heavy fathers, true love and a ll the rest
would become much more tolerable i f
they were treated in a less prosaically
direct way. No five-reel drama -would
be any the worse fo r having a little
nightmare put into it.