Identifier: theatrethroughit00bela (find matches)
Title: The theatre through its stage door
Year: 1919 (1910s)
Authors: Belasco, David, 1853-1931 De Foe, Louis Vincent, 1869-1922
Subjects: Theater
Publisher: New York London : Harper & brothers
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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setsin the legitimate theatre. An audience whichcan see for five cents a great celebrity soondoes not care to see him at all. The number of the theatres real stars issmall. They are in such great demand andso well paid for their work that they are themost independent of all artists. They enjoy aprestige with the legitimate theatres publicwhich they cannot afford to endanger, evenfor the extravagant salaries which motionpictures offer. I would counsel them to bewary and keep out, for the compensation of thescreens is not a sufficient return, howeverlarge, for what they will be asked to give. The great star who goes into the picturesalso risks his professional reputation, for thereason that the camera affords him only alimited medium in which to employ his abili-ties. He may discover, after it is too late,that the equipment which served him best onthe regular stage is useless for the restrictedpurposes of the screens. I could name a scoreof such stars who have failed outright when (216)
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Probably the Best Picture of David Warfield as Anton vonEarwig in The Music Master THE DRAMAS FLICKERING BOGY they have attempted to perform before thecamera, and whose only value to the picture-producer was their well-advertised fame. Tooffset this story of unwisely directed effort Icould also name half a hundred pretty nonen-tities who have literally triumphed in motionpictures without knowledge of more than thebare elementary principles of the acting art. My stars have not yet been ambitious tomake the adventure in the motion-pictureworld. I might not oppose them if theyshould become seized with the desire. But Icount it fortunate for me, as well as for them,that they value the stages art sufficiently toremain loyal to it, despite the huge salarieswhich I, as well as they, know they might earn. The great number of enterprises which thepopularity of motion pictures has encouragedis also levying a heavy toll upon the regulartheatres always limited number of competentstage directors.

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