| Show IT 1 i r l Th The e F Female ema 1 c Im Impersonator i II I 1 I in ut Child Wo- Wo His Native Dress s and h p T a a n Seen a E S Japanese with witha NI y g r P a. a V 1 as He a Looks When M Made a d e up as a arf CHild in The TheE rf 1 t r rl i Sea in IC t f b r Heroine of Springtime M 1 5 On One e of the a r a n- n pa 4 r s' s rr I J Jp Japanese a ones onesY Dramas F Y f fr r 1 f fr r a r S- S Why He k Has to Be a Man and How the r ti 2 Oriental Movies Are Placed Before r ra a 1 44 4 i r r t r r Tr NJ 1 Y b r rr r l' l r i a f Sk a g t Fascinated Audiences in inthe 1 s 4 11 r 4 J r a it 4 A fJ h I 1 i the Land Landof g 7 r 1 of Flowing Flowing 1 pt J f r t e Robes i C U UC 1 L r These Two i By F Fairmount Snyder Figures Are in Japan Of course course e native move from the MOVIES lese ies Tho Japanese who are so quick to recognize and borrow borro w p progressive e ro re S slue innovations Inno a Famous i rw w t y i r f F y s J G r I t r s 1 al r from tho occidentals t scarcely overlook over o look tho iho ti value aloe of the movies as a home homo product 1 Japanese a anese Drama 1 4 T y r but in appropriating the tho cinema to their own c N v A uses thc they have o kept It distinctly Y oriental Spring Rain Raw 1 i w 1 k t r rt C j Being as yet et ct In their own guff em empire ire a race of ot 1 r h t. t squatters who nho live on the floor and huddle around r ella Umbrella b U m r charcoal or hibachi to keep warm arm naturally their customs scenes and costumes all f r t so 50 unlike our own on r have havo a special and novel Both Are tS' tS CIS charm for the tho alien visitor who thereby secs sees f much of oC the homo and general life of oC the natives Men 4 1 t which might otherwise not be he re revealed to him r 3 X T pi k E Y r I for unless one ono has somehow contrived contrI to meet a afew f ff 1 few of oC the more modern Japanese he will not be r f asked to their homes Thus the avera average a a tourist sees secs f only the surface of things they are as the are In tho the land Jand of J Dal uDal Nippon or Great Nippon as the tho natives voi The Famous Dressed as a Girl Girlin Girlin jr in The uThe Silver Key Sy r 4 a c 3 x t 4 F 1 44 a rim I r r 1 d t i r L I themselves are arc accustomed to refer reCer to their nation The producers in Japan use two cla classes ses of ot scenarios the scenarios the old st style le and the new that new that is stories dealing with the tho ancient historical life of their country countr before the tho t fall U of the or else elso with the tho more modern aspect since the Restoration in marking the entrance of western western west west- ern rn influence Those These stories are purely traditional In tone allowing for no Intrusion of oC Caucasian characters Th The Tho Japan Japanese se resent all such themes as our favorite Madame Butterfly The Japanese Japan Japan- Japanese ese Nightingale and The Willow Tree for native na tive Live production because in estimation the woman is belittled b by the fact tact of her with an occidental as presented in these stories Directors say th the natives naties will wm not accept such sucha a film and no scenario writer has ever el been able to sell a Japan producer an any st story stoy ry built around this theme On these occidental touches the censor censor cen sor is ever over alert kissing hissing scenes are d deleted as vulgarities racial ideas are adhered to and despite despite de dOe de- de spite the In influx of oC foreign in films the pictures remain romain re roo ro- ro main characteristic The feeble outreaching of oC woman for tho the captaincy of her own soul finds expression through that most common of or all do- do choice sires fires self choice marriage for Cor love love and and th the tho foiling foil In ins ing of this natural desire by the 1 parents furnishes the complication for Cor many scenarios Just what the incidental pathos of or such situations may InAn in inAn inAn An Eliciting Moment in a Popular Motion Picture ia f t. t t tr r rr rw r w f r s a L t G n d I h 4 4 E J c. c 4 fr k tX rr 4 rr 4 v Ne rr l Feature Service 1918 t. t r r t v i L V V j i t Jl jb i t o C I I 7 I l SiV h i tt f r 1 Y 7 j v 7 r I t. t time lime accomplish for the emancipation of woman remains to bo be seen in iii the light of later days The ever prevailing ever tradition against actresses provides a source of Interest but still a 1 handicap In the making of Japanese films They prefer to to- screen their thell women from Crom public life rather than screen them in public Occasionally one less timid than the others will brave the winding camera cam camera era and aril the tho ostracism of ot her ramil family but as the producers are not in favor nf of the idea the tho opportunity opportunity for the movie mo actress s is limited She ma may pass in a crowd to help make mal up UI the mob effect but not much more the presence of the onna onna-gata onna gata or female impersonator in all oriental films As the masculine costume consists consists consists con con- of ot the hakama or plaited bifurcated skirt and md a short shaped kimono coat the actor lees does not find it difficult to adopt women's garb If It his stature facial racial expression and grace can complete the Illusion The rhe most famous of oC these onna-gata onna is 15 to whom Is all the leading h heroine roles In the tile films produced by bythe bythe the time leading company compan at their Tok Tokyo o studio It I Is the Stor Story Star That Counts Caurs In Japan it Jt is the time stor story that counts most The personalities of oC the performers are arc not exploited and our cabs alo of or fabulous salaries paid to stars and other effects of ot the press a agents agent's ent's spreader are unknown to the time Japanese glamour lovers There are no ups close S used and this omission seems to keep the actors actor's personality aloof from the public and no doubt the presence of ot tho female impersonators deprives the movie mo star star- worshipper of the thrill of ot wasting an any surplus affection upon a masculine heroine Time TIle art of ot is known to all movie goers yet et there is no element of curiosity about his personal or pr private prate ate life liCe In every movie theatre tho the occidental fuels feels the barrier of ot language because in Japan tho the wordless drama or photoplay becomes a very word wordy thing indeed An interpreter or ia is employed to stand upon the stage and he gives give no not nor only an Introductory talk about the limo film to be projected but he accompanies the scenes with constant narration varying this with what purports purports pur pur- ports to be bits hits of ot the dialogue and startling exclamations ex ex- exclamations exclamations of ot the characters in action upon the screen which screen which is precisely the wa way the picture I play Jn began In tho the United States 24 21 years ago He thus explains man many minor phases of or the stor story which our own audiences are arc accustomed to work orl workout workout out in the imagination by tho the assistance of or subtitles subtitles sub sub- titles and Inserts flashed clashed on between pictures The teller storyteller teller then be becomes becomes mes an important factor fac fac- factor tor in in inthe the movie mo for according to his ills vivifying powers lowers he may mar make male a poor stor story good or or orlie lie he may spoil a good star story by br his inability to grip the attention In Theatre Str Strut Street t tTo To see how these films are presented we ae shall go bO let us sa say through Park in Tokyo or orthe orthe orthe the cho cho In Yokohama or in Kyoto where the public amusements are arc largely larely call these the all aU concentrated Foreigners generally Theatre street and let it go at that On perpendicular per perpendicular flying Hying banners large bold ideographs announce the names of or the films at each cach movie house honse Painted billboards th the size of or our usual lithographs adorn the tho front of the building around th the entrance These pictures ar are gen generally rally either cither of oC the tha stick slap grotesque variety or the they are blood the thriller of oC the ultra ultra-s ultra ultra-sensa sensa melodrama suara guaranteed cd to lure inside tho the theatre any human with an unsatisfied lovo of oft of I ii tt t r 4 r r Jl U f Z violence adventure and misadventure At one side of the small lobby obby are nrc anal nd nd IJ i 51 ond and 11 the natives who go 30 in ahead of ot us remove remove their I Beta geta or wooden clogs clog and receiving a check for 1 them enter in their m unsoiled oiled tab or cloth foot foot- fear gear Wo Yo foreigners are stopped by the bo boy attendant at at- al tl who I puts cloth coverings over o our shoes 11 that we many not soil the honorable floor of ot their t Illustrious but dingy ding cinema theatre Iusi Inside e we find the first floor noor audience occupying real seats scats but upstairs around the low balcony rail the Japanese sit on thy th floor cushions men floor men women and babies making babies making themselves quite at home en Camille Both the men and women smoke at int intervals n-als n and the queer little lon long stemmed tiny-bowled tiny pipes of oC the tho omen women which afford only two or three whiffs for or one filling make their smoking seem a ac c very nervous futile pastime A l Typical Japanese Drama The main feature or the hill on this occasion at PIC the Kyoto Koto cinema was a Japanese picture and andl l It IC was one of tho best bost t I have han seen anywhere The film was called or Retribution l t I Ion tl Ion tion on and in mau many instances the silhouette was used very effectively oly in twilight scenes The voice oice of oC thu thy interpreter was modulated and changed to speak the i of or the various characters characters char char- In important lines and md we all sat in breathless breath I less lass ss attention When the profligate father Cather stole his own daughter to sell her to geisha school aided and abetted by his mother law there was wac wasa a low murmur of ot in the audience and f when his daughter once broke aWa away and her true r lover lo started a chase chas down street to rescue her there was a slight ht flutter nutter of applause Other pedestrians pe pee and dogs all aJl joJn joined 1 in pursuit Chase scenes arc are alwa always s 's runn funny but did you ou ever eversee eversee eversee see a Japanese o woman try to to run tn n a narrow narros' kimono and wooden clo clogs You Just feel feci certain that she will n never er make the grade grade and and this one didn't The villain grabbed her as she turned the corner This restriction of or movement mo caused by the native dress pr precludes he ne attempts at all dare devil dare stunts and ami hairbreadth hair escapes such I f fa as a- are acted by the various Helen of or the American movies and the Japan pro producers have hae not as yet ret essayed e to stage the incredibly stupendous stupendous dous effects of ot our own film magnates to whom S the word imIO impossible seems to be but a n challenge r Just as the scenarios are arc made macle up of two vo kinds i ithe the old and the new so are the film actors m trained traine and divided into two distinct classes the classes the theold old school or Kabuki l actors who ho impersonate the characters of the tho historical tales or legendary m plays plas of or Old Japan and the or modern actors who portray portra figures figurs from m modern dern life Ute la In all phases of society The Tho board of oC censorship hip established in ti tb the thelast 1 y yi i last year ear or two is noted for tor its free tree policy polley as regards public morals yet et there are arc sacred spots spot in the national fabric Cabric which the photo playwright photo must not touch upon without due reverence re and figurative obeisance I have on hand an excerpt 1 rpm il a l translation into English made by br a Japanese Japan Japan- t ese CEC student This perhaps expresses the tho objections of the censor better than I can In its taboo of of- 1 Films about the prestige of the imperial or 1 royal Camil family r Films to teach the most clever criminal action 1 1 Films against state authority Films which induce children to various arlous sorts sort f- f of mischief 1 Films that show the tile least success of bad men meD means w wr or r bad means t y x f A r J. 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