Show WAR WITHOUT CASUALTIES IMPROVING MOVIES IS BIG TASK It tl s x vv t t f t 3 e rw y t f xa 1 Me lJ THEODORE DRI BT By B J JAMBS W V 1 MEW YORK The YORK The The eminent Rea n NEW ll Beach i rites a letter lettel to tho eminent Theodore Dreiser hn the latter tetter to attend a two day Ins In- national congress on motion pIc- pIc pIcture ture arts t to td be held in I ew York k City June 7 and 8 Tho is 1 II in behalf ot of the Authors league The congress Is sponsored by lv Adolph president of ot Players Players-Lasky The eminent Theodore answers the letter In his lIls eminent t vein He says sa s in part parMy My y mature maturo opinion is that the 10 Authors League ot of America might con con- concerning concerning be much more appropriately itself at this time with call call call- calling calIng Ing conferences of ot such forces as asIt asit sIt sato safe the tho thoI It can cin muster to make I cultural and artistic privileges and necessities ot of serious letters than th n which there thero Is nothing more Imn- Imn at this time Dreiser then 1 lev e eIe Ie lews s the present 11 I agitation tor censorship of o books and politely invites In the Authors Author league to take some part In the battle against proposed book cen- cen censorship censorship censorship bills Dreiser says sais s that the thi motion picture congress strikes him as trivial and unimportant at a th this Is tI time me That this warfare conducted on othe the the battlefield of note paper may ma prove very warm but with Ith Hower no cas- cas Is very ery likel likely HoweVer that is of no Importance so BO tar far a as the future futuro ot of motion pictures Is 18 c concerned That is earnest ernest In his at- at attempt tempt to bring about a betterment of motion pictures through this of ot authors cannot be doubted However It appears to one who L lie lis neither engaged in the prod uc- uc Uon tion of o motion pictures and who Is pot not an author that the tho logic of neither the Authors league Inor nor Dreiser Is entirely sound No 0 o great progress will III be made madIn in the further de development ot of o the tho cinema as an art until those thoo mak- mak mahling ling tog pictures realize that the they are dealing In to a 3 medium that the author docs does not make the plc- plc pIcture picture lure ture e except In a 3 a very cry small degree legre The motion motton picture must develop Its 0 own n creative e artists umer Numer- Numerous Numerous ous authors have tried to lake take a direct hand in the making ot of o pic- pic pictures pictures pictures tures but the only onh one this writer can ICAn recall at the moment as aj a hav- hav havling havling ling made any appreciable progress Is Rupert Hughes Huhes who l recognizes that the motion picture is not a literary literary by Rex Beach told me once that he considered the motion picture simplY a means of ot telling a story stor with Ith many pictures and a few iw cut cut- lires It la is difficult to eee see how anyone ne In that attitude and it Is the attitude taken by most authors Lean do much to develop the motion pIcture be beyond ond the thc comic supple supple- supplement supplement supplement ment stage James Young the director told tol J JJames me several years cars ago that some someday da day colleges would Mould halo hale ha e courses In motion picture production which would turn out directors with full understanding of e every awry ery detail detill of f picture production It seems to me TO that this must come about It if the tho theart art of the cinema Is to ad advance vance The future makers of ot pictures must be artisans and artists trained tor for their specific work not auth- auth authors ors ore painters painter sculptors etc tc who wh ho come Into Inlo the motion picture fold because of greater financial and then belle believe bellee e that be- be because cause they have hol 0 achieved ed success in n their former lines of endeavor they kno know all al theta thele is to know about an art that Is probably more 9 Intricate more difficult of ot learning learn learn- learnIng Ing ng than any other existing art Most ot of our poor pictures and an they are In a vast majority are aro poor because producers directors director 1 and players are only apprentices their jobs when motion Here Heres Here's to the day a a picture director can boast tt I degree degre Q conferred on him tor jor or his profi- profi proficiency clency in his vocation They might be admitted to fo practice like liko attorneys attorneys and physicians |