OCR Text |
Show "PRESIDENT BAGGOT TO DEBRUTALIZE THE TANGO AT SCREEN CLUB BALL Affair of National Interest in Moving Picture World. Largest Gathering of Prominent Manufacturers and Famous Actors and Actresses Promised in History of Film Art. Destined to be epochal in the history of the fastest growing industry in the world will be the second annual ball of the Screen Club, the national organization organiza-tion of manufacturers, screen artists and others prominently allied in the production produc-tion of motion pictures, to be held in New York at the Grand Central Palace, January 31st. Orders for the reservation of tickets and boxes are coming in from all over the United States from men whom the people's favorite amusement has with Midas-like touch made multi-millionaires; from photo-pla,yers whose faces oh the screen are familiar to millions of the earth, and whose names are household words, and also from the general public, who appreciate the opportunity to join the dancing throngs and mingle in the flesh with their picture idols, whom hitherto they have seen only as simulacra. simula-cra. ...... CLASHING TANGO VIEWS. There Is just oue rift in the lute which has caused a discordant note in the harmony har-mony of the arrangements, and that is the reported intention of King Daggot, the president of the club, to launch a movement to "debrutalize the tango" aud to restore "safe . nd sane' dancing. He points out the case told last week by the cable dispatches from London of Miss Zoe Mary Meek, the beautiful daughter of Mr. W. A. Meek, K.C., of Cornwell Gardens, London, who dropped dead at the Yeomanary ball, according to the verdict of a coroner's jury, as a direct result of excessive tangoing Also he cites the unswerving opposition of church dignitaries of all creeds, who have thundered forth anathemas on the extremes indulged in. Opposed to these views are those of William Robert Daly, Chairman of the door Committee and a member of the Hoard of Governors of the club, who states thnt the Argentine dance, as practiced in the most select tango ateliers, ate-liers, shall not bo placed under the ban. Mr. Daly, who has pronounced views on the temperance question, claims among the many virtues of the tango that so absorbed in it do its devotees become that tbey consume less of the 'imprisoned laughter of the peasant uirls of France," which abstemiousness makes for decorum at all gatherings. Mr. Baggot says that for reasons connected con-nected with the quality of Mr. Daly's "intellectuals" he does not care to engage en-gage iu a controversv with him in print. Both officers of the club, which occupies oc-cupies a handsome club house iu West Forty-seventh street, and on whose roster ros-ter is everybody who i- anybody in the industry, have a strong following and sentiment is about equally divided. A special meeting of the Hoard of Governors Gover-nors has been callrd to cut the Gordian knot in whose meshes Terpsichore buds hersef trussed. STAGING THE BALL. Meanwhile preparations for the ball ar. rapidly taking concrete shape. Last year the ball, the first given by (be club, was held at Terrace Garden, Spacious, however, as is the dancing floor of thnt place of entertainment, it was overcrowded to an uncomfortable degree. This year it was decided that the ball should be held in the Grand Cen-trul Cen-trul Palace, the floor of which is said to contain more square feet of space I ban is offered by any public hall in New York City, Madison Square Garden and 111" Metropolitan Opera House not excepted. ex-cepted. Ev n here, it is believed, the accommodations ac-commodations presented will be strained to their limit. Those who thus predict point to the constantly increasing public Interest taken in the motion picture, to the greater number of those now directly interested in the many phases of the niolion picture industry aud to the growth of the club itself in membership ami influence. Foremost nmong the preparation' for the ball will be it "staging." That the Palace under the softened radiance of myriads of multi-colored lights v. ill present pre-sent a kaleidoscopic vision of every type of beauty, arrayed in gowns striking in effect and of colors that will cause the antiquated rainbow to pale to shades invisible needs no announcement to those who saw the galaxy of screen stars present at the club's last ball, and which Will be increased in numbers and dazzling daz-zling brilliancy at Ihe coming one and will continue Until the mythical COWS return re-turn from their hypothetical pasturage, and until the town is one big yawn. To fitly bower this bevy of beauty, this tumultuous mapniticonre, vibrant with the beat of satin-slippered feet, is the purpose of the officers of the Screen Clab, who have given the decorators carle blanche to make the place beautiful beauti-ful as far as lies within the power of human skill and ingenuity. The result of their handiwork is expected to attest in the superlative degree their imaginative imagina-tive genius. The ceiling of the vast hail will be wreathed In streamers of every tint and hue blending in harmonious contrast. Its supporting columns will be wreathed in southern imilax and garlanded with flowers. Specially built and richly draped boxes will circle the floor, and from these coigns of vantage spectators can look out upon the brilliant ipectacle that will prcent Itself before them. The Krand man h w ill be led by King Rag-irot Rag-irot and a Queen of the Films, whose identity is purposely withheld to pique interest, and as It winds itself in seemingly seem-ingly endless length into n bewildering maxe of convolutions there will flash upon it spotlights of corruscating tf-f tf-f ulgency. I I And the dancing! Will there be presented the wild gyrations gyra-tions of the tango, the cahsthenic evolutions evolu-tions of the. turkey trot, the stranglehold strangle-hold of the bunny hug and the other weird divagations that haunt the astonished aston-ished vision of the present day? That remains for the governing officers of the club to determine. It is certain that no Draconian laws will forbid them, but if King Baggot's influence prevails they will cither be absent ab-sent or be transformed into measures iu which grace and sanity will govern. "AS OUR MOTHERS DANCED." At the first Screen Club ball President Baggot publicly proclaimed, "Let ua dance as our mothers danced." Anent this, Mr. Daly, who is the poet laureate of the club, having composed its anthem, says: "Our mothers and our grandmothers waltzed, 'tis true, but do you know that when the waltz was introduced in-troduced into Western Europe it was received re-ceived with a storm of protestation compared com-pared with which that assailing the tango was a welcoming zephyr. A "Lord Byron saw the waltz introduced to England. He was not accustomed to pose as a prude, but the waits shocked him. Of it he wrote, among other things: "Can Egypt's Almas-tantalizing croup. Columbia s caperers to the wur-liko whoop . Can BUght from cold Kamschatka to Cape Horn With Waltz compare or after Waltz be borne''" "King Baggot not? calls f"r the return of the wqltz us an essentially polite aud decorous entertainment Moiuls have been said to be mainly a question of geographv; can it be that morals us applied to dancing are merely u question ques-tion of horography? "But whatever may be danced nt the Screen Club ball, tango or hesitation, bunny hug or turkey trot, bolero or fandango or the now modes! waltz, be sure that (here will be dancing and dancers galore until Phoebus resumes his icigii on the morning after "The one ball the Screen Club has already al-ready given has made its advent something some-thing to be marked with glowing ri d on New York s social calendar and the number num-ber of those who eagerly look forward to its second ball gives it assurance of Stic i ss "And not only to New Yorkers is its coming a matter of keen interest, Motion Mo-tion picture people in ever r'l within reasonable reach of Gotham are already preparing for the trip thither, and there is sure to be a large attendance of out-of-tow Hers." sr Announcement is made of the organization organi-zation of th" Stellar Photoplay Company, Com-pany, with Frank T. Carroll as president. presi-dent. 0. A ("Doc") Willat a rice president, and William A. McManus as secretary and treasurer. The first production pro-duction will bo "Forgiven: or. The Jock of Diamonds," a play in which Freder-isk Freder-isk BrytOU Starred for years. In the pictured versiou the star will be Edwin F Porsbcrg, a stepson of Mr. Bryton "Forgiven" is an old-time melodrama containing, it is said, remarkable situations situa-tions for screen portrayal. The play has been prepared for the screen by Bennett Bdusson, Mr. Carrol state's that he has contracted for the rights of Other plays to follow "Forgiven." A full comps ny will leave New York fr St Augustine, Fla., the location of the story. Mr. Carroll is favorably knOWD to the film trade. Mr. Carroll is a member of the Screen Club, and hat been from its inception. He is one of the most popular popu-lar members, and that is saying much. |