25 YEARS OF FILM PLAYS

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1924, Page 4

25 YEARS OF FILM PLAYS

LONDON. March 11. This week marks the L’.ltli. anniversary uf the birth of the film play that is, of the liliu which tells a story. Animated photographs, as screen pictures wore originally called, were first slum n in the early ’nineties: but until 1899 their subjects were conlined to tin- reproduction of aeliini events. The kiliema as a branch of dramatic art laid still to lie created. The lirsl lilni play, completed on

March 10th. 899. was the joint work ol two young men, both English by birth, who occupied a small room on the top Moor of a New York skyscraper—.l. Stuart Blaektou. who had begun life as a carpenter, and Albert E. Smith,

a music-hall artist. Each has since made a big fortune out of the Mini industry.

Their first production would be regarded as ridiculously entile if seen to-day. Tt was called “The Haunted House,” and showed a man reduced to grotesque terror tit the sight of a ghost. The young producers had only a hundred feet of Mini uvaiiahlc, and their play tuok less than two minutes to perform. Some years passed before any screen play designed to last more than a quarter of an hour was attempted, and even as late ns It)]0 the progress of the lcinema was hnndirnnp;d by difficulties of photography. The film flickered and “jumped” : black spots and scratches and blurs

raced across the screen. But when once the dicker and the spots were removed, the popularity of film plays spread like an epidemic. In the course of comparatively fc-.v years the making of film plays hagrown to lie a gigantic- world-wide industry. The “pictures” now exercise as great an influence for good or evil an literature or the stage. They are as popular with the natives of India as with the natives of Mayfair and Whitechapel.

In London there arc now over 099 picture theatres; the total in the British Isles exceeds -1.009, and others are being rapidly built. Last year the number of new Minis produced in England reached SOO. Many °f them were over 0.090 ft. in length. Lissome of the “super” pictures 2A,099 people- were employed to make a single scene.

As yet the kineiua has not been allowed to fulfil its true destiny. Those behind the productions have not often l>een swayed by high ideals. The com-mercial-minded have' pandered to the diallow-minded.

But there are breaks in the clouds. The past year has been big with .significance. Greater care has been taken to obtain accuracy of detail, especially in historical pictures. Artistic brains have been given an opportunity at last. 9