Daniel Frohman Talks Pictures (1914) 🇺🇸
In interview by Colgate Baker for New York Review, he says Maude Adams will appear in celebrated roles — makes other interesting statements concerning motion picture art.
When Daniel Frohman writes or speaks for publication he always communicates something worth while. He was interviewed the other day for the New York Review, a theatrical publication, by Colgate Baker, and some very interesting statements were made by him.
Introducing his subject by saying that when Mr. Frohman decided to enter the motion picture business some two years ago he was derided and pronounced a “dead one” by his long time theatrical associates, most of all by his brother Charles [Charles Frohman].
“Today,” says Mr. Baker, “Mr. Frohman has made a million dollars, more or less, in moving pictures and C. F. has at last been converted and gone over to the ‘movies’ with all his stars and theatrical properties.”
Mr. Baker attributes to Mr. Frohman a thorough mastery of all the little tricks and turns of motion picture production and declares that he could go into any department and do the work himself, if necessary, and then, quoting Mr. Frohman, says:
“Although I am deeply interested in moving pictures and enjoy the work here very much, my heart is in the coffin there with Caesar — I am going to produce again for the legitimate stage when things get settled in the theatrical world,” he confided.
“The development of the moving picture business and the popularity of feature films makes some people wonder whether there will be any regular legitimate stage in the future, I said.”
“I am not worrying in the least about the drama. Pictures are doing the theatrical business good; they are eliminating the poor plays, relieving the oversupply of theaters and bringing out the best there is in drama. The effect of pictures on the theatrical business is as a whole most beneficial. The unfit will suffer, but it is the unfit which has hurt’ our theaters.
“As to the moving pictures replacing the drama, such an idea is preposterous. In drama there is always the magnetism of the actor, and his personal appeal. Moving pictures can never be as potent as the spoken drama, but they will always be great as a subsidiary art.
Predicted Present Conditions.
“About three to four years ago the congestion of theaters became very pronounced. I predicted at that time in an interview that rush of production of plays to fill these theaters, and the lack of material, would bring a crisis in the theatrical business, which came later. I made an arrangement with my brother, Charles, for the booking of the Lyceum Theater and this gave me the time to devote to other business activities.
“Then Mr. Adolph Zukor, who had made a great success with a number of small picture houses, came to me with a proposal to join him in the organization of the Famous Players’ Film Company. Mr. Zukor had the idea that moving pictures might be greatly improved and that we might produce regular picture plays, and secure eminent actors to pose for the camera. His plan appealed to me; in fact, it struck me as a wonderful project, and after due consideration I joined him in the organization of the Famous Players’ Company.
“At that time moving pictures consisted of one-act releases, most of them being comic reels which were merely grotesque and trifling affairs. I argued that if the public liked these they would certainly like to see pictures of the famous dramas and the great actors of the world in their famous roles. It also occurred to me that the improvement of moving pictures might be the solution of the big troubles of the theatrical business; too many theaters, high prices, and poor plays, and this has proven to be true.
Every One Protested.
“Prominent theatrical managers derided me somewhat for going into ‘the movies,’ but I did not mind it. My brother Charles was one of those who was most opposed to it and he made much fun of me. I could not induce him or Klaw and Erlanger to consider joining me in embarking in the picture business; in fact, they refused for a year to listen to me at all.
“Well, consider the situation to-day — Charles has become completely converted and has organized with us a company for the manufacture of films which will show all his great stars and plays. Klaw and Erlanger have likewise embarked extensively in the manufacture of pictures and so has nearly every other producing manager of prominence.
“However, they were all kind enough to give me a year of grace, and during that year we have established an immense manufacturing and distributing business all over the world. We have four big studios for the manufacture of films, one here in Twenty-third Street, one in Long Island, one in Los Angeles and one in London, while we have sub-agencies in every big city in the United States and Europe.
“The prominent theatrical managers who have entered the moving picture field have done splendid work. They have helped to justify our project, they have given the industry dignity and have encouraged high class work. The result is a general improvement in the class of productions.
“It is an established principle that the more good plays produced the more profitable the theatrical business becomes. Whereas the tendency towards indifferent and mediocre production has a discouraging effect on the public.
Believes in Competition.
“So we feel that the good work of our competitors in general is an aid to the entire industry. Artistic competition puts every film manufacturer on his mettle and brings about the best possible results in subjects and performances.
“There is no limit to the range of subjects for moving pictures or the scope of production. The development of the psychology of modern drama into a visualized form of action is a distinct art of its own which gives the creative director his great opportunities.
“Then, in another kind of picture, the massive spectacle, such as The Last Days of Pompeii and Quo Vadis?, the creative director finds great faithfulness and sincerity from historical data and without regard to expense. They will last forever.
“The possibilities of the fiction novel in moving pictures are even greater than the drama. Drama is limited to only a few episodes, while the novel has the whole world and all history, past and present, to draw from. Consider the wonderful picture which has been made from Tess of the D’Urbervilles. There is a real work of art with one of the world’s greatest actresses, Mrs. Fiske, as the central figure. No one was more enthusiastic over Tess than its author, Thomas Hardy, when he saw the picture in London.
“The creative director must elaborate many of the episodes of a play before he can use the camera on it. He must show more of the antecedent interest. Incidents which are only casually referred to in the dialogue must be visualized on more complete lines. Here is where the dramatic training of a director becomes invaluable.”
“And are moving pictures of all the great novels likely to be made?”
“Most assuredly, every great fiction work will be the subject of a moving picture within the next few years, and splendid subjects they will make. too.
“This opens up a new field to our actors which they are glad to take advantage of. Today we have William Farnum in our studio posing for the pictures of The Redemption of David Corson, made from the novel, not the play.
Maude Adams to Pose.
“Maude Adams is going to appear before the camera in her most celebrated roles, Lady Babbie and Peter Pan. Miss Adams was most difficult to induce to act for the movies.
“E. H. Sothern will also act for us before he retires.
“Among the eminent actors and actresses who have already acted for us are Mrs. Fiske, Mrs. Langtry, May Irwin, Bertha Kalich, Sarah Bernhardt, Cecilia Loftus, Florence Reed, James K. Hackett, James O’Neill, Cyril Scott, Arnold Daly, William Farnum, Jack Barrymore, Macklyn Arbuckle, H. B. Warner, Robert Warwick, William Courtleigh and Malcolm Williams. Then there is Mary Pickford, whose beauty and sweet personality have won world-wide fame on the film.
“All our leading actors are anxious to act for the camera today that their art may be handed down to posterity. I do not have to go after them any more, they are now coming to us.”
“Do you think that acting for pictures is a good thing for the actor?”
“Certainly it is. James K. Hackett has demonstrated that acting for pictures is the best advertisement an actor can have and does more to build up a real following for him than anything else. This season on tour Mr. Hackett invariably did the greatest business in cities and towns where his moving pictures had been exhibited. Sarah Bernhardt also found that pictures help business.”
“How about the artistic end, do you think that picture work helps the legitimate actor in his art?”
Pictures Help Acting Art.
“Yes. I am convinced that it does — acting for the camera gives the actor the art of pantomime, it teaches him to express himself more in action.”
“Do legitimate actors make the best moving picture actors?”
“Training on the stage is of the greatest value in acting for moving pictures, unless one has had it, considerable preparation is required to act for the camera. It took Mrs. Fiske just ten minutes to completely master the technique of picture acting.
“You must remember that the moving picture stage is but twelve feet wide and the actor must do everything within this confined area that is done on a stage thirty or more feet wide. The restriction of acting space is the greatest difficulty that actors experience in picture acting.
“Writing for the movies also helps the playwright, it teaches him the value of action. You know I have always contended that conversation was the bane of drama. Every play has too much ‘conversation’ in it, and too little action, so moving pictures are excellent medicine for the dramatist.”
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Collection: Moving Picture World, May 1914
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[Transcriber’s Note: Are you one of those people who like to judge books by their covers? If so, you are probably intrigued how anybody comes by a name such as “Colgate Baker”, right? Read this article by the New York Times’ obituary writers]
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see also O. A. C. Lund, Photoplay Author, Director and Leading Man (1914)