¶ Is Victor Seastrom, the Swedish Director, a New Force in Our World of the Cinema?
Victor Seastrom on location with his "The Master of Man" cast. This was taken while Joseph Schildkraut was still a member of the company. Later Conrad Nagel succeeded him. Elsie Bartlett, Mrs. Schildkraut, can be seen sitting in the foreground while Schildkraut is sitting on the platform.
Little Theatre Film Movement
The aim of the organization is to provide, through existing little theatre groups, university dramatic societies and women's clubs, a practical release for those artistic films which cannot find a place in the commercial theatre," its announcement states.
The first film scheduled for release by this organization is "Mortal Clay," a picture which Seastrom made in Sweden. The movement is still in the process of formation. It is independent in that one studio contributes no more toward it than another. Yet it so happens that practically every large company contributes one or more of its big names to the list of sponsors.
For instance, Rex Ingram, Ernst Lubitsch, Hugo Ballin, Paul Bern and Rob Wagner are a few of the men interested. Outside the industry, the Federation of Women's Clubs for Southern California, the Juvenile Protective League, the Friday Morning Club and the National Board of Review all sponsor the cause.
Victor Seastrom and his cameraman, Charles Van Enger, "shooting" a scene of "The Master of Man."
High Purpose of Idea
Those who have investigated the purposes of the Little Theatre movement in pictures have every faith in its ultimate success. With these brains behind it and its first release "Mortal Clay," it will have a good start on the road. Once started, all it will need is support—yours.
The editor of Screenland wired me to ask Mr. Seastrom for his views on "What is the matter with American photoplays?" But after talking with persons who knew the director well, I decided that discretion was the better part of valor. He is, it seems, very bashful with interviewers and very reticent in his expressions of opinion regarding American films. The method of approach, therefore, had to be roundabout.
I found him in the stone court-room I have described. He is a tall man, strongly built. His eyes are typically Nordic blue—the blue of the winter sea, and his voice, soft now, gives suggestion of great strength and volume. In fact, latent strength is the keynote(Continued on page 83)
