ngers of their maker in the
clay from which they came?

Finally, I desire in moving pictures, not the stillness, but the majesty
of sculpture. I do not advocate for the photoplay the mood of the Venus
of Milo. But let us turn to that sister of hers, the great Victory of
Samothrace, that spreads her wings at the head of the steps of the
Louvre, and in many an art gallery beside. When you are appraising a new
film, ask yourself: "Is this motion as rapid, as godlike, as the sweep of
the wings of the Samothracian?" Let her be the touchstone of the Action
Drama, for nothing can be more swift than the winged Gods, nothing can be
more powerful than the oncoming of the immortals.

CHAPTER IX

PAINTING-IN-MOTION

This chapter is founded on the delicate effects that may be worked out
from cosy interior scenes, close to the camera. It relates directly to
chapter three.

While the Intimate-and-friendly Motion Picture may be in high sculptural
relief, its characteristic manifestations are in low relief. The
situations show to better advantage when they seem to be paintings rather
than monumental groups.

Turn to your handful of motion picture magazines and mark the
illustrations that look the most like paintings. Cut them out. Winnow
them several times. I have before me, as a final threshing from such an
experiment, five pictures. Each one approximates a different school.

Here is a colonial Virginia maiden by the hearth of the inn. Bending over
her in a cherishing way is the negro maid. On the other side, the
innkeeper shows a kindred solicitude. A dishevelled traveller sleeps
huddled up in the corner. The costume of the man fades into the velvety
shadows of the wall. His face is concealed. His hair blends with the soft
background. The clothing of the other three makes a patch of light gray.
Added to this is the gayety of special textures: the turban of the
negress, a trimming on the skirt of the heroine, the silkiness of the
innkeeper's locks, the fabric of the broom in the hearthlight, the
pattern of the mortar lines round the bricks of the hearth. The tableau
is a satisfying scheme in two planes and many textures. Here is another
sort of painting. The young mother in her pretty bed is smiling on her
infant. The cot and covers and flesh tints have gentle scales of
difference, all within one tone of the softest gray. Her hair is quite
dark. It relates to the less luminous black of the coat of the physician
behind