"Movies Are No More Than A Lot of Fun in A Photo Gallery," Declares George M. Cohan

"In my opinion the movies are no more than a lot of fun in a big photo gallery," said George M. Cohan in a recent interview. "They don't compare with the stage, and I feel certain they never will, I struggled through a film once, and all I can say is, 'Never again'."

The distinguished actor and playwright is now playing in Eugene O'Neill's latest play, "Ah Wilderness," which he considers one of the best vehicles he has had the opportunity to play in. "It does not seem to me," claimed Cohan, "that Mr. O'Neill's plays are a very great departure for the general style of writing. Of course this is the first piece I have acted in, and therefore I am probably not the best judge. I know that some of his other works are quite different, and I should like to play in one of them. I consider O'Neill one of the three best modern dramatists, the other two being Noel Coward and Sherwood Anderson.

"We have good actors nowadays, but I don't believe you will find an individual actor as great as some of those of the nineteenth century. You will find more good performances given in more good plays, but no single interpretations that reach the greatness so familiar to the leading actors and actresses of the past century. The trouble with the modern actor is that he has been inadvertently cast into a mold, from which it is practically impossible for him to escape. It can be summed up in one phrase 'once a cop, always a cop.' He does a part fairly well once and he has to play that type for the rest of his life. In the old days there were less actors so a beginner had to learn the art of playing a variety of roles. When he was called on for some part, he did not have to say, 'Sorry that's not my specialty: Brown is the one that does that type.' When he got the opportunity to play some really big part, he had the experience of interpreting different roles to aid him in comprehending the feelings and actions of the character he was to portray.

"While speaking of experience, I would like to say that I consider it the essential requirement of an actor. It is what every aspiring young player should try his utmost to get. Your dramatic schools are fine, and much that they teach is worthwhile, but without experience I would never consider hiring an actor to play in any production."