The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-06-03

were ne2p0Q upon tu0 Germ0nl
Polish star, Pola Negri. and ths
frankly German director, Lubftsch
all interpreted With unwelcoms
comparisons Of the German dim
and the typical American produc.
ton.
The next German Aim, "Deeep.
ton" has earned an almost equally
favorable reception. Here 10 4
sample of the sort Of thing which
the American movie ranks are
finding 90 depressing:
Deception" by an odd paradox
il . German picture about English
history. 1t tells the story Of Anne
Boleyn. The second charmer In tia
sextet Of wives Of King Henry VIII
Both az an historical and as a I'M
man document. it is magnificent
Lubitsch, (the directory brings his
tory to life and turns dead and
gone figures into human beings. II
IL an old saying that the public
does not want historical dramas
and that no one will go to see cos
tune plays. But Deception" haa
proved that the public is 10 tfmes
more interested in an historical
drama than they are In The average
brand Of treacle handed out by
directors who have neither educa-
tional background nor imagina-
don. The picture defies another
rule Of routine production: 1t ends
tragically. The only quarrel those
who saw it had with the picture was
that it ended too soon. Most OF
them would have been happy IL
Lubitsch had gone on and filmed
the rest Of English history.
German Propaganda Again,
1t was Immediately after this that
the old wartime cries of German
Propaganda" began to be circulate
ed on Broadway. 1t was pointed
out thae Deception" was really
nothing more than q scandalous
episode in English history; that the
Germans had deliberately selected
Henry VIII for perturbation be-
cause he was a tyrant and a liber-
tine and ate venison dipped in
gravy with his fingers. Anne Boleyn
had been represented not as the
scheming vixen history paints her,
but as merely a weak and cruelty
sfnned-against woman. Huh" said
the American picture people vim
dicatively, I'VE notice that the Ger
man stick carefully to the history
Of other nations. They don't dare
film any of their own"
To this charge the defenders Of
the films retort that even if. they
do contain propaganda (Which they
do not grant, there is nothing to
prevent the French and British
from retaliating in kind. An in
vestigation Of German monarchs
would probably yield q rich bar.
vest Of lurid material which the
American people would be only too
delighted to review, they point out.
Furthermore, the first French film
to reach us "J'Accuse," is frankly
a propaganda picture, depicting
some Of the worst phases Of the late
war. The soft pedal is placed on
German brutality, it is true. There
are no seductions Of nuns or mutt
lations Of infants in the picture,
but it is a plea for sympathy for
the French nation, which is strug-
Cling SO bravely to recover from
the desolation of the war.
But propaganda or not, the
champions Of the new foreign films
declare that they are a welcome re-
lief from the average American
movie which is. largely devoid Of
artistic merit. While Gypsy Love"
the latest Pola Negri film, does not
live up to the high standard set by
the first foreign pictures, the ma
jority is said by those who have
seen them to be exceptionally good.
In many respects, 1t cannot be de-
MED, the European directors are
ahead OF our directors over here.
For instance, nothing has yet been
produced in this country to COM
pare with the artistic sets designed
by a noted European modernist for
The Cabinet of DR.. Caligari." 1t
could easily be done in Hollywood.
We have plenty OF artists in this
country who could achieve equally
good results. But the fact Remains
/! that 1t has not been done.
The moving picture people them
selves are willing to admit this. It
is not the artistic merit of the new
foreign films to which they object
nor Of which they are jealous. They
have been eagerly viewed by actor
and director folk, who are always
open to suggestions for improving
! their own work. 1t is the cost CT
the pictures which they resent
cost with which the American in
dustry cannot begin to compete. In
! this they see a real danger which
threatens the livelihood Of ovef
10000 American bread winners and
which eventually may turn this
/ nation from the worlds greatest
-, producer Of films, into its greatest
film buyer.