The New York herald., 1922-07-23
Movie Distributor
Says Radiophone
Is Cutting in on
Attendance at ST.
lent Drama-Ac-
tors Now Advo-
cate Only Nom
inal Tariff on I'M
ported Photoplay
ny FRANK vREELAND.

phone has been cutting IN on the at
tendance at the movies and that the
vocal art is thus being revenged upon
the silent one for stealing it's popular
tty some time ago. On his last trip to
the Pacific coast. Hodkinson says. he
was convinced that producers and ex-
hibitors throughout the country were
feeling tidy amount of apprehension
over the inroads of the latest craze for
imbibing culture through the ears.
though none Of them were going so far
as to say that the movies were suffer-
ing annsthesia from the ether waves.
why shouldn't the radio affect the
films?' says Mr.. Hodkinsen. taking 1t
for granted we haven't the answer. AT
night in the country when l go out for
walk from my home I see dozens of
neighbors through their windows, all lis
tenins In with great absorption. It's
much easier than going to picture
house a good distance away and taking
chance on poor bill. especially on
hot night
It's also much easier. one might add.
to choke off the radio and fall into bed
after the strains of art become too much
of strain.
A shert time ago--take warning, this
Is paragraph on the tariff-it lacked
as If the stand of both the producing
and acting sides of tha American film
industry had become united over the
question of the tariff on films. which
threatened for time to upset the yecab-
ulares at least of both sides. The pro-
ducers. many of whom had taken to
bringing in films, especially of the Ger
man variety. from the other side, were
ch oh 1a leuied
on them, claiming that Competition was
the life of trade" &c. and that these
new films with novel ideas were as good
as new blood to the industry The ae-
tors, through the Actors Equity Asso-
citation, were distinctly audible in their
outcry for an impost on foreign photo-
plays especially of the German variety.
which they claimed were taking the finn
out of native players mouths. or words
to that effect. ..-.-.
Recently, however, the Actors Equity
reached tentative agreement with two
of the leading producing organizations
here--which were reported to be Fa-
nous Players-f4asky and Fox. though
this was not officially confirmed
stamped or sealed. Frank Gilmore. ex-
ecutive secretary of Equity, explained
that the general idea advocated was to
have only a nominal tariff on foreign
at one time seemed formidable. had now
dwindled to a mere scratch on the eellu-
loid, through the fact that recent Feu-
tonic importatiens showed by their lack
Of appeal that only one ar two German
directors appeared to have mastered the
knack of making their puppets seem to
have the healthy glow of reality in
American eyes. He explained that the
President was te be entrusted, however,
with the power Of increasing the tariff
rate on foreign pictures at his discre-
tion-previded such discretionary power
permissibe-if the foreign invasion as
sumed such proportions as to be more
than mere threatening gesture.
Gilmore stated that such measure
was to be urged before both the Senate
and the House for incorporation in the
tariff. but so far nothing tangible seems
TO have come from It.
The South Sea Island picture still
seems to be getting along famously.
though the hula hula dance on the
stage is not the thing it was In its
younger days. Perhaps it has waned
in interest as the sales fell off for
O'Brien's white Shadows in the South
Seas" But on the screen 1t seems to
have been found that by transplanting
the triangle stery to the opulent soil
of this sun-kissed regien 1t will thrive
anew like pineapple or a cocoanut.
Famous Players-Lasky have three
such photoplays scheduled for release
in the near future. and that probably
won't keep them from turning out more
as soon as a new set of palm trees can
be made. The highest hopes are held
out for "Ebb Tide since 1t was writ
ten by Robert Louis Stevenson--before
the movie romances had laid their grip
upon the southern Pacific, moreover.
So probably 1t will have quite deal of
real humanity. In addition to the usual
alfalfa costumes for the girls and
scrubby boards for the men-which
never grow any longer or shorter than
a stubble.
Lila Lee, James Kirkwood, Raymond
Hatton and George Fawcett will be in
il, and their names ought to be prma
facie evidence that the story won't
stray very far around the corner from
human nature. Possibly George Mel
ford. who seems to he the director
called upon by Famous Players when
ever hot sunshine and hotter emotions
are being considered. can forget that
he directed THE Sheik," unless there
is more sand than sea In this picture,
like the other. Naturally there Is a
desert island In II, whereon three men
beach comber. a sea captain and a
raffish English cerk-plot against a
white man and his daughter. who of
course Is beautiful, as girls always are
on desert islands. (Why have Lila Lee
In II. anyhow, II she wasn't prettyD
OF cours, love for the beautiful girl
redeems the hero.
"The Bonded Woman" Betty Comp
sons newest starring vehicle, which was
Withdrawn from circulation at the
Rivoi for the coming week. but Is
promised again soon--oh. dry those
tears lis also Of the South Seas species.
since II was written by John Fleming
Wilson. author Of The Man Who Came
Back" and virtually. you might say.
had TO be laid in that locale. However,
the man isn't allowed a chance to come
back In this picture--the woman won't
wait for him that long, for she chases
half way around the world to salvage
him. While she is thus getting a nice
excursion In the guise Of rescue ex-
pedtion. the following things happen to
her in the order namedi Beautiful
gowns, shipwreck. the South Seas, Homo
lulu nights and desert islands. OF
,ourse love for the beautiful girl re-
GEMS the hero.
OF the same school OF fish Is "On the
lgh Seas" except that In this case a
serted schooner has been substituted
Edward Sheldon for the customary
,ert island But then. sheldon Is al
VS. original. even In writing movie.