Evening star., 1925-12-13
ROLA
NEGPI
Palace
The Moving Picture
Bv Robert L. Sher7Uood.

THERE is on foot in New York a
campaign to elevate the movies TO
| the brow class, through a series Of
revivals OF great pictures for the bene
, fit and instruction Of the sophisticated
gentry.
No less than three rival organiZa-
tions are now in formation, all of
them similar in ideals and purpose
and all of them modelled on the prin-
ciples Of the successful Theater Guild,
which has done much 10 intellectual
ize the local drama.
Only one of these organizations. the
International Film Arts Guild. Inc,
has actually started to function. Three
weeks ago. on Sunday, il engaged the
George NJ. Cohan Theater and present
ed "A revival of the Luditsch produc-
ton, Deception with Emil Jannings
in his great characterization of Henry
VIII. 1t was none too auspicious a
start. | understand that the receipts
for the day totaled $500; the expenses
ran to 81 200.
The International Film Arts Guild
intends to carry on, however, the next
revival being Charlie Chaplin's "A
Woman cf Paris" Just at present a
determined drive is being made for
subscribers. who. by supporting the
project with faith tand So will sub
sidize it and enable il to go forward
pithout fear of financial loss. This
has happened in the case Of the The
ater Guild. which now has some 10000
subscribers, who are sufficient TO
guarantee its upkeep throughout the
year.
The International Film Arts Guild
is sending forth, broadcast, circulars
which urge prospective subscribers
to nominate their 10 favorite movies
and to inclose check for $5. Already
10 favorite pictures have been nomi-
mated, and If the International Film
Arts Guild obliges with all Of these
al the rate of one. a week we prob
| ably shall be well taken care Of
throughout the next three years.
In addition to the revivals, it is
planned to present tprivately) some
foreign productions that have never
been released in this country includ-
ing 'Naxworks'' Ia German film. with
Jannings and Werner Kraus), "Ras-
kolnikov" made in Russia by the
Moscow Art Theater), "Slr Arne's
Trea sure "a Swedish fllm). "Nju"
with Jannings). "Dracula" directed
by T.. W. Murnau. who was respon-
sible for The Last Laugh'), "Homun-
culus." The Stone Rider and The
House in the Dragonerstrasse.'
I have seen none Of these pictures
and consequently cannot vouCh for
and l for one shall welcome the op-
portunity to look them over.
These attempts to bring worth
while productions to the attention of
those who are qualified to appreciate
them seems to me to deserve unQuali-
fed support. For many yearS-aS
long as l have been writing about the
movies-I have been bowling for this
with all the persistence of the adver-
Ii Ang child who won't be happy till
he gets it.
/ have seen with my own eyes what
the motion picture can do: 1t is not
limited to those cheap. trashy masses
of hokum which are known as typical
movies. l once heard Alice Duer Mil
Ter say: There is just one thing the
matter with the movies: those who go
to them don't criticize them, and those
who criticize them don't go to them"
There is vast number of people, in
this and in other countries. who sneer
at the movies without knowing any
thing about them. They see the lurid
posters which deface the billboards,
proclaiming such productions as 'Pur-
pie Passions" or should an Uncle
Tell or "a Virgins Sacrifice" and
they judge the silent drama accord
ingly.
l have often talked to people like
this, and have wished that I might
drag them into a theater to witness a
performance of THE Thief of Bag.
| dad" or "Grandma's S Boy" or THE
Marriage Circle" or The Kid or
'.Tole' able David or THE Four
Horsemen of the ! pocalypse, or THE
Last Laugh" or The Covered
Wagon
They say to me, II don't see how
| you can see 50 many movies and sur
vive." 1t is pleasant to tell them
| that there is no law which compels
me to be a motion picture critic-that
/ go to the movies because 1 enjoy
| them, and for no other reason.
If the International Film Arts Guild,
and similar organizations, can per-
suade such people to see the really
| fine pictures that have been produced
1 know that their point of view will
undergo a radical revision. When
| that happens. a new and considerably
| more intelligent movie audience will
have been discovered. You will then
observe n distinct reaction in Holly
wood when ii is proved that there is
! an audience for good pictures, more
good pictures will be produced.
copyright. 1926.b
accompaniment The movie-going o
,,og sI,ent" Ect this 4 N ON n 4 ic cue