Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-24
MOVIE GAR SEES HOLLYWOOD
RANKING WITH WORLD CENTERS
Moving Picture City Produces Greatest
Exchange Mediums for Nation,
Dictator of Filmdom Holds.
BY WILL III. HAYS.

the home Of motion pictures, Is an in
ternational enterprise.
From the early days when Damas'
Gus. Babylon. Athens, Rome and other
ancient centers of international ex'
change of thought each in turn
claimed to be the fountain of cotem'
porary learning. the title has been
claimed by one city after another with
more Oh less justice. But never in the
history. of civilization has there been
a means of transmitting thought SO
universal as the motion picture.
springing from a source that Is SO
genuinely international in character.
Hollywood's motion picture colony
Is a cross-section of the thoughts, phi.
losophies, languages, religions and
races of the whole wide world.
All the world looks to Hollywood
for it's fayorite amusement, for its
recreation and its happiness. And
Hollywood in return looks to all the
world for the creative ability which
will make It's brand of amusement the
best that Is humanity possible.
Movies American Invention.
The motion picture itself Is. Of
course, an American invention--the
issue of American genius-and In
the growth of industry to its present
Importance as one OF the largest in.
dustries z IN the world, 1t presents a
typical example Of American business
ingenuity and talent. AT the same
time, the studio personnel which Is
mainly responsible for the product
has become so cosmopolitan In its
character that the motion picture is
today the most truly international OF
all the big businesses. ~
This Is true Of necessity and Is as 1t
should be, for the motion picture it.
self knows no national boundaries.
Europe. Africa, America and Asia
know the motion picture. It Is today
as international as the sun itself.
For this reason men of every race.
Of every cline. OF every creed. Of
every school Of thought are to be
found in Hollywood busily engaged in
the important task of supplying mo-
ton. pictures for world. consumption.
They have made Hollywood distinc-
tive world city-as distinctive in its
way as Paris or as Rome.
Happiness Chief Interest.
The very name Of Hollywood has
colored the thought Of this age. It
has given to the world new syno.
'nyn for. happiness. because Of all its
product happiness is the one in which
Hollywood--the motion picture Holly.
wood-chiefiy interests itself. Herein
lies the explanation of Hollywood:
The, world must be amused. Men
must have recreation and relaxation.
They must be- allowed to forget the
grind of everyday existence. There
must be place for workers to rest,
to laugh. to cry and to. think when
the days job is done. There is an i'm.
perative necessity for entertainment
Of the, people, and that importance. Of
pictures Is measured by this very ne.
cessity.
Some one asked DR.. H. Parkes Cad
Of Churches of Christ in America,
what he thought Of motion pictures.
His answer was thoughtful and signi-
ficant.
Theirs never was a film, however
silly, that did not reveal some COM
mon aspect Of human nature" he
said They minister to an age Of
tangled nerves, war-torn nerves, con-
stantly disturbed by traffic, street
noises and the universal speed-often
without Observation-Disclosures of
modern days" And then he added
what, to me, Is an even more signi.
ficant appreciation: do not forget
that screen comedians have made
countless people in love with life, and
that this in itself is a great and noble
end" Indeed. they make people 'in
love with life." They give people
something additional in their lives to
live for.
Captives Ask for Movies.
Just a short time ago. during the
last big snowstorm that swept the
West. little mining town near Den.
YER was cut off by the great snow
with food for the besieged inhabitants.
But were those people satisfied with
food alone? Not for a minute.
Bring us movies, too," they said.
"Give us less food and more movies. /"
Don't smile too quickly. Those min.
ers and their families. facing starva.
ton, were not as foolish as you may
first think. Food would keep them
physically alive, but the films would
keep them mentally alive.
Food without mental balances isn't
all that man needs. Mental health is
just as important as physical health.
You must have both to keep life on a
satisfactory. basis. tf.'
Within the confines Of Hollywood,
which scarcely more than decade
ago was a struggling village on the
outskirts of Los Angeles, are produced
today more than 80 per cent Of all the
motion pictures In the world. People
OF 10 countries, speakers Of more than
3.400 languages and dialects look to
Hollywood for entertainment. In the
heart Of the densest jungle canvases
are hung from the limbs of age'old
trees that motion pictures may be
world are lined with motion picture
theaters.
City IL Richly Endowed.
The kindness of nature has been
largely responsible for the establish.
ment of Hollywood as the center of
motion picture production. The city
has been richly endowed and richly
favored with gifts of climate and land.
BcapeS.
Cognizant Of the demands upon it,
Hollywood has very wisely drawn
upon the world for its resources in
artists and artisans. who, after oil.
measure the success or failure Of mo.
ton pictures. The studio personnel is
all important. With good actors. good
directors, good cameramen, good
writer's, anything can be accomplished.
The greatest creative artists have
been attracted to Hollywood, that they
might. have the opportunity for the
widest expression. ''
Great numbers Of those in key ere.
alive positions are direct from supreme
accomplishment in other countries.
A recent survey Of important
actors, directors and cameramen in
Hollywood showed that so were Eng
lishmen, 26 were Canadians, 70 were
Germans, 16 were Russians, IL were
French, 10 were Autrians. IL were
Swedes, were Italians. 8 were Hun
garians, were Japanese, 3 were
Mexicans. were Danes and others
came from India, Argentina, China,
Rumania. Brazil. Poland. ,Czecho.