Evening star., 1927-10-23

route to New YORK, anu :
Il hours and as minutes of hi!
four-hour visit was taken up with
answering questions fired at him by
Washington newspaper men who
are particularly interested in The
motion pictures. Murnau, through
his most recent work of directing
Sunrise, which has just started a
New York run, and through hi:
early direction of "The Last Laugh,
"Faust" and other outstanding pic
lures, has made himself one of the
most-talked-of directors in the pic.
ture field. Although almost a new
conner to the motion picture indus
try, having gone into the work al
the close of the World War, his pro-
ductions have been of such charac-
ter as to stamp him leader. His
first efforts, with Ufa, in Berlin, were
of a character to focus attention in
his direction, and it was not long
before he was sought after by the
American producers. He came to the
United States seven months ago.
and he may now be considered a
fixed feature of the Hollywood land
scape. 1t may be best to interview
the director and make free use OF
quotation marks.
"Mr. Murnau, how does motion
picture production in this country
differ from that of Europe?"
"There is very little difference in
the actual production and the meth
DDS. 1t is merely the training of the
various departments. With my work
in the Ufa organization the training
of the branches was an important
factor-and so it has been i'll this
country. The production scheme of
things is the same"
But, regarding the actors and
actresses: Do you prefer those with
stage experience? Or would you
rather make a star in day. as we
do in this country?"
"The stage and the screen are en-
tirely separate. The star of the
stage does not always make good
motion picture actor. The idea of
the star in day is perfect one,
and it comes from the fact that we
select typeS-a man or a woman who
we think will fit into a particular
part, or an actor or actress who is
able to carry out the ideas of the
director. Janet Gaynor. who has
made such a hit in Sunrise. was
discovered in this manner, She fits
perfectly into the picture and into
the plans of the director. She has
only started upon her picture work.
I predict very big things for her.
- az hfr
American picture?"
"The big American picture which
I would like to direct will have New
York as background. The city has
impressed me. I have the picture in
my mind-a big. broad canvas of the
great city-an immense picture. But
the picture must be made soon. be-
fore one loses the impression gained
by first stepping into New York"
"And what, In your opinion. is the
future of the motion picture?"
THAT is difficult to say. 1t goes
without question that each new in
vention--the talking picture. for in
stance-does its part toward for-
warding the great industry. We will
have talking pictures. but they will
not displace the silent photoplays:
they will make the silent drama all
the stronger We are to have color
pictures, many of them. but they will
not result in discarding the black
and white. II has been found that
the latter is the best medium. Re-
Gently ! investigated new and SIM
pie method of color photography,
which shows all the natural colors
and shades, but the plan for using
this would be terrific one. Com
position is a difficult matter in the
simple black and white; imagine
what it would be with the clashing
of colors in big picture! The COL
ors would have to be put together
even more carefully than the words
of a spoken drama. The motion pic
ture has great chance to grow. It
is the artistic expression, and the
trend today is more toward artis-
tic pictures. I cannot say that we
have an overproduction in this coun-
try. The thousands of theaters
make constant demand They de-
sire all sorts of pictures. and all sorts
of pictures must be made"
What is your ambition, Mr.. Muir
naul
ITO make big picture"
And what do you cali big pic
ture? What is the meaning of big
picture?"
This big picture of mine will be
such picture that when, after
have completed it, I may see it ex-
hsh.%nA aod ..,:tf ,,...., "a f.~- -.
end to the other, and then / will sit
back in my chair and / will say,
I am satisfied"
Director Murnau, who stands lust
4 inches over 6 feet in height and
is crowned with great shock of red
hair, came to Washington from
Richmond, Va. where he completed
a tour with the Barnum & Bailey
Il Ringing Brothers circus. The
tour was not made for the fun of
the thing, but to absorb local color
for circus picture, "The Four
Devils. The scenario was prepared
by Berthold Viertel, but it is prob
able that the French circus will be
used as model instead of the Amer
can organization. Walter Roehig
and Robert Herlth, who designed the
sets for Murnau's Faust" and THE
Last Laugh" will have charge of the
same branch of work for THE Four
Devils" Production starts at the
Fox studio, in Hollywood, a week
from Friday.
REFORE he enlisted in the World
~ War Murnau played small parts
with Max Reinhardt, the German
stage genius. He was born in West
phalia SO years ago and secured his
academic training in Heidelberg. At