Evening star., 1927-11-20
FLASHES
FROM THE
~~Nses~~~~>N~~~~->>>~
BY G. E. NELSON.

plays see the sophisticate,
drama on the wane and tn,
return of the sweet little love story
For one thing. these indorscrs poin
to. the popularity of THE Seventh
Heaven as feature OF their argu
ment. Critics and film goers hav,
Joined i'll their praise of this particu
lar picture, and the indorsers are
confident that the American public
loves romance; that film patrons
tired of the time-worn triangle
screen plays, are receptive toward
the sweet little dramas. The Wreck
OF the Hesperus" is also pointed tc
as t1avoring of the new order o.
things in moviedom.
But all this means little or moth
ing. The film patron does not care
what variety of picture he sees
underworld story or a school days
love affair--as long as the picture is
a good picture. The Seventh
Heaven" is good picture, and so is
underworld" which is an altogether
different type. 1t would be d diff
cult matter to determine that the
American movie going public has
changed its mind or settled upon a
certain class of film entertainment.
THE Wreck of the Hesperus" can
please the same audience that was
thrilled with such a picture as I'm
derworld" or The Last Laugh" II
it is a good picture, it will draw at
the box Office, whether it is a pretty
little romance or rip-roarlng story
of life in the depths. There has been
no change, and there is not likely
to be.
The National Indorsers of Photo
plays, by the way. have their head
quarters out in Indianapolis. Their
magazine, a neat little four-page
affair, details motion picture mat
ters and recommends certain pic
tures for grown-ups and children.
An editorial i'll the current number
takes up the recent criticism of
THE Murphys and the Galatians"
and it declares that "the picture did
not ridicule religion and culture, but
that it was Just comedy" The In
dorsers of Photoplays say they in
dorse no picture ridiculing a re-
ligion, but comedy between families
might be staged anywhere" And
then they add: Let US contrive to
see the humorous side of life and
not become. through looking for
propaganda and annoying incidents,
morose and fretting nation"
MARY CARR has gone to Ger
"A many. where she will appear in
one of the new German pictures,
Dame Care" Her contract calls
for special work with the Defu
Company, the Berlin unit of First
National.
COLUMNS and pages have been
~ written about the comedian
Charlie Chaplin, his art. his makeup
and his habits, but it has remained
for writer in the French periodical
L Illustration" to bring out the real
low down OIL the movie star-delv-
ings into the inner soul, the mental
makeup of the man. the mystery of
his personality. ct cetera. In part,
the writer says:
THE most striking thing about
Charlie Chaplin is the universally
cf his genius. He is probably more
familiar to more people than any
other man in the world. Millions of |
of every nation, of every |
class. of every culture, know his face
mot the face of the correct taciturn
gentleman he is in real life. but that
other face his own fancy has fash
ioned This triumph can be laid to
the miraculous diffusion of the
cinema, with which neither the
theater nor literature itself can be
complete. But the cinema has
served Charlie Chaplin as it has
served nobody else, and he there
fore carries the mystery of his at
traction within himself Though he
is a comic figure, laughter may we'll
be said to be one of the most cir
aspects of the collective
soul. 1t varies with times, traditions
and surroundings. 1t rarely uni6es
the crowd and the elect. 1t is COM
with difficulty from one
people to another. Here it is coarse
ness, there humor, elsewhere irony.
Charlie Chaplin ignores these distinc-
tions; he has imposed himself upon
all peoples. He ravishes the popu-
lace and the intellectuals, the middle
classes and the advance guard of art
and snobbishness. What exceptional
manner of man is this?
His start reminds one of Moliere's
early days, when he travelled the
length and breadth of France, acting
buffoon parts in Italian comedies.
Charlie Chaplin resembles Molere
in another respect. He observes life
in the same way that Moliere con-
templated it from Pezenas barber
shop. From daily life he demands
the stuff and substance to put into
his comedies, transposed and stylized.
He has written of himself: / have
studied man, because if | did not
know him could do nothing in my
chosen line of work This study
for any one who has undertaken it
will never end. Charlie Chaplin's ca
reer is full enough, and his work is
fruitful enough, for him to consider !
that he has attained every ambition
in life. Already, he seems to have
given us more than his share"
And, just to think, that to the
average photoplay patron, Charlie
Chaplin is simply good comedian
We have never rightfully analyzed
him.
THE Soviet government of Russia
l. is planning to make motion pic
lures a definite part of the educa-
tional system OF the country, and
picture theater for children has been
established in Moscow. A large part
OF the programs will consist of ma
ture studies. pictures of scenic and
topical interest and fairy stories.