Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31
FLASHES

III screen technique, with the lued
that. in the years to come, they
would be valued additions to the
photoplav manufacture. The process
OF training was to cover rather d
lengthy period. and the young men
and women were TO make close
study of the pictures. how they were
planned and then taken through the
various stages until screened before
the public
The idea was a sound one. II
stood upon a foundation of real
necessity, and it would have been
one of the very best investments OF
the industry. However. it was aban-
doned. The young writers were al
lowed to go, and great many OF
them have entered other forms OF
work. The producers were III a
great rush: they were, they consid
cred, faced with a grave compcti-
ton; they had no time to train
young men and women in the writ
ing game. 1t would be better, they
thought. to employ we'll known writ
ers OF fiction. men who were well
grounded in their particular craft,
rather than spend long hours and
many dollars in the training OF spe-
cial writers for the screen. Then
came a great scramble for the serv-
ices Of the fiction writers. They
were sent contracts and signed by
the dozens.
Up to the present time the writers
OF fiction have failed. AS rule, they
know nothing of the requirements
of the photoplay-nothing OF the
screen technique and how good bit
of fiction must be handled before it
is presented to the public. The pro-
ducers, at about the same time they
employed the writers, made a great
stampede for popular novels, with
the idea that they could all be turned
into popular photoplays. This was
another mistake. for about a quar-
ter of the novel supply was turned
into the very worst of pictures.
And now the producers are back
where they started. The Metro
Goldwyn- Mayer staff of expert
writers has been cut nearly in half
during the past few weeks. Many
of the writers allowed to go are well
known in the fiction field, but they
failed to make the grade with the
producing companies.
The original idea of training
writer's for the special work may
again be taken up. for it is receiving
serious consideration. The novel
supply has about run out-especially
where the classics are concerned
and the producers are being forced to
search for original stories. The new
writers should be encouraged and
trained; they should not be overpald.
and the industry. in the future, will
have something to look forward to.
The need for good material is the
CRYING need of the pictures today,
for good photoplays cannot be made
from poor storieS-as has been dis
covered from box Office receipts.
X * x
TT is said that Ramon Novarro has
been forced TO master many of
the card tricks used by stage magi-
clans in order to play the role OF
Don Juan Reigo in the Joseph Con-
rad story Romance John S. Rob-
ertson will direct the story for
Metro Goldwyn- Mayer.
:: X *
Emil JANNINGS, star of "The
IL Way of All Flesh" which is now
being screened in New York, was.
contrary to general opinion. born in
the United States He first saw the
light of day in Brooklyn. but after
he was a year old his family moved
to Switzerland. Ten years later an
other move was made to Gerlitz,
Germany. from which place the jan
nings family originally came to
America.
Young Jannings thought he would
like the life of a sailor, so he ran off
to Hamburg. where he took job as
cabin boy on a small freighter. Then
he deserted the vessel in England
and was later sent back to Germany
by a friend of his father. The lads
schooling continued, with the idea
that he would some day enter an
engineering college. The boy. how
ever. was fascinated by the theater
end its people He offered his serv-
ices to the manager of travelling
stock company. and at the age Of 10
he became an actor.
The band of Thespians formed a
club and went under name which.
translated, means "Dabblers in Art,
and the boy Jannings received a
wage Of less than 81 week-during
weeks when the travelling troupe was
fortunate enough to have good bus
mess. Then the lad joined the stock
he
in the town Of that name. and from
juvenile parts went to others of more
importance At this time he met
Ernst Lubitsch, now a Paramount
director, and Lothar Mendes. now
the husband of Dorothy Mackail
screen star. The young actor mex,
changed to a stock company ir
Bremen, and from there went to
Mainz. From that time he was
listed among the leading stock COM
pany actors OF his country, and his
next step was to the Darmstadt
ROYAL Theater. which was under the
direction of the Grand Duke OF
Hessen.
In 1906 Max Reinhardt, the famous
producer, convinced Jannings that
the proper thing 10 do was to joi
Reinhardt's Dcutsche Theater, il
Berlin. Then. for eight years, the
actor was a stage idol OF the German
capital During the war, being
American born, Jannings established
his neutrality, and the German gov
eminent ordered the theaters TO kccf
open as usual. In 1915 he went intt
the movies through the work OF hi
friend Lubitsch. The first pictur'
in which he played leading roll
was When Four Do the Same" ;
snail effort, but success. His frs
important picture was Madame
Du Barry" which featured Pol