Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-12-13
MUST HEROES
WEAR SHIRTS?
Talkies Threaten To
Upset Old Prece-
dent in Films
BY WADE WERNER
tAssociated Press Feature Writer.)

Lives IotaAN
HOLLYWOOD, Cal, Dec. 13.-tP-
So far as the heroes Of the movies
are concerned, all this excitement
over talking pictures resolves itself
into one major question:
Will the film hero Of the future
be permitted TO keep his shirt on?
The average film fan probably
never thinks of movie heroes as men
with a shirt-problem; nevertheless
that is exactly what they have been
in the past several years.
Handsome young men who could not
act with their shirts off have found
producers lukewarm about starring
them. Most youthful movie roles are
athletic roles, even when they do not
involve the winning Of n football
game or a foot race, and 10 play an
athletic role on the screen an actor
must look athletic, even in a closeup
and with his shirt off.
n late Rudolph Valentino was one
Of the first handsome film stars to
demonstrate the screen appeal OF a
shirtless hero rs compared with one
who merely left it to the audience TO
imagine he had athletic shoulders.
When Valentino stripped 20 the waist
70 indulge in a rapier duel he looked
athletic as we'll as handsome.
Since then there have been hun
ireds OF pictures whose athletic he
roes have taken off their shirts at
one time or another 10 make them
look more convincingly athletic IN
the critical scenes-scenes in which
the hero wins a prize fight, scenes
in which his shirt is torn off him IN a
hrawl, scenes in which he swims. or
rows a varsity crew to victory, or
portrays the handsome Hawaiian on
his s~urf-board.
To cite n few recent pictures: Dick
Arlen has to doff his shirt in "The
Four Feathers; Richard Dix wear
practically no shirt in "Redskin";
George O'Brien Is. Of course. shirtless
in that part Of "Noah's Ark" which
presents him as the valiant son Of
Noah; Charles Farrell repeatedly
casts of his shirt in "The River
and Gary Cooper regularly takes off
his shirt vt least once in every pic
ture.
Naturally Il I. not always easy 20
keen in such excellent condition that
: shirtIess role close to the camera
befits one. More than one formerly
popular leading man Is comparative
~ idle today because last time ne
riayed the handsome hero without =
shirt he bulced at the belt and looked
q little flabby in the arms.
Lately. however. dozens of stage
heroes have been imposted from New
York and other theatrical centers to
MAY talking picture roles requiring
mn who sound rs hsndsome rs they
lock. One occasionally finds an ath-
lete among these heroes Of the stage.
hut few IF them appearing regularly
behind the footlights have had much
time for athletic recreation; nor do
stage roles rs a rule require athletic
acting.
So Il is argued frequently in Holly
wood these days. when the numerous
Broadway importations are discussed.
that "these fellows can act; we'll
and good. and some Of them can sing,
too. But can thew act and sing with
out their shirts7"
Some contend that picture-goers
will not turn out 70 see romantic
Young screen heroes who habitually
keen on their shirts. Others say the
public will learn To accent a ner-
xuasive. likable voice in lieu Of a
handsome chest.
n the latter oninion Is correct. the
season Of 1929 probably will 90
down in movie history as the year
the picture heroes put on their shirts.