Evening star., 1928-12-16
FLASHES
FROM THE
40 one who watches the
trend of motion picture af-
fairs it would seem that
BY c. e. NELSON.


trend of motion picture af-
fairs it would seem that
4 the elaborate stage pres
entations will, in the future, be
displaced by just as elaborate
tabloids on the screen. These
may take the form of musical
comedies or straight comedy, and
there is already a step in that di-
rection with the improved Vita
phone vaudeville. Also, the Pathe
organization announces that, with
the use of the Photophone, a tab
loid musical comedy in sound and
talk has been arranged as a pro-
logue for the new picture, "Annap-
oils"
The big presentation features
can easily be eliminated by the
new sound devices-and with this
will come the elimination of a big
expense to the photoplay palaces.
Broadway names, Broadway acts
and Broadway music are COM
bined in sound features, where
it would be practically impossible
to arrange stage shows with the
same entertainment. For instance,
in this prologue for Annapolis" 4"
one will see and hear the Nc
Carthy sisters, formerly with
George Whites Scandals; Nor
ton and Mayo, Nell Jewell, Dolores
WeekeS. six speciality tap dancers,
and a Frances Weldon troupe OF
dancing girls. The reel which
offers Broadway entertainment
has been directed by Bert Glen
non, and he arranged the solo,
ensemble, song and dance num-
berS. Josiah EURO, musical di-
rector of the Pathe sound pic
lures, leads the orchestra and
Frances Weldon directs the dances.
Naturally, the theme of the tab
loid follows along with the mo-
ton picture.
Such presentations, all Of them
on the screen, may sound the
knell of the elaborate stage pres
entations of the photoplay
houses. The success of the Vita
phone acts gives a wide opportu-
nifty for the vaudeville artists, now
that their theaterS have been cut
to minimum.
X x
"R EvENGE," which was one of
the photoplay attractions of
Washington during the past week,
may not be a super picture. In
all probability. it will not be
clasSed among the 10 best pic
lures of the year, and yet, from
the viewpoint of the movie fan,
it contained about everything, all
the ingredients of the thoroughly
entertaining picture. This thought
comes to one after viewing the
picture some time before. Dolores
del Rio shows more improvement
in her screen work than any other
actress in the neighborhood of
Hollywood. Within a year, If she
is lucky enough to have good
stories thrown in her way, she
will be the leading screen actress.
Her work will bear close watching.
A LTHOUGH letters received
have not been strongly in
clined toward sound pictures, the
Universal Co. is starting $5,000,-
600 campaign of sound. In check
ing over the letters from the pub
lie, it has been found that the
fans favoring the sound pictures
do not outnumber to a great eX-
tent those who favor the silent
drama. But the Universal Co. an
nounceS that it will continue the
manufacture OF pictures without
Synchronization and dialogue.
Paramount is preparing to
launch sound program and four
new sound stages will be in opera
tion at the West Coast studio in
January. In outlining the plans,
B. P. Schulberg, general manager
of production in California, points
out that the company'S talking
picture program will probably
reach its peak about January is,
when five completely equipped
sound stages will be in full opera
tion. Active work is now being
rushed on the production of IL
100 per cent talking pictures.
three of which are already under
way. The first all-talkie, Inter
ference" has had its New York
premiere, while THE Doctors
Secret" "Tong War" and "The
Dummy" are now being filmed.
ONE of the matinee idols, Ronald
Colman, has been awarded his
first speaking part in the new
picture Bulldog Drummond." 1t
is proposed to make the entire
picture with dialogue, and Rich
ard Jones will direct. The film
version of the play will go into
production within the next two
weeks and will be Colman's second
individually starring picture The
first is the film story of Joseph
Conrad, THE Rescue" which is
synchronized, but has no dia-
logue. It was decided that the
picture might lose dramatic force
by the indiscriminate mixture of
silent and spoken sequences. Also,
for the same reason, the new
Wilma Banky picture, Fifth Ave-
nue." will not have dialogue.
Joseph Hergesheimer, the novelist,
is preparing his own scenario and
dialogue for his story, "Natchez, u
which will go into production
around April /.
x X
MAX REINHARDT, who comes
" to this country to direct the
new Lillian Gish picture, has had
a varied career in stage work. He
has produced plays in many OF
the large cities of the world, ano
some of his casts have contained
the names of 1000 actors ano
actresses. On the other hand, he
has produced plays with only foul
characters. He has staged the
works of Shaw, Tolstoy, Schnitz-
Ter, Shakespeare, Maeterlinck