Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-26
FLASHES

~ motion picture is producec
~ which stands out far above
H. the thousands that stream
2from HOLLYWOOD There is no get
Sting away from the fact that each
! picture cannot become world
Ixbeater and a great boX-office at
ATTRACTION, but il is certainly re-
knarkable how few really big pic
y lures are produced in the course
Of wear. Perhaps this is a 5000
thing for the industry. or the art
as ii is sometimes called.
There is =. vast difference, how
ever. between the movie which
turns out to be a flop" and the
/ stage play which does not contain
I the proper ingredients TO become
4 success. In the case OF the
latter, the play is tried out. the
/ thcatergoerS refuse TO patroniZe
II. and it is withdrawn from the
Z STAGE as a loss In some instances
efforts are made TO benefit the
play by changes in cast and in the
play itself. but these. as a rule
. are seldom successful. The play
must be checked off on the wrong
side Of the producers ledger
With the screen play, however, il
must be exhibited. regardless Of
whether it is flop" or not. The
picture patrons have seen so many
'f1ops" that they know how &c
appreciate a really good screen
drama when il is exhibited.
A little instance Of this took
place IN Washington recently. A
spicture had been made with a
swell known star. The producers
fand the star himself knew the
tpictufe belonged in the category
Eof "1opS." Therefore, the tin cans
containing the eight or nine reels
laid on a shelf in the distributors
Office for several months. But
something had to be done in order
TO pay at least part of the cost OF
production. A few weeks ago the
picture was screened, and there
was no doubt about the class in
9 which ii belonged. The picture
goers were forced to take it or
leave it-and this is one of the
points where the old-time theater-
goer had the advantage Of the
&ASgGNAA II AAAGfAN k'dNA bAAt
But. turning to good pictures
II is refreshing to hear what the
critics are saying Of the new Emil
JanningS picture. The Patroit.'
Ernst Lubitsch, the director, has
turned out one OF those rare ex-
ampleS of the photoplay aria
magnificent photoplay which will
find its place among the really
big and permanent pictures
JanningS. since his arrival in
this country. has done much for
the movies He has been such an
influence that other character
actors are following him. Direc-
tors are watching his work very
closely, and the star has already
accomplished enough 10 place his
name high on the roll Of screen
players.
In The Patriot" Jannings plays
the part of a mailman, a pitiful
figure, whose throne room should
have been a padded cell. The
patriot is a man who is motivated
by high ideals and who sees in
the removal of the royal half-wit
the one way TO serve his country.
The latter role is played by that
accomplished actor Lewis Stone
The entire cast is above the aver
age, and special credit is given
the director.
as a result of recent successes in
the color film field, the Nat
urai Colors Pictures Co. has been
formed, and colored movies, made
by filter composed Of seven color
segmentS instead Of the usual
three, are being demonstrated
The process, ii Is said, employs
ordinary film and utilities a disc
OF multi-colored gelatin. which
replaces the usual shutters used
on camera and protector. Photog-
raphy is possible under ordinary
lignting conditions. The color
DISC attachment. revolving In
front Of the tim, behind the lens
REGISTERS on alternate exposures
in which reoS are basic ana on the
other colors in which blues pre-
dominate. These, projected on the
screen at a speed slightly faster
than that at which ordinary black
and white pictures are run, alter
nate so fast that all Of the colorS
appear to be present at the same
time. The film can be duplicated
IN unlimited quantities, 1t Il
claimed by the inventors.
GONE of the new sound pictures
~ those giving the rather un
pleasant reproduction Of pigs a
r1ealtin1e, etc.-renlind one OF tn
first movies The first expert
nnentS IN motion pictures were eff
forts 10 show men and women be.
ing chased By others, but the.
were marVels Of their day. ANY
thing, in that day and age, made
q good movie If II showed some
thing moving. Now. anything i
q sound picture-just 80 there j
q noise attached
-
IT would seem that Al Jolson /
really the pioneer in the Sount
pictures At least, his first sing
ing picture was the inaugural sue
cess in that particular line Other
may come forward as the first II
the .noisies." but JOlsOn Shouts
really have the credit for puttlni
over his stage successes via tn
screen.
THE John Barrymore picture
Tempest" goes on the Broad
way screen At two doilar-to
prices, and there viii be r0ars O
z revolutionary mob, the rat-tat
tat u machine guns and THO
laughter from fat throatg, for
Is a synchronlzed production
Or Hugo Reisenfeld arranged tn
experimentation. for the pictur
when first viewed was Of tn
a-.E..a II IL. n.-.-.... l. L.