The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-08-23

Several iollv old barnacles
throughout the country are be.
Roaming the fact that the cinema
is passing from its state OF pure
silence. They tell us that the films
were well on the way towards de.
veIoprnent OF d. wordless technique
IF their oWn-a technique that
would do away completely with
subtitIes and the people who read
them aloud.
And then-4and then, they con-
tinue. tearing their hair and beat.
inp their breasts-the taIlxie came
and broke down the applicant OF
progress. They see the movies OF
the future diverted from the full
fillment Of the cinem4's mission,
mere shadow version Of stage
production, with a lot OF noise
sided for the more spectacular ex-
teriors.
What pity It Is that they can
not see the other side Of the pic.
ture. While the forWard-moving
film companies are showing along
their taIlxie programs, and better.
ing their product month by month
in the keen struggle for popular
acclaim. certain other forces are
at work along new lines, making
cel1uloid dramas in which sound
is subordinate to action.
In the course Of the next year,
there will be no room Tor the pig
headed producer who stubbornly
persists in making movies that are
enhanced by sound nor composed
entirely OF dramatic pantOmime.
The movie houses OF the future
win show two classes Of film one
with talking ana sound sequences,
the other q real silent drama, with
or without synchronized musical
accompaniment.
WHY don't the walters at the
shrine of Celluloidia understand
this? They are the saIle people
who have been inveighing for some
years past against the Grass med
iocrity OF the average feature film.
Too many pictures have slipped
by recently on the strength Of good
subtitles. Many have been carried
out OF the red side OF the ledger by
pIlli13 power Of q speechless star.
Still others have succeeded because
they were pleasantly $3.50.
The talIie cannot be $3.50. III Is
bound to create an Illusion entirely
different from the silent film. Its
faults OF direction, dialogue and
casting will be more and more ap.
parent as the fans begin to under
stand this new medium
The silent picture Of tomorrow
will be pure cinema. 1t dare not
rely on the Outmoded subtitIes. TT
cannot count upon pretty, vapid
face to pun 1t ont Of the mire. The
old hokum bucket has fallen into
the well. Long live the New
Hokum!
J. e. Palmer, general manager
Of the washington school for
Secretaries. isn't at AL satisfied
with the cooling system employed
by some Of Washington's leading
film enporiuTns.
II WON'T be, either,' says he,
until they learn to refrigerate
the streets outside. The movie
houses used to be the last resort
Of the public in summer, because
they were warm. Nowadays,
they're entirely too comfortable.
THE result il that, upon leav-
ing the theater. you are struck
in the face by billowing waves
of heat and lose your breath
from the sudden change Of tenn
perature."
This department is pleased to
inform Mr.. Palmer that the
theater wizards Of the city have
been working hard on this very
problem, and are controlling the
GOODNESS Of their houses in pro-
portion to the outside tempera-
ture.
Nothing makes D. column so
attractive IS letters from dis
gruntled persons. One such lies
within reach meaning person,
and not q d. d. 1t has TO do with
the local "Our Gang" comedy
filmed in Washington during the
past fortnight, and now on view
at I4oew's Palace.
The picture itself, frankly. is
NOT so much, as "Our Gang"
comedies go. But as q, screen
test of a lot OF Washington chill
dren, it il emjnently satisfactory.
Those who have seen the film
will recall scene in which q
race was started by a young man
firing a pistol in the air and
looking very bIankly at the
camera until, obviously. the direc-
tor urged him to get out OF the
camera range.
The young man il the author Of
the following screed.
This is a letter from a deluded,
disappointed moving picture actor
who was lured to the films by one
of those deceitfuI advertisements
in a mail house organ. Cast in a.
picture my very first day of re-
porting at the studio / felt quite
encouraged. 1t seemed to me
then only q step TO stardom,
oceans of fan mail, personal APP
pesrances with my films, etc.
But here, what do I discover?
My picture, Our Gang" in
which / shoot a pistol into the air
and scare a lot of little boys and
girls into running away from
that gun, has played nearly
week at an + Street theater, and
the only mail / have had was
from the bank calling my atten-
ton 10 a.. rubber check.
What ! want to ask in clos
ing is: docs not the moving
picture public of Washington
recognize sex appeal when it sees
some?"
The letter IL signed Kirk Mil
ler."