Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-08
FLASHES

- 1AO0PS dAC otSAiaAAAs
around the studio corners
n = There is much loud con
verSation, and a few whispers. Al
actor really does not know wher'
he is heading these days, FOL
there is trouble in the air-nluct
trouble-great, dark clouds 81
trouble are forming overhead
Not that things are slow in tht
studioS-nothing like that. BuSs'
ness is humning along Splendidly
but unusual sounds come from
the studios. One hears an ole
stage favorite ranting through his
part: orcheStraS are playing sac.
,charine music, soft and low, anC
now and then one hears the
shrek of a leading lady who is
being choked to death or is about
to be pushed or a 1o,00o-foot
precipice.
Yes, Hollywood is upset over
the noises" as the new sound
pictures are sometimes termed
Actors and actresses, some OF
them long favoriteS in the screen
world, see themselves going back
to- the dairy lunch, the soda
counter and the bargain base
nlent. for it is said that we are to
have some real acting in the
pllotoplayS to come. The advent
Of. the talking movies is eSti-
mated to have caused more con-
Stsrnation in Hollywood than any
other event in the history OF civil
lization. including the World War.
The PLAYERS have finally reached
the conclusion that the sound
movies are upon them, that they
are to be reckoned With, and now
they are rushing 10 the vocal and
elocution schools Of Los Angeles.
It is said that there are hundreds
Of Hollywood players now drawing
salary envelopes containing $500
a week or more whose value will
reeede to the zero mark unless
they Immediately adjust them
selves to the new situation.
The directors are interested in
the new situation, but they are
not so much concerned. They are
more even-tempered than the
actor-folk. and they will. no
doubt, be equal to any scheme
which may arise. Many of them
have directed stage productions
and many have come from the
ranks of the actors and the
writer's. It is estimated that fully
10 per cent of them have
thorough knowledge of good dia-
logue and Just what win be ap-
pr0priate for the sound photo
plays.
The writer's will not be so fortu-
nate. Heretofore. a synopsis, de-
failing the action OF story, wss
about all that was necessary -
the director. With the pictulSs
to come, it will be required that
the writer arrange the dialogue.
The writer's output has been Of a
simple character. The scenario
writers have been trained in such
a way that they have story
minds" and not dialogue minds. !"
Their one problem has been the
narrative: now. they win have to
figure on narrative and Zines"
It is reported that Hollywood is
to call upon the fiction martS for
at least 800 writer's.
THE musical scores of several Of
= the new sound pictures are all
that one can expect. In sun
rise" and The Four Sons" exhi-
bited privately at the Fox Theater
q few evenings ago, the Movietone
ARRANGEMENTS were excellent. TT
ting each bit of action and being
especially appropriate for the pic
lures.
But the large theaters win al
ways have their orchestras. The
mechanical arrangements may be
taken ND by the smaller theaters,
where the question Of an orche6-
ira is a big item on the expense
account.
HAROLD fREDD GRANGE
- makes the announcement
that he is through with foot ball
and that his time viii be devoted
to screen acting. It is also an
nounced that Grange has severed
business relations with G. G. Pyle,
one of the hackers Of the profes-
SIGNAL foot bah league.
Grange may have been a star
On the rridIron. but starring on
the silver sheet is something else
again.
WILL H. HAYS, "czar Of the
/" movies" says that 250. DOC, 000
people each week are attending
the motion picture shows. Motion
picture property in the United
States is valued at more than two
billion dollars, and the studios are
handling Is miles Of film each
day. All this growth Of the pic
ture industry has come within the
past 80 years.
IF you are interested in the tech
nioue of the movie, this story
will interest you. If you are not
YOU may as well pass 1t by, for II
has TO do with a peculiar angle Of
plaotoplay shooting" Screen act
ing has many complexities, often
very strange TO newcomers from
the stage. The Queerest is that
in every picture the stars and
players have two different types
Of actine-the near" and the
"far." When the camera is fai
away, In '1ong-shot." the far
type of acting is used. Every
gesture lis exaggerated. When q
player opens door, ii is done al
arms length, In order that the
action may be very distinct. The
closer the camera comes, the les:
exaggerated the acting, until if
the closeup scenes everything Il
normal.
At the Metro-GoldWyn MayeI
studios q table has been WORKED
out TO show the amount OF exag