Evening star., 1928-06-17
FLASHES

De making lCSelI IelC II
- more ways than one. Som
Of the imported pictures hav
stood out as masterpieces OF tech
nique and acting, and now tn
stars who came from other land
are monopoliZing the American
pictures. One of the neweS
photoplays to be hailed by critic
is THE Man Who Laughs" star
ring Conrad Veidt, and both tn,
star and the director, Paul LEM
are among the imported colony o
Hollywood. Since coming to thi
country, Leni'S work has stamped
him as being an eXtraordinar.
craftsman, and he is now claSSec
among the leading directors. Hi!
Cat and the Canary" the frs
picture he directed in California
was an exceptional production. II
his work in other lands Leni de.
signed the settings for Variety
and directed The Three WAY
Works"
In the picture 1.-The Man Who
Laughs" the director has taken
the Victor Hugo story, which is OF
gigantic scope, and produced q
dignified and beautiful film. The
story, like "Cyrano de Bergerac,
offers a hero whose face has been
grotesQuely deformed, but it goes
even further and shows heroine
who is blind. It is said to be a
faithful and comparatively un-
relenting rendition of minor
literary classic.
Whether one likes to admit the
fact or not, "The Man Who
Laughs" is more or less triumph
for German cinema methods as
tranSplanted in this country. The
picture has violently Teutonic
characteristics in its essential
dramatic settings, it's use of the
proper shade Of overacting, the
frankly morbid narrative and the
mobile employment of the camera.
The production is rich in detail
and there is a lack of the
atricality.
Mary Philbin is the feminine
star of the picture, and others in
the cast, aside from Veidt, are
Olga Baclanova, Stuart Holmes,
CeSare Gravina, Josephine
Crowell. Sam de GraSSe, Brandon
Hurst and Edgar Norton.
But perhaps "The Man Who
Laughs" would be a better. picture
If Lon CLANCY had the leading
role. This American actor, an
artist in makeup, possesses the
peculiar knack of creating SYM
pathy, no matter how grueSome
part he is playing. It would be
interesting to see what he might
90 as THE Man Who Laughs" Z"
with American direction and all
that sort of thing.
TT appears that the NOISY pic
lures" are making a success,
for the Radio Corporation of
America, the General Electric Co.
and Westinghouse have joined
hands in perfecting the Photo
phone, which is the newest of the
news reel devices. So it is possible
that other reels, aside from the
Fox Movietone News, may have a
voice in the near future 1t is also
understood that Paramount has
had a talking news reel in mind
for a number of months.
Sound pictures and ways and
means TO meet the new situation
caused by the general transition
toward sound films are chief
topics of conversation and cause
for concern in the production
studios. To show Just which way
the wind Is blowing, the Central
Casting Bureau, the big employ
fIent organization on the movies
In Los Angeles, has engaged a
voice culturigt, in preparation for
the production of talking pictures
on large scale. Extra people
with stage and opera experience
will be registered for producers.
William De Mile AYERS that the
inclusion OF aound in pictures has
been accomplished, and that the
problem now is inclusion of
speech. Talking pictures, he
thinks, will be dominating enter
tainment of the immediate fu-
ture, coming as new art.
And, in speaking Of the present
screen stars, the producer an
nounces that they are in for a
tremendous catastrophe when
the photoplay fans hear them
from the silver sheet" Many an
idol viii become less than dust.
TT has finally been decided 10
cast Joseph Schildkraut in the
role Of Gaylord Ravenal in Uni
verSal'g perturbation Of Edna
Ferber's story, Show Boat" The
producers say that they searched
for three months, In every corner
Of the civilized world. for a suita-
bic Rayenal, and then found him
at last--in Hollywood.
HAVING witnessed the success
Of his latest picture, "The
Man Who Laughs" Paul Leni, the
German director, LIS signing an
81 American cast for his next
: oductiOn, The Last Warning
j. ig understood that foreign
actors and actresses viii be miss
ing when the roll LIS called, for
among those who have signed on
the dotted line are John BoIes
Margaret Livingston, Laura La
Piante, Roy Darcy, Burr McIn-
tosh, Mack Swain, Dan Mason
Carrie Daumery, "Siin" Summer
Vile and Montagu Love.
HERE are a few little, intimate
notes of the movie WorId
which may have escaped your at
tention. However sad or hu.
nlorOug, they belong in q speciaI
column devoted 10 the ptotoplaj
and it's people the workers anc
the fans
Although the movies themselves