Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-15
SCREEN
FROM THE
BY c. e. NELSON.


years program.
That Gloria Swanson is to
begin her new picture, THE
swamp" August Is. Her direc-
tor will be Erich Won Stroheim,
who also wrote the original story.
That Reginald Denny's Univer-
sal debut in the talking picture
field will be made with his next
picture.
That Jacqueline Logan and
Alan Hale are to be co-Starred In
THE Spieler," q carnival story,
coming from the De Mile studio.
/, That Laura La Plante has been
given the role of Magnolia in the
"Show Boat" picture. She goes
to work in the new picture as
soon as she has completed THE
Last Warning"
That the first Fox full-length
picture to have talking sequences
will be Making the Grade" from
George AIDE story. Edmund
Lowe and Lois Moran have the
leading roles,
WHEN motion pictures first be-
w came popular in this country
We were introduced to the Pathe
rooster. a trade mark which went
before the exhibition of any
Pathe product. The rooster ap-
peared upon the screen, tapped
his wings a few times. but he
never made the welkin ring Now,
the Pathe Co. has applied the
standardization principle to the
famous trade mark. When you
see the rooster, you will also hear
the conventional paean of the
barnyard. Also, 1t is quite prob
able that Leo, the Metro Gold
wyn-Mayer lion, now making a
world tour, will add his voice to
his company's productions.
THE biggest blow of the talking
i pictures, or the musical pic
lures, is falling upon the muSi-
clans. Recently, in st. Louis, the
American Federation of Musicians
voted a $4,000, 900 defense fund
to aid their fight against syn
chronization. One protest of the
musicians is that experimentation
will debaSe the art of music"
Joseph N. Weber, president of the
American Federation of MuSi-
clans, says:
I'VE are not opposed to talking
movies because we realize that
Synchronization of the words with
actions on the screen is a Scien-
tiflc accomplishment of value.
But If the machines are used as
a substitute for vocal and orcheS-
trail music in the theaters they
will become a serious menace to
our cultural growth, and just at
time when America has achieved
rank as the world center of music.
Music at it's best reflects the mood
of the artist. You cannot mocha
nize an art. If machine made
music displaces thousands OF
players and singers, the intlivid-
ual's incentive to perfect himself
will be minimized and music will
no longer have the cultural value
it now possesses. Any art is de-
pendent upon the number Of its
enthusiastic executants, and If
their activity is restricted by COM
petition with machine produc-
tionS, in time their number will
be greatly reduced"
On the other hand, an argu-
ment Is put forward that the syn
chronization will take good music
to people who have never before
enjoyed it. Also it may create q
demand for good music. It will
be possible for musicians to play
in one place and be heard by mil
lions.
It lis natural that the musicians
should fear the invasion by the
musical film. but 1t is hardly pos
sible that the large theaters will
do away with their orcheStraS.
One Washington conductor in
forms the writer that his or
ganization will be in no way
changed by the introduction of
the musical machines. and that.
in his opinion, only the smaller
theaters viii depend entirely upon
the Synchronized music.
THE Universal organization an
l. nounces "the first musical
comedy ever written for the
screen" The production will be
a compilation of the four series
of "Collegian" stories and pro-
duced as two-reel pictures for the
last three years. The studio title
of the innovation is "The College
Hero" Among those in the cast
win be George Lewis, Dorothy
CULVER, Eddie Phillips, Churchill
Ross, Hayden Stevenson, Collette
Merton and Lorayne Duval. Spe-
ciai college music will accompany
the picture. The Irving Berlin
musical organization Is working
with Joseph Cherniavsky In the
arrangement OF the score.
~ ~
IHARDIE MEAKINS, well known
i L wherever stage lights glitter
and movies flicker, Washington
correspondent for Variety and
press representative of the Fox
Theater, has turned out a spe-
cial edition of Variety devoted to
Meyer Davis and the latter's Or
chestras. The Washington inter-
ests Of Davis, which come in for
special mention, are Swanee. lie
| Paradis, Chevy Chase Lake. Club
Chantecler and the Fox Grand
Orchestra. conducted by Leon
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