The Washington times., 1929-02-23
GLEANINGS.
AND
SCREENINGS
By ANDREW r. KELLEY

Sound pictures like Fannie
Brice's "My Man." it seems to
me, make it increasingly evi-
dent that the films are reach
ing that stage of development,
where they can actually, COM
pete with the stage musical
comedy.
/ mean by that the motion
picture audience to whom the
art of Miss Brice comes as a
new surprise, get a far better
idea Of what this comedienne
can accomplish with a comedy
lyric, than if they were wit
Messing her powers to enter
tain for the first time, say, in
Earl Carroll's ''Fioretta." / am
in violent disagreement with a
learned critic who ventures q
belief that Fannie Brice is a,
one picture star, the inference
being she would no longer be
In demand after her first
screen effort was nationally
appraised. Just so long as
Fannie Brice can sing as effec-
lively as she sings in "My
Man" there viii always be a
Hollywood contract around the
corner, in my opinion.
From the Brice Standpoint,
I think her mistake is in CIV
ing too much. She sings seven
songs and recites q monologue.
One Of the axions Of the ex-
perienced vaudevillan, and for
that matter musical comedy
star, is to leave them wanting
q little more. Miss Brice gives
them about everything in her
catalogue before the final reel.
Four songs judiciously sprinkled
through the action would have
created a greater demand for
her next release and still have
impressed the fact that the
audience was listening to the
peer of all singing condolences.
For that matter AL Jolson in
"The Singing Fool" made the
same mistake. / commend
their willingness to be generous
to Warner Brothers but ques-
tion their showmanship.
"My Man" is such a QUITO
measure story that apart from
the Brice melodies it seldom
impresses as convincing film
drama. l should like to see
Fannie Brice as the emotional
Iuminary of an appealing tale
such as Fannie Hurst's "Humor-
esque," for I have a suspicion
she possesses a real talent for
yelling tears, given the proper
material.
The opportunity to set down
these after-thoughts is due to
the courtesy of Supervisor John
J. Payette, of the Stanley-Cran-
dali theaters. Observing that I
was caught in the Metropolitan
Theater holiday lobby crush he
gave me the necessary password.
The process is similar to enter
ing a whisper low," and some
thing like that was needed to
effect immediate admission to
the F Street movie houses in the
mid-afternoon scramble yester-
day.
I am grateful to Walter Bush,
chief projectionist of the Fox
Theater, for an enlightening
letter on the effective reproduc-
ton of sound pictures. Also for
what seems to me substantial
telephone advice from a prom
irent motion picture executive
against stepping too deeply into
q technical problem that would
bring discussion both prolonged
and controversial, and prove in
teresting only to a minority OF
readers. Accordingly the mo-
tion to lay this subject upon the
table is carried.
NV idea of an interesting
study in the registering Of emo
tions would be the camera views
of Dolores Costello (Mrs. John
Barrymore) as she reads Elsie
Janis frank revelations about
her crush cf long standing on
"Hamlet Jack" They are in
the current Liberty.
L. Stoddard Taylor, of the
Belasco and T. D. Bonneville,
of Polls, represent the National
Theater in the parley with
President Hayden, of the Mu-
gicians Union and another labor
official on the stock company
dispute. These four conferees
will choose referee or umpire
whose first duty will be to de-
termine whether the inaugura-
tion of a stock company regime
constituted a change of policy
under contract. This being de-
termined, the number Of men
necessary for the orchestra pit
will be decided. The confer
ences are expected to last an.
other week.
''Picture Addict" one of this
columns persistent readers and
q frequent letter.writer, pens
a severe indictment of a con-
temporary's critical judgement
on motion pictures. Which let
ter convinced me he is not a