Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-24
Flashes From the Screen
By G. E. Nelson.

A S might have been expected
N from the early trumpeting,
A the talking picture boom
= has dropped down to part
talk, part-noiSe. Few and far be-
tween are the all-talkieS, although
dialogue is being introduced into
nearly all Of the latest pictures
That is, a certain amount of dia-
logue. In some instances, the
shadow characters speak only a
few lines; at other times, they are
given opportunity for more words
This may become the ultimate
development of the talking pic
ture. Meaning, of course, that
there will be few picture stories
lending themselves to dialogue
from the first scene to the last.
In the new Fannie Brice film, MY
Man." there is very little dialogue.
1t might be termed a singing pic
ture, rather than a talkie. Other
film stories, such as "The Trail of
49," Captain Lash" and wild
Orchids" familiar to Washington
ianS, have used noise, an orchestra
Synchronization and very little
dialogue. All this, and a rather
close study of the results to date,
incline one to the opinion that
the movies are not going all-dia-
logue for a long time to come. The
early ballyhoo has passed and
conditions in the photoplay camps
are becoming more settled; Saner
views of the future are appearing
to the men who handle the manu-
featuring end of the game; the
first frenzy is gone, and one may
expect Hollywood to settle down
to real effort-dialogue, silent,
music or unadulterated noise,
whatever the case may be.
New York theatergoerS at the
present time are loud in their
praise of one talking singing
dancing picture, Broadway Mel
ody," which is a product OF the
Metro oldwyn-Mayer studios.
The picture, directed by a pioneer
in talking pictures, Harry Beau
mont, is said to be 1.-The finest ex-
ample of the newest in entertain
ment mediums, sound and screen
combined" Bessie Love, well
known to screen fans, is the star,
and she is supported by Anita Page
and Charles King. The picture is
expected to break attendance
records in the metropolis.
ALTHOUGH she may not head
: the list of screen actresses,
Greta Carlo is a favorite with
Washington theatergoerS. Her
work is consistently good, and she
has had the advantage of above
the-average vehicles, something
that cannot be said for several of
the well known stars during the
past year or more. Victor Nc
Laglen is another star who does
not sit at the top of the movie
ladder, and yet he is a big draw
ing card with WaShingtonianS.
wild Orchids" and Captain
LASH" together with the Fannie
Price picture, were bright lights
of the Capitals White Way during
the past week.
HARRY BEAUMONT, who di-
rected Broadway Melody"
tells an interesting little story of
the sound pictures. first calling
attention to difficulties in making
such products.
s"It is my belief" he says, that
sound pictures, whenever possible,
should be relieved by music. At
tendance at the spoken drama is
often strain because of the effort
entailed in hearing Just what the
characters are saying. This is
even more true Of the sound pic
tnreS. The story of the motion
picture, either sound or silent, is
paramount. One must have the
action and the human interest.
They are the only excuse for the
picture. It is essential to keep to
the technic of the silent picture
as much as possible. The mere
TACT that a picture is in sound will
rot put it over with the audience.
10 must also have the swift action
OF the silent picture, and there
must be no pauseS.
land now comes the big diff
Guilty with sound pictureS-the
problem Of camera mobility and
limitation of angles. We think
we have solved this by devising a
coffin on wheels and having it fol-
low the players. A chap in his
stocking feet creepS along after
them with a microphone, which
records the voices, just out of
range of the camera.
Then, too, much can be done
in the cutting room after the pic
ture is made. Parts of speech can
be cut, stresses can be put in here
and there and entirely different
infections can be given to words
after they have been recorded. OF
course, not all voices fit the re-
cording range and some are con-
dpcive to surface noises, but we
may soon have Selective micro
phone which will tune in on wave
length Of the voices or sound de-
sired, much as one tunes in on
various radio stations"
k*k
SINCE the advent of the talking
( picture, this writer has been a
patient and suffering listener to
the noisy news reels, and up to
the present time he has been I'M
able to determine just why these
same news reels were ever allowed
to take a prominent part in the
so-called noise nuisance. Public
men are filmed and they speak for
the recording device, but never yet
have we heard them produce a
single word of wiSdom-never q
word which might enlighten OF
aInuse. We have seen great ships
pull into the dock, we have heard
the whistles blow; we have wit
messed a farmer feeding a f1onL