Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-13

lures as interference, In
- Barker" and "On Trial." AM
they show great improvement
from the early experiments. How
ever. they remain in their SWad
ding clothes; they are the pri
mary attempts of the movie lab
oratorieS, and when they reall,
grow up, watch for big things.
If your memory goes back to q
or 25 years ago, you probably re-
member the movies of that day
You have but to close your eyes
and you see the pictures which
were quite properly termed the
"fiickerS." When the new century
was turning the corner, you were
treated with examples of "a new
art" which was wonderful in its
ingenuity, but somewhat weak ir
entertainment value. The picture
was novelty; it was something
new. like the kangaroo walk OF
the Merry Widow hat of that day
and age. Men with vision saw the
possibilities Of the invention. They
threw their efforts and their
pocketbookS into the moving pic
ture game" The pocketbcokS were
returned to their original owners
stuffed to capacity, and the men
of vision are now claSSed as mag
mates"
This brief history of the motion
picture industry, or art, in America
turns one to the brief that the
sound picture of the future will be
Just as great an invention as the
first Pickering movies. 1t is but
natural that they are imperfect
at the present time. They are in
the experimental stage, but if as
much progress : made in the next
few months as has been made in
the last few, the sound picture has
an established future. The foun-
dation of the scheme is solid. With
millions of dollars invested in
laboratories and sound studios,
the producing companies are pre-
pairing to go to great lengths to
obtain perfection. 1t is only a
question of time.
SEVERAL st. Louis chapters of
the United Daughters of the
Confederacy have objected to one
of the subtitleS of Al JolSon'S
Singing Fool" so Warner Broth
erS, the producers, have arranged
to change it. The title which
caused all the disturbance read:
"Al JolSon has done more for Dixie
than Robert E. Lee" Hereafter
the title will read: "Al Jolson has
done more for Dixie than any
other minstrel" The United
Daughters explained that the orig
inal title reflected on the honor
and glory of the leader of the
Confederate Army-and, in our
opinion, the studio proofreader
was doing when he allowed the
title to slip through.
X * X
MARC McDERMOTT died the
other day in Los Angeles. To
those who have followed the
photoplay for many years, this
actor was a familiar and welcome
addition to any cast. McDer-
mott, in his early days of the
screen, filled such roles as are
taken by Adolphe Menjou today.
He was an accomplished actor, a
perfect gentleman on and off the
studio stage, and the motion pic
ture world suffers great loss in
his death.
THE National Board of Review
- of Motion Pictures lists the
following pictures as guide to
the selected: Interference" with
Evelyn Brent, Doris Kenyon, Give
Brook and William Powell; my
Man." with Fannie Brice; "The
River" with Charles Farrell and
Mary Duncan; Scarlet Seas" with
Richard BarthelmeSS; "Side
Show" with Marie Provost and
Ralph Graves. Non-features and
short comedies coming in for a
word or two of praise as killing
the Killer" pets and Pests"
Shifting Scenes" walking Fish"
Forget Me Not" STORED Pales-
tine, 'The Toy Shop" and
yankee Clippers"
THE United Artists picture-ma
- ing shop announces that five
all-talking pictures are in the
process of production and are
scheduled for release this year.
They are Mary Pickford's 60
quette," Roland Vests Might
stick" Herbert Brennon'S 'Lum-
mox," Ronald Colman's Bulldog
Drummond," and Wilma Banky'S
"Childs, Fifth Avenue" In addi-
ton, the following part talking
pictures have been announced:
''The Iron Mask" with Doug Fair
banks; Getty Lights" with Charlie
Chaplin; Queen Kelly" with
Gloria Swanson, and Say It With
Music" featuring Harry Richman.
A large share of the screen talk
ing of the next year will be done
by Mary Pickford, Gloria Swan
son, Wilma Banky, Doug Fair
banks, Ronald COlman, Lupe VeleZ,
Alma RubenS, Pat O'Malley,
Eleanor Griffith and Mae Busch
and these have been seen but
never heard up to the days OF
1929.
STUDIO notes: Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer announces the release
of 26 new Movietone acts for the
first Is weeks of the year. Here
tofore, these acts have been
vaudeville attractions, and among
the entertainers are Cliff Edwards
Marion Harris, Vincent Lopez and
Odette Myrtil.
1t is probable that Colleen Moore
will be starred in when Irish
Eyes Are Smiling" a story re-
Gently purchased by First Ma
tional
According to reports from
TNIo,a .,1,~