Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-10
News and Comment

TSVERY year, with commend
- able regularity, although TO
what reason it is not cas-.
- to discover, the motion pic
ture industry buSieS itself witt
strenuous endeavorS to ascertain
and to announce to the worlc
'the 10 best pictures of the year.
Picture editors of the newspapers
and Of the magazines, particularly
those devoted to motion pictures
announce their 40 best pictures.
Some of them, after sending
missionaries broadcast, in the
effort to get the verdict of the
general public; others after polling
those who are recognized as
movie critics" When all the lists
are made public it invariably
happens that each differs from the
others, and that no two authori-
ties relied upon to settle the cues
ton agree in the answer. Be that
as it may, the producers whose
pictures appear in the lists adopt
the list which rates their pictures
highest, and their publicity begins
to crow over their victory for ad-
vertising purposes as long as the
argument holds together. Even
the critics who advance their
selection of "the 10 best" do not
give the reasons specifically, and
the general public votes in the
matter, If it votes at all, at random
after racking its memory and as
Sembling it's favoriteS. Indeed, the
selections seem to be made at ram
dom and without careful diScrim-
ination and analysis in any in
stance. It is good thing, for the
pictures chosen as the 40 best"
But is it a fair proceeding so far
as the vast number OF produc-
tions Of all sorts are concerned?
What are the methods of rating
these pictures? How, except as a
matter of sheer opinion, is it de-
termined that this or that picture
is "the best" of the year? BY what
standards are they governed who
make the declarations? Are the
themes of the pictures given the
consideration they deserve, or is
the picture judged simply by the
work of those who appear in it, or
who have had any important part
in its making? It would seem that
these are vital elements for con-
Sideration. Why, for instance,
should 1.-The Patriot" and "Sorrell
and Son." utilizing Film Daily's
choice of the critics for illustra-
tion, be deemed better than Sun
rise" and king of Kings" and
why should sadie Thompson" be
ranked with any of the other pic
lures mentioned? These inquiries
seem perfectly proper in the face
OF the fact that The selection of
Film Daily'S 40 best pictures Of
:t.lle year" represents the opinion
scf 32S newspapers; 20 fan and
trade papers and three "syndi-
Gates" in the vote.
!. The apparent captiousneSS of
these inquiries does not find its
root in disappointment that some
other 10 were not chosen, nor in
any desire whatever to deprive Of
the credit due them any of the
10 pictures selected as '.the best"
1t has a deeper purpose, purpose
which, if generally perceived,
especially in that department Of
the industry which deals more
particularly with picture making,
may ultimately have an improving
effect upon all picture making.
The charge has been freely made,
time and again, that the picture
maker conSultS the office for
his standards, and the fact that so
many imitation pictures quickly
follow an acknowledged success
would seem largely to warrant the
claim. But the fact remains and
cannot be ignored that the mo-
ton picture industry spends more
money and makes greater effort to
produce perfection than any other
industry that can be called to
mind at the present moment. It
is tireleSS in its search for beauty,
for authenticity, for stories that
will meet the greatest public de-
mand, for directors who show the
greatest genius in their skill and
for novelty and excellence in gen.
eral. So long as it does this, it is
not at all fair, or indeed truthful,
TO claim that picture makers are
simply out for the money. They
have as much pride in achieving
the best as any other toiler in the
field OF human endeavor. They
are not so beneficent, however,
that they want to sacrifice their
money to achieve the highest form
of picture art. And yet they have
sacrificed even millions, it is
claimed, in the endeavor to attain
a successful result by making a
truly great picture. Now, with thiS
evidently sincere desire on the
part of the picture producers and
with the ever-present demand for
better pictures" why is it that
pictures in general are not vastly
better than they are? The pro-
ducer has financed expeditions to
the furthermost parts of the earth
in search of new movie material;
he has gone to the utmost limits
to induce great story writer's to