Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20
Flashes From the Screen
By C. E. Nelson.

| States demanded changes, so that
when Don Juan" finally reached
audiences over the country, ir
some cases the picture was hard
to recognize.
X n II
3 ~
THE Society of Motion Picture
Engineers, meeting in Toron-
to a few days ago, announced that
it had perfected a system by
which the filming and the voice
reproduction can be made at diff
ferent times. The method in
wolves recording the sound and
scene with the same actors, yet
hours apart. This makes it pos
Sible to do the recording in acous-
tically proper rooms without con-
fusion of lights and camera. The
sound recording is done first and
then the photography. 1t is
claimed that the new system will
be especially valuable in the
screening OF musical shows.
X \ 4
A LOS ANGELES critic steps for
- ward with the statement that
there is an overproduction OF
musical pictures; that this indi-
Gates a weakness of the sound pic
lures and a lack of preparedness
on the part of the producers in
meeting new problems. He also
states that a crisis is not far dis
tant, as the point of Saturation is
about to be reached and theNpublic
will cry for something new.
After a second sight of "The
Hollywood Revue" this writer is
more than ever convinced that
the sound picture is the logical
medium for musical entertain
ment. The second sight reveals
that 1.-THE Hollywood Revue" drags
considerably at the start, but it is
good enough entertainment for a
rather hard-boiled viewer" to sit
through on two different occa-
Sions. And it is our conclusion
that, If the music is good enough
and If the acts are novelties, this
sort of screen vaudeville will pack
'em in until the film itself wears
out. But the music must be top
hole; one good song, or even two,
cannot hold the audience for an
entire evening.
TT is announced that a chorus of
189 fills the stage in the Aim
ing of Hit the Deck" at the r. K.
0. studio. Polly Walker and Jack
Oakie have the leading roles, and
Luther Reed is directing. Peal
Eaton has charge of the dancers.
4 4
IN these columns some time ago
mention was made of the lost
comedy" or instances in comedy
films where the laughs of the
audience resulted in parts of the
sound picture being lost. With the
stage comedy, the comedians wait
for the audience laughs, but with
the screen, the play goes on.
Now comes Director Luther Reed
with novel idea in his Rio Rita"
The screen comedian cannot wait
for an audience to laugh before
going ahead with his patter. If
he waits for the laugh and the
laugh does not materialize, the
picture naturally drags. If he goes
right ahead, a laugh may ruin the
next comedy bit. Therefore, Di-
rector Reed has inaugurated a
laugh chorus of 100" theater-
goers. These are supposed to re-
Spond to the comedy, resulting III
perfect standardization of gag TO
laugh, laugh to gag"
4 X
THE biggest news from Holly
wood of the past few days
comes in telegram to the writer
from Don Eddy. He says Betty
Compson has been selected to play
the leading feminine role in the
filming of the novel, "The Case Of
Sergeant GriScha." Herbert Bren-
on, who once directed Miss Comp
son in THE Woman With Four
Faces" will have charge of the
war picture. The male lead has
not been selected. RKO is the
producing company, and Richard
Dix has started work in Seven
Keys to Baldpate" for the same
organization. Bebe Daniels is to be
starred in Love Comes Along"
with Lloyd Hughes playing op-
posite. The Vina Delmar story
Dance Hall" is being filmed with
Olive Borden in the lead, and, of
course, Rudy Vallee is grooming
his way through "The Vagabond
Lover"
Short Flashes.
RASIL RATHBONE, we'll known
to the speaking stage, has
been signed to a long-term con-
tract by Metro Goldwyn- Mayer.
He has an important part in 1.-THE
Bishop Murder Case" and played
opposite Norma Shearer in 1.-THE
Last of Mrs. Cheney"
John Gilbert and Ina Claire
(Mrs. John Gilbert) have returned
to Hollywood from a vacation in
Europe.
And did you know that Louis
Wolheim was once a college pro-
fessor, teaching mathematics at
Cornell?
Will Hays has written the fore
word for the Motion Picture Guild
picture, 1.-The Soul of France"