Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-14
Flashes From the Screen
BY c. E. Nelson.

- the SOUND pictures nave
I'm become the rage Of the
- y day; that they are draw
ing larger crowds than the silent
pictures eser hoped to draw; that
all box office records have been
shattered by recent dialogue pro-
duction, the silent picture has one
champion who is making himself
heard from one end Of the land
to the other. This chap is We'll
ford Beaton, film critic OF Los
Angeles, who Is also proprietor OF
a little magazine, the Film Spec
tator.
Beaton writes caustic pieces for
his magazine, and, while his
weekly does not have q large cir
culation, considerable attention is
paid to it from the West Coast
studios to Broadway. The editor
has been a close follower Of the
photoplay industry. He has
watched the growth Of this enter
tainment medium, and he dis
agrees with any critic who may
have the opinion that the dia-
logue pictures are successful.
Quoting from one OF his recent
articles:
There might be some hope for
dialogue II q picture containing
bath sound and silence were q
possibility, but it isn't. When we
hear q man utter half a dozen
words in a picture, we must hear
everything else he says when his
moving lips are photographed.
Perhaps, in the future, we may
develop an audience that will &C.
cept a picture in which only a few
Of the speeches are heard, but
there is so little indication Of it
at present that we may dismiss
it SaS a consideration when we are
arranging our dialogue programs.
IfSthere had been any dialogue in
the action of The Iron Mask (the
new Doug Fairbanks picture)
every scene would have to be 100
per cent talkie.
4'While cannot find any one in
hollywood who likes dialogue pic
lures, neither can ! find any one
who agrees with me that they will
not continue to be successful
financially. I have not heard one
sound or sensible argument in
favor of dialogue pictures, al
though the studios have gone over
tq them with more enthusiasm
than sense. They are going to
fad that it Is the most insane
thing that they have done in IN
industry famous for its insanities.
The history Of the theater has
taught producers that it is rare
play that is successful. Our pic
ture baronS, however, are unterri-
fed by the spectacle of the many
failures. They proceed to make
600 or TOO pictures, all of which
are going to knock 'em dead The
most amusing aspect Of the Situa-
tien is the fact that the producers
WI assign the writing Of these
dialogue masterpieces to the
pspple who have written all the
plays that have been failures in
New York"
REATON, however, in writing of
the new Mary Pickford pic
ture, says: She has stepped out
ofsthe art that has made her the
most famous woman in the world
and has stepped into another
Which she dignif1eS with an amaz-
ing performance. 'Coquette' is
not in it's essentials motion pic
ture, but as a work of dramatic
art 1t is masterpiece. No one
can outmatch me in the admira-
tipn for the artistry that has
maintained Miss Pickford's status
as the screen luminary for q
DECADE and a half, but I was
aStounded at the height she
reached in her first dialogue pic
ture. She has several great mo-
msntS in 'Coquette,' and in each
or them she is magnificent. It is
a EperSonal triumph for her, as
well as a triumph for the new art
nedium that has come to Holly
wood. Her voice is splendid, and
mats use she reveals an apprecia-
ti0n Of drama for which all she
has done previously on the screen
could not prepare us. 'Couuette'
I'M no way alters my opinion of
dialogue pictures. I still maintain
that it is a folly for the producers
togturn their backs upon the me-
dinm that has made the screen
such an outstanding entertain
mEnt force.
'Coquette' has the perfect act
Ing, perfect story, perfect direct
ing and perfect reproduction. It
VIII make a new audience for the
star, but whether it will be as
great as her old audience remains
tosbe seen. Certainly, 1t will ap-
peal to the intelligence of the
warld, but I do not think it will
appeal to the great unnumbered
millions who have loved her as a
Sl1adowy form In a silent world,
THE opening of the Rialto The
alter with "Show Boat" is good
news for the motion picture fans
ofsWaShington. This theater, one
ofsthe most beautiful in the Ma
tiQnal Capital, has been clark"
for many months, and its Spring
opening with one Of the feature
pictures OF the year will be q real
event in local theatrical circles.
Scheduled to follow "Show Boat"
are such films as "Charlatan,"
"Syncopation," Broadway" and
The Last Warning" all listed as
attractions extraordinary. Corbin
Shields is back at his old stand
as publicity representative, and
R9Coleman Wood is in the city as
personal representative Of Carl
Laemmle, head of Universal Pic
lures, and Florenz ziegfeld.
***
THE principal reason why the
photoplay producers have
aligned themselves against CEN
sdrship comes from the fact that
the cutting Of speech In q sound
picture practically ruins the Aim.