Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-13
FLASHES 1 TTo1 7Hr SCREEN
BY c. e. NELSON.

/ and two pictures per year. The
six pictures will be all-talkerS.
X x y
AS usual at this season of the
year, the movie producers
make their annual predictions. It
has been the custom, through the
department of the Grand Chief
Press Agent, to simply change the
date on last years prediction and
then broadcast 1t by Uncle Sans
special delivery. However, this
year we have something new-the
sound pictureS-So Carl Laemmle,
head of Universal, sends out an
absolutely fresh prognoStication,
which runs along this line:
'The question of sound and
talking pictures will continue to
drown out all lesser problems in
the motion picture industry for
many months to come, and prob
ably for all of 1929. 7 don't know
what new invention 1929 will
bring to the industry, and neither
does anybody else. Last year
brought talking pictures. This was
sensation. The next year may
see progress along the lines of
television, of StereoScopic photog-
raphy or a new practical and
economical color process which
will harmonic other elements so
far unSuited to moving picture
technique. I don't care to ad-
vance these as predictions, but no
one at this time last year had the
vision of talking pictures. There
is no reason why another SenSa-
ton should not be developed in
1929.
"Just what the ultimate out
come will be as regards talking
pictures is hard to say. The
future is haZy. The overwhelm-
ing swing Of the public fancy to
talking pictures is a voice no
Snowman can fail to heed. I am
convinced that the public reaction
is based upon something far
deeper than mere novelty. This
being so, we must accept the birth
of a new amusement medium, for
the talking picture will be far
different from a screened stage
play, or the present day motion
picture with injected lines. Of
course, there will continue to be
silent pictures. No industry ever
faced a more complete change
over. The demand of the public
had to be met quickly. The voice
OF the screen sounds from Broad
way to Hollywood, but out of the
babel of voices and opinions there
rapidly is arising order and har-
mony.
1.-THE effect of this situation at
present is a growing necessity for
the selection of stories that will
make good silent picture while at
the same time being suitable for
sound and dialogue treatment,
since most talking pictures, for
many months to come, also will
be made in the silent form.
There are other problems, such
as the availability of present-day
motion picture stars for talking
pictures. There is much being
said on this subject these days.
I, for one, am not taking it very
seriously. With the exception of
few stars whose foreign accent
might limit them to foreign roles,
the average screen players voice
should register fair enough. I've
tried some which register better
than the voices of the trained
stage stars. At least they seem
more natural, and that is far more
preferable to vibrancy or nuance
or the other mooted voice quail
ties.
Whatever the minor problems.
the motion picture industry will
go forward. Talking pictures
make for fuller, more diversified
entertainment. The scope and
possibilities of the industry are
thereby widened. The year 1929
enters with greater promise than
any year in the history of the
screen"