Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-17
News and Comment
BY w. II. LANDvOIGT.

they cannot talk. or at least not
for the screen. He is aStounded
Had they not beautifully unfolded
the most wonderful stories in
silence? Why could they not do it
with sound? But they couldn't
and there was nothing left to dc
but back-pedal and endeavor to
gather from the unannihilated
remnants of the former theater,
not the faces and forms he de-
sired, but the voices irreSistibly
demanded to support sound. And
sound is still with him; but how
long, how long?
All this seems like arrant nom
sense to the initiated. But isn't
it the fact? If the movie must
part with the pretty stars that
have made radiant its armament,
because they cannot both shine
and talk, will not it have to part
with the asset that has contrib
uted most to its popularity, most
to its Golfers? Is it not the fact
that the overwhelming conStitu-
entS of a movie audience are
drawn more by a fondness for GER
tain stars, male and female, than
for the "vehicleS"-a fitting term,
by the way-in which they ap-
pear? And If the screen must sac
riflce those who have made it the
resting place of blessed shadows,
because they can do it only as
shadows, not with sound, isn't the
screen going to lose that which
has produced it's charm and it's
wealth? The improvement of me-
chanical devices, even to the point
OF high perfection. will not COM
penSate for this loss. Or will it,
MIR. Movie Magnate? Try to figure
out the answer, for that answer,
today, is crowding out all else at
the doors of your most select,
Sound-proof studios.
n \ X X
Now lest the champion Of the
modern movie should Jump at a
conclusion unwarranted as to the
purpose of this article-and that
has happened in other instances,
very frequently-let it be under
stood clearly that this is not an
argument against sound in all pic
lures. 1t is directed particularly
at that modern monstroSity known
as the picture with dialogue. It
may disclose yearning in the
writer for the return of the pic
ture-maker to his first great
achievement, indeed his only great
achievement, the picture of scenic
beauty and of pantomime. There
is still need in the world of both
the silent picture and "the speak
ing stage" Certainly the most
Sanguine authority in moviedom is
convinced by this time that the
two cannot be merged into one.
1t has been demonstrated that
beautiful music can be synchro-
nized for the silent picture, be it
scenic or pantomime, and with ex-
cellent effect. There might also
be made reels presenting distin-
guished artists Offering vocal or
instrumental music, and the slap
stick or low comedy reels and, per-
hapS, the news reels might absorb
sound with profit and without of
Tense. But when it lis undertaken
to introduce human speech, with
all the modulationS of voice re-
quired by the countless emotions
Of the human heart, with mechan-
ical equipment that is more or less
imperfect and very often Is not
perfectly adjusted, something hap
pens which is not pleasant. An
operation. for adenoidS will
scarcely remedy the evil.
There is a charm to the silent
picture which is utterly DESTROYED
when noise is introduced into the
picture. The movie theaters of the
past have been Ravens of reStful-
ness where tired bodies and weary
minds might be Soothed and di-
verified. Such Ravens are rare in
this noisy world OF ours. Why an
initiate them? There is a physical
and mental peace that may be
realized by humanity before the
final "requieScat in pace" Why
not let the world have It?