Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22

~ ago, a pre-vleW or the
= new Doug Fairbanks-Mary
Pickford picture, The Tanning
OF the Shrew," in Hollywood,
and various are the comments
that have come East regarding
this venture into Shakespeare
by two of the screens best
known players. In the first
place, says one critic, many
Shakespearean followers will as
Sert that the portrayalS of the
two stars are not according to
tradition; but it must be said that
both members of the Fairbanks
family render intelligent charac-
terizations. The pre-vieW audi
ence laughed heartily at several
situations in the piece, although
there seemed to be more enjoy
ment in the knockabout comedy.
However, it is claimed that diff
Guilty was experienced in obtain
ing the audiences reaction to the
picture as a whole.
The picture is very short, run
ming only few minutes over an
hour. The stars have departed
from the old-fashioned manner of
presenting the play, and yet not
in any Objectionable way. They
have popped it up and modified it
here and there, with probable
idea of making it more popular
with the theatergoers of today.
Doug's voice is none too impress
sive," according to one reviewer,
and occasionally he is none too
sure of himself" Mary'S role is not
quite so prominent as her hus-
bands, but she does we'll with
every opportunity presented.
Any photoplay with such stars
as Mary and Doug should be g
big box-office attraction, but those
who have viewed the picture say
that 1.-THE Tanning of the Shrew"
will appeal for only limited time:
that the picture will not be OF
road-Show caliber. .
OF course, we must understand
that this is the Hollywood opln-
ion, and a Hollywood opinion has
Just about a fifty-fifty chance OF
being wrong. We must wait for
the Washington presentation of
'"The Tanning of the Shrew.'
X y X X
ALL sorts of comment have been
IA made regarding the great
popularity of THE Cock-Eyed
World" which has turned out to be
one of the biggest money-makerS
of motion picture history. One
writer says its boX-off1ce attrac-
ton can be blamed upon the CEN
sors, who "dozed when they re-
viewed the picture, thereby caus-
ing a boX-office stampede" An
other says it is natural reac-
ton against silly censorship
gallant rebellion against the curse
Of primness." The picture has
nothing of artistic merit, and It
might be claSsed as a second-rate
effort, but it's ribald comedy is
presented with skill.
HERE is a bit of news from the
- studios: Paramount will use
sound perspective" in new pic
ture, Applause" In these col
umnS, a Sunday or so ago, remark
was made of the necessity of such
a move. It was pointed out that
a player spoke in the same tone OF
voice at the front of the stage as
was used from a far background.
There was no change in the voice
tone-no fade-out or enlargement
of quality. The new sound per-
Spective" describes the diminu-
ton of sound in relation to dis
lance in the same ratio that OBJ
jects pictorially diminish as dis
lance increases. It even goes
farther than this in the actual
application.
ALTHOUGH the Soviet govern
ment of Russia has taken an
active interest in motion pictures,
Australia is the first to offer &C
tual financial reward for eXcep-
tional pictures. The motion pic
ture division of the Department
of Commerce announces that the
Australian government offers
prizes amounting to $4,000 for
the best scenarios written by
Australians.
= GRAHAM BAKER, scenario
~ chief of the First National
Vitaphone studios, comes to the
front for the new group of seem
ario writer's, the men who are pre-
pairing the sound pictures "for
publication" 1.-THE old, Slipshod
hack writing is gone forever" he
says, land along with it the I'M
cultured, uneducated scenarist
who crept into silent pictures III
the days when the director was
chosen because he could out-shout
all his actors. Now we demand
cultured writer's, who have the
necessary background to know
what they are writing about.
When we turn a script over to a
director the picture is ready to
make. All it needs is some deco
ration.
"Stage writer's can write words,
but writer's of motion picture dia-
logue must visualize the action,
too. They must take into con-
sideration the personalities of the
actors and the directors. They
must know the technique of pic
lures as we'll as drama and stage
lore. The sound pictures have
brought to the screen a wealth
of story material that would have
been entirely unsuitable for silent
drama. The rapid-f1re dialogue