Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29

the year, to glance back ave
the past IL months, and it i
a probable that the photopla,
industry has experienced greater
changes within that length o.
time than any other big business
or art, or what you will. It seem:
only few months ago when the
sound pictures dropped upon us
To some of those who were close
ly associated with the motion
picture the sound Idea appeared
nothing more nor less than g
Notwithstanding which woulC
have its short run and then fade
away into the land of forgotten
inventions. Others, more far
seeing, predicted the fall of the
silent film as an amusement fea-
ture. Among the latter was the
firm of Warner Bros, and tC
these men goes a great deal OF
TIM credit for the development OF
thN sound picture. They led their
field; other producers followed
The results has been entirely un-
expected, even by the most en-
thuSiastic followers of the syn
Colonization idea. Today, only a
few months after the real dis
covery of sound, nearly all the
aters from Maine to Key West
from Washington to Los Angeles
are. wired for sound, are screen
ing sound pictures and being at
tended by patrons who hardly
give a thought to the silent pic
ture Of such a short while ago.
In looking back over the pro-
auctions of the past year, there
is really nothing much for the
producers to crow about. We
have had a few good pictures, but
they are in the minority. This is
a state of affairs which should,
and can be, reversed. We have
seen some splendid sound picture
acting in such pictures as Paul
Muni'S Valiant; we have been
bored to death with pot-boilers
OF the musical productions, "The
Gold DiggerS of Broadway
turned out to be the best, al
though probably not equaling
'"The Broadway Melody as
money maker. The wider screen,
now planned for many theaterS,
will do much to aid this particu-
lar sort of entertainment. Al
JolSon'S two Sob-pictureS were
outstanding successes from box
Office standpoint. He may be
forced to find some other type of
vehicle; the moving picture going
public has cried itself almost to
death. The female SobberS, Belle
Baker, Fannie Brice and others.
have ventured into the JolSon
field with very little success. John
Gilbert's first talking oSculation
picture may be his last, if the
patrons have anything to say con-
corning the matter. Doug and
Mary met only fair box-off1ce
return from their ShakeSpearean
adventure. And so it goes.
To the lover Of motion pictures,
probably the most noticeable fea-
ture Of the past year has been
the eclipse, full or in part, of
some Of the stars and featured
players Of the silent cinema. For
instance, we hear very little OF
Norma Talmadge, and less OF her
sister Constance. We have not
had q new picture from Charlie
Chaplin, although he is reported
to be making "City Streets" The
Del Rios effort in "Evangeline'
was below the average. A consid-
cradle number of the old stars
have faded entirely from the
screen, while others have found
success. In the latter group may
be found John Barrymore, Gloria
Swanson, Bebe Daniels, Herbert
Bosworth, Marion Davies, Conrad
Nagel, Lionel Barrymore, Gary
Cooper and others. Not all the
stage stars have been well re-
ceived, but several Of the singers,
with John BoleS leading the
group, have made hits id the
talkies. Foreign stars who came
to this country to star in produc-
lions did their work exceptionally
well in the silents, but now they
have gone back to their native
lands. We miss Emil JanningS
and his wonderful pantomime.
ALI this in the year gone by;
bigger pictures coming during the
next IL months. The Synchroniza-
ton will be perfected; the wide
screen will be installed; greater
care will be taken in production
and direction; the picture, and
not the star, will be featured.
Maybe.
y $50
THE production of a movie is
- no longer a simple affair
with a few exterior and interior
scenes, little rehearSing and the
players going silently about their
work. AS an illustration of the
new order of the movie business
the musical production, Sally
starring Marilyn Miller, may be
cited as an example. More than
400 extra people take part in one
scene alone, the restaurant Sc
quence. On the stage, in the Fol
lies sequence, only a few moments
were taken up. In the screen
production the set is placed upon
a movable platform, and it is
claimed to be one of the biggest