Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14

music with motion pictures has
undergone a revolution. No doubt
the music itself Is Just as good as
formerly, for it Is still drawn from
the best available sources. But it
is being reproduced by mechanical
means and projected through dy-
theaters. Before this sound
reaches the audience (for motion
picture spectators have become
audienceS), it must undergo q va
riety of processes, from records
and Sound-trackS, to needles and
electric cells, to pickup systems,
through wires to Sound-projectorS,
subject to variations of pitch and
dynamic power and so on. The
theaterS vary in size and acoustic
properties. Audiences affect the
acoustic conditions still further.
For these reasons, and many
others, the music energies some
times too loud for comfort, some
times too soft for definition, some
times Smcthered or full Of Scratchy
noises, out of tune and tone,
hoarse, as with a bad case Of
laryngitis, and often distorted be-
yond recognition, to say nothing
of the periodic failure OF the SyS-
TENS Of standardization
And, best of all, we may look
forward to that happy day when
the theme SongS-that tawdry
invention of Tin Pan Alley minds
for the entertainment of moronS
will be completely eliminated"
OF course, this is only a part OF
the article by the DR.. Russell, a
scholarly musician. He is prob
ably right in all his remarks; the
hundreds of thousands Of photo
play patrons who enjoy, and will
continue to enjoy, the sound pic
lures are wrong. If they prefer
theme songs, naturally the pro-
lessor will class them among the
moronS a word very much over
used and misuSed by the alleged
intelligenSia since it made its first
appearance in the American Mer-
cury). The average motion pic
ture patron much prefers lively
theme song to the aria from
"Pumpernickel" or the sextette
from "HaSsenfeffer." So do !,
Professor.
MARY and Doug (the Fairbanks
AZ family announce, in special
delivery to the writer, that when
their picture THE Tanning of the
Shrew'' is completed they will not
appear together again Gin photo
play, of courSe). Their message
states that Mary will have an all
talking version of a famous stage
play, the script of which is now
being prepared, and that Doug
will appear with a story based
upon a we'll known novel. But
before they start work on new
photoplays both Mary and Doug
will spend some time in Europe
"a sojourn in Europe" according
to their special delivery.
X
"Shots" From Studios.
CONRAD NAGEL, who has just
- completed parts in Cecil B.
De Miles Dynamite" and in THE
Hollywood Revue of 1929" has
signed a new, long-term contract
with Metro Goldwyn- Mayer.
Among the players in the new
Greta Carlo film are Nils ASther,
John Mack Brown, Joel McCrea,
Lane Chandler, Robert Castle,
Kathlyn williams, Dorothy SebaS-
tian and Prince Yucca Troubet-
skoy.
Poor Little Mary Dugan" is the
title of a new song written by Gus
Edwards and dedicated to Norma
Shearer. who played the leading
role in THE Trial Of Mary Dugan."
Renee Adoree has a part in the
John Gilbert picture, "Redemp-
ton" Also, she is taking English
lessons.
Lon CLANCY plays the part of a
bold engineer in the railroad story,
Thunder"
One Of the striking features of
the screen play Paris" starring
Irene 'Bordoni will be a stage
spectacle included in the action
of the picture-a play within a
play, photographed in technicolor.
Among those in the cast are ZaSu
Pitts, Louise Closer Hale, Mar
garet Fielding and Jason Robards.
D. w. Griffith is planning pic
ture dealing with the Texas oil
fields. He goes to Hollywood this
week to make preparations.