Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-23

the faithful reproduction OF
49,, 49,. music. All the inventions
slof the present day and the inn
b provement of such devices as the
: Movietone have not yet succeeded
in reproducing stage music of eS-
pecially high quality. AS little
illustration of this point, one may
rconSider the singing of Jules
Bledsoe in the stage production
of 1.-THE Show Boat" and the same
singers voice in the photoplay
version. There is no comparison
in the music. 1t is fact that no
one has yet succeeded in film
ing with any measure of believ-
able beauty a musical piece writ
ten for the stage.
Much depends upon the sing
ing voice in the newer screen pro-
auctions; too much attention can
not be paid the art of reproduc-
ton. More imagination is, at
present, required by the photoplay
patron than should be the case.
1t is said that one of the beau
ties of the new John Mccormack
film is its simplicity. That is one
of the features demanded by the
tenor himself. He Sensed the
power and value of the sound pic
ture as it stands today; he knew
that it could be depended upon to
a certain extent, but that it would
not go above a limited field. Nc
Cormack sings only simple songs
in his first picture. He sings them
well, and he sings them success
fully.
There are many among the
photoplay critics who do not con-
slider the sound picture yet ready
to take on grand opera. From all
appearances this seems to be the
case. In a few years such i'm
provementS may be made that
grand opera can be featured in
the studios. Why make a botch
of the idea? Perfect the musical
reproduction before attempting
the most difficult job of all.
Hailed as the worlds greatest
baritone, Lawrence Tibbett does
not sing grand opera music in his
new picture, 1.-THE Rogue Song"
While the music is noted as "elab-
crate" it does not take on the
caliber of grand opera, and the
picture is said to be one of the
hits of the season. Many of the
songs are of the love ballad char
acter, among them being "Once in
the Georgian Hills" 1.-THE Nara
tive" THE Shame Cry" 'To Live,
To Love-" when I'm Looking at
YOU" Little White Dove" "The
Rogue Song" and 1.-THE Bandit
Chorus" The singer, a Califor-
MAN, made his big opera hit in the
role of Ford in Verdi's 'sFalstaff,"
when the young baritone was
given an ovation of Is minutes by
a Metropolitan audience. This
was claimed to be one of the most
remarkable opera hits ever made
before New York audience.
ONE of the most interesting
: tests in the photoplay indus
try or art will take place when
Charlie Chaplin inaugurates his
plan for five silent pictures a year.
OF course, this does not mean that
the comedian viii appear in that
many picbures ANNUALLY, but that
his organization VIII produce that
number. Since the advent of the
sound pictures there has con-
tinued a discussion of sound
against SILENT" each side having
many adherents. The going into
sound is the biggest single thing
the industry ever did; the move
offers greater possibilities for the
future; but. there are many, even
in the industry itself, who claim
the silent picture has a place.
Chaplin is one of these believers
in the SILENT" and he is willing
to back his argument with solid
cash.
There will be no quarrel be-
tween the manufacturers of silent
and sound pictures. If Chaplin'S
experiment is successful, it will
not mean the downfall of the
sound picture and the arise, again,
of the old SileT1ts. The two may go
along hand in hand and not con-
fuse the industry or patron. It
may be taken for granted that
Chaplin, a pioneer and expert,
will not make SlipShod pictures;
his Silents will class with the best
sound pictures of the day. He will
provide an invaluable test, and it
is hoped that he will be entirely
successful.
THE news reels are complaining
u over the fact that a law pre-