Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26

- Coast, where, according Il
Eastern ideas, movie star.
and tourists make up thu
greater part of the population
are concerned principally with
plans for the coming year. Opt.
nIiSm seems to. reign, although
there Is a concerted move to trim
sails" So 1890 is to be a banner
year in the industry, but also q
careful year" The pnotoplay in
dustry is moving faster than ever
before; pictures are planned, the
casts employed, the scenes "Shot'
and the completed products ready
Tor showing within short space
Of time. A year or two ago the
employment of a new star, the
arrangement of the picture and
the Anal distribution to the ex-
hibitors was q matter of about a
year. p
One Of the big features of the
coming year will be color. Various
processes are now in use, with the
Technicolor leading the field, and
nearly all OF the newer pictures,
especially those of q musical va
riety, are showing their colorS. In
"Hit the Deck" only the latter
part OF. the picture is painted, but
this is very effective and is a re-
lief, ending the. stage success in
blaze of glory. The producers
plan to make a number of their
pictures with silent versions. and
one of the most promising re-
leases will be. Charles Chaplin's
"City Nights" according to pres
ent plans, without word. How
ever, this particular picture will
be Synchronized. and it cannot be
termed a silent picture"
IL Is the opinion of the con-
ductor of this column that the ST.
lent picture can be made more Of
success than the half silent or
quarter silent picture There is
absolutely no reason for a photo
play having one scene with dia-
logue. or tive scenes with words
and the remainder of it silent. A
good Synchronized musical score,
With dialogue eliminated entirely,
gives greater satisfaction to the
patron Halfway measures are
certain to bring out half-SatiSfac-
tory products, and this holds true
In the movies as in other phases
Of work.
Another new feature which will
probably be introduced during the
coming year will be color in the
newSreels. With new patents. it is
said to be possible to shoot the
pictures and show. them in nat
ural colors within "a hours. Pro-
ducers of such reels make the
statement that this development
will "place the newSreelS as the
most important unit in the mo-
ton picture industry"
TT. G. WELLS, British novelist,
comes to the front with a
big boost for the movies after
years of silence on this particular
subject. He says: THE crude,
shallow trade movies are passing
and wesbegin to realize something
OF the Splendor Of the new powers
that are coming into the hands
of our happy successors. There is,
flrSt, the spectacle without Imi-
O0eAO1Ao "a s@tA8C w sSNC11C. DOb11
color and sound have been de-
tached from the artist to use as
he will. The spectacle will march
to music, sink in silence or rise to
thunder as its efforts require We
may behold spectacle, music,
drama, greater, more beautiful
and intellectually deeper and
richer than any artistic form
humanity has hitherto achieved.
"At frst the idea that the film
was just a way of telling stories
In moving pictures entirely DOM
mated the cinema theater for
nearly two decadeS-and some
times still dominates it. It salts
ned a hitherto unsupported need
for visual story telling. The in
dustry clamored for stories. It
bought right and left: it was so
opulent that it could buy with its
eyes shut. 1t did. All this has
changed.
These are a few words from the
introduction to Mr.. Wells new
book, The King Who Was
King"
FROM advance publicity which
has Swamped our desk, Paul
Whiteman'S first movie starring
vehicle, THE King of jazz" is
making great preparations to join
the musical successes of the
screen. For instance, it is an
nounced that 10 song hits will be
included in the musical arrange
nfent; that John Boles, one Of the
stars Of rio Rita" will have a
leading singing role, and that
among other well knoWnS in the
cast will be Grace Hayes, william
Kent and jeanette Lon. George
Gershwin's famous Rhapsody in
Blue" viii havesa prominent place