Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-16

~HG more one sees OF the
talking pictures, the more
one is inclined to the belief
~ that the stage and the
screen are as far apart as the
two poles. For instance, the very
worst sound pictures Of the season
have been those that depended
upon smart dialogue" for their
appeal. This sort OF sound may
be first class on the stage, but 1t
certainly causes q movie audience
to. yawn. In some manner, the
lack Of real personalities on the
screen results In smart dialogue"
becoming an artificial makeshift.
The talk does not "go over" in
stage parlance.
The best photoplays of the sea-
son have been those with plenty
Of action to carry them along, and
the producer should not lose sight
Of this fact. The smart drawing
room comedy Of the stage cannot
be turned into @ successful screen
inlay; &c must have action. AS
soon as the photoplay manufac-
turers discover that they must
build up their own technique the
better # viii be for all concerned.
The musical screen play was an
idea. It was successful for the
time being, but 1t was worked to
death. The underworld story gave
plenty of action, but all pictures
could not be stories Of the gang
sters. Falling back upon success
full stage takers, we have plenty
OF conversation and little action.
I heard and saw a talk-talk pic
ture on r street during the past
week, and would have been de-
lighted to witness a rip-roaring
gangster enter the quiet drawing
room and start his machine gun.
Anything to have broken the mo-
notony--and the thread OF weak
conversation There Is certainly
nothing more trying than listen
Ing to q bore; and when q full
half dozen Of them speak from the
screen it is time for the machine
gun.
In listing the advantages OF the
modern motion picture, one writer
states that the movie has not
been q waste Of time to America
II for no other reason than the
fact that it has taught women
and men of all classes the adj
vantages Of good grooming and
the possibility of it on a small
incorne." Also: 'dThe distraction
Of voices coming from the screen
prevents the audience from pass
ing into that Jolly sort OF coma
which q silent picture produces.
Alert and aware, they follow the
progress Of the story"
In regard TO the last statement
the writer evidently considers
that the talkies have aided mate
rally In keeping motion picture
audiences awake. The first state
ment, concerning good grooming
and all that sort OF thing, seems
far beyond our keen observance
of the motion picture. / viii say
for myself, however, that never
have picked q pair OF pajamaS, q
smoking Jacket or q flannel night
gown because Adolph Meni0u or
Buddy Rogers preferred . par
tiCulax style.
In ~ opiul6n, we should look
upon tie motion picture for just
what & ls--a grand and glorious
new medium OF entertainment!
Its popularity has grown because
It Is q splendid entertainment, and
when the entertainment value de-
Creases- when we begin to have
Iong-drawn-out screen converse
tions and pictures without action
the drawing power Of the movie
win wafie. There are certain
theater authorities who regard
the downfall Of the speaking stage
from the angle, Of the type Of
plays produced. OF course, there
are q number Of elements that
enter into the lack Of interest in
the speaking stage, but the forcing
OF poor plays upon q helpless pub
lie may have been determining
issue. The producers Of screen
entertainment should heed the
experience Of the men OF the
stage.
THE Academy Of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences, which. by
the way, Is not an institution Of
learning, has bestowed its eight
annual awards Of merit, and the
Universal company took three Of
them with "All Quiet on the
Western Front" 1.-THE King Of
Jazz and for employing the OUT
standing director Of the year,
Lewis Milestone. The award to
The King Of Jazz" however, goes
TO the art director Of the picture,
Hermann Rose, who designed the
settings. win Hays, GEAR" Of the
movies, was present at the ban
Quet In Los Angeles when the
awards were made, and the prizes
were statuettes.
-
IT has been predicted in these
columns on more than one oc-
caston during the past few years
that the star system Of the movies
Was wrong-that a picture, II it
was . good one, could stand on
lts own feet; that it could and
would become q box Office hit
without q big movie name to carry
Il along. It has also been stated
that many pictures carrying only
the stars name were fiat failures;
that audiences became dissatisfied
with this system. Producers have,
In q way, been attempting to do
away with the star system during
the past few months, and one