Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-14
Flashes From the Screen
News and Comment of the Photoplay
\ By c. E. Nelson.
By c. E. Nelson.

looking over the picture re-
sTs leases for the month to
- come, it would seem that
the Hollywood manufac-
turers are sort Of marking time,
waiting to see which way the cat
jumps or following some other
figure of speech. There is nothing
especially big for the theater-
goerS to look forward to, in spite
of tons of publicity regarding such
productions as Morocco" Seed"
and "Viennese Nights" 'Lightnin'
has turned out to be the really big
picture of the early Winter sea-
son, and Will Rogers, the star, has
much to do with its success. Other
productions have been in the
average class; some of them, per-
hapS, a little below the average.
Considerable interest is evidenc-
ed in Morocco" which, according
to the producers, brings out new
star, Marlene Dietrich. The press
agents are paying more attention
to Marlene than to the picture it
self, although the latter is deScrib-
ed as Josef Sternberg'S superb
love drama" Frau Dietrich, by
the way, was first hailed as a sec
ond Greta Garbo," but her en-
ployers put soft pedal on this
form of publicity. The new star
is to stand on her own feet-not
as second Greta, Norma or Clara.
She is to be the Great Marlene,
according to present plans. How
ever, as in most cases of this kind,
the paying public will decide
whether she is a star and whether
she really deserves all the nice
things that are being said about
her.
Among the other new pictures
coming IN Tor a share of advance
publicity are Painted Desert, :"
with Bill Boyd; 1.-THE Third
Alarm, "She Got What She
Wanted" Danger Lights" "The
Boudoir Diplomat" "Alias Jane
Valentine" and Passion Flower"
HOLLYWOOD, during the past
few months, has undergone
some vast changes, on account of
the sound pictures. But tt.. big
geSt change of all Gomez about
through the production ~ pic
lures for foreign consumption. At
first the producers were IAlzzled
as to how the foreign market could
be supplied with talkieS. Expert
mental studios were established
in many countries, but this plan
did not work out satisfactorily.
and it was finally decided that the
best foreign pictures" could be
produced in the real home Of the
movies. As an illustration of this.
the Paul White3nan picture, King
OF Jazz" is now going into nine
languages. 1t is estimated that
three foreign versions can be made
for the cost of the original Eng
lish picture.
One Of the pioneers in the
foreign versions was Hal Roach,
the producer of comedies. He en-
gagged a tutor for the comedians.
Laurel and Hardy, and the funny
Fellows used considerable mid
night oil in learning the lines of
Might Owls" IN Spanish. Then,
Buster Keaton took up Spanish
and German, and three versions
were made of~fiS picture, Free
and Easy" Germans, Italians.
Frenchmen and SpaniardS have
Hooked to Hollywood, and entire
casts have been changed for
foreign versions, but in many
cases the stars of the original
productions have been retained.
The stars are big drawing cards
IN the foreign theaters. The
Ramon Novarro picture, Call of
the Flesh" has been changed to
the Spanish "Sevilla de mis-
Amores." The3 star retains his
leading role, but the part original
ly played by Renee Adoree is en-
acted by Roslta BalleStero. Dorothy
Jordan'S part is taken by a IT.
year-old Spanish dancer, Conchita
Montenegro. A French version of
this picture has also been made,
the star acting and directing.
=
JACK ALLOCATE, VINO writes a
column for the Film Daily.
penned a little editorial the other
day, and I think it is worth re-
producing. although you may not
be in perfect accord with his
words. He says: Lest we be mis-
understood, let us make ourselves
perfectly clear that we whole
heartedly condemn salaciousness
on the screen, abhor smut. and
believe, first, last and always.
that the screen must be a whole
some influence from title to fade
out. However, we sometimes Won
der whether the current swing of
production is not too much to-
ward prigishneSS. Pictures, to
survive, must portray life as it is.
and not as some long-haired and
theatrical gentry would have us
believe 1t to be. The modern
trend Of thought is wholesomely
liberal. We have growing chill
dren and know. Production as an
art cannot be strangled by re-
Strictions that break down the
mirrored reflections of the recog-
nized actions, emotions and pro-
pelling influence Of our millions
Of humans. If production is an
art, the modus operandi then is
naturally ruled by the heart and
not the head One would hardly
suggest throwing a sweater over
the Venus de Milo or a Mexican