Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-31


now disfigures the motion picture in
dustry it is its persistent and deliberate
attempt to lure money into its Golfers
with pictured real and suggestive wick
edness. 1t seems to prevail from the
top to the bottom of the picture making
effort, and even to extend out into the
exhibition department, for If the pic
ture maker has not reached the desired
end in his theme and its presentation,
the press agent and the exhibitor feel
called upon to lend their assistance ito
draw the crowds" The current threat
in this direction seems destined to spoil
the creative art of the writers that have
been drawn IN formidable array to
Hollywood. And rs goes Hollywood, it
is a moral certainty, so will 60 New
York, where stage entertainment is
now presumed to originate.
= 4 X
GETTING down to details, with a
specific tendency, it is believed
'the so best pictures of all time" which
are included N the list Of fine public
entertainment selected by David Wark
Griffith, the distinguished screen d.
rector-it was recently published in
Sunday issue of The Star--furniShes AS
fine guide to the maker of screen en-
tertainment as can be offered offhand
in the type that will appeal to the
largest audiences of the general public
1t will be noted in a careful perusal of
that list that the underworld is
strangely conspicuous by its absence.
In many of the productions there may
be incidents that are not designed to at
tract the interest Of children or the inn
mature Naturally life drama involves
much that requires the sophisticated
mind to fully appreciate. Whether that
should be melted out to the young and
immature as entertainment must be de-
termined by wise discretion. The evil
of 1t has been In emphasizing and
SpectaculariZing the meat that should
be fed only to the sophisticated stomach
in way that Temps the appetites not
yet fitted with the proper masticatory
and digestive attachments. 1t is a Sc
rious evil inexcusable from any stand
point. That which delights the heart
of the tough and hardened sinner is not
the fare upon which to develop the
stamina OF the younger generation. II
1t must be made by the movie maker, 1t
should he tagged conSpicuouSly both in
the making and in the exhibition. Be-
yond that, II not the law, the parents
In the homes must provide the restric-
tons. The entertainment maker for
the public always must be limited In his
exploits to the demands Of decency and
POAtChCccI "A HOIAiiIlB tIlOTcs
+
FURTHER responding to Mr.. Laemm-
les desire to know what can be
done to make motion pictures more use
fui to the American public, it might be
that, the Screen having
fairly succeeded In supplanting the
Stage as public entertainment, 1t might
be well to look close to the literary
value Of its product and to preserve the
ideas and expression of gifted writer's
rather than remodel them under the
ruse of adapting" them for screen pltr-
poses, and, it might be added, to in
crease the endeavor tn produce a higher
art generally in prod lctions. Art does
not begin and end with shapely women,
scantilly clad, although the average box
office eduction in art seems rather to
have chung to that notion Literature
and art have never been accorded their
position in motion pictures, due almost
entirely to the pressure of the box office |