Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10
Flashes From the Screen
By c. e. Nelson.

TT is always pleasant to com
pliment a screen actor o
actress upon his or her work
i and it Is doubly pleasant Il
remark upon the work of a new
conner to the film world. Joe Coo
has long been a favorite witt
stage audiences, and his new pic
ture, Rain or Shine" places hin
in q class with Charlie Chaplin
and Harold Lloyd as a screel
comedian. In welcoming nev
comedian to the movie world, on
feels that we are to receive NOR
real enjoyment than in greeting al
accomplished actor in heavie
roles. The screen cannot hav,
too many comedians. We go t.
the film theaters to be amused.
The producers of Joe Cook
first picture should feel gratif1et
with the reception it has receive;
all over the country. With hi
one effort, the comedian finds al
established place in the scheme o
movie affairs, and his pictures o
the future should be even better
than this Rain or Shine"
What is an artist?
What makes an artist?
And hoIU does an artist be-
come an alleged millionaire?
All of these questions came to
nlU mind as matched Eddie
Cantor cuper htther and yo11 on
the stage last meek. He rolled
his pop-eyeS, changed his hats,
told a fen of-color pensions of
fed-bitten jokes and sang some
SONGS. Probably 1t is the Uehtcle
that helps the artist in becon1-
inc an artist; not so much the
artists personality and ability,
but the 1Drfter'S cleUerneSS in
producing satisfactory and
appropriate setting for this
same personality and ability. !
pause and tDonder about these
things.
DAVID BELASCO, dean Of the
stage producers, on his recent
seventy-Seventh birthday, pre-.
dicted the downfall of talking
pictures. Naturally, his state
ments are not in accord with
the opinions of a great number Of
the 122,000,000 persons in the
United States, but on account OF
the fact that they came from Mr.
Belasco they are worth recording
at this time. The famous pro-
ducer says:
"If I we're younger and had
plenty of money, I would go into
the production of silent pictures
That Is the right field for the
right man today. Good, silent pic
lures would sweep the country
today. The great mistake of the
motion picture producers was that
of launching the talking pictures
The silent picture was one of the
most interesting developments in
the field of entertainment. It has
deteriorated from an art to a
nuisance with the introduction Of
the tSQuawkieS.' The talking pic
ture interested the public in the
first place as q novelty and then
as q freak. The novelty has worn
on, and there are signs every
where that the people are firing
of the talking picture. The diff
Guilty is not only that of the me-
ehanical faults of reproduction,
but the inferiority of the motion
picture product. The producers
cannot turn out good talking pic
lures on large scale. A producer
of legitimate drama has to work
and struggle with raw material all
year, and he Is exceedingly lucky
If he produces one or two good
plays. The talking picture COM
papies aim at producing Is or 80,
or more, talking pictures in the
course of a year. No wonder the
average talking picture is what it
Is. The talking picture producers
can never get playwrightS to turn
out good work on any such scale"
Mr.. BelaSco has overlooked
several points in his argument
against the talking picture, which,
In all probability, has become an
established entertainment fea-
ture. The talking pictures are
drawing greater audiences than
ever before. The general public
shows no inclination to abandon
them. The motion picture, pro-
duclng organizations show greater
profits than ever before in the his
tory of the industry, in spite of a
national depression. Also, the
technique of the talking picture is
improving. One cannot be un-
aware of this fact after following
the talkies from their origin
There is no getting away from the
fact that bad talkies are being ex-
hibited, but, as a general rule, they
are very good. 1t is safe to say
that the general average OF the
motion picture producers in much
higher than that Of the stage pro-
ducers.
Also, it is safe to predict that
the silent picture will never re-
turn. 1t has been displaced by a
better, more complete and more
interesting form of entertain
ment.
Regardless of the fact that
Fred Wuring, tDho led his
PennsylUGniGns at the Palace
last meek, high-hdtted his
audience and his orchestra, the
thedteT had one of the biggest
DeekS of its career. Fred, tGho
1Dore a hat almost as high as
the Washington Monument,
Teprindnded his audience dur
ing his second ShoU at the
thedter, but his music is Uery
popular.
"A MATEUR writer's of motion
picture scenarios have prac-
tically been eliminated from the
scene. First National Picture:
announces that fully 80 per cent
of the unsolicited manuscript;
Rave heeyo rnt from tho liSt since