Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16

4AOhA Oil aAA6ANSf ~ WYNN
" appear that the sound film:
are entering another stage
That is, they are dropping grad
ually from the experimental,
phase and just as gradually en-
tering the artistic. Two pictures
screened in Washington recently
bring this to mind, the two being
"Anna Christie" and 1.-THE Case OF
Sergeant Grischa." Unusual
thought and considerable talent
were used in the production OF
these two excellent films. They
stand out from a mass of bad pic
lures; they show clearly what
may be done in the future.
The sound pictures, although
they are considered quite new,
have passed the novelty stage.
The mechanical problems which
first confronted the producers are
fast fading into the background.
The best stage and screen talent
is being selected for some OF the
newest efforts, and the artistic
standards will advance in spite of
all difficulties. OF course, the first
requisite of a picture, according
to many Hollywood minds, is the
box office draw" but when such
pictures as anna Christie" and
'The Case Of Sergeant Grischa"
can be made and prove themselves
noney-makerS art will not suffer.
Also, the sound pictures clearly
demonstrate the fact that picture
patrons appreciate good music. If
there were no demand for good
music, the producers would not
bother to sign such singers as
Tibbett, Mccormack and Grace
Moore. Such contracts require
rather large box Office receipts in
order to keep pictures from going
to the red side of the Office ledger.
When such composers as Irving
Berlin, Lehar and StrauS go to
Hollywood to write new music for
sound pictures, it follows that the
picture going public is demand
Ing tunes of a high caliber.
Among the orchestra conductors
and song creators recently going
to Hollywood is the well known
Emo Rapee, who has signed a
contract with Warner Brothers.
He will direct the music of the
studio, writing special bits as pro-
duction goes on. Rapee, by the
way, wrote the theme songs
tDiane," "Charmaine" and "An-
gela Mia" favoriteS when the first
sound pictures came along.
Anyway, 1t would seem that the
Hollywood renaissance has been
given a start. The "hit or miss"
days are over; we may have more
good pictures and fewer bad ones.
4 X
EERENC MOLNAR wrote "The
Swan" a stage success. But
you may not recognize it when
you see the screen version. It is
Lillian GiSh'S first sound photo
play, and the name has been
changed to zone Romantic Night"
The picture was completed a few
days ago and is ready for release.
y
TT is about the end of the stage
season in New York, so Holly
wood Is receiving the stage stars
in punches. This makes COMPETE
ton quite keen around the STU
dioS. From the West Coast comes
the information that many of the
stage people will gradually fade
from the HOLLYWOOD scene, as a
considerable number Of the old
screen stars have gone. However,
one of the big features of studio
work is dramatic coaching. This
is held necessary for many of the
former screen players who had no
stage experience before taking up
their present work and later en-
tering the sound pictures.
THIS from Richard Barthel-
mess:
"It has been suggested that I
do a sound version of ToPable
David one of the early screen
successes. I have been vehement
in my denunciation of such an
idea. do not believe that David
should speak in audible tones.
Whatever he might say would GER
tainly fall short of what the audi
ence imagined he would say. He
is too universal in his appeal;
much too idealistic and symbolic
to be humaniZed in the sense that
a talking picture would humanize
him. David lived rather in the
hearts of men than upon the
screen. The role Of the Chinese
boy in Broken Blossoms is an
other over which I would hesitate
To- before transferring it to the
talking screen. It might be a gem
of poetic art, but the chances are
against it. On the other hand,
the modern Chinese boy which ]
play in Son of the Gods is au-
thentically Of the world we live in
Talking pictures are unques-
tionably going to eliminate num-
Der of former screen favorites, and
also bring into favor new ones
who will be gifted with the new
double requirement OF the screen