Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-26
WANTED-A DIRECTOR.

Grande.
WANTED-A DIRECTOR.
Where is the far sighted film director
who is going to produce Latin Ameri-
can movie in which Latin people appear
as they really are today, living in beau
tiful and modern cities, travelling by
fast railroad trains, luxurious steamers
and by airplanes, surrounded by all the
material comforts of the twentieth CEN
tury, following more or less modern
European and American standards Of
living and customs. engaged In the same
human and economic problems which
occupy the attention of the peoples Of
other civilized regions OF the world?
Where Is he hiding?
Aside from the moral and even the
political aspects Of the question, it Is
not only In the interest of better rela-
tons between the Latin and the Saxon
American peoples that something must
be done about it. 1t is also in the
interest Of the American film industry
and of its own professional prestige
that the ignorance and misrepresenta-
tions of things Latin American which
have been shown heretofore ought to
be stopped.
To the spectator who has been in the
Latin countries and has had an oppor-
modes of living this capricious dlStor-
ton and mixing Of Latin American
characters with old-time colonial set
tings, with pure Spanish traditions, or
even with those of other foreign ele-
mentS, Italian, French, etc, leaves not
only a feeling of injustice, but also q
very poor idea of the cultural status Of
whoever directed the film or collabo-
rated in its production.
cannot help but smile every time I
see a supposedly Mexican plantation
owner" pictured in tho most classic
attire Of a Spanish toreador. or Cen
ral-American general in the "poncho"
and boots characteristic of an Argen-
tine gaucho, or beautiful "senortta"
dancing the typical Argentine tango
with Spanish castanets and huge gay
Mexican sombrero!
IN TAR AND FEATHERS.
happened to be with an Argentine
diplomat one day when Rod La Rogue,
in a Fox moving picture, was showing
what was supposed to be his house in
Buenos Aires"-a tiny, ramshackle
rancho" with an old Spanish door and
two small, dirty windows. That an
American millionaire (Rod La Rogue
was personifying one) could not have
found a better place than that In which
to live in Buenos Aires, the largest
capital in Latin America, with 2,5OO,OOO
inhabitants, and a city which for its
material development and European
standards of living Is the pride Of
Spanish-speaking people, appeared not
only ridiculous but outrageous as well,
at least to an Argentine. My friend
left the theater
I was not with a Brazilian citizen
when I heard another actor, playing
the role of an American sailor coming
back from South America, protesting
that he had not been able to find clean
water and good soap in Rio de Janeiro,
but imagine that he would have left
the theater, too.
know two Central-American boys
who have sworn not to attend another
movie because every time a supposedly
Latin American or Spanish girl ap-
pears in film she is the gold digger"
the "vamp," the adventures, against
whom the sympathies of the audience
are turned. And when two of them
appear in q scene it Is because noisy
squabble, in which face scratching and
their French or italian accents are
mixed, Is supposed to add to the comic
element Of the picture.
Naturally, these things do not help
a bit in winning the good will Of the
Latin Americans. There is at least
one American actor who knows 1t.
Some years ago william Desmond, If I
am not mistaken, who used to play
with much frequency roles of American
heroes" cowing dozens Of Mexicans
with his fists and knocking them down
by scores, went to see the races at Tia
Juana, Just across the Mexican border.
After the last horse in the last race had
crossed the line the well dressed movie
idol was taken for O ride" by two
Mexican youths, beaten pitilessly, de-
prtved of his clothes, and finally
dropped down in the main street dressed
UP in tar and feathers.
(Copyrisht. le30)