The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-07-08
MRS M'COLDRICK
ON some PICTURES
Recent Releases of Last
Month Are Discussed By
Noted Speaker
in RADIO ADDRESS

AIumnae, IS familiar TO radio audi
ences through her many interesting
talks on subjects relative to motion
pictures. In a recent address she
spoke in part as follows:
Some times I wonder if you know
the problem and the fun that it is
to gather news for radio audiences?
1t is a problem, because radio sta
tons require pre-release news. We
cannot, for instance, give you a re-
hashed version of the critics COM
ments that have appeared in your
morning or evening newspapers. If
you have read them there you are
not interested in hearing repeti-
ton over the radio. And SO it be-
comes essential for those of us privi-
legged to use the medium Of the air
to find items and brand new mate
rial for you.
About a month ago we were talk
ing of this difficulty in the studio OF
the r. C. A. Photophone company
on Fifth avenue, New York, where
a group of us had just witnessed a
preview of some Travelogues in
sound and in natural colors. These
had been made by Claude Fleming
title Of The Romantic Journey
Series, and they were a revelation
of artistic delicacy and real beauty.
Mr. Fleming, with the directors
sense of color values, and with the
artists sure touch, had captured in
these first pictures of the series the
sun light in full flood, the dawn, the
twilight, the after light, and the
glamour of the moon at Honolulu.
We have all seen motion pictures
of Honolulu and Of that beach Of
spells and romance at Waikiki, but
like Helen Keller, the blind genius
gifted with inner-vision, who said
recently in a conversation about the
heard so much about them and I
have ridden in them, but nobody
ever told me they were green" so I
felt the day saw Honolulu screened
in color. The crescent of beach
curved out into dazzling sea but
nobody had ever told me that the
sand was black. One senses exotic
beauty in the islands of the Pacific
but unless one has actually seen
them there is no way to know how
the color combinations fash to-
gether; that the sea Is aquamarine,
that the flowers are gaudy in their
magnificance, that the costumes Of
the natives are SO charming in their
eaiety. One knows instinctively that
the moon on the surf at Waikiki
spells mystery and magic, but there
is a new quality of reality in seeing
it's CLINT on shiny foliage and on
the tumbling dark mass Of water
that is the sea. No, the sound
screen has another dimension be-
sides the third dimension of depth
of which the scientists talk. Its
fourth dimension is the reality OF
living color which brings to the
screen the enchantment of life it.
SELF
We talked of this to Mr. Fleming, |
and of the possibilities of travel pic
lures expressed in this new medium
and I said to him that day, you
know, ideal radio material would be |
your own description Of these places |
while the picture is in the making.
The mimeographed news sheets |
from the studios are such colorless
accounts. Why not send us your
impressions as the jaunt takes
place."
And so to-day the first fascinating |
message has come through. Dated |
from Alger, from the Hotel Trans
atlantique, Algeria, it is postmarked |
Alger-Mustapha, and it brings the |
story of picture making in Casa
blanca, Morocco, and in the stored
town of Marakesh. Like vivid bit |
of scenario, it tells in fine continu-
ity of the drama of camera work in |
these strange backwaters of the |
world, of native merchants, basket
makers, silk dyers, water sellers,
beggars, and beasts of burden. Be-
tween it's lines one breathes the |
smell of musk, the sultriness Of the
desert, one hears the call of men to |
their animals, the lop-loping of
camels, the creaking of the leather |
in their trappings. There is the
background action of Arabian aero
bats and jugglers, snake charmers,
dancers and story tellers.
This seems to be a week of high |
adventure in motion picture making.
Mr. schoedsack. creator of "Chang,"
and "Grass," and "Simba," has gone
off again to interior India for new
jungle thrills. This is a Paramount
expedition. First National has re-
leased two reels in a series of
African pictures which are titled
s'Trails of the Hunted" under the |
direction of Wynant Hubbard, who
has captured breath-taking pictures
of the trapping of wild animals, in
which his men in many instances
were in danger of death. The film
finds it's human interest touches In
the intimate life of the camp.
Among the episodes of particular
importance is a buffalo stampede.
showing the skill necessary to trap
a buffalo. For, because Of the ami
mails terrific weight and size, an or
binary trap is useless. In the reels
titled Flaming Jungles the screen
shows jungle fire which has been
started maliciously by a witch doc
tor. The dry grass and the trees
burn like tissue paper and spread
with terrifying ferocity. These are
all excellent pictures for juvenile
programs, for schools and clubs and
for the use Of the intelligent theater
man who wants to make his theater
something more in the community
than cheap show place. Review
ing committees everywhere are rat
ing these travel pictures excellent
entertainment. And while the First
National pictures have not the color
magic that will characterize the
Fleming films. they are authentic
documents and an invaluable con-
tribution to the library of intelligent
pictures.
Paramount has released a picture
to which we have all looked forward
with a good deal of interest made
from Sinclair Lewis story Lets
Play King" The title, however, has
been revamped, and the picture will
come to your theaters labeled "Tha
Forbidden Adventure" which in a
sense is regrettable for 1t puts the
picture in the category Of those
other suspicious plots of which we
have had too many. 1.-THE Forbid
den Adventure" has for its stars: the
inimitable Edna May Oliver, who
brings a fine degree Of intelligence
to any picture in which she plays;
Louise Fazenda; and the two de-
iicrltfI1l i1lueniles Mitzi Green and l