Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-30

she has trusted, that deterioration is
told by music-a progression from the
waltz through the tango to the Jazz
mad scene when she dances for the
habitues of a Partisan night club. Few
people watching this picture realized
! what large part music played in it.
Therefore, when / say music has
never been out of films, ! am making
true statement The public is now
conscious of the fact that film made
with music may be very good. We
can introduce the musical number at
the present telling without camouf1age.
There is q musical number IN Joan
Crawford's next picture. We are max
ing The Cuban and featuring five or
six musical numbers.
Lawrence Tihbett suffered consider
ably from this musical ban. When he
made The Prodigal the music-hate
was at its height We were forced to
cut out all but a few numbers, due
to the exhibitors attitude in the mat
ter. Musical shows just could not get
hearing at theaters throughout the
country.
This handicapped lawrence Tibbett
but it gave the picture greater pres
tige and We were forced to take our
choice in the matter. Due to the
music prejudice and the exceedingly
play opposite who has beautiful voice
cs well as camera beauty. T:hbett has
worked under handicaps since his en-
trance into pictures. We are also
shooting Flying High at the present
time. This musicale will be given a
movie treatment, because photographed
stage shows never make ideal movies.
Bert Lahr has been brought from New
York to repeat his work in that play
before the camera.
If producers viii conflne themselves
to interpolating the musical number
when they have an actress or actor who
can put 1t over and at a moment in the
action OF the story where music becomes
feasible, the musical film and the musi-
cal number viii be as assured of a per-
manent future as music has on the
stage. Consider the New York season
and tabulate the list of successes which
enjoy runs straight through from the
beginning to the end of the theatrical
year. A large percentage of the money
makers are nlusicales. The public which
freduentS the New York theater is not
radically different from the public
which goes TO the motion picture thea
ter. Music made the motion picture
theater the temple 1t has become; in
the days of silents, organ music and
then the introduction of symphonic or
chestraS. Music continues TO be ideal
entertainment for the great mass of
humanity; but it is music intelligently
used.
Every star is not a singer. We all
have speaking voices, but we cannot all
put over song. II we viii confine our
musical efforts to q class of movie stars
who are able to deal with music our fu-
ture is clear before US" Ernst Lubitseh
said that same thing TO me only a few
days before when he sighed: Music is
returning to the screen: do hope they
won't everyday it, underrate it and de-
stToy It for those of US who love the
musical theme
But music concluded Broenes with
smile, has never really been away
It's been there, baekgrounding dra-
matte action, as it will continue 10 do
to the end of time-it has a logical
place in the theater and ON the screen.
It's merely back in an apparent fash
lon. And, hope, back apparently. TO
stay"
Copyright, 1881