The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-12
THE NEW FILM
By IRVING LERNER

ESKIMO, a screen drama based cay
the books by Peter Fruchen; de
rected by W. S, Var Dyke; pE0-
dneed in the Arctic Circle and 10
Hollywood by Metro Goidwy&F 4
Mayer; presented at the Astor trek
stre with the following cast; f,zE
Wise, Lulu Wozg, Peter FEeuci
Joe Sewers, Edward Deering, "
Van Dyke, and soma native
kiEnos. nksS
Peter Freuchen, & Dane, weng Vlls@
Greenland IN 1910 He stayed th%s
for fourteen years. living like an Ee-
kinlo because he liked the people. Nj
matter OF fact he became an As-A
kimo; he spoke their language; and
he married an Eskimo woman with
whom he lived until she died. Els
noval Eskimo" was published IN
English translation in 1891. IN many
ways 1t is notable work. ftscarrtss
a strong conviction of authenticity.
Freuchen's descriptions Of Eskimo sos
ciaI organization make the novel in1-
portant, as q scientific document. As
q matter Of fact it is far better than
most anthropological monographs on
primitive peoples. To g certain exc
tent, Eskimo" dealt with the sup
preston of native autonomy by Britt
ish imperialism and Canadian native
policy. The novel traced the complete
disintegration OF its hero, Aiala, as q
result of this policy.
1t is said that Freuchen authorized
this film version Of his book. If so,
it is too bad. Freuchen has succurnbeo
to Hollywood lure. He must have fore
gotten that he was once an Eskimo.
In this film, W. s. Van Dyke does
for the Eskimo what his Trader
Horn" did for the South African Ne
gro, and what his White Shadows IN
the South Seas" did for the Polyne@
sian native: exploited their seX-lifes
whitewashed inperialistic native pole.
icy, and advanced a suaye chauyin~
ISM. 49,
Everything about the film version
Of Eskimo" is distortion, Even the
photography, that has been so high
ly praised by the bourgeois film crit-
les, has been distorted with Cumming
and other process photography Il
they had to resort to trick photogra~
ply there is no reason why the techs
nical crew had TO spend more than
a year IN the north. As q matter OF
fact most OF the story takes place 10
the interiors of tents, igloos, shilJs.
cabins, all located in Hollywood, Cal
Even the central character. Msla.
has been distorted. Mala Of the book
is Numerically opposed to Mala OF
the film. Freuchen's Mala was real
Eskimo hunter. When his wife dice
as a result Of an accident he had TO
get another A man cannot live with
out wife to prepare meals and
mend clothes. However, in any Esixi-
mo camp there is shortage of wo~
men. Thus. Mala openly kills ons
womans first husband, her two
brothers and her second husband. SC
that he, the great hunter, VIII have
wife. He is arrested by Canadian
mounted police for his crime" For
peace and order" must be preserved
at all costs. Mala manages to escape
He is forced to flee with his family
to the far north; away from his tribe
Game there Is scarce. And besides, an
Eskimo cannot live alone, away from
his tribe. Things get SO bad that he
is compelled to go south, to his Wis
lage. On the way back he Is
drowned. And here ends the story
of the great Mala who once dwelt
among white men and thereaftes
could never forget Them
But not SO in the film. Mala Of the
movies is an Eskimo sheik-tlle HoI-
lywood version Of the Eskimo CLARK
Gable. His second wife, who was giv~
en- to Mala, by her husband, Is the
same edition Of Jean Harlow Nov )
you have the film. Mala is arrested
by the Canadian Mounted Police foI &
killing a white man (acted by Peter
Freuchen) who had raped his wife
Mala escapes. He is followed by tive
CM.P's, but they are unable Il
catch him. Mala finally gets hack te
the village, grabs his good looking
wife Che leaves his ugly wife to taxi
care of the kids and sails away
across the Straits" with her on
cake Of ice. They are arm IN arm
Long shot. Fade out.
Metro refuses to give credit to any
actors, claiming that they are all ma
tive. This is to give you the impress
sion of authenticity. Here is a list
Of Eskimo film stars in the film
Mala is played by Ray Wise, who Is
half Jewish and half Eskimo. Be-
Fore becoming an actor he was
cameraman. Tine good looking wife
is played by Lulu Wong. sister OF tbs
famous Characterization movie star
Anna May Wong, and Is herself ex-
perienced In films. The captain Of
the boat is acted by Peter Freueher
and the police inspector is played by
w. 8. Van Dyke, the director OF the
film.