Evening star., 1933-07-25
Suggestion That An.
d other LANGUAGE" L
: Might Do Better.
TITLES THAT MAY
:, FIT THE PICTURE
But There Is a Difference OF
J.; Opinion Regarding Hit
Play Titles.
BY Z. DE s. MELCHER.


the name of Another Lam
guage." Due to the fact that
this Broadway hit did only $3.50
business when 1t was revived
here this season at the National. local
film magnates are wondering II the
title couldn't be improved on.
This Is the result, We believe, OF
National Theaters Steve Cochran hav-
ing suggested that the box office value
Of the play was dimmed by a faulty
name.
washington, curiously enough. has
never taken to this play. When 1t
ber very we'll talking to its producer
backstage and watching him null over
his production with touch of sorrow.
Behind the footlights the actors were
doing their best-Dorothy Stickney,
Glenn Anders and John Beal were al
most tearing themselves to ribbons in
the hope that something might come OF
1t. In the audience some hundred per-
sons famed themselves and while half
OF them were tremendously excited the
other half decided that the play hasn't
got ghost of a chance on Broadway"
Subsequent events wrote. Its hit"
Miss Stickney. known for her tmag-
inative work as Miss Quail in Philip
Goes Forth" remember our own Maude
Howell Smith in the same roleD and
also for q series of small character bits
in the films, rose from kind OF in
between career to something that
amounted to theatric beer and Sdttles.
Mr. John Beal, a youngster Graded in
Pennsylvania theater's school, rose from
nothing to near stardom, and Glenn
Anders, well known already on the
stage, stuck to his guns with enviable
success.
Another Language"-what did It
mean? What has it ever meant? What
does any title mean?
" II q title can touch on the core of
q play without revealing too completely
its innards, then it is a good title. If
H. rips the play wide open and exposes
It on every side, then it is q poor title.
1t has always seemed to US that . play
with q touch of subtlety to 1t should
also express itself subtly in the title.
What, for instance, did Mr.. Shaw's
apple Cart" mean? What does Miss
Ethel Barrymore's The Twelve Pound
Look" mean? What box ONCE value
has there ever been in "Pygmalion" or
Candida" or THE Barretts of Wimpole
Street?
The current argument is that "An-
other Language" conotes something
foreign-something different from what
you will find in tine story. People, when
they 60 to see this film, will discover
things in 1t they had not expected. As
in Zoo In Budapest" you may count
on their being fooled.
- According to the chiefs, this Is not
wise state of being. And, in the
main. they are right. When they ad-
~vertise Peg O. My Heart they do not
intend their customers to see Lulu
Belle" When Anchors Aweigh" comes
to town. the public will not expect to
see the Battle of Bull Run.
Nevertheless, in the case Of . play
like Another Language" which has
come to be almost stage classic. it
seems to us that the original should
be stuck to-if only for the sake of
sentiment. We venture to suggest that
there are many, many people who never
saw it, and who are looking forward to
the screen version-which, incidentally,
includes two of the most popular stars
>on the screen today, Helen Hayes and
Robert Montgomery. Both of these
both Of them would have been Ideally
cast in the play. We don't say that the
film will be better than the play, but 1t
has at least f1fty-fifty chance.
II. then, they adhere closely to the
original, If they have made every effort
(as we have been told that they have)
to make the f1lm as much like the play
rs possible. how utterly. utterly foolish
suddenly to whip out the title. And
change it to-what?
One Of the suggestions which has
been made is THE Language Of Love-"
This. technically, would mean better
'.box office" than Another Language"
Possibly so-yet The Language Of
Love" strikes no more near to the heart
of the play than might II loved You
Wednesday" To be sure. you cannot
take offense at it. just as you might
not take offepse at the "wednesday"
title. Yet, as far as we can see, 1t
tears away the pleasant flavor Of the
ortginaI-and suggests that the play
never had enough merit to stand on its
own feet.
Inasmuch as the play did stand
pretty nicely on its own feet and need
ed mo mother to guide it." there Is
no reason under the sun why it should
be tinkered with. ANY good plays
title doesn't need alteration. bad
plav is different.
If, however, you agree with certain
folk that a new title IS best we should
like to hear what YOU might adVlse.
Here are few suggestions to choose
from: ..
g love Has Wings"
= Loves Wings Clipped"
- Loves Language Found"
~ Loves LANGUAGE Lost"
~ "Why Did He Speak tn Herr"
r what Did She Mean?"
. Love After Dinner"
1.-The Hallams Lose Their Temper
Love and the Hallams"
Love in spite of the Hallams."