Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-11-19
HOLLYWOOD.

HOLLYWOOD.
The movies celebrated their 5Otf
anniversary the other DAY, and il
you don't think Hollywood knows
anything about observing an coca
sion Like that you should have been
around to look and listen. The Gov
eminent co-operated by issuing a
new Scent stamp. There were
speeches on the post Office steps
luncheonS in the studios and that
colorful pioneer. Cecil B. De Mile
was the busiest man in town.
What especially interested US was
a brochure issued by the Public
Information Committee of the film
industry, covering all the main
events in the industry since its birth
half century ago. 1t proved en-
phaticaily how much can happen tc
the movie in 50 years. AS matter
CT feet. lot of things can and dc
happen to the movies in such a
short space as a dozen years. In nc
business is there such terrific
turnover in events, trends and peo-
pie.
Big Changes Since 1882.
Turning the pages of the movie
almanacs We see an entirely differ
ent setup. The scene In 1882 looked
like this:
UFA Pictures. Germanys fore
most film production outfit. was TAX
Ing big ads in American movie
magazines about its Pictures of In
ternational Merit Watch UFA's
great international productions this
year" the ads read. "UFA is the in
ternational insignia of quality
Among the German films popular in
this country was "Das Lied list Aus
The Song Is Over and one picture
ironically entitled, "Kameradschaft'
(Comradeship).
The 10 best pictures in 1882 were
Grand Hotel, The Champ" Ar
roWsmlth. The Guardsman,
"Smilin' Through" Or. Jekyll anc
Mr. Hyde" Emma "A Bill of Di-
vorcement." Back Street" ano
"Scarface"
Of these, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde" "A Bill of Enforcement" ano
Back Street have been remade
with different casts.
"Scarface," one of the best of the
gangster films. is being revived to-
day. and Howard Hawks. it's direc-
tor. is now one of the top directors
in the business. with such pictures
as Air Force" TO Have and Have
Not" and the forthcoming The Biz
Sleep on his record.
Lunt and Fontaine of The
Guardsman" have deserted Holly.
wood permanently.
"The Champ Still Is.
Wallace Berry of The Champ
Is still a champ at the box office.
In a poll of motion pictures critics
throughout the country, more thar
80 per cent of them voted against
double features and majority
thought the director was the mos
important element in motion pic.
ture production. Thirty-seven pei
cent of the critics thought movies
were becoming too sophisticated. as
against So per cent who thought not
And what happened as a result Of
this poll? Absolutely nothing. But
the movie folks, 10 years later, still
take polls-and shelve them.
Among the top performers were
John Barrymore, Talulah Bankhead
Lee Tracy, Clark Gable, Walter
Huston, Joan Crawford, Maurice
Chevalier, Jean Harlow, Sylvia Sid
ney and George Arliss. Barrymore
and Harlow are dead, Arliss is In
England, Chevalier is in France
Tracy is doing small-time movies
today, Gable is about to resume pic.
lures after doffing his Army uni
form, Miss Sidney is making 9
screen comeback. Huston and Mis-:
Bankhead remain perennial favor.
ties, and Joan Crawford, after hav.
ing left MGM and being of the
screen for two years, will star ir
mildred Pierce based on The
James Cain noKel.
Warner sros bad star roster In