Exhibitors Herald World (Jan-Mar 1929)

46 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD March 30, 1929 Pickford Makes Sharp Change in Style with "Coquette" Role Preferable in Modern Kind of Characterization, Declares Hodges — "Syncopation" a Hot Footed Extravaganza in Synchrony By DOUGLAS HODGES HOLLYWOOD, March 26.— The new Mary Pickford in the new Pickford picture leaves you rather smacked. Her transition is almost amazing. The picture, being more or less suggested from the stage play, is "Coquette." It is a story about a Dixie flapper who gets herself and her kin into a good amount of woe. I prefer her in her newly chosen characterization. I shall not be surprised if others prefer the old one. She has greater opportunity to act in this kind of role and therefore I think it the kind of role she should continue. gUT the story breaks so many olc and goes contrawise to so many old fashioned production theories that it takes 12 hours of reflection to come out from the effects of the picture. A remarkable item is the fact that the picture possesses one element that is outstanding in Fairbanks' latest opus. The main character of the plot survives all the important and sympathetic members of the cast. In Fairbanks' story all the three musketeers are shot out of the picture as well as the heroine. In the Pickford the lover and the father are shot out effectively and the heroine trods on alone. In order to picturize the story the stage play was thoroughly deloused of sin and illegitemacy. It has been done in such a careful manner that none of the values is lost. It isn't easy to watch Mary Pickford with a permanently broken heart because her father has killed her sweetheart and because her father has killed himself. There are no remedies, even in scenario writing, for a broken heart. In the scenario she comes no closer to declaring her solution for the tragedy than her words : "I have to hurry home and help my brother with his algebra." Her voice is remarkably good throughout the picture. John Mack Brown held up his role as the lover from the hill country excellently. The entire cast displayed admirable ability in working under the handicap of dialogue richly flavored with the dialect of the South. Sam Taylor is the director. * * * ADDICTS of the determined hope and trust that audien films have a short life are getting a slug in the ear with the introduction of each one with musical settings. Musical comedies on the screen appear to be the most successful manner of issuing sound, voice and cinema simultaneously. One of them is "Syncopation," featuring Waring's Pennsylvanians. Simple enough story as it is, it wouldn't stand a Chinaman's chance as a cinema ; but it is a roaring, moving, hot footed extravaganza in synchronization and syncopation. The old stories, you see, can be made anew. They need not tell so much narrative because entertainment also depends greatly on emotion. The silent screen was handicapped by its ability to portray emotions. The singing, talking screen breaks down barriers even felt by the stage. "Syncopation" makes these things clear. It is enacted by a cast of Eastern stage people and is directed by a man who has given many years to fine photography, Bert Glennon. It was for him to merge his camera knowledge with the craftsmanship of his camera-shy actors. Because he knew that principle so well he succeeded in getting the best results that can be gotten. It is a fine show. It is certainly not more than a second cousin of the motion picture. It is as closely related to the stage play. * * * A HALF dozen press agents in Hollywood rank high in their professions. There are two or three who probably have no equals in proficient have begun to complain of "a hard winter." Many of them have been practically forced out of the trade. There is a report on foot that there is an organized movement to rid the colony of all the cheaper freelancers. * * * ONE of these who found the hardship growing great attempted to pick up some easy money last week on an old fashioned racket. He joined a tin horn sport from the race track who was on the in with a telegraph operator. The press agent stationed himself near a window in a poolroom operated by a bookmaker. One hundred and fifty yards away was stationed his colleague in a window near the telegrapher's station. The telegrapher flashed the schedule number of each winning horse to the racketeer. The racketeer flashed it to the p. a. The p.a. stepped up to the bookmaker and offered to wager $100 on "Number Six." Half the money had been provided by the racketeer. The other half by the p.a. After the money was placed the report came in that "Number Six" (of the racing card) had lost. The p.a. stormed at the racketeer. The racketeer stormed back : "I didn't flash a six. I flashed a nine!" * * * Another press agent sends me word that I did him in when I wrote a terrible story about him in this paper and that I am an awful journalist and I don't know what. I don't care so much whether he reads what I write in the first place and I don't care what he thinks of me. He can call me whatever he likes I suppose. I'll stand for him to call me a poor egg or even an old meanie ; — but darned if he can use that word "journalist" and get away with it. Cruze Starts First Long Talking Picture April 15 (Continued from preceding page) tic change of roles for Gilbert Roland, is not known. It should be interesting to see the motive when the picture is released. According to John Considine, Jules Furthman and Milestone are now rushing the Talmadge script to a conclusion and production should start in the very near future. The voice tests made by Miss Talmadge and Roland have proven far superior to the fondest expectations of all concerned. It is generally known that Laura Hope Crews, the well known stage star, has been in Hollywood for the past few months coaching the star in diction. Caldwell-Hilliker Editing Captain H. H. Caldwell and Katherine Hilliker, ace writers, will edit "Lucky Star" the new Gaynor-Farrell vehicle. "Lucky Star" is a dramatic story of after-thc-war New England. Lew Borzage is assistant to his brother, Frank. It will be a silent picture and is in the fifth week of its production schedule. Miss Hilliker is at present enjoying a va Clara Bow Returns But Doffs That Wig (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, March 26.— Clara Bow is back and has removed the wig that she wore to New York. The wig successfully fooled the Eastern chatterers and shopping throngs. Her trip was chiefly to shop and to visit a few old friends in Brooklyn. She did very little shopping. cation in New York but will return shortly to join her husband and start work on this Borzage picture. R K O Engineers Hugh McDowell, Jr., and John Tribby, recording engineers, arrived today at the R K O studios in Hollywood from the RCA Photophone headquarters in New York City to join the staff of experts at work on talking Radio Pictures. The sound staff at R K O studios will be further augmented with the arrival shortly of Gilbert Brown and James Maresca, likewise from the RCA Photophone company in New York. Christie's Audien Lap Dissolves Marking another step in the technical advancement of the talking pictures, sound engineer Lodge Cunningham of the Christie staff, has worked out what is believed to be the first perfected lap dissolves done with voice and picture, in the current Douglas MacLean feature, "Divorce Made Easy." Scenes which dissolve back and forth between various characters in which the voices as well as the picture merge perfectly on one picture and sound track with no dupings of scenes, required much careful manipulation, and the results are said to be strikingly novel and developed to the same state of perfection which the simpler lap dissolves had attained in the former silent pictures. Even more of an achievement has just been accomplished by Cunningham in completing a process for double exposures in picture and sound, whereby a talking character can play a dual role, conversing with himself on the screen and using two different voices. First use of this will be made in a new Christie talking play to be started this week. Carey in "Trader Horn" Harry Carey will play the part of "Trader Horn" in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's picturization. He was signed this week for the title role by Irving Thalberg in New York where Carey has been making his home since his ranch at Saugus was swept away in the St. Francis Dam disaster. Carey, retiring from the Western field, made his last screen appearance in "The Trail of '98." Since that time he has been playing in a vaudeville sketch. Jim Watson's Boy Among Us Traveling by air, Captain E. G. Watson, son of the noted Indiana senator, left Los Angeles for Chicago recently following his election to the board of directors of the Qualitone Corporation, a local manufacturing concern sponsoring a new talking picture projection device. Captain Watson will visit his father, Senator James E. Watson, who is floor leader of the senate, while in the East and will also pay his respects to President Hoover, whom he met when he graduated from college as a young mining engineer. Watson, besides being a board member of the local manufacturing concern, is personal representative of the company's president, Samuel Freedman, and his mission in Chicago has to do with the enterprise with which he is now identified.