Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1929)

October 12, 1929 EXHIBITORS H If RALD-WU RLD IT Blind Prejudice Is Blamed for British Production Situation Ignores Opportunity, But Apes Passe U. S. Ideas, Says Briton Thou Shalt Not Hiss the Villain (Special to the Herald-World) BOSTON, Oct. 8. — Assistant Corporation Counsel Samuel Silverman notified theatre managers that hissing the villain would not be permitted in Boston theatres hereafter. He claimed to represent City Censor Casey in making the order. So far there is no ban on crying or laughing coughing or sneezing by those in the audiences. Stupidity Now Supplants Immorality as "What Is Wrong with the Movies Mrs. T. G. Winter Goes to Hollywood to Supply Missing Feminine Vieivpoint Motion pictures do not contain immorality — at least not enough to worry about. It is their stupidity — nothing less — that should receive public attention. This novel point of view was inserted into the well known issue, "What Is the Matter with the 'Movies'," by Mrs. T. G. Winter of Pasadena, Cal., former president of the National Federation of Women's Clubs, while she was spending last week-end in Chicago. She is on her way to Hollywood, following her appointment in New York last week at a conference of clubwomen and educators, as a committee of one to eradicate stupidity from the films. One thing she complained of was that there was no "woman's viewpoint" in pictures. "It is all tosh that women's minds are any different from men's," she suggested. "What men want in 'movies' women also want. Women are no more concerned with love than men." Representatives of producers also met with the conference which appointed Mrs. Winter. PFL's Talking Western Plan Confirms Results Of Herald-World Survey The demand for Westerns is seen in Paramount's announced plans to film Zane Grey's latest novel, "Fighting Caravans," as an audien. This bears out the results of the Herald-World survey on sound. Many exhibitors stated their belief that their audiences wanted talking Westerns provided they are of high standard. Paramount's plan to film this story was announced by Jesse L. Lasky, vice president, when he returned to New York from the West Coast last week. "FightingCaravans" will be the first Zane Grey story to be put in audible form and in the opinion of Lasky, sound will enhance the telling of western adventure stories a hundredfold. This belief developed from results obtained in filming "The Virginian." Gary Cooper has been selected for the leading role in this sort and Otto Brower will do the directing. The story is being adapted by Edward Paramore, Jr., and Keene Thompson is assisting with the dialog. Blackmail," Good and Bad, Found Case in PointMarket Open for W ell-Made Films The Herald-World presents herewith an article devoted in particular to the British picture, "Blackmail," which opened at the Selwyn theatre in New York last week, and in general to the British production situation. It is written by an Englishman ivho has sought to approach his subject as a practicality and not as a matter of patriotism. The author knoivs, naturally, the British viewpoint and he knows British production. In addition he knoivs the American market and American pictures. Thus equipped he offers an interesting discussion. — M. J. Q. "Blackmail," called the first British talking picture, is a particularly interesting film to one who is familiar with motion pictures on both sides of the Atlantic. The British trade hailed it as a sensational melodrama, as good as or better than anything America has ever produced. The American trade said that it was a good program picture and far better than the first American pictures in the new medium. Let us take a look at the picture itself. Prejudiced in its favor by what I had read in the London papers, I attended the trade preview in New York. I saw a crook story somewhat on the same order as United Artists' "Alibi." I saw excellent character work. In several sequences in a tobacconist's shop the people could not have been drawn better. Action was slow. Mr. John Longdes, the hero, was expressionless and unconvincing. Mr. Cyril Ricthard, minor bad man of the piece, gave no real indication of his evil leanings until, behind a curtain (where I could not watch his features), he attempted the assault which resulted in his death. Mr. Donald Calthorp, the blackmailer, experienced actor of the legitimate stage, was excellent in every way, could not have been better. Splendid Synchronizing Feat Miss Anny Ondra, the heroine, was sweet and appealing. When I stopped to consider that another voice was synchronized to her lip movement I must congratulate the recording engineers. This particular phase of the picture was a beautiful piece of work and, unless I had known it beforehand, I should never have guessed it possible. Voices, throughout, were uniformly good. The faults of the picture, I think, with a few exceptions, were those of omission rather than commission. These exceptions were an absurd chase through the British Museum and the manner in which a telling Lubitsch touch on the psychological effect of the repetition of the word "knife" to the murderess was grossly overdone. Faults of Omission The faults of omission were these: Except for a brief shot of the National Gallery the picture made no use at all of the architectural beauty which is London's. It failed to start the picture proper until half-way through the footage. It lacked tempo as well as that subtle thing which is known as atmosphere. The direction was inexcusably bad. Mr. Maurice Arthur Dent, who came over here to see that his company's initial talking opus received proper attention, made a speech at a luncheon after the showing in which he confirmed many of my impressions of the present, and past, state of mind of the British industry. There are times when one gets very much annoyed at one's own countrymen. This was one of those occasions. Want Any Film That Is Good Dr. Dent talked of prejudice. He spoke of theatre trusts which might keep "Blackmail" from a Broadway run. He suggested that legislation be enacted to insure American distribution of British pictures. He entirely ignored the fact that Americans are primarily showmen and business men and want any picture, no matter what its origin, that will make money. "Variety" and "The Last Laugh" are cases in point of foreign pictures which were tremendously successful in the United States. There is a tendency in the motion picture business on both sides of the Atlantic towards imitation. If one company comes out with a night club picture and the picture makes a hit, 50 other night club features spring into production between evening and dawn. This results in many mediocre and sometimes rotten films being foisted on a public which does not appreciate the difference between one company and another. Follows American Method While production in England is on a much smaller scale than it is in the States, there is little that is new about it. It follows the American method and does not do it so well. When talking pictures were new the British trade said to itself: "Here's where we start off on a clean slate. Sound is new and everyone has an equal opportunity. In fact, with our dramatic talent, our great writers, we have a slight advantage over the gentlemen from Hollywood." Which may have been true and should have been true. But England, with this advantage, sat still, failed to act, didn't wake up to the possibility of the talking pictures till certain American made pictures were toppling box office records in the West End theatres. Audiences jeered_ at the crude American accent but they paid to see the pictures because, in spite of their alien lingual crudities, they were the only talking pictures to be patronized. Later_ on they kept on paying because the American pictures were the best talking pictures to be seen or heard anywhere. With its wealth of literature, far tran{Contimted on next page)