The Film Spectator (Mar-Dec 1928)

Page Fourteen THE FILM SPECTATOR December 15, 1928 that they must hurry up and get this through with because they have a luncheon engagement at the Algonquin with St. John Ervine or Jo Hergesheimer or the Love sisters. It was not always so, I think — there must have been a day when things were done decently and in order. And then I remember the iirst coming-to-London of one of the great prose writers — George Borrow. In those days young hacks went to the big cities to write, just as they do now. And young Borrow, casting his eye over the Literary Supplement of The Times, and others of like ilk, felt a hollow sensation within him and wanted to return home and settle down to pleasant farming. For how could he hope to be clever enough to become one of that brilliant array of talent the press was sending forth in print daily ? It took him days and sometimes weeks to write his painstaking stuff, which he often fashioned and refashioned — and which wasn't clever at all. But the sequel shows Borrow translated into many languages; but the London wits, all that fine assemblage of journalistic brilliance — the identical brilliance you'll find in the Hearst syndicate and the New York World and most of the reviews — are no more. "Sermones ego mallem repentes per hummum " * * * EMIL Ludwig's now quite famous book on Goethe is full of illuminating illustrations, pictorial and otherwise: dozens of photographs, and photographs of photographs, and a generous recounting of the faults and foibles of the great worldling. There's even a picture of a clay reproduction of his hand. All that's lacking is his collar size, the measurement of his cranium, and the knowledge of whether he had ten or only nine toes — and there would be no need to read his books to know all about him. Biography is unduly popular, and this sort of data is unduly popular in biography. For we see this stuff, and forget that the man was probably a genius in spite of, rather than because of, that fat hand. And as to his Demon, as Ludwig calls it, even telephone girls have demons. The next generation, reading and weighing our profound research into our great historical figures, will be apt to think great gifts came only where there were great faults — that Beethoven's deafness helped him write great symphonies; that Socrates was intelligent because he wore a number nine hat and had a shrewish wife; that Wagner's colossal genius came of not being married to Cosima; and ditto for Chopin and George Sand, and George Eliot as well; possibly that Homer's blindness accounted for his epic vision; or that Walter Raleigh wrote exquisitely because he was a dwarf, or Byron stirringly because he had a club foot. And following the logical line of this reasoning, they may wonder why no lepers were numbered among our great men, because that ought to be affliction enough to give a man something to talk about. Well, I could tell about Naaman Our particular pride is that we are able to please folks who are particular about the kind of printing they get. 'No The OXFORD PRESS, Inc, 6713-15 Sunset Blvd. GR. 6346 "Tor^ of breams'' Setting a pace for 1929 WESLEY RUGGLES' Production Phone GRanite 5111 D. W. GRIFFITH PRODUCTIONS United Artists Studios 1041 NORTH FORMOSA AVENUE Los Angeles, Sept. 18. My dear Mr. Martell: My compliments to you on your gypsy picture, "Hearts of Romany." It interested me intensely and I am certain you have done a very fine thing. You have captured one of the most difficult things a director can face, and that is the real atmosphere of a gypsy camp. This alone is a triumph for anyone, but in addition your gypsy people were splendid in their characters. They acted, in the best sense of that word. If you can do this sort of thing, you should have a big career, and I shall be very happy to watch it develop. Sincerely, D. W. GRIFFITH. NOW PLAYING AT UNITED ARTISTS THEATRE, LOS ANGELES Send The Spectator for Christmas Your friends will be delighted to receive The Spectator as a Christmas gift. The pleasure will last a year. It is $5.00 for 52 issues in the United States; $6.00 Foreign. THE FILM SPECTATOR 6362 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, California Enclosed find $ for which please send The Film Spectator for one year to each of the following addresses. Name Street Town State Name Street Town State My Name Address