Hollywood Spectator (1937-39)

Hollywood Spectator Page Five the box-office, have none on 1939 production schedules.” The fact that there are no musicals on some schedules would seem to point to the accuracy of the Examiner writer in giving the reason. We have, then, the spectacle of a group of studio executives — the salary of any one of whom would make a generous salary per head for the others if divided among the lot — solemnly acting upon its conviction that the public would spurn a picture because it is a musical and without regard for the degree of entertainment value it might possess; in other words, that the public would refuse to be entertained by an entertaining musical picture. Like many other manifestations of the thought process of those in whose hands lies the destiny of the film industry as a whole, this one is more like a superstition than a product of clear business reasoning. There is something childishly ingenuous in the attitude of executives. I do not doubt for a moment that they are honest in their belief that fickleness of public taste is responsible for the failure of musicals to maintain their drawing power. 'If you told them the truth — that the blame belongs solely to them because they do not know how to make musicals which will continue to entertain the public — if you told them that, they would have a good laugh, tell you you are a very funny fellow, and your joke would go galloping up and down studio corridors. * * * PICTURES AND THEIR PEOPLE . . . ONE of my real favorites is Ann Sothern, soon to appear in Tay Garnett’s Trade Winds, her first picture since last October. Sensible girl; got RKO to cancel her contract, takes only parts she likes; turned down a couple of dozen before accepting Tay’s. . . . Good acting is not always good for the actor. Bela Lugosi, skilled actor, happened to be cast in a “horror” role; did so well, others of a like nature followed; became typed; horror pictures went out, and now Lugosi is finding it difficult to make a living, even though the public would give him a cordial greeting in a sympathetic role. There always is a market for good acting. . . . Olivia de Havilland’s cultivated and musical voice is among the most pleasant on the screen. . . . Occurs to me that if the film industry wished to be perfectly honest about it, the billboards of the country would be adorned with, “Motion Pictures Could Be Your Best Entertainment.” ... A screen memory; W. C. Fields inheriting a lot of money in Call It a Day, smashing into the car of a road hog; buying a new car and repeating the process until he got out of his system all the things he had yearned to do when he could afford but one car. • • • I am about ready to see Katharine Hepburn on the screen again if they give her a part in which she can play the girl, not herself. . . . Glad to see Joe yon Sternberg back in harness. . . . Five years ago, in reviewing a picture directed by Edward Ludwig, I said some day he would be batting in the big league, from what I hear about his direction of the Deanna Durbin new picture, I believe my prophesy is about to come true. ... I want to see Carefree again for another look at Fred Astaire’s rhythmic golf swing; think my game has suffered by my failure to sing when I swing. . . . Columbia’s pictures open with the most unattractive studio identification emblem, Universal’s with the most attractive; but occasionally some of the others rise to artistic heights. It is a poor commentary on the film industry’s efficiency when a picture like A Letter of Introduction has to be teamed with a gangster picture to fill out an evening’s entertainment. . . . Glad to see Billy Gilbert in another picture in which he does not sneeze. . . . An entry in the notebook I have with me at all times: “Wally, GR. 6455.” Waldemar Young gave me his phone number, telling me to call him up and the four of us (our wives) would have dinner together; it was my last chat with a good friend, agreeable companion and true gentleman. . . . As long as pictures are composed so largely of dialogue, it might be a good idea now and then to treat the audience to a beautifully worded speech, one which by developing the charm which words can have, if given to a character who logically could read it, would have distinct entertainment value. . . . Harry Langdon’s return to pictures is an isolated instance of the screen’s return to sanity. ... If good wishes were winged things whose flights were visible in the Hollywood sky, we could see today a million of them darting in the direction of the hospital room of Bill Powell. * * * LITTLE PROSPECT OF SHOOTING . . . SUBSCRIBER writes to ask me why I have tried the Department of Justice’s case against the major film companies and handed down a verdict in favor of the government. “When a matter gets into the courts none of us knows how it is going to come out,” he writes. “The verdict may be in favor of the defendants and we may still have block booking, etc.” My correspondent seems to overlook the fact that back of the government stands a congress ready to do anything to the film industry that the courts leave undone. 'If block booking is not abolished by court action, it will be by legislation. But I do not think either the courts or congress will effect the reforms the film industry needs for its own good. It will be another case like that of the coon which looked down from a tree to the hunters below, and said, “Don’t shoot; I’ll come down.” * * * DUFFY UNCOVERING TALENT . . . HAT El Capitan College of the Theatre is doing fine work was impressed upon me last week when I visited the cosy little Las Palmas Theatre and saw Michael and Mary, the A. A. Milne three-act play which enjoyed considerable popularity in its day. With a cast composed wholly of young players who are being trained in Henry Duffy’s extraordinarily successful institution, the play provided an evening of real entertainment which asked little concession to the fact that those playing the parts were making their first appearances on the stage. I was impressed particularly with those who played the title roles,