International photographer (Jan-Dec 1934)

Twenty-eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER J unc, 1934 HOLLYWOOD AND LONDON [Phil Tannura departed for his home in England, May 15, after a sojourn of several weeks in Hollywood studying American motion pictures up-to-date. Mr. Tannura has been in England and France for six years and is at present associated with Gaumont-British as lighting expert with the title of Technical Adviser. He reports English production as coming fast and that the Americans at work there are doing their part in a creditable manner. Come again soon, Phil; everybody likes you here. Editor's Note.] Said Mr. Tannura in a brief chat between studio jumps: "Six long years, but on second thought they were useful years considering the valuable experience I obtained on how several European companies conducted their various ways of producing a picture. "France always gave me the impression of hectic business ideals, no matter what was done excitement had to be featured, but it was never shown in the finished picture, for in reality the tempo was slow even with an excited mind. Hollywood should think twice before they put money into French production. "London gave me a new slant on production. The field is not crowded with over rated production heads, the thought behind each picture is sincere, with only one thing in mind and that the production of a good picture. No time is lost during the day checking up on chiseling friends; no such methods are carried on in England. Each and everyone has a particular job to do and if that job is done well you have no fear that someone is quietly 'cutting your throat' to get your job. "Everyone is kept happy; your mind is clear of destructive thoughts and that is why Em sure that some day London will be as popular as Hollywood in the production of pictures. "Having come six thousand miles for rest and to see how much the great motion picture center had progressed in the matter of making motion pictures, I was sort of disappointed. The only departments that I can say have materially improved since I left six years ago are the camera and processing departments. Otherwise things are the same. The men in these departments should be recognized by the producers as they save thousands of dollars on every production. "I want to say here and now that producers are making a grave mistake in the kind of pictures they are producing. Here is some free advice ; instead of wasting so much time on ridiculous arguments regarding double billing and sex pictures as the cause of reduced box office receipts, why not wrack their brains and find out the real cause. Some years ago Hollywood was producing the kind of pictures that glorified America. What did the pictures do in foreign countries? They made the natives have a yearning and desire to see America. Then the producers turned to gangster pictures instead, showing all kinds of crooked officials, depicting every phase of life, which gave the impression that America was a terrible place to live in. "The countries that were showing these American pictures were mighty happy, for it kept the natives at home to spend their money in their own home country. While in England, at the theatres, not only once, but many times I have heard people around me after viewing one of these pictures exclaim : 'Thank God the Atlantic Ocean is between us.' "What does this really mean? It means that the enormous tourist trade that the American merchants depended upon has either stayed at home or gone to another country. Has anyone in America ever seen a foreign picture showing the bad parts of their country? Never! So, producers, take a tip from someone who has studied the situation and get back to the kind of pictures that show America as the greatest country in the world to live in." 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