Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1934)

16 MOTION PICTURE HERALD November 10, 1934 AIN'T GONNA BE NO MORE ENGLISH Motion picture players will have to mind their p's and q's, and their broad a's as well, for the educators are about to put English — as spoken in Hollywood — "on the spot." Henceforth, if the educators have their way, the letter r will be pronounced something like a cross between the double-rf sound employed by the British and the growling tigerlike r of the Philadelphian, but it will be pronounced. In any event, the American English in the film medium must be improved if the language is to survive — at least so say teachers of English and the English classics. According to William Cabell Greet, of the department of English at Columbia University, President Roosevelt's diction and general deportment of speech is "a fine example of an educated American using few localisms and little of the vestigial British accent typical of his class." "We want to make Americans speak like Americans," said Dr. Greet, "jiot like a cross between Walter Hampden and an Englishman. 1 doubt if 1 have anything of real interest to say to Hollywood in this respect, but it was with considerable pleasure that I agreed with the statement 1 saw attributed to Lionel Barrymore that concert! about speech had hurt more actors than it had helped. "I think it unfortunate, on the other hand, that as the influence of the 19th Century American school of elocution is growing weaker — except, perhaps, in the speech departments of our public high schools — an admiration for an equally false, socalled British accent is taking its place. These affected accents, lying outside the historic development of American English, may be said to be 'like the mule, without pride of ancestry or hope of progeny.' " Phonographing the Frosh Announcement was made recently at Columbia that Dr. Greet would supervise a full graduate course there, in addition to his regular duties, in a new "Language Room," equipped with recording instruments, discs, phonographs, charts and a phonetics exhibit. In addition, each Columbia freshman is to be required to make three phonograph records during the year, by which his speech defects may be corrected. These speeches are to be extemporaneous. Speaking for the industry's production branch in this weighty matter, Cecil B. De Mille last week expressed the fear that if Americans continue dropping their consonants there soon will be no recognizable English spoken anywhere in the country. They will be talking in grunts, like Indians, Mr. De Mille said. "When I cast a feature picture, approximately 70 per cent of the talent is innmediately out," he said. "They sinnply can't speak the lines in English as required." Mr. De Mille bespoke a fear that the word yes will have become extinct in That's the Fear of the Educators, SoSomethingls ToBeDone About It; More Classics Held Solution RASSLIN' WITH KING'S ENGLISH Cecil B. DeMille, erstwhile professor of English during the producing of "Cleopatra," found a real problem on his hands — and tongue — to wit: "I tried with desperation to get extras in the mob scene to speak the ivord 'wrestling' as it should be spoken. Seventy-five per cent of them said 'rasslin' '." America, this item having already become little more than a grunt, such as yeah or plain yah. The yes-men, however, are expected to survive. Says Film Classics Would Help Dr. Stella S. Center, head of the department of English in Theodore Roosevelt high school, New York, felt that picturization of more of the classics would do much to improve the speech of Hollywood's actors and actresses. "Teachers of English all over the country are much concerned with trying to raise the literary taste of young people and are trying to tie up English instruction in school with the entire life of the child," Dr. Center said. "That is why we have conversation groups of students and discuss radio programs and what books and magazines to read. "On the subject of motion pictures, it should be understood that teachers of English do not approve of the average screen version of classics. But it is felt that the motion picture is with us and that its influence must be reckoned with. There is no sense in adopting an academic, highbrow, superior attitude. We cannot merely ignore the fact that children do go and will go to see moving pictures. Two Objectives "So we have been trying to attack the problem with two objectives in view, our main purpose being to make possible conditions that shall result in the presentation on the screen of pictures having higher standards— both as to speech and method of presentation. We are trying to show the producers our ideals of better pictures and to train our pupils to more intelligent appreciation." Pupils in Dr. Center's classes are asked to note whether a picture is well cast, whether it is authentic as to dress and background, whether the acting is sincere and artistic and, most important of all, whether the actors' speech is generally satisfactory. It is Dr. Center's firm conviction that within a few years, when the level of intelligent discrimination is raised everywhere, the result must be the production of higher class pictures and better speech, "since the taste of the audiences will demand them." Speaking for the Hollywood acting profession— unofficially — Mary Boland said it was her conviction that the language of purest Boston eventually would become the standard of good American speech. This, of course, involves the broad a and the eliminated r in the middle of words. "Boston English will become the standard speech of the films and from the movies it will be adopted by the people of the United States generally," Miss Boland said. "Language as dispensed in the 'Hub' is the purest English in the United States, and educated Bostonians speak better English than Londoners — always excepting King George, whose English is perfect." Miss Boland describes as "absurd" the "Oxford accent" — the affectation of many of those who have attended the British university and "a lot who haven't." The finest diction on the American stage or screen is that employed by John Barrymore, Miss Boland said, with Irving Pichel and Warren William deserving honorable mention. PJ^ irner Considers Film Scholarship A scholarship for students in colleges and universities where courses in motion pictures are offered was suggested to students of New York University recently by Harry M. Warner, president of Warner Brothers. Mr. Warner had been invited to address the motion picture class on "Problems in Motion Picture Production." "I am giving a great deal of thought as to what we can do to encourage what you are doing here," Mr. Warner told the students, "and I have several plans in mind. We may decide to select one student from each college where motion pictures are being studied, and give him one year's trial. Perhaps it will be something like a scholarship. I think there is a distinct possibility of that and I am going to get in touch with vou later and probably give the idea a year's trial." Sol G. Newman Dies in London Sol G. Newman, managing director of Radio Pictures, Ltd., which handled RKO Radio pictures throughout the British Isles, died in London Tuesday. Mr. Newman's death followed a three-weeks illness. Mr. Newman, who was in his late 50's, had been in charge of the British company since its formation. No successor as yet has been appointed. Two RKO Units Dissolved J. Henry Walters, RKO attorney, has filed certificates with the secretary of state at Albany dissolving the Flatbush Leasing Corporation and St. John Riviera Corporation, which have become obsolete and are no longer operating.