Motion Picture Magazine (Aug 1928-Jan 1929)

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PHILADELPHIA Letters to the Editor (Continued from page 6) great amount of applause which has hitherto been unwillingly confined and would instil a feeling of satisfaction in the audience. I offer this idea to the producers of our moving picture for what it is worth to them. Very truly yours, Sam Levinkind. Hollywood Divorces HOLLYWOOD, CAL.— There is no question that moving pictures have a very vital part in influencing the morals of a vast number of movie fans, and the lives of favored actors and actresses are scrutinized with great care by their admirers. This is rather hard on these people, but it is, unfortunately, the price of fame. Therefore we believe the mad scramble for divorces that is sweeping our country is in some measure due to the fact that divorces are the rule rather than the exception in Hollywood. There they change their mates much as they change their clothes. They even forget at times, no doubt, just who their present husband or wife is. They seem to think the situation is a great jest. Because the lives of those who have become famous belong to a certain extent to those who have elevated them to that position, their morals should be supervised, if they are not capable of looking after them themselves. The present standard is anything but high, and its demoralizing effect is being reflected in our courts. Sincerely yours, N. M. Elliott. Gl onous Gl ona NEW YORK, N. Y— For five years there has been one actress on the screen who has given us great performance after great performance with never a faltering step. She has had her share of poor pictures, but her work in those pictures has never been characterized by phlegmatic indifference. She has never allowed a mediocre picture to dominate her; she has dominated it, for whatever any of her pictures have lacked in interest and conviction, she has more than made up for with her marvelous acting and irresistible personality. I speak of Gloria Swanson, that superb artiste. When she made "The Humming Bird," she gave us an unforgettable performance, which was her first potent bid for acting supremacy. Since then each of her pictures, whether drama or comedy, has been characterized by a performance notable for its depth of understanding, subtle interpretation and spontaneity. Her versatility is amazing. Miss Swanson has never failed to strike a responsive and enthusiastic chord in her audiences. Her portrayal of Sadie Thompson is the greatest bit of acting I ever have seen ; it is vivid, forceful and thrilling, a perfect portrayal by the greatest actress on the screen. There never has been another Glorious Gloria and there never will be. Truly yours, Ethel D. Sippcrly. Appreciation of "Old Ironsides" BIRMINGHAM, ALA.— May one who saw "Old Ironsides" be permitted to register an appreciation of this delightful picture? This is a notable filming of a stirring chapter in the annals of our country. The action moves forward in true historic beat. We catch the delicate echoes of olden times ; we also hear the harsh note of that long-ago sounded by the picturesque ruffians who made the high seas their stage for brawling and pilfering. Youth's lyric beauty of expression is afforded by Esther Ralston and Charles Farrell. Special tribute must be paid to Wallace Beery, who fairly revels in the role of "boson," and we may add that his audience revels with him. "Age cannot wither nor custom stale" this character actor's art as moons wax and wane. . . . Films featuring the famous "IT," those exploiting the Coney Island theme, the rodeo Romeo, the slinky night life, may boast their following, but somehow this picturization of American prowess on the maritime main stands out with a dignity and charm that cannot be attributed to all that flickers across the silversheet. Sincerely, (Mrs.) Rosivell H. Cobb. Movie Public Critical GLENCOE, ILL.— Censors or no censors, the movies have made a big advance in the last few years. They give us better pictures, better actors, better photography and more capable directors. The movie public, during the same time, has grown more discriminating, therefore more critical. It demands the best, and in my opinion, receives it. (There are exceptions, of course, to every broad stater ment. ) When I recall the flawless pictures I have seen, "The Volga Boatman," "Young April," "Seventh Heaven," "Sorrell and Son," "Ramona," "Ben-Hur," "The King of Kings," and others too numerous to mention, which appeal to " a variety of tastes, I do not feel like criticizing but extolling an industry which has created more real enjoyment than any other. Think of the thousands, tied to their daily tasks, who can cross the continents, via the Silver Screen, to view the wonders of the world and without losing their jobs — even, possibly, being fitted for a better one, while many of them pluck the flower of romance only from this source. Pictures of educational character do more for our children than oral instruc ' tion in the schools and revive their elders' failing memories. E. E. U. We All Profit By Good Pictures NEW YORK, N. Y.— "The Ten Commandments" made a deeper and more lasting impression on me than any movie I ever saw. We so often deplore the actions of youth. Advice and lecturing on the part of older ones seem to do but little good. They have to learn for themselves, and the place where they are most apt to learn life's lessons these days is in the moving picture show. This picture gave excellent Bible instruction, and alongside with this showed the results of disobedience and how children's conduct would in later years be brought to bear upon those dearly beloved parents who grow dearer "each step of the way." Give us more of these good plays which we want our children to see and be educated by. And not only are they good for youth ; we grownups can profit as well. Very truly yours, /. G. I 'an Brenner. 118