Motion Picture Magazine (Aug 1928-Jan 1929)

Constance TALMADGE's Certified Confession Blanche Sweet's disclosures concerning the secret passages in her life, made public for the first time in the October issue of Motion Picture CLASSIC, were startling But they constitute only the beginning of a series of revelations equally astounding by a number of stars equally notable Next month's — the November — CLASSIC will bring to you the second of these confessional articles It will be the story, the courageous and simple and outright story, the hitherto hidden phases of the career of CONSTANCE TALMADGE This astonishing magazine feature will relate to you, exactly as Miss Talmadge has related it to us, the intimate chapters of her life's history which up to the present have been jealously withheld They comprise things not only, until now, never before published, but things never before told — to anyone And this, as well as their truth, is certified by Miss Talmadge's own affidavit, properly witnessed, notarized and sealed Watch for Constance Talmadge's real story. It will reach you October 10 — the day when your newsstand will have for you your copy of the November Motion Picture classic It's the Magazine with the Personality FIFTEEN-DOLLAR LETTER Keep the Movies Quiet INDIANAPOLIS, IND— A m e r i c a progresses — progress accompanied by noise. Our streets and homes are filled with it. There was once an escape, into the cool, "silent" movie. But, alas, the very, movies are becoming noisy. Are those behind the talking picture thoroughly considering the situation? Are they applying the fundamentals of physiology and psychology? Do they know that the eye is keener to interpret than the ear? The eye apprehends a sentence at one reading, the ear only after repetition or time for "soaking in." Do they take into account the dialects of the various parts of the country? Do they consider the moral depreciation caused by the spoken parts of certain movies? Do they know that the voice heard through vitaphone or radio is detrimental to the nervous system? Talking movies may appear to be progress — I would say, progress in the wrong direction. God grant that we shall still have the literally "silent" drama. (Miss) Ella E. Warren. TEN-DOLLAR LETTER Give Them Time YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND— Some of your correspondents do not appear to like the letters published criticizing plays and players, but there is no surer sign of the hold motion pictures have on every class of person. We go to the Opera and hear perhaps wonderful singers, but see (to say the least of it) faces and figures which must be totally unlike the composer's idea of them; or to the Musical Comedy with stories so thin you can't find them, and perhaps one good actor in ten, and we leave it there ; but let us see a picture with a single character miscast, one trifling detail wrong, or a star who does not appeal to usquite asmuchasusual, and what happens! Do we excuse them? Certainly not, we write to the papers about them, and put in black and white exactly what we think about everybody concerned. The fact of the matter is that we know if we complained about the Opera or the Musical Comedy they couldn't be improved very much because the talent is so limited, but not so with the Movies, there is no end to their possibilities, new taler.t discovered almost every day, Directors broadening their outlook, and more attention paid to details. After all "What's wrong with the Movies" — nothing they won't grow out of, given a little time and patience. Yours Truly, Elsie Fraser. Prizes for Best Letters Each month Motion Picture Magazine will award cash prizes for the three best letters published. Fifteen dollars will be paid for the best letter, ten dollars for the second best, and five dollars for the third. If more than one letter is considered of equal merit, the full amount of the prize will go to each writer. So, if you've been entertaining any ideas about the movies and the stars, confine yourself to about 200 words or less, and let's know what's on your mind. Anonymous communications will not be considered and no letters will be returned. Sign your full name and address. W^e will use initials if requested. Address: Laurence Reid, Editor, Motion Picture Magazine, Paramount Building, 1501 Broadway, New York City. FIVE-DOLLAR LETTER A Worthwhile Diversion WENATCHEE, WASHINGTON— How can anyone with a sense of justice and fair dealing condemn the movies? Of all forms of amusement, they are the least harmful, to my way of thinking. Drinking, dancing, card playing — these can easily lead to crime, but the movies — never! Moving pictures are far more uplifting than some of the magazines that are flooding the news-stands today. I have yet to see a picture without a moral. The law of retribution is faithfully adapted to the silent drama. Yet there are people who stoutly maintain that pictures are a menace to morals. Absurd ! Instead of being harmful, they are beneficial. They educate, they furnish wholesome entertainment to young and old, rich and poor, and they help us to understand and appreciate the beautiful things of life. We learn about peoples of other countries, and about people living in other sections of our own United States. We see how people spokeand dressed and conducted themselves in other times. Then, too, we cannot fail to note the flawless English employed in the subtitles. Oh, I could go on indefinitely naming their good points. Sincerely, Marie Tippin. {Continued on page 114)