Picture Play Magazine (1938)

Continued from page 9 As for the Metropolitan Opera, she has refused several offers to appear there, and, of far greater importance than that, she was recently invited to sing at La Scala, Milan, which is the center of the opera world, in comparison with which the Metropolitan is merely a local theater. Miss Moore has depended entirely upon her stories and her supporting players for her success. After her overblown initial triumph in "One Night of Love," the public is rapidly tiring of her — mainly owing to her lack of versatility— and she is descending the ladder to oblivion. Miss O'Brien's comment concerning Nelson Eddy adding to Miss MacDonald's popularity is pure balderdash. I recently noticed a paragraph in an English publication which said that Allan Jones's teaming with Miss MacDonald would result in an increase in his popuarity — a fact which, I think, speaks for itself. Ronald Lundie. Ivydene, Green Lane, Staines Road, Hounsow, Middlesex, England. A Silly Fan. TO Sidney Ann Gold: You seem to be an ardent theater fan who still does not take the screen seriously. Just because school children attend the movies you think no cultured people care about the cinema. I am not going to brag about myself. But I would like you to know I am not writing this in my own language, but in a foreign one I learned when I was a child. My own language is Spanish, though I speak French just as well, and my limited English barely permits me to write these colorless lines. So I would like to know if you call me uncultured just because I like movies and consider there are many talented stars in Hollywood. I went to New York this past season and I attended many stage plays. I was mad over John Gielgud's "Hamlet." I had seen him in London, but never liked him as the Prince of Denmark. Lillian Gish as Ophelia wTas greater than ever, and did you see her in "Within the Gates"? Katharine Cornell in "The Wingless Victory" didn't please me as much as in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," and petite Helen Hayes was just as good as Gaby Morlay as Victoria Regina. By the way, Mr. Gold, have you ever seen Mile. Morlay on the stage in Paris? I am a devoted theater fan. I see plays in three different languages and like Gish, Cornell, Gielgud, and Hayes in the United States as much as Mile. Morlay, Sascha Guitry, Cecile Sorel, and Franchise Rosay in France, and Margarita Xirgu, Maria Tuhau, Lola Membrives, and Ernesto Vilches in Cuba or Spain. You only speak for the New York theater. You say Broadway is the place where true talent exists and Hollywood where "hams" exist. Well, Mr. Gold, it depends. There is a play in New York which hasn't the slightest shadow of art, "Tobacco Road," yet it has been running for five years and applauded by that public which you call well-bred and What the Fans Think intelligent. "Tobacco Road," the great play of the American stage, couldn't lasl a week out of the States. And you have, on the other hand, two pictures that are sweeping the whole world. Both American, both grand. "A Star Is Born" and "The Good Earth." I saw "The Good Earth" on the stage in New York, with Nazimova, and you know it was a flop. Would you compare it with the movie masterpiece and could you find an actress capable of playing O-Lan as Luise Rainer did? You only mention Robert Taylor and Tyrone Power as Hollywood stars. You make me laugh. Why didn't you list the names of Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Elisabeth Bergner, Janet Gaynor, Luise Rainer, and Bette Davis? And John Barrymore, Charlie Chaplin, Charles Boyer, Fredric March, Leslie Howard, and Charles Laughton? Most of them once belonged to the footlights. I saw Sarah Bernhardt, Eleonora Duse and Maria Guerro and the other actresses of the past. I even considered La Argentina one of my best friends. 1 think the American theater should feel proud of having Lillian Gish, Katharine Cornell, Helen Hayes and Eva Le Gallienne among its actresses as much as the movies who own a Luise Rainer, a Greta Garbo, and a Janet Gaynor whose performances in "The Good Earth," "Camille" and "A Star Is Born" speak for themselves. Please, Mr. Gold, accept this answer in English from one of the silliest movie fans. Maria del Carmen de Borboa. Havana, Cuba. Open Your Eyes. I HAVE read Mildred Post's letter in *■ the June issue, in which she commences by running down Nelson Eddy, and winds up by idiotically suggesting Nino Martini as a partner for Jeanette MacDonald. Surely, if she is a constant picture-goer. Miss Post will see how unsuited Mr. Martini is to Miss MacDonald. His acting — if such it can be called —could never compare with the queenly grace and spontaneity of the diva. Only a partner possessing that elusive quality, chivalry, and all the charm of an Old VJ World lover, could ever suit the singing star. In this role Nelson Eddy is incomparable. Mr. Eddy is not exceedingly handsome— by which I mean lie has not the usual perfect features and bandbox appearance of the screen heroes, who all seem to have been made in the same mold. However, in place of this common handsomeness, he has the rugged charm, sincere manner and frank speech of a real man. lie docs not ape the ^leat screen lover of all time as do some of these creatures who pretend to he stars. His voice, of course, is superb, and in the estimation of many, he has plenty of acting ability. Perhaps Miss Posl docs not appreciate the arresting genuineness of Nelson Eddy's acting because she has seen too much of the overdone love-making of the dapper and effeminate Mr. Martini. In this respect. 1 pity her greatly. To he blind to the faults of an actor whose only decent feature is his voice, and also to be blind to the fact that Nelson Eddy is one of the screen's best ^t;irs. and is setting a vogue for a more manly hero, must indeed be a terrible affliction. Matjreen Osborne. n Cliftonville Parade, Belfast. North Ireland. A Pair of Nitwits. NOTICING in October Picture Play that my idol of screen, radio and opera, Nino Martini, was unduly ridiculed, I wish to state the following: The audacity of a person saying Mr. Martini's voice is nasal! I consider that person to be very ignorant concerning vocal art. Also disgusted with Miss M. for agreeing to such ignorance. They both make an excellent pair of nitwits. The glorious voice of Martini has thrilled thousands, and I thank God that I am able to see as well as hear him. My friends and I are anxiously awaiting his "Music for Madame." We in Toronto adore Martini. Once again I salute Mr. Martini, the great, the una! tamable! Evelyn Wilson. 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