The Bioscope (Jul-Sep 1931)

August 19, 1931 THE BIOSCOPE 21 In Hollywood Now Enter the “ Plot Doctor” Life Study of Audience Reactions {By Our Hollywood Correspondent, John Dee) them a sensationally realistic reconstruction of the Poseiden disaster. Summers’ “Sonny ” Summer After working at top speed all day on Monday, Walter Summers passed through an anxious night. Films and film artists played no part in his nightmare, though it was a juvenile that led to all his trouble. At 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning his microphonic ear caught a strange sound and the nurse announced the arrival of a son. At 9 a.m., having had no sleep since his last " take,” he was back at Elstree trying to forget " Sonny Boy ” and to think about submarines. “ Shuttlecoq ’’ Herbert Wilcox has decided to re-title his new production, started under the working title “ The Blue Danube,” and the film will be known as " Shuttlecoq.” The story is an original one written by Doris Zinkeisen, and is being directed by Herbert Wilcox, whose latest production, " Carnival,” featuring Matheson Lang, will be presented by W. & F. early next month. In the cast of “ Shuttlecoq ” are Alfred Rhode and his Tzigane band, Brigette Helm, Joseph Schildkraut, Chili Bouchier, Desmond Jeans, Massine and Nikitina. Great Snakes at Twickenham A python 14 feet in length is expected at Twickenham this week to play an important part in " Murder at Covent Garden,” and its ” talkie ” debut is awaited by the production unit with a certain amount of trepidation. However, Dennis Neilson Terry, who is to play opposite the snake, has not so far wavered in his attitude of cheery " nonchalance,” and Leslie Hiscott, who has to direct the reptile, is also a brave man. After all, he has had some experience of snakes, having been in the film business quite a few years. Unless the python develops “ temperament,” " Murder at Co vent Garden ” should be done on scheduled time. Henri de Vries, Walter Fitzgerald, Binnie Barnes and Cochran’s Young Ladies are the latest additions to the cast. * * * As a direct result of his clever performance in " Chin Chin Chinaman,” recently completed at Twickenham, George Curzon has been placed under contract by Julius Hagen. He will play a leading part in " Murder at Covent Garden,” the next Twickenham film. W.H.M. News Theatre’s Anniversary The News Theatre, in Shaftesbury Avenue, celebrated its first anniversary on Monday (August 17th). This theatre, the first of its kind in Europe, has proved a highly successful proposition and has certainly become one of London’s recognised centres of attraction. It is significant that three weeks ago, on July 28th, the millionth ticket was sold at the box office, although the seating capacity of this little theatre is only 500. British Movietone News have certainly been responsible for many memorable scoops and some magnificent examples of modern cinematic photography, while they have shown what an influential and powerful vehicle the sound news camera is becoming. There is something more than comic opera in Paramount’s appointment of an amateur psychologist to the job of foolproofing all scenarios before production. Superficially the thing is Gilbertian. Harry Chandlee, a lawyer by profession, has been privately studying audiencereactions for fourteen years ; he claims to have seen some films as many as thirty times to make his analyses complete. He is now the salaried sieve through which all Paramount scripts pass on their way to the floor. But Chandlee is no charlatan. After a chat with him one wishes that studio heads had been impartially studying audiences for fourteen years. “ ‘ Holiday ’ was a success,” he says, " for almost the sole reason that it humiliated wealth, a fundamentally satisfying sensation for onlookers since the world began. ‘ Seed ’ will not enjoy the great success it deserves because it tips the scales against motherlove.” " Vicarious satisfaction ” and “ audience participation ” are two of Chandlee’s story touchstones. Part of his long studies were devoted to questionnaires aimed at fundamental curiosities of the public ; to this end he once circularised two hundred people of various types to discover in what combinations of characters they would most be interested ; 187 plumped for the minister and the chorus girl ! ” Certain ideas and combinations,” he told me in his bright new studio office, “ produce infallibly certain reactions in the human mind. In the scripts which I analyse I make certain that every point will produce its intended reaction on the audience. I do not attempt to make these improvements myself. I merely point out what deficiency may exist and explain the effect required to sustain interest and continuity. ” I do not advocate writing down to the level of the class from which come the greatest box-office returns. A screen story can and should be intelligent. My function is to see that it pleases the higher intelligence without puzzling the lower, and pleases the lower without insulting the higher. “ A serious problem facing the industry to-day, one which I hope to help in solving, is the fact that ‘ talkies ’ have not the firm hold on the public enjoyed by silent pictures. The reason for this is obvious. Something necessary to successful entertainment is ‘ audience participation.’ The audience viewing a silent film interpreted the pantomime for itself and, through subtitles, was constantly having its opinions verified — one of the most pleasant sensations possible to the human mind. ” With talking pictures this little mental game is impossible. Everything is made so obvious that there is no room left for audience imagination. “ The remedy is to take some of the talking out of talkies. The moment the dialogue exposes too much of the action — thereby disobeying the psychological rule that there is interest wherever there is possibility — the story slows up and becomes static. ” I do not advocate a return to silence. Talkies are indubitably here to stay. But if the screen is to survive, the margin of imagination must be restored to it.” Chandlee’s views are so trenchant, so stimulating, so obviously sound, one leaves him with regret that he did not enter this groping business of production 14 years ago instead of now. Power of Sound Film in Education What Stringent Tests Reveal {By E. A. Rovelstad, Bioscope Representative in New York.) Sound pictures are exactly twice as effective as silent films for educational work. This is the conclusion of the Committee who administered tests to schoolboys and girls from 47 States and the District of Columbia. The experiment was sponsored by the Office of Education of the Department of the Interior, the educational pictures having been prepared by Fox. An experiment with silent pictures conducted in 1928 showed that the children displayed 19 per cent, more knowledge of the subject after seeing the pictures than when they were taught in the ordinary way. But now, with talking pictures, a gain of 38 per cent, was recorded. “ It is interesting,” the Committee stated, “ to note that very good improvement was made by the pupils even in fields in which eighth-grade graduates may usually be expected to have had definite instruction. For instance, boys and girls who have presumably studied glaciers, volcanoes and river valleys gained 42.5 per cent., 79.8 per cent, and 156.3 per cent, over their first scores in these subjects, respectively.” * * * Of significance to the industry in general, as well as to players, is the fact that pictures starting this month will provide work for 700 to 1,000 part players and more than 15,000 extras. Thus actors and extras are to find jobs plentiful, after the leanest season in the history of Hollywood production. All studios except Warner-First National will be more active than at any time since last spring. Major companies (except Warner) have listed 47 features, and probably half as many more independent features are scheduled, while there will be 75 shorts, at least. September will be even better than August as far as activity is concerned, and October probably will find production at capacity on all lots. * * * On this same subject of production, and considering the purely physical phase, more than ^20,000,000 has been expended in land, buildings and equipment in the Los Angeles County area by motion picture producing companies, and many millions more is now being spent or will be expended in the next few years in line with expansion programmes already arranged.