Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 23, 1942)

December 28rd,1942 Canadian FILM WEEKLY ' Page 17 -Peeps at the Past... da HA‘T’S new, brother ?’’ The answer, after loafing through the 100-or-so pages of the Moving Picture World of June 8, 1912, is: “Not so much as you think.” For instance, color, which is supposed to be the newest thing since sound. Thirty years ago Gaumont, distributing through the Film Supply Company of America, offered “Bells of Paradise,’’ described as “hhand-colored” and offered as the “the most harmonious bit of film beauty Gaumont ever offered.” It was a two-reeler. Another onereeler of the same kind was “The Lion’s Revenge.” ; Color has improved since that day but we’ll bet the colorful language used in film advertising hasn’t. Gaumont, releasing ‘‘Written in Blood,’ had this to say about it: “A real red story full of real red, live blood. Seething and surging with the tempestuous spirit of flery revolution, imprisonment, revenge and terror.” Then there was “The Diamond Path,” offered by the Rex Motion Picture Masterpiece Company — “Diamonds,: grit cowardice, cruelty, criminality, bravery, the heart of a determined girl, vindictiveness, vindication and gratitude thrill through the film. The general run of advertising matter was in the same lavish style. Solax was offering a three-reeler of the old opera, ‘‘Fra Diavolo.” It was a budget-buster, according to production outlays of the time. They bragged in print that is cost the stupendous sum of—hold your breath—$25,000 to make! * * * fj Pee is a tendency today to regard short subjects as a modern phenomenon. The studios have set up special exploitation departments for them, they get special UR UR RE REPEL ERE LE LE EERE LEIS BEST WISHES PHOTO ENGRAVERS Charlie Cashman Toronto PERE RE LEE NE ENE HERE PLE CE ECE RE ERE NESSES IIE, te wi ARARARARRRAMRRMRRRBRRRRD RAR O} RARAMMAMMAMAMMMAMMARAD MMAR HA DNDN DIN Thirty years ago, early in the robust youth of the motion picture industry, the Moving Picture World was the leading paper of the trade. J. P. Chalmers was its founder and president. A ramble through its pages provides an engrossing look at the past. It is a record of the problems, pictures and people of another day. What was new then and how does it stack up against this inventive age? About 50 companies produced or released films and but three names are still familiar, Gaumont, Universal and Warners. Hollywood showings and attempts, have been made to devote the entire bill to them. The Documentary film seems a new and growing force in the business—until one checks back. J. Parker Read, Jr., who apparently specialized in scenic films, made a three-reeler entitled ‘“ Motor Trip Through the Garden of Allah.” This he did after failing to make a deal allowing him to photograph the then popular play. The Garden of Allah was an actual place, owned by a Count Landon, who bought two acres in Algeria and built what was then known as the most beautiful garden of the world. Wonder what has become of it? Kleine Releases was offering “Scenes of the Italian-Turkish War,” “Making Silk Hats,” “Through Saskatchewan on the Canadian Northern Railway,” “Messina as it is Today” and “Venice, Italy.” The Carnegie Alaska-Siberia Expedition was offering six reels for one or two bills of its “Roping Big Game in the Arctic Regions.” The Indiana Calcium Light & Film Co. was offering ‘“International Auto.” Nor are air shots new. Floyd Humphrey, a cameraman for the Nestor Film Company, says a story, ‘made a 25-minute flight in a hydro-aeroplane as the guest of Glenn Martin.” He took a 100lb. camera up with him and made shots of Hollywood and vicinity from the air. He was strapped to his seat and his camera was lashed with ropes to the frame of the plane. The pictures were shown everywhere. And there are plenty more. The barnstorming, daredevil newsreel cameraman is a tradition of the business. = HEY were arguing about the star system 30 years ago, a subject that still gets an occasional going-over.. The World, in this particular issues, advertised perhaps 150 films of various lengths but just two were being sold on name value—Essanay boasted of “the world’s greatest photoplay star,” G. M. Anderson, growing into fame as Broncho Billy, and Colonial offered the outstanding ,stage star, Nat C. Goodwin, in “Nathan Hale.” General Film also offered Goodwin as Fagin in “Oliver Twist.” Read what the World had to say about the star system: “The film producer who is under the impression that the sudden acquisition of a popular player from @ rival company is a short cut to success is painfully unfamiliar with the rudimentary principles of his business. An actor, no matter how gifted or clever, is, after all, nothing but a mimic and not an originator. To bring. his special gifts and talents into full play and make them show the best advantage he must be fed with good parts and directed by competent directors. Some actors possess a distinct and lovable individuality, but even they must be supplied with new ideas and with parts specially. suitable for them. The star system has been and is the folly of the theatrical world on this side of the ocean. There is small chance of the same fatuous system gaining any considerable ground in filmdom.” Time has demonstrated that the greater the degree of human interest, the more widely appealing the film. The personal element, which is part of the star system, guarantees a certain amount of it, with the rest up to the picture. ! However, “How Green Was My Valley” is something of an argument for the opponents of the powerful individual pull of the star system. Its players had no boxoffice appeal, yet it was everything a picture should be. * a * | WHEN Donald Crisp was in To ronto recently he recalled, while speaking at a luncheon in his ,honor, that the motion picture as a field of effort was something one didn’t mention in polite theatrical circles in 1908. One kept his participation in the making of movies a professional secret. The actor who worked for the screen lost caste. By 1912 motion pictures had made such progress and achieved such popularity that film people, with memories of having been sniffed at, wanted their dignified due in the field of art and entertainment. Under the heading, >The Movies,” the World fired a \ gun in a campaign which time has shown to be a lost cause: “There is a power in a good name and evil in a bad one. Slang and improper abbreviations are one of the well known weaknesses of America’s careless speakers. Some time ago, when a competition was started to secure a good sound and universal name for the moving pictures, ‘Photoplay’ was selected. On this page it was pointed out that whatever value this name possessed it was very limited and, like its predecessor, ‘Nickelodeon,’ would not fill the desired purpose; fortunately especially so now that the ambominable ‘movies’ has arisen. Like all such words, it may not last a generation, but: this is written with the wish to drive it into oblivion as quickly as possible. A very prominent New York paper in describing the elaborate preparations being made for the production of a series of ‘’63’ war pictures, has the harsh and forbidding heading of ‘Educational War Pictures for the Movies.’ What an excruciating sound this has!—at once vulgar and repulsive. May these abominable incongruities stop at this point! They will if all moving picture people with any degree of culture will refrain from and also forbid the use of so objectionable a term.” * a * IVEAWAYS? Why, exhibitors are pikers today—according to the offer of a real estate company. “Exhibitors,” proclaims this company’s ad, “give summer resort lots as souvenirs; Twenty coupons costing same as ordinary coupon tickets, entitle holder to 80-80-foot lot at Lake Breeze Grove, near Roger City, Mich. Suitable for summer home. Perfect title. Warranty deed.” A patron who got one then (Continued on Page 20) PETER UG IEEE EE ENE NLU NE LUE ES z Elite Theatre 2 WAINWRIGHT, ALTA. F | 2 Season’s Greetings W. T. BRONKER In the show business since 1912. Now our town is coming on the map with a permanent camp nearby — and possibly a large airport. If interested in a good proposition, here is your chance, NRE RE EEE EEE ENE ME EERE EEE SPE RIE MEE CENCE RARRARBTRARRRRARAD_ARRA