Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

12 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD May 24, I93C J T is a curious thing that until Mr. Lasky’s announcement last week that America could no longer produce satisfactory pictures for the whole world that the industry at large has not recognized this very obvious situation. Such a condition is not uncommon with us. Things change, they alter here and there and finally, for us, the simple statement of an observing man who, however, has to be someone of importance, crystalizes them into the sort of fact we are willing to accept as a simple truth. “We must recognize the fact,” Mr. Lasky said, “that the people in other countries want to hear their own language spoken on the screen.” It is as simple as that. Naturally, they do. And, if America has anything to say about it, they will. Although this trend in picture making will distribute production throughout the world New York and Hollywood will remain the production centers, and certainly will continue to furnish the brains and much of the money that will go into the making of pictures all over the world. On the actual production end, aside from its successful commercial aspect, the world will be a gainer. For one thing foreign countries will have the advantage of the unequalled technic of American recording, will have working for them photographic and electrical engineers with a record none can beat. On the other hand they will benefit by the photography of the Russians, the lenses of the Germans and the imagination of the gifted peoples of Europe. In other words, even more than it is now, the motion picture of the future will become an international art even as the silent film was always an international medium. Out of this there will evolve a new entertainment. Its coming may not be immediate and its arrival may hardly be noticed. But come it must and some day it will be crystalized into accepted fact by the statement of a motion picture executive. Meanwhile, Paramount will produce some 60 talking pictures abroad this year. This is far sightedness and congratulations are in order. r I ''HE general belief of 18 months ago that hundreds of comparatively new theatres built for the silent motion picture could never be made completely satisfactory homes of the talking picture has been completely dispelled. Although less spectacular than many other triumphs in overcoming serious obstacles in the industry, this achievement has actually salvaged a tremendous investment. It reflects great credit upon the architect and the acoustical engineer and also upon the theatre owner whose courage and determination made it possible. Sound made its advent into the business after three years of intensive theatre building. All over the United States and Canada, hundreds of new theatres had been erected at costs ranging from $200,000 up to millions. At the time these theatres were projected, there was little reason to give acoustics more than scant consideration. True, most of the theatres were presenting stageshows so that acoustics were given some attention, but beauty, and in many cases novelty, had the first call. When sound arrived, the problem which faced the theatre owners would probably have discouraged a less resourceful group. In the amusement business, however, the participants have been schooled in the ki owledge that what the public demands today is seldom the vogue on the morrow. With little fanfare, the battle started. Some theatres attained excellent results with small effort and slight cost. Others presented great difficulties, which necessitated weeks of effort and experimenting and sizeable outlays. The general success which has been attained emphasizes the ability of the theatre architect. The peculiar needs of the motion picture theatre has developed a group of specialists in theatre architecture, which not only serves the present needs but instinctively anticipates the future. During the time that these changes have been made, little has been said about them. Now they form a live topic of conversation. ~ The Sounc/ (Editor’s Note: Our Mr. Krasna is still confined to the Psycopatliic Word of Hollywood Hospital, where he was confined last week after a brief tour through a studio. Not , being in any condition to approach a typezvriter his regular column of Advice to the Lovelorn is lacking, but in its stead we use the stenographic report of his ravings as taken down by our delirium-trained Herald-World stenographer.) Hey, call me a director. Come, come, nurse, call me a director. Call me a stiff behind my back but call ine a director to my face. There’s a face for you, nursie oF gal, a face with two profiles. One in Technicolor, one in bandages. Ha, ha, my bandaged profile can’t see you now because it’s all tied up, ha, ha. Nurse, stop pouring that medicine into the glass. Stop, I say. That glass hasn’t got acoustics, you can’t reproduce a gurgle like that. Bring me the script and change the scene. Give the guy pills. Who wrote this script nurse, I ask you, who wrote this script? Fire the author, fire the dialog writer, fire the adaptor, fire the second row of ballet dancers, fire the furnace, I’m getting chilly. What’s the idea of giving the hero Yellow Jaundice? I told you a million times Technicolor can’t take yellow. Give the guy measles. Measles, ah, there’s a i Technicolor disease for you. Rashes are red, violets are blue, Technicolor, Technicolor, I love you. Call me a theme song writer. Thometimes I theme you’re th illy. Stop pointing that thermometer at me. Stop it, I say. How do you know it isn’t loaded? I don’t want you to take my temperature. I want my temperature for myself. If you want to take my temperature you’ll have to get a double. Get two doubles. A double double. It’s in my contract. “If artist falls ill his compensation doubles.” All right, call Compensation. Say, nursie, hang around me and I’ll get you in the movies. I’ll make you an extra. I know I got enough extras but you’ll be an extra extra. All the newspapers’ll have the story. “Extra, extra, extra extra hired.” If you got in the movies all the people would be mad about you. If you got in the lunatic asylum all the people would be mad about you. W’ho said this proves anything? NORMAN KRASNA.