Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

38 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD November 29, 1930 Let Talking Film Say Nothing That Can Be Acted: Qarnett Ideal Picture Would Have Two-Thirds of Footage in Pantomime and Without Subtitles of Any Kind, Declares Pathe Director (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 28.— A talking picture, according to Tay Garnett, the young Pathe director who has given the public "Her Man" and has won greater acclaim than those who appear in it, is a picture from which you can take all dialog and still have a picture. fight scene in "Her Man," not because "Although we have the oral, the ocular is the most important element in the manufacture of our product," he declared. "My whole aim in making 'Her Man' was to get away from the theatre and do a motion picture." Garnett declared that motion picture producers have only one thing which the legitimate stage has not — and that it must be utilized to the fullest extent to hold the attention of audiences. "The one value we have is the ability to portray, actually, „ „ it. ..• i • i Tay Garnett those things which are brought to the stage through the conversation of the players. For instance, we can give our audiences war scenes when on the legitimate stage it is necessary for someone to say 'there's a war going on outside'," Garnett explained. "The minute we start using dialog for the same purpose we are tossing to the winds our only chance to be different." Expresses Action with Action Garnett, in working with Tom Buckingham, writer of script and dialog, devoted all his attention to expressing action with action and with pantomime wherever possible. He let nothing be said which could be acted, and "Her Man" has revealed this treatment. It is so clearly revealed that editorials have been written about it. "The ideal picture," Garnett said, "would be done with two-thirds of the footage in pantomime, without subtitles of any kind. Plentv of action will make such a picture, but it will take some time to achieve it." Garnett has been called one of the few instinctive directors. By instinctive is meant an ability to originate and to portray in an unusual manner. An instinctive director is the opposite of a mechanical director, who lays his plans and goes ahead with his picture in a routine manner. Inspires Players The players who work with him feel this intuitive ability which he possesses. He is not forced to direct them. They give inspired performances. Seven extras were injured in Doris Anderson Signed To Do M G M Scenarios (Special to the Herald-Weld) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 28. — Because of her success with "Grumpy" and "Anybody's Woman" at Paramount, M G M has given a contract to Doris Anderson, noted scenario writer. "Grumpy" was done exclusively bv Miss Anderson, and "Anybody's Woman" in collaboration with Zoe Aiken. Miss Anderson was with Paramount for four years and recently returned from the Eastern studios, where she collaborated with Preston Sturgess in "Fast and Loose." a hgnt scene in Garnett directed them to get hurt but because they wanted to make a success of the scene for Garnett. He couldn't stop them. Garnett puts a great deal of responsibility up to the exhibitor and the public. "The exhibitor and the public help us make our pictures," he declared. "Their reactions mean everything to us. A good director is one who never fails to picture an audience behind him as he works, looking at everything he does. "We do the things which we think would entertain us if we were out in the audience. We do the things which seem worthwhile to us. We think, being normal, that those things which interest us will interest our audience. "Our feelings are the only things on which we can base our judgment." Says Wide Film Hurts Intimacy Garnett does not have a great deal of hope for wide film — he has the belief that the wide film makes intimate scenes less intimate. "If we were Corots or Michaelangelos we could compose pictures on wide film which still would retain their focal point," he said, "but we aren't masters. Our pictures are not masterpieces of art. Our problems are not artistic, but deal with kitchen stoves and backyards and other prosaic studies." Garnett feels that the sound track on the side of the film has made it square and awkward, but believes this will be remedied before very long. "It has handicapped us as far as range is concerned," he asserted. "As I pointed out, this range, or scope, is the most important element in motion pictures, in contrast to the stage. Elasticity of space and background mean everything to us." New Warner Theatre Is Opened in Quaker State By Company Executives (Special to the Herald-World) WEST CHESTER, PA., Nov. 28.— Following a dinner given by the local chamber of commerce for Warner executives, the new Warner theatre here was formally opened last Friday night. Seating 1,600, the house is modernistic in style, and is said to have a projection room which is a model of its kind, containing the latest apparatus for securing light effects in connection with the screen offering. "The Life of the Party" was the initial attraction. Warner San Pedro House Opens on Silver's Return (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 28.— M. A. Silver, general manager of Warner Brothers Pacific Coast theatres, left Friday to confer with home office executives. He will spend a week in Boston and a week in New York. Upon his return December 8, the Warner Brothers theatre at San Pedro, the second in the $15,000,000 expansion program, will be opened. Talkers Make Hollywood Contact Point: Hersholt (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 28.— Hollywood has been called everything else in the world, and now Jean Hersholt, film actor, has a new name for it. It's a point of contact. Hersholt insists that with the foreign language talking pictures Hooding the world, Hollywood is bound to do much to overcome misunderstandings and to increase international friendship. "Being a native of Denmark and, for this reason, being in intimate contact with the Scandanavian countries, I know whereof I speak," Hersholt declared. Hal Roach Denies Stopping Work on Foreign Versions (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 28.— In the face of reports that Hal Roach has stopped work on all foreign versions, announcement was made at the studios this week that no such step is contemplated. Charlie Chase is working on the Spanish version of "Thundering Tenors" with Carmen Guerrero opposite him. James W. Home is directing. Chase is the only American in the cast. Joe E. Brown Is M. C. for Opening of Warners New Huntington Park Theatre (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 28.— Representing an expenditure of nearly half a million dollars and seating 1,800, the new Warner Brothers Huntington Park theatre opened here last week. Among the executives present were J. L. Warner, Darryl Zanuck, Hal B. Wallis, M. A. Silver, Max Shagrin, Lou Halper, Leon Schlessinger and George Thomas. Joe E. Brown was master of ceremonies and introduced many Warner players, including Frank Fay, Walter Pidgeon, Barbara Stanwyck, Claudia Dell, Evalyn Knapp, Barbara Weeks, Marian Marsh and Director Michael Curtiz. Fitzmaurice Signed to Direct Norma Shearer (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 28.— George Fitzmaurice has been signed by M G M to direct Norma Shearer's next starring vehicle, "Strangers May Kiss," written by Ursula Parrott, whose last season's book sensation provided the star with her triumphant role shared credit on "The Divorcee." Production will begin next month and will mark Miss Shearer's return to the screen after a rest of several months, fohn Meehan is doing adaptation and dialog. He also shared credit on "The Divorcee." Moves Openings to Friday BOSTON. — Loew's State theatre has joined with the rest of the first run houses in starting its weekly feature on Fridays instead of Saturdays. Melford Faces Second Suit In Week for Income Taxes (Special to the HeraldWorld) HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 28.— George Melford, director, who last week was fined for failing to pay sufficient income tax to the government has again been sued on another tax charge. The new suit, it is understood, includes a property lien for $12,779.