The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Apr-Jun 1922)

8 “THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. May 20, 1922. INTERNATIONAL. PRODUCTIONS WITH IMMENSE POSSIBILITIES. French—Italian—English Combination to make pictures for World Markets. OR many years past the writer has been a strong F advocate of the international film. Prior to the war attempts were made by certain American firms to develop this idea, but during the intervening pericd the idea of international production seems largely to have been lost sight of. In the last few months, however, there have been clear indications that the day of the international picture is about to dawn at lohg last. FRENCH-ITALIAN-ENGLISH COMBINATION. Last week we gave details of the new combination of French, Italian, and English producers who are just now working on pictures, parts of which will be produced in the three countries. As trade announcements bear wit ness, the Filme Le Grande, of Paris, has recently com.’ pleted a film of Oscar Wilde's story of ** Lord Arthur Saville’s Crime,’’ scenes taken in various parts of Tondon. tion of this well-known story was shown to the London trade yesterday (Friday) and we believe we are correct in saving that Rene Herveil has carried out the difficult: task of using French and English artistes with remarkable success. Another similar undertaking is at present Leing carried out by the Renaissance Film Company of’ Reme, who are about to’ film Robert Buchanan's * Woman and the Man.”’ In this picture, according to ptesent ‘arrangements, the star part will be played by that highly experienced screen and stage artiste, Mr. Milton Rosmer. : AN AMERICAN EFFORT. Yet another effort is being made in the direction of producing an international picture by the Goldwyn Corporation, who have specially sent Manrice Tournecur, the well known American producer, to this country to make the essentially English scenes in a production of Hall Caine’s ** Christian.’ There are rumours also afloat that other American producing companies will visit this country during the present season with the same Ghject in view. All this is gratifying news to those who believe in the future of the international picture. PERFECT INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION. What can be done in the direction of making films with a world-wide appeal was demonstrated at a private show of the Italian production of Sir Arthur Pinero’s * Second Mrs. Tanqueray,’’ only last week. Here is a picture which, from some points of view, can be regarded as a nearly perfect international production. Made entirely by Italian artistes, under the direction of an Italian producer, and the interior scenes very largely, if not entirely, photographed in Italy, the subject has been so carefully and so artistically handled that there is hardly a sign of the country of its origin in it. We do not say that Sir Arthur Pinero will agree that the resulting film ix an exact representation of the play as he conecived and wrote it. But his theme is there in its entirety; it has been developed on the lines which he followed, and, if we may say so, its representation upon the screen is more perfect and more complete than it was when seen upon the stage. THE NEARLY Google the principal features of which are The praduc MISTAKES TO AVOID. There are, however, points in this Italian picture which somewhat mar its perfect artistry, and although we are full of enthusiasm and appreciation for it, it is for this reason that we propose to refer somewhat at length to them. Those who in the future aim at making a perfect international picture must first: of all realise that the perfect filme should) speak a common language as easily understoad as Esperanto. There should be nothing in it which markedly differentiates it from the pictures of any other country, yet it should contain nothing which conveys a clear indication of its own country of origin. In * The Second Mrs.. Tanqueray ’’ there are two or three slight and unimportant errors which, regarded. in their true light, it is essential should be eliminated from any future attempts. Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the picture in question is the perfect choice made in the selection of types. In every instance both the men and the women would pass for Anglo-Saxons. This being so, we are all the more surprised that the producer, and: these-responsible for assisting his judgment, should have permitted the leading lady to indulge in an extravagant mode of hair dress, which immediately marked her as of Italian origin and the picture as an Italian production. This is a thousand pities, for when the lady assumes a more natural and common method of dressing her hair such as that adopted by most. English women she looks thoroughly English. EXPERIMENT WHICH HAS MANY POSSIBILITIES. The instances quoted may strike the reader as being of a trivial character, but to say so is to betray a lack of knowledge of the real essentials of international film production. Its success largely depends upon close and careful attention to detail, It is the small things which hetray more quickly than anything else a lack of knowledge on the part of the man directing the activities’ of the artistes. We are such firm believers in the future of the international picture that we warmly welcome the effort. now being made by picneers in this direction. The. American film producer can well look after himself in matters cf detail, for, as a rule, he is a past master of the art. But it is because we recognise that the future of the British film producing industry largely depends upon the success of the internationally made film that we regard the experiment being made by our French and Italian confreres with so much interest. Neither England, France, nor Italy can to-day afford to make pictures of outstanding merit, and to spend the immense sums of money upon them which such productions require, if they are to depend wholly and _ solely upon their own market for exploitation. Economie conditions are more and more forcing the English and Continental producer to make films which appeal to the world, and for this reason, if for no ather, the British film trade will watch the results of the experiment now jnitiated with the keenest svmpathy and interest, for much depends upon its success,