The Film Daily (1928)

THE 12 ■e^aH DAILY Sunday, August 5, 1928 Newspaper Opinions "Loves of An Actress" Paramount The Paramount, New York These arc straight newspaper opinions, comment on the sound effects and synchronized music score appearing on page 9. A.MF.RlrAN— • • Pola h.is a few fine moments in the picture, hut for the most part she is maudlin. • • • DAILY XEW.S— • • • The principal fault with this current production lies in had editing. It is rather choppy, and at times it draes fearfully. • ♦ • EVEXINT, JOURNAL—* * • Pola literally eats up the p.irt; like "Camille," it's a role that allows the performer to he the centre of attraction and to act all over the place. • • • EVENING WORLD—' • * Pola Negri attempts this week to put over a fiery role which five or «ix years ago would have been pie for her, but she is quite tame and unconvincing in it today. • • * GRAPHIC— • * • suffers from its mechanical musical accompaniment, and would have been belter with the pit orchestra. ' ' * POST—* • * There are flashes of good acting from Miss Negri, and Mr. Asher. • • • SUN—* * • As ill luck would have it, the film is only so-so, but that describes ninety-nine out of a hundred present-dav cinemas, so there is no use in kicking. * • • TELEGRAM—* * • However, to give madame her due. Dr. Vajda, the Austrian plot confector, has cooked up a pretty feeble storv for her. • • • TIMES—* * * Unfortunately, however, "Loves of an Actress," despite the enchant ment of the plural, can I)e called only another motion picture. • • • WORLD— * * * It did seem to me that the entire play might very well have been ■ run off while the leading woman reclined on a divan, so recurrent and so often did this particular property come into use. • • * "White Shadows in the South Seas" M-G-M Astor, New York These are straight newspaper opinions, comment on the sound effects and synchronized music score appearing on page 9. AMERICAN— • • • is so breath takinglv lieautiful that its travelogue quality alone would make it worth the price of admssion. « • • EVENING JOURNAL— • * • The photography IS stnkinijly lovely. Superlatives can hardly do justice to the shots of the islands filmed in actual locations. * • • EVENING WORLD—* • * The result is photographic composition the like of which has not been brought to the screen in months. • • •. GRAPHIC—* * * It carries authentic atmosphere of the South Sea Islands and holds fascinating bits depicting deep-sea diving and showing native life. • • • HERALD TRIBUNE.— * * • The story is simple enough and certainly without too much sensations, but it is serviceable in supplying the framework for the .iilmiralile scenes oC native life that arc the chief feature of the picture. • • • POST — * • * it w.\s worth four months of any moving picture company's time. • • • SUN — * * * There is drama here, epic drama as well as personal, and it reveals itself often — despite the ravagings of Hollywoorl. * * • TELEGRAM—* * * Merely a rehash of all the .South .Sea pictures ever made^and that is entirely all. Lovely cloud shots th.-it any busy Hollywood director and cameraman could achieve, silly n.itive girls in what altogether the censors can allow. * •* TELEGRAPH—* * * There is beauty of photography, unusualness of cast, intensity of story and valuable instruction all blended into this. Those who like the out of the ordinary in motion pictures will find much to revel in. • • • Tl.MES— * * • It is different from the ordinary movie, of course, in that it takes an unusual story, gives it an unusual settin:; and treats it with abovetheuvcragc pho Admit 500 To France in First Quota Period (Continued from Page 1) ncction with the quota will also apply during that period. To be a French picture and therefore classilied in the first category, a film must conform to the following rules: Author of the story must be French. Director and scenarist must be Frenchmen, as also must be assistants, cameramen, and operators. Interiors must have been taken in France, and French materials used for the scenery. Seventy-five per cent, of the artists must be Frenchmen. For pictures of the second category, the above rules are modified, and only 50 per cent, of the personnel above enumerated are required to be French. Kvery French picture of the first and second category will he licensed for exploitation in France and the Colonies. Every producer of a first category picture will receive licenses to exploit seven foreign pictures in France. Every company selling their pictures for showing in a foreign country will receive two more licenses. One reel foreign shorts will be admitted free. Foreign features will need licenses fcefore they may be screened in France and films regarded as against the interests of France will not be admitted. Says Confidence Is Industry's Big Need (Continued from Page 1) everything will come out right in the long run," Joseph P. Kennedy declared in an interview obtained here by Edwin Schallert and printed in "The Times." This margin, he said, is not sufficient to the good, and some organization can't show that, he declared. "Dissatisfaction permeates this business, and it is the most harmful thing in its effect," he said. "The stars don't feel that they get the right kind of stories; the producer thinks that all the other people are getting the money and that he isn't getting anything; the distributor feels that he is not receiving the right kind of pictures to sell from the producer, and that he is not getting the money that he should from the cxhiliitor; the exhibitor doesn't feel that he receives the right treatment either in picture." or in prices; legislators arc introducing bills that are aimed at pictures, and foreign countries are throwing up barriers to American film importations. "Fundamentally, it is a psychological conditioTi — too many grum!)lers, too many growlers, too many people listening to every idle bit of comment; too many making mountains out of molehills. What the business needs is the get-together spirit from top to bottom. "Conditions were serious enough without any additional complications but they are complicated a hundred fold by the advent of the sound films. These throw the whole thing into a new form of chaos. "Why the pro<luction of talking films in most .studios hasn't even started, and we are making plans for them as if they were, and could be shown over an unlimited territory. Those companies that have the jump on the gun arc making a great success in the the atcrs in which they can exhibit, but how many of these theaters are equipped for this scrt of exhibition? "The reports .about installations all seem rather exaggerated. When I left New 'Vork only 350 theaters were equipped. Possibly there are 375 today. The prediction is made that there will be 1000 by the first of the year, but I doubt it. Installations are going ahi-ai at the rate of 125 a month, but I think that if you figure half that number you will be closer to it." tography. But there are many lapses. * • • WORLD — • • • There are some remarkable underthe-seas shots of pearl divers at work tattling such things as giant clams and octupi. • • • Week's Headlines Monday Eight legitimate producers planning to film stage plays ■ synchronized by Vocafilm method. No action taken by Oklahoma exhiliitors on proposed buying combine; i)lan believed dropped. Sound picture hysteria holding up film buying in Milwaukee and Seattle territories. Technicalities ruled out in Washington arbitration cases as exchanges win $4,500 bicycling award. Paramount net estimated at $3,870,000 for first six months of year. Tuesday Richard A. Rowland to retire from First National on expiration of contract within few days. Omaha, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City and Memphis territories holding up of buying due to sound picture situation. Hands off policy on sound picttires to be adopted by International Alliance of The■itrical Stage Employes and M. P. Machine Operators, letting locals solve individual problems; American Federation of Musicians completing survey on public reaction to sound films. World film output to be 1,350 pictures, German survey shows. Eastman Kodak places Kodacolor, new amateur color process, on market; process not ready for professional use. Wednesday Phyllis Haver, George Duryea, Eddie Quillan and probably Rod La Rocque to go with Cecil B. De Mille to M-G-M. Action, color and sound forecast by Kodacolor, Maj. Gen. James G. Harbord, head of RCA, declares. Marks Bros, and B. & K. both contract foi Fox pictures in Chicago. Thursday .Sijuabble between International Alliance of Theater Stage Employes and M. P. Machine Operators and electrical workers of Building Trades Union over jurisdiction slowing up sound equipment installations; Electrical Research Products far behind on orders. Educational to distribute sound pictures planned by Broadway stage producers. Eastman Kod.ak hopes to develop Kodacolor for professional use. Friday Federal Trade Commission appeals to U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York for order to enforce its cease and desist edict against Paramount. Joseph P. Kennedy silent on successor to Richard A. Rowland. Carl Laemmle warns studio force against sound film hysteria. New television process invented in Germany, Paul Bern new head of Pathe production. West Coast Theaters asks dismissal of Federal Trade Commission's charges of restraint of trade, Saturday No general anti-block booking drive planned by Federal Trade Comimssion pending outcome of Paramount case. Chase bill absurd, vicious and unsound, C. C. Pettijohn states. Confidence needed in industry, J. P. Kennedy says. Sound equipment installation row with electrical workers of Building Trades Union denied by International Alliance of The atrical Stage Employes and M. P. Machine Operators which says jurisdiction over maintenance unquestionably belongs to it. Levinson Take Over Norwich House Norwich, Conn.— M. J. Levinson treasurer of the Levinson & Eldridge Theatrical Enterprises, has succeeded Charles E. Maxfield as manager ol the Palace. EGGERS INCORPORATED Photo f Engraving Specialists to the Motion Picture Industry DAY AND NIGHT 250 West 54th Street NEW rORK Telephone: Columbus 414 1-2J BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL ECONOMICS 1108 Sixteenth Street Washington, D. C. Co-operating •with 42 Governments and loaning films free and speakers throughout the world for the purpose of public instruction. Schools, Churches and Clubs using Morion Pictures Should Subscribe for THE EDVCATIONAL SCREEN and keep up-to-date with the new films and new equipment "1001 FIL MS ' ' {Fifth Edition) Complete reference booklet, listing nearly 3,000 educational films given at reduced rate with each subscription $1.50 per year 5 South Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111