Film Spectator (1927-1928)

August 6, 1927 THE FILM SPECTATOR Page Fifteen Harking Once More to Punctuation of Titles OFFERING the same specious excuse that they do for their still-bom comedies, producers claim that ignorant punctuation of titles assists people of little education to read them more readily. At a dinner party 'the other night I dropped into a seat beside one of our few really educated title-writers. He opened conversation by telling me that he was glad to see that I had abandoned my campaign for the correct punctuation of titles, for it was something that could not be adopted without detriment to the screen. With a logic that I was too content with my dinner to combat he proceeded to explain to me that if I were familiar with the art of title-writing I would know that a strict adherence to the established rules of punctuation would work a hardship on the people in the audience who had little education. For them, he explained, it was necessary to supplant commas with dashes and omit capital letters in order that there would be nothing in the titles to divert their eyes from the words. He illustrated his contention by writing a sample title on the back of a golf score-card. He wrote it this way: “Sally was a bright girl — she was in love with Tom — the town electrician.” At j^s request I aroused energy enough to demonstrate how I would punctuate it: “Sally was a * bright girl. She was i^love with Tom, the town electrician.” He smiled indulaj^ptly. Then he argued that by separating the words by da^es the moron could catch their meaning at a glance, wnCTeas by my system it would take him longer to understand ^em. As I had eaten my*self into a state of stuffed ecstasy, which was enhanced by the hostess’s permission for me to light my pipe, I was in no condition to argue the matter and allowed my title-writing friend to retire from the field victorious. But let us see. No matter how a title be punctuated, a moron, to be able to read it, must be able to read. How did he learn how to read — from a text book, or from screen titles ? From a text book, of course. The vast majority of people who attend picture houses do at least a little reading of newspapers, magazines, or books that please their fancies. A safe majority of them do still more reading. Everywhere else except on the screen they would find the words quoted above punctuated as I punctuate them. Nowhere except on the screen would they find them punctuated as the title-writer punctuates them. The eye of the moron, therefore, is trained more to catch the meaning at a glance when the title is punctuated properly than when it is punctuated improperly. The educated person would not be handicapped by the incorrect punctuation, for he could catch the meaning by a glance at the words, but the moron, finding the words not set forth as he has been used to seeing them every other place, would be confused by the departure from the usual, and he would have to study the title to get its meaning. The guides that assist him in all other reading would be missing. The truth, of course, is that the title-winter, with whom I refused .to argue on a full stomach, does not know how to punctuate, and, like the producers who do not know how to make comedies, has to fall back on the old one about getting down to the level of the audience. It is not to his discredit. He can write good titles, and no doubt his 'secretary could punctuate them properly if he would allow her to. One of the chief duties of my secretary is to fill OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINIONS IN THE last issue of The Spectator we made a broad statement that, “scarcely one connected with the moving picture industry to-day is not paying approximately twice as much as is necessary for the same insurance as they have, in the same companies as they are insured in. It is doubtful if there is one who could not get back anywhere from twenty-five per cent, to fifty per cent, of what they have been overcharged by the companies.” Lest it might appear that this was either an unfounded or a biased opinion, I quote herewith as a preface to my further demonstration of the truth of these facts, from three publications, namely: “The World’s Work”, “Babson’s Report” and “The Dearborn Independent.” Excerpts From “The World’s Work” “The insurance companies have led the public into bad bargains by skilfully preparing policies which include all manner of benefits, bonuses, investments and other ‘prizes’ tacked on. None of these ‘prize’ schemes have any inherent connection with life insurance. Some are speculative investments and other blind gambles ; and some are gambles and speculative investments in one.” “The evil of frill policies originates with the companies ; for these policies were the basis of the irresponsible millions the companies have worked so hard to heap up. In their struggle to sell these things, the whole business of selling life insurance has been debauched.” Excerpt From Babson’s Report “I believe in life insurance. Insurance, like every other good thing, however, may be abused. Those who have insurance to sell sometimes get over-enthusiastic and promise things which can not be delivered. This is especially true when some life insurance agent attempts to sell life insurance as ‘the best investment.’ ” Excerpts From “The Dearborn Independent” “Perhaps after a little inspection of the insurance business from the inside, as it were, we shall see some of the ways in which the public is being forced to pay enormously more for insurance than is warranted by the current cost, and in many cases maneuvered out of just rights after a policy has been taken out.” “It would seem almost as if life insurance is purposely made so complicated that the average buyer shall be unable to grasp the real significance of the jumbled policies that are offered for his acceptance.” What would you say if your tailor told you he had a dozen prices for the same suit, according to the engraving on invoices or bills ? Yet this is exactly the proposition the insurance companies make. The above excerpts will corroborate my original statement, and the last reference is an accurate example of the so-called varied kinds of policies to be explained later. H.VD THAT IS NOT ALL. RUNYADHA LTD.