The Film Spectator (Mar-Dec 1928)

July 21, 1928 THE FILM SPECTATOR Page Seven teclmic. There are in every characterization and every part (especially comedy) many moments which cannot be felt — and should not be, too. Those parts of scenes, little effective tricks, should be done purely technically, and as an elaborate frame surrounds the beautiful picture of really, deeply and sincerely lived through characterization, a great performance still can be done without this frame — but it cannot be filled up with anything but soul and feeling. The Effect of Talking Pictures By DARRYL ZANUCK THE talking motion picture is here to stay. This fact is unquestionably demonstrated in the box-office performances of the following Warner Brothers Vitaphone productions: The Jazz Singer, Glorious Betsy, Tenderloin, The Lion and the Mouse, Lights of New York, formerly known as Bright Lights, and Women They Talk About. The achievement of the Warner Brothers theatre in Hollywood is only a duplication of the hundreds of other theatres throughout America that have broken box-office records with sound and talking photo-dramas in the last six weeks. Naturally the question arises as to the adaptability of the motion picture scenario and title writer, the niotion picture director and supervisor, into the talking picture field. It is reasonable to expect as many changes in personnel of the men behind the camera as there will be changes in personnel of those who appear before the camera. Actors and actresses will be judged riot only by their beauty or personality, but by their speaking voices : and stage experience. Likewise, the trained dialogue writer I will supplant the title writer of to-day, providing the title ' writer has not the qualifications and the adaptability to change his "silent technique". Personally I believe the title writer will make a better dialogue writer than the experienced stage dramatist for the reason that the title writer has been taught brevity and condensation of speech which allows many talking incidents to be injected into a limited amount of talking film. ... In other words, the title writer, when he adapts himself, will get to the point quickly, for he has been taught to do this through the system of the "silent technique". * * * The scenario writer will also be supplanted by the dramatist unless he studies Vitaphone, as scenario writing will be revolutionized and is right now being revolutionized in the preparation of our forthcoming Warner Brothers talking pictures, such as: The Terror, The Singing Fool, My Man, The Redeeming Sin, and Conquest. These are all extended run specials which are being made talking pictures employing both voice and synchronizing effects one hundred percent. The silent picture director will also be forced to alter his views and accept a technique that he has heretofore avoided. It was once advisable to avoid as much talking or as many title situations as possible. It is now necessary to invent and properly direct clever dialogue incidents as demonstrated in Glorious Betsy, where in the last reel of the picture Conrad Nagel tells Dolores Costello, in four spoken lines what would take one reel of film to picturize. And this is only a trivial example. However, I feel that the motion picture director will in most cases be a more successful talking picture director than the experienced stage director, for the reason that the movie director knows the value of pantomime, camera angles, and picture technique in general. If he is willing to accept and learn, he will appreciate that Vitaphone has given him opportunities for effects which he could never before employ. » • • The motion picture supervisor will have to adapt himself as well as others. He must study the scenario as well as the directorial talking effects. It is up to him primarily, whether or not sound effects are properly taken advantage of and he must have the courage of his convictions and be willing to experiment and instruct his writers and directors to take advantage of Vitaphone and all that it offers. Unless he is a good judge of dialogue, a good judge of stage presentation, he will be a backward number, as upon his shoulders rests the responsibilities of the undertaking. In closing may I not say that if the Warner Brothers, in their entire career, have never done anything for the motion picture industry heretofore, they deserve the greatest appreciation that we can give them for sponsoring talking pictures? They are the originators of Vitaphone, which has financially saved the life of the exhibitor and the motion picture industry. After two years of ridicule and an expense of four million dollars, they may now sit back and rest on their laurels while the rest of the industry scrambles frantically in an effort to catch up. The day of the "silent picture" is a day far in the past. The black shadow of Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer, was the well-known "hand-writing on the wall". . . . A New Species of Writer is Discovered By MADELEINE MATZEN THE Wampas, that enterprising association of motion picture publicists ("publicist" is merely a fancy name for the good old press agent), have turned explorers— and they have been exploring the motion picture industry. In the course of their activities they unearthed a new and interesting species — the illegitimate writer. Now most of us write and as many of us are paid for what we write, and what we write is printed and distributed via the magazines and newspapers, we consider ourselves legitimate writers if we think about the matter at all. But the Wampas seem to have discovered a fine hairbreadth of difference between publicity writers — a difference that places the defenceless writer either in the legitimate or the illegitimate class. To call anyone a bastard is a breach of etiquette and good manners (see Mrs. Post's book) — to be called illegitimate is to be called a bastard. To be dubbed such a thing personally is a fearful strain upon your sense of humor, but to have one's "Art" called that — well, it is too much! If you are a member of the Wampas (or their feminine contingent, "The Wasps") you are a legitimate publicist. If you are not a member of either of these unions you are a "scab" or an "illegitimate writer". It makes no difference how many articles you have had printed in the various fan magazines and papers — you are illegitimate. And yet some of the best fan writers, some of our most skiUful publicists are not union mem