The Film Spectator (Mar-Dec 1928)

Page Four THE FILM SPECTATOR December 8. 1928 tone "mike" is. The picture opens in a depot train shed as a train arrives, and the incidental sounds are reproduced without the slightest distortion. It is the finest bit of sound reproduction that I have heard yet. In several shots there are groups of as many as six people, each of whom takes up the conversation and close-ups are not resorted to to show us who is speaking. They are not necessary for at no time is there any doubt about the identity of the speaker. Lewis Seiler must have directed the picture in the manner in which all sound pictures must be directed, having grouped his characters with full regard for motion picture technic and leaving it to the soundman to work out his end of it after the screen requirements had been attended to. The result is that we have a picture that flows along naturally, one that is not noisy, and which asks us to overlook nothing because the medium is a new one. As was the case with all sound pictures, I ceased to be aware of the background noises before the first reel was half way through, but in about the middle of the picture I was reminded of them in a wholly unnecessary manner. An insert was flashed on the screen and the background noises ceased, only to begin again, with a suggestion of renewed vigor, when the insert was succeeded by an action shot. An easy way to have got around the difficulty would have been to have the man holding the letter read it to acquaint the audience with its contents, making it unnecessary to present it as an insert. In another shot two men are shown listening at a closed door to a conversation taking place in the room to which it leads. It would be more convincing if the audience could hear what the listeners must have heard. As we have it, there is nothing to indicate that the men listening outside the door could hear anything. But those are just two little flaws in an otherwise splendid example of what we can expect from Fox in the way of talking pictures. It introduces a couple of youngsters whom I had not seen previously, Helen Twelvetrees and Charles Eaton. I am not sure about the young woman with the mathematically precise, arborescent name, but this picture marks young Eaton's first flight into the film world, and when his disposition to overact is calmed by experience, he is going to do splendidly. The girl is clever and pretty — about all that is needed. I am inclined to believe that the public will credit the colored gentleman already referred to, with stealing the picture. A long time ago I included in a review a warm tribute to the rich comedy of Stepin Fetchit, but I hadn't seen the half. In The Ghost Talks he is simply immense. And I would like to put in a good word for his picture consort, Baby Mack, who is not a baby, but a capable young colored woman. Carmel Myers, Earle Foxe and several others do their share towards making Ghost Talks a picture that no one can afford to miss. * * * Proving That All a Director Needs Is a Fair Share of Brains TAY Garnett is going to be listed some day among the most prominent directors present. The Spieler, his latest picture, shows that he is making amazing progress. The story is set in a Barker atmosphere, and no doubt was inspired by The Barker, but as it has a couple of murders in it, and no young man who preferred circus life to school drudgery, Hal Conklin, the author, can not be charged with borrowing anything except atmosphere, and that is one thing that always is free. Except for one short jail sequence that opens the picture, the whole story never leaves the carnival grounds, but it moves briskly within its narrow geographical limits, and contains enough comedy, suspense and thrills to supply a locale as big as Texas. It is obvious that Garnett felt sure of himself when he tackled this, his second picture, for it bears all the earmarks of its director's assurance and confidence. When I reviewed Garnett's first picture, Celebrity, I pointed out two or three things that I advised the new director to avoid in his future work. I have forgotten what the things were and The Spieler does not remind me for I can find no flaws in it. The picture interests me because it helps to convince me that the thing that the screen is most in need of is more brains in direction. No particular skill is required in the direction of a picture. What is needed is plain, ordinary intelligence, and as only about ten per cent, of the pictures we are getting are worth looking at, it follows that only ten per cent, of our directors are intelligent. When a young fellow like Tay Garnett can step into the business and with his second picture make ninety per cent, of our old directors look like a lot of bush leaguers, it demonstrates two things: first, of course, that Garnett has brains, and, second, what an easy thing it is for a person with brains to make a good motion picture. Screen art is the most unhampered of all arts. It is the only pictorial art that can move its living persons and things, and the only dramatic art that can carry its action to any locale that suits it, yet the people who make motion pictures would have the rest of us believe that there is something mysterious about the process and that only gifted persons are fitted for it. It is easy for people with motion picture brains to make motion pictures. The trouble is that the industry as a whole does not allow its brains to function. Occasionally someone breaks through, as Garnett has done, and he succeeds, not because he has had long training in the business, but because he is endowed with an ordinary allotment of horse sense. In making The Spieler he was fortunate in having a story that moved briskly with mounting interest and a cast capable of giving good performances. It allowed Alan Hale to demonstrate again what a really fine actor he is. Every time I see him I become more convinced that Pathe should launch him boldly as a star, for I know of no actor in Hollywood who is supplied more abundantly with everything that the public wants. Still young enough to carry the love interest, as his romance with Renee Adoree in The Spieler dem fm "She Goes to War*' HENRY KING'S production FOR INSPIRATION HALPERIN PICTURES LLOYD NOSLER FILM EDITOR d