Hollywood Filmograph (Jun-Aug 1929)

June 8, 1929 E D ■ ■I -T -O R -I -A L LOUIS » E. HEIFETZ Editor AUBREY BLAIR Managing Editor HARRY CARLISLE Associate Editor film-o (Jw (£• ti?% (£* (£• t5* graphs "THE DiDEPEHDEMTS " WHAT is responsible for the present inglorious position of the independent producer? The usual wail — that independents cannot market their product because of chain ownership of theatres by large producing companies — is hardly sufficient excuse. The basic cause lies not wholly in distribution, but very largely in production. A comparison between the respective fields of the motion picture and the theatre is pertinent in this connection. In spite of the fact that the theatre has been governed largely by a few magnates for many years, the really worthwhile productions have come from individuals and groups outside the circuit theatre owners. For instance: Jed Harris, Winthrop Ames, Arthur Hopkins, the Theatre Guild, the Neighborhood Playhouse group, and other noteworthy producing units have functioned astonishingly well. Compare the product of these theatre independents with the product of independent picture producers, and the result is lamentable. The reason is not far to seek. Not one independent picture producer may be pointed to so far as decided originality is concerned. On the contrary, their method of procedure is to pattern their pictures on those made by the larger companies, and the finished product, because of cheap reproduction in all its aspects, resembles the original very much as Woolworth's necklaces resemble those of Tiffany's. Is it merely the matter of money that causes puerility? In part — yes. On the other hand, what is sadly lacking is truly creative supervision. And again we point to the theatre as an example of where brains and taste have overcome a serious lack of adequate capital in many instances. So far only one of the independent companies has surged to the front, and their success is largely due to a fair degree of originality. Columbia's first triumph was "The Blood Ship/' a picture which had vitality and freshness in story, directing, and acting; these sold the picture to first run houses, and established the firm as an important producing organization — the leader of the independents. Since then they have maintained their prestige by making a periodical picture of worth, and the remainder of their program has been carried out on the strength of these specials. The usual procedure of the independent or "quickie" producer is to buy a few prominent names, seize upon a trite story, and then engage a director, who, lacking time for adequate preparation, and realizing the hasty needs of the producer, works mechanically and utterly without initiative or creative spontaneity. The actors, prompted by indifference and prideless effort, respond similarly. Result: — a picture that is flat and uninteresting, contradictory of the burbling eulogies issued by press-agents, and essentially a "quickie" — destined for "shooting galleries.". . . . Fortunately the talkers may develop an independent producer or two, who, because the medium requires accuracy and truthfulness, may be forced to stretch their imaginations to make the grade. The opportunities are here; sound pictures, independent or otherwise, can be booked in wired houses provided the offering is original, tasteful, and by all means devoid of sloppy workmanship and trite, catalogued situations. Intelligence in Hollywood is by no means monopolized by the large companies. Plenty of talent is waiting to be discovered, and if given the opportunity would create keener and fresher pictures than are being made — even those of the big fellows, and despite their expensive staffs and immense technical assets. Let the independent picture producers make some effort to approach the standards displayed by their fellows in the field of the theatre, and bookings in key city theatres throughout the country will follow. This is a new day, and requires new methods. ^5* ^* t?* SCREEJi DRAMATIC SCHOOLS THE FORESIGHT of Pathe in making a conscious and thorough attempt to develop talking picture stars from talent available in Hollywood is highly commendable, and an interesting commentary on the situation obtaining throughout the industry. Without question recent developments have shown that careful training in diction — tone, inflexion, timing— is of the utmost importance: furthermore, that screen technique, while at present finding its personnel more readily amongst stage-trained performers, need not necessarily limit itself to them. Indeed, the tendency is to begin the entire process of training by combining the respective techniques of stage and screen with the addition of totally new phases developed by talking pictures, so that stage actors and actresses, as well as former silent screen players, have a great deal to learn. That the type of acting required for the new medium has changed in almost revolutionary measure is obvious. Frank Reicher, writing anent this matter in the "Theatre Magazine," points out that the stage actor must learn that he is speaking, not to a vast auditorium, but to a piece of mechanism — the microphone — and that his tones are in turn amplified. Therefore repression is the first requisite of screen dramatic power. Dealing with the silent screen actor, Mr. Reicher, who is head of the Pathe dramatic training school, declares: "The silent screen has been a habit-forming dramatic indulgence. The actor has been taught to stand motionless while another is 'speaking a title.' . . . This is changed in talking pictures, because the actor must react on the WORD. It is a complete transformation in technique." Many of the extras and bit players in Hollywood have had sufficient stage and screen training, but not too much, to make them apt candidates for such schools. They have youth, beauty, and adaptability. The producers who follow in Pathe's footsteps will be amply rewarded by the expenditure of time and money. It is high time they looked to the future of the people who are necessary to their own future; and, rather than allow the old anarchy to prevail, should sensibly ^ive unknown players a chance to show what they can do. Talent a-plenty is available; much of it ^oing to waste at the present time. BEN HECHT offers an unsolicited testimonial to the movies, in the current issue of the "Theatre Magazine." Fantastically frank as ever, he makes no bones about the gigantic hoax of "original" story writing for movie moguls. He writes: "The greed which fills my bosom when I am approached by a movie magnate is a psychologic rather than an economic one. The fact that the movie magnate is going to make an enormous pile of money out of my story and that I am entitled to a creditable share of it seldom, if ever, occurs to me. I am, to the contrary, convinced that my contribution to the movie which will bear my name is almost nil. . . . "When I go into conference with this movie gentleman, he prefers that I pose as a genius and that I give him the illusion a 'Big Brain' is going to work for him in the creation of the quite inane and often idiotic scenario ... I am content to play his game and at the proper time remark that it will cost $20,000." Referring to doubts occasioned by the advent of the talkies, he confesses his principal doubt to be whether or not the movie magnate is going to carry his hoax into the new field, and shell out more millions for the writing of the dia logue. s5* 4$* *<?* CARLOS BORCOSQUE, a South American correspondent now in Hollywood, has been commissioned by the Chilean government to buy educational pictures for the schools of his country. He recently reviewed the South American market situation for Filmo graph, and now has the following to say: "Amongst many players now in Hollywood suitable for making talkie pictures in Spanish, | are Dolores del Rio, Ramon Novarro, Antonio Moreno, Gilbert Roland, Lupe Velez, and Barry Norton — all of whom speak a pure Spanish. Other players who speak Spanish with very little accent are : Raquel Torres, Don Alvarado, Lily Damita, Mona Rico, George Lewis, Donald Reed, and Lia Tora." Many other such players, who have had years of picture experience, are listed. It seems that there is real opportunity here for some enterprising producer. t^* <(?• t5* DUDLEY NICHOLS, writing in the New York "World," quotes an instance of censorship which indicates unwarranted interference in the expression of truth as established by what is considered generally to be an authentic source of information. The situation arose when a Swedish picture, which had been exhibited uncensored all over Europe, was shown in Pennsylvania. The censors demanded that the following title be changed : "Born of superstition, the belief in witchcraft became a cardinal doctrine of the church and flourished, etc." The emphasized words were ordered removed. Yet the "Encyclopedia Britannica" states such to be the fact, and quotes from the "Malleus Maleficarium," or Inquisitor's Manual, written ( in 1489.