Hollywood Topics (Oct 1926-Feb 1927)

Week Ending Saturday, Jan. 1, 1927 Published weekly l>y Hollywood TOPICS, Inc., ICOd Cahuenga Ave. Hollywood, Calif., telephon GRanite 591(7. Subscription rates: $(1.50 per year, $9.50 Canadian; $4.00 foreign. Price per single copies, 5 cents. Hollywood TOPICS will be glad to consider manuscripts and art work but expressly disclaims any responsibility for their safety in transit. Acceptance within 15 days; payable upon publication. Copyright 1926, by Hollywood TOPICS, Inc. * * * I. W. IRVING, Editor. F. A. DIGNOWITY, Business Manager. * * * Associate Editors F. L. BARNES. GEO. TERWILLIGER. HELEN UNITY HUNTER (Society) PAUL H. ALLEN. GEO. E. BRADLEY. JOSEF VON STERNBERG. * * * EWELL D. MOORE, Counsellor. L. J. HAGSTRUM, Auditor. P. D. WINCH, Circulation. ♦ * * Federal Trust & Savings Bank, Depository, Hollywood, California PHONE GRANITE 5967 ADVERTISING RATES ON APPLICATION “There Is No Substitute For Truth.” WHAT MATTERS .VOICE? For years motion picture actors and actresses have congratulated themselves that there was no need in their particular branch of the entertainment business of having perfect voice control and timbre. If such had been the case many might have been called to the screen but very few chosen. This has been exemplified time and again at the socalled “personal” appearance of some of our best film stars. Many an audience that raptly awaited the presence of their favorite in the flesh wished, after such an appearance, that they had left well enough alone. There is a vast difference in seeing one’s idols on the screen silenty and in meeting them volubly “face to face.” It were better for most of these artists that, like children, they were “seen and not heard.” With the advent of the personal appearance demand, the radio and the many speaking devices like the Vitaphone, has come a change in the matter of theatre voice culture and most of our screenites are trembling at the thought of the future. They are commencing now, some secretly and some openly to train their voices for the day when they may be called upon to not only act silently, but volubly. There is a charm about a well modulated speaking voice that is most alluring. Most voices are harsh, and highly pitched — abused and neglected. It is just as necessary in speaking to use true musical tones as it is in singing. Our great actors and actresses of the stage owe as much to their marvelous tone color as they do to their acting ability and have risen to great heights through it. Screenites will do well to relegate “what matters voice” to a past screen age and prepare to meet the new one. HOLLYWOOD TOPICS The Year’s Best Picture The past year has seen many pictures — some bad, some mediocre, some fair and some good. The bad and mediocre pictures are best forgotten but not the lessons they have taught — let the failures of yesterday point the way to success tomorrow. Each year we see fewer of these misfits and a consequent increase in the number of good pictures, and it is with the listing of these artistic and box office successes that we are most concerned. In compiling the following lists we have taken into consideration many phases of production and exhibition, for it is not fair to judge a picture or contrast it with its competitor on any one particular point of merit. We point with pride to the following fifteen odd pictures as being, in our humble estimation, the best pictures, from every point of view, of the past year. 1. “Ben Hur,” M-G-M, directed by Fred Niblo. 2. “Beau Geste,” Famous Players-Lasky, directed by Herbert Brenon. 3. “What Price Glory,” Fox directed by Raoul Walsh. 4. “The Sorrows of Satan,” Famous Players-Lasky, directed by D. W. Griffith. 5. “The Fire Brigade,” Metro-GoldwynMayer, directed by William Nigh. 6. “The Black Pirate,” United Artists, directed by Abert Parker. 7. “Kiki,” United Artists, directed by Clarence Brown. 8. “The Volga Boatman,” DeMille, directed by Cecil B. de Mille. 9. “The Flesh and the Devil,” MetroGoldwyn-Mayer, directed by Clarcence Brown. 10. “Old Ironsides,” Famous PlayersLasky, directed by James Cruze. 11. “The Waltz Dream,” Metro-GoldwynMayer, directed by Henri Berger. 12. “Variety,” Famous Players-Lasky, directed by E. A. Dupont. 13. “The Temptress,” Metro GoldwynMayer, directed by Fred Niblo. 14. “Don Juan,” Warner Brothers, directed by Alan Crosand. 15. “His People,” Universal directed by Ed. Sloman. In considering the best acting performances of the past year we are not prefering any particular performance over another but list them as they come to mind. Marion Davies in “Beverly of Graustark,” Ramon Novarro in “Ben Hur,” Ronald Colman in “Beau Geste,” Douglas Fairbanks in “The Black Pirate,” Charles Ray and May McAvoy in “The Fire Brigade,” Norma Talmadge in “Kiki,” Victor Varconi in “The Volga Boatman,” Edmund Lowe in “What Price Glory,” Riccordo Cortez in “The Sorrows of Satan,” John Barrymore in “The Sea Beast,” Lars Hanson in “The Flesh and the Devil,” Greta Garbo in “The Temptress,” Emil Jannings in “Variety,” Gardner James in “Hell Bent Fer Heaven,” Estelle Taylor in “Don Juan,” William Haines in “Brown of Harvard,” Mary Pickford in “Sparrows,” 7 DOES COMBINATION PUBLICITY PAY? This question arises in the minds of several of us after reading the current advertising of a tie company, wherein Johnny Hines and his leading lady Leila Hyams are “tied up” with the w.k. article which men folk adorn their Adam’s apple. Whether this type of advertising is a detriment or a boost for stars of first water is a muted point. The fact remains though that Johnny has crashed the Satevpost, Liberty and others with full page spreads that are as much (almost) Johnny’s copy as the aforesaid Adam’s apple adornment. THE THREE WISE MEN IN THE EAST. We of the film game may rave and talk to suit ourselves. Squawk as to what the dear public want, or rather what we think they want, but what chance have we when the three wise men in the east KNOW what they want. And why shouldn’t they? They make the pictures to suit themselves, and when they do accidentally hit upon something the public wants and make a $ ? $ $ success, all the rest of the little boys clap their hands with glee and immediately start to “copy cat” until the dear public is once more tired with what was found that it wanted. Then all the sammee over again. Who are these three wise men? Well you can’t miss them can you? Let’s us see, there’s .... (To be continued) LACK OF STORY MATERIAL? It is remarkable that the cry of lack of story material continually goes up here in the land of the motion picture. Pick up any edition of any local newspaper and literally dozens of modern, human heart throbbing stories are jumping out for you, if you have only the imagination to read between the lines. Take tonight’s “bull dog” edition of tomorrow’s paper. Exclusive of the A-ME specials, there are four possible situations to develope a story around on the first page, seven on the second, six on the third, five on the fourth, four on the fifth, one on the sixth, three on the seventh, none on the eighth, ditto on the ninth, three and a possible fourth on the tenth, etc. No story material! Humph! John Gilbert in “Bardelys the Magnificent,” Billie Dove in “The Marriage Clause,” Bert Lytell in “The Lone Wolf’s Return,” Lon Chaney in “The Road to Mandalay,” Rod La Roque in “Gigolo” and Oscar Beregi in “The Flaming Forest.” The best individual performances in the big comedies seem to us to stack up about as folows: Harry Langdon in “The Strong Man.” Syd Chaplin in “The Better Ole.” Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton in “We’re In the Navy Now.” Bert Roach and George Cooper in “Tin Hats.” In our estimation the best feature comedies of 1926 are as follows: “The Strong Man.” “We’re In The Navy Now.” “Battling Butler.” “Hold That Lion.” “For Heavens Sake.” “Atta Boy.” The Editorial Staff of the Hollywood Topics wish all a Happy and Prosperous New Year.