A hundred million movie-goers must be right... (1938)

When the author first heard critics class Over the Hill with the cheapest of ten-twenty-thirty melodramas, he was sorely puzzled. Many movies of the maudlin genre had poured across the screen before and since the war but there had only been one Over the Hill. And there hasn't been another My Man Godfrey. Thus the question: If those movies rated so little respect then why haven't other movies of the same type enjoyed their success? Was it star casting? No. There were no stars in Over the Hill. Stars helped My Man Godfrey but star casts were common by that time. Was it interest in the book from which Over the Hill had been adapted? To a slight extent, yes, but Sunday or opening day business, depending upon star draw and book circulation, was normal. And many best sellers haven't enenjoyed a quarter of the business done by Over the Hill and My Man Godfrey. Puzzlement grew and before he knew it the author inherited a swell riddle. Condensed, that riddle contains these direct questions: Is critical opinion of Over the Hill and My Man Godfrey an indication of the general superficiality of movie criticism? Are the millions who attend the movies year in and year out finding qualities in screen entertainment the critics are overlooking? Why are the movies so unfailingly popular and why are there so few really great movies ? And finally, is it possible for the camera to look at "life" honestly and still be entertaining? Contained herein, and dedicated to those who share the author's curiosity, are some answers. IRA PRICE. Errata: Page 50, Line 28 should read— ment and enhancement is necessary to equalize appeal Page 65, Line 4 should read— in short, one main" pursuit may not be as nonPage 99, Line 23 should read— With class immutables accentuated as never before