We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
34
l he Kinematograph Year Book.
The real difficulty at present is to rind pictures worthy of exhibition in these temples of art, and they will eventually stimulate the production of finer "pictures in a great degree.
Film relations between the United States and Europe have been rather strained during 1926. As every daity newspaper reader knows there have been numerous outbreaks of one sort and another abrcad against American films.
To -understand this it is necessary to realise that moticn picture have become the greatest medium ever known for the dissemination of ideas. Consciously or unconsciously, the motion picture makei is spreading over the world the ideals, the tastes, the habits and th merchandise of his nation. Since American films constitute som 90 per cent, of the world's film fare, several foreign naticns have beccm aroused over the possible effect upon their peoples, their colonies and their trade.
These countries feel that they contribute a large share of America's him revenue, and that America, in turn, refuses to show their film on its screens. A large picture can hardly be commercially successful to-day unless it is shown in the United States, for it is only there that a large enough revenue is returned. America, however, cannot force the circulation of foreign films unless the American public likes them and will pay to see them — which in most cases the American public has no done. This has resulted in a difficult situation which will probabh be solved only by America assisting other nations to produce film which will be acceptable in America, resulting in a suitable reciprccit} and interchange.
As regards pictures themselves, 1926 has seen some notable con tributions to the screen. " The Big Parade." which properly belongs to the end of 1925, continues to lead the field, closely followed bj '"' Ben-Hur." Other worthwhile films of the year include " Beau Geste," a splendid story of the Foreign Legion ; " Variety," a German triumph ; " The Black Pirate," in colour ; " Stella Dallas " ; " The Winning of Barbara Worth " ; " The Son of the Sheik " ; " Behind the Front " ; " Bardelys the Magnificent " ; " The Scarlet Letter " "The Temptress"; "The Volga Boatmen," and many others. As this is written, three pictures are in the offing which promise much— " What Price Glory," " Old Ironsides," and " The World, the Flesl and the Devil."
In closing, it is only fitting to pay tribute to a great favourite whc passed in 1926 — Rudolph Valentine — who achieved a popularity sur passed by none and remained to those who knew him a sincere, loya friend and a widely misunderstood but genuinely admirable mar The screen will not soon see his like.
"P.D.C. — THE HOUSE OF VARIETY."