Motion Picture Classic (Jul-Dec 1928)

1 Letters from Classic Readers $15.00 LETTER Heroines, Be Yourself Dear Editor : WE confess to an intensely human capacity for coining thrills from TNT modes of screen love-making. What puzzles us, however, is why hero, desperado or whatnot continually handles the heroine. We swallow jungle or mystery play, hair, hide and tallow. Wrong, right or rhythm. Whole or minor detail. But why (despairingly) cannot perfectly good American women get over ground, through haunted habitat, or experience strong emotion without conquering hero, , affectionate cousin or sympathetic detective always on the job to fondle her? Possessing perfectly good "understandings," s' he'p us, Hanner ! if ever we're caught in a junglejam or intimate juxtaposition with murdered or improvised spooks we'll use 'em. In such situations we'd require legs pure and simple. If gallant male desires to aid, let him lift us bodily and — RUN I not tenderly retard. Today's good sport retains her senses in a crush — no need of apron strinofs. With ability under her "permanent" to manage the average male, she'd stand up to any mere spook. We glory in improbable situations — crave dilemma and romance a-plenty. But desire no vacillating heroin to be propped by a hero vvho, goodness knows, has ado to handle the situation. All we ask is a heroine to, in present parlance, "be herself." Elsie R. Glover, Johnson City, Tenn. $10.00 LETTER On "The Street of Sin" Dear Editor: "T'he Street of Sin," which has as its locale the tawdry slums of London, impressed me more than any of the pictures I have seen for a long time. This may in a way be due to the fact that I conNsider Emil Jannings the greatest character star of the screen. You will also agree with me that Jannings is the genius of the screen if you will take into consideration some of his previous accomplishments — "Faust," "Variety," "The Last Laugh" and "The Way of All Flesh." You can't help liking him and admiring his excellent portrayal of the role of Bill in "The Street of Sin," even though he is a brutal ex-prize 6 fighter who bullies everybody in the ugly district with his strength. You limit me to two hundred words, but before using up my allotted number, I am going to take advantage of this opportunity to give due praise to two female members of tlje cast of "The Street. of Sin." First to Fay Wray, who plays the leading female role of a Salvation Army lass who is the cause of Bill's reform, and to Olga Baklanova, who plays the part of Annie, a girl of the streets. All excellent portrayals. F. A. N. $5.00 LETTER Consider the Boy Friend Dear Editor : TTT^HAT price the boy friend? Though he toil and spin to buy us movie tickets, he is not arrayed — emotionally — like one of these — meaning the movie hero. We feed upon sentimental goulash served A la the silver screen and when our boy friend fails to come up to our trained expectations, we feel he is just too ordinary. We feel cheated, and perhaps we are, psychologically. Through years of movie tutoring we set our standard, and the decent young chaps who court us dnd marrj' us never swoon back while they gaze rapturously into our. eyes for so long a time that the flies would be apt to settle on our sweet expression. They don't do it that way at all. Not any of them. Ask any girl, married or single. Men have neither instinct nor talent to look soulful. As much as I enjoy the movies, I feel they are in this respect setting a false standard. I would suggest that there be less wasted effort in providing extravagant" exotic settings and spectacular emotional flubdub ; what the movies need is to park their orchid negligees and soulful trances and reflect life as we live it. Yours very truly, Eva L. Dunbar, Oakland, Cal. $1.00 LETTER They're Not Related Dear Editor: T AM wondering why pictures bear no relation to the stories from which they are taken. "Love," with John Gilbert and Greta Garbo, is one of the finest movies I've seen in a long time, and the acting was perfect, but I went to the show with the story of "Anna Karenina" flashing through my mind, actually living through the parts I admired most, and I must admit I never would have recognized it as the same, but for the names of the characters. If this picture had been advertised simply as "Love," I would have stretched a point to see it just the same, because the title is attractive, and the players can not be criticized, but I feel sure you can realize how keenly my disappointment was when the difference was so great. The American public is hard to please, and demands full measure of everything, so let us hope in the future pictures run true to the stories from which they arc taken. Mrs. Max Barnett, New Orleans, La. $1.00 LETTER Anent Gloria's "Sadie" We Want to Know What you think of the movies and the stars. This page is devoted to Classic's readers, who are invited to write about their impressions of the pictures and players. Be as brief as possible, as letters must not exceed 200 words. We also suggest that you be entirely fair in your views. In other words, Classic would like to receive constructive criticism or arguments about the productions and performances. Fifteen dollars will be paid each month for the best letter, ten dollars for the second, and five dollars for the third. Besides these three prices, we will also pay one dollar for any other letters printed. If one or more letters are found of equal merit, the full prize will go to each writer. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Sign your full name and address. We will use initials if requested. This is your department. We want you to take advantage of it. Letters must be addressed: The Letter Box, Classic, Paramount Building, 1501 Broadway, New York. LAST January, Classic let ■« me "tell the world" how 1 was most terribly perturbed about the rumors that "Rain" was to be filmed without the good old fighting minister sindodger. Since seeing the finished picture, I have had the desire to say something laudable, but the "whips" of the gods seemed to thrash me nigh insensible when I strove to place my thoughts in proper words. It is so easy to "pan." I want to say that I appreciated Gloria Swanson more in this picture than I have in any that she has ever appeared. Lionel Barrymore as the reformer fully satisfied my anxieties. With courage and brains she made a picture of which she can well be proud. Yours truly, J. H. Engbeck,