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Talkie Panic
Hysterics Over the To the Screen
saying, "Great stuff — where did you get it?" or "IMy wife is my severest critic" but were hardly adequate for talking motion pictures. Screen auditions have taken the place of screen tests. Stars with whisky tenors have scrambled aboard the water wagon. Leatrice Joy is taking singing lessons, Emil Jannings is studying English. Wherever screen players are gathered together, at the Montmartre, at Henry's, at the Mayfair, there is only one subject of conversation, "What do
you think voice
about the talking pictures!
I have seen Hollywood excited before this. The foreign invasion, costume pictures, war movies, the latest scandals have all rocked the town for a day and been forgotten. But I have never seen anything to equal the present hysteria of confusion, conjecture, terror, and change — all within the sj^ace of a few weeks. Pictures synchronized with sound have their enthusiasts who bang desks and shout, "The talkies are here to stay !" And they have their enemies who wail, "This means the ruin of the [ industry !" People argue, explain, prophesy [with voices raised to be heard above the hamimering on the new sound-proof stages. Overnight, careers that .seemed as safe as Gibraltar have been threatened. Calamity faces the most popular stars, directors, scenario writers. Every day has its wild rumors of an invasion of trained voicer from the speaking stage.
Among all the rumors floating about Hollywood are fantastic theories regarding the reason for sound pictures. A woman star tells you bitterly that the producers are using them as a bluff to force new contracts on the players, and to reduce salaries. A studio executive admits that the picture business has I)een in a bad way for a year and that a novelty was needed to fill the theaters. A director takes you aside and solemnly assures you that the studios have been forced into adoj)ting the new medium by a group of radio ancl electric corporations that hold the patents for the sound devices and have threatened to go into a rival picture business thenisclvcs if the present C()m|)anies do not adojit their plans. ".A.ll the i)r(Klucers are sorry this has happened," he whispers, "but they couldn't helj) them.selves."
Each of the movie com]ianies has an nounced a name for its new inventions. Warner Brothers, looked on enviously as the heroes of the moment {Continued on page 68)
an ^^
I ionol Barryniore. at the left, is one star lo beaefil by the talkies. Just above him is shown the sound-proof booth used in making audible photoplays. With her foot in this photouraoh is Lva de Putti; and just above
Novarro and Renee
Adoree
Duncan
17
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