Motion Picture Classic (Jul-Dec 1928)

Become Unpopular Overnight Hollywood s Own Film Critics Have To Face The People They Pan and don't want to cut in on his much publicized fan mail. Once I criticized not only the lovely star of a picture, but the direction, the scenario, the titles and several other things which a merciful providence has erased from my memory. The next night this particular star sat across the table from me at somebody or other's party. She was gracious, charming. Finally I could stand my curiosity no longer. "Did you read my review on your picture.?" I asked. "Oh, no, not yet," she replied. "The studio is sending over all the Los Angeles press clippings in the morning." The next time I saw her she gritted her teeth when she smiled. Perhaps the most hullabaloo I ever managed to brew was with a review on "Hula," with Clara Bow in a shreddedwheat sports skirt. I still have bad dreams when I think of that picture, although its box-office grosses resembled the national debt. Clara was nice to me, but her fans were not. In addition to the usual mail from press-agents, and from spinster schoolma'ams bewailing the fact that I'd split another infinitive, there were a lot of highly inflammatory letters anent "Hula." One of her admirers maintained that "Hula" was the epic of the century, that Mile. Bow was the greatest artiste since Bernhardt, and anyway I was a bum critic. Furthermore, if I knew so much about film stories, why didn't I write one — there were plenty of stars and dozens of studios looking for material. O'Brien's Irish Rises 4 FEW of her fans were magnanimous enough to agree with me. hen there is Eugene O'Brien who appeared recently in Los Angeles in a vaudeville playlet. Eugene did not like the criticism he received in one of the papers. "I'm glad you seem to like my act," he proclaimed in a curtain-speech, "although the critic of The Blade did not. However, that's all right. I buy The Gazette (morning opposition) to read, and get The Blade for my dog to chew." Most of these favored Hollj'woodians are willing to accept the thorns with the roses. Ramon Novarro was miscast in "Lovers," a picture adapted somewhat freely from "The Great Galeoto." I said as much, although I know Ramon and consider him one of the screen's finest actors. Two or three days later I had a letter from Ramon. It was brief and to the point: "You were perfectly right." I didn't tear pages from the dictionary in looking for words of praise to describe "The Legion of the Condemned." At least two people agreed with me. One was Gary Cooper, the star, and the other was John Monk Saunders, who wrote the story. One director, whom I regarded as a good sport and a friend, declined to speak to me because I had failed to praise his much-heralded super-production. On the other hand, Mervyn LeRoy joked about my review of "Flying Romeo's," which I treated more severely than the other director's picture. It was Mervyn's first important assignment and the reception of the picture meant a great deal to him. He was just handicapped with a collection of museum-piece gags by way of stor\'. However, in "Harold Teen," the critics had a chance to be kind to Mervyn. Thankless Stars FEW of the stars take time to write their thanks for favorable reviews. If one meets them, they usually {Continued on page 75) I still have bad dreams whenever I think of Clara Bow in "Hula." But it was a box-office hit 29