The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

316 MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 25, 1922 Harold Lloyd, a Real Discusses Comical HERE'S an American dollar to a million Russian rubles tbat no star of the film world can talk more intelligently about comedy making than Harold Lloyd, Associated Exhibitors' great comedian, now on a visit to New York. Charlie Chaplin and perhaps another have this young man's knowledge of technique and possibly can claim more experience, but they can't be more intensely interested in the work, or be giving it more deep, conscientious study, or be forging ahead faster. These thoughts predominated after an hour's conversation this week with Lloyd, a meeting, by the way, arranged by energetic "Joe" Reddy, formerly of Gotham, but now a convert of the California chambers of commerce. Every interview, of course, is likely to be hailed as "diflPerent," but this one was. In the first place, in the words of our own Roger Ferri, Lloyd is "a regular fellow," who doesn't erect a barrier of formality ; secondly, he is one of the most eager persons we have ever met. He is absolutely dominated by an absorbing eagerness to learn things and put them into practice. To Lloyd, the making of clean, entertaining comedies is the greatest thing in life ; it's the one outstanding ideal that dictates all he does ; and so Lloyd is a man of whom the industry may well be proud, for he is a true artist in that he is always striving for perfection. What is Lloyd's first thought in planning a picture ? Laughs, of course ; he's a comedian. And aren't there other comedies with just as bright. mirth-provoking complications ? Right. Then where is the difiference between Lloyd and most of the others? It is this — Lloyd develops a definite characterization as well as comical situations, and plays on a theme and creates an atmosphere, so that an audience gets a single, unified eflfect from his pictures. \s he said this week, he avoids inconsistencies — in being funny the character must do things that are acutely typical of his nature. That is a common rule in the field of fiction, but it's often ignored in motion picture comedies that attempt to be coherent. Lloyd's latest pictures have each had a kind of unity. The characterization of "Grandma's Boy" is an achievement that adds immeasurably to the picture without detracting from its comic aspect. When the last reel has been run off, the audience does not remember merely a "gag" here and there that was especially funny, but while laughing at the humor still retains a clear idea of and a strong sympathy for the character. Therefore, "Grandma's Boy" will live as a human picture although its primary purpose was to make you laugh. Lloyd likes to talk about his work and he welcomes criticism. But he has no patience with a few people who pretend to see in his work a reflection of Charlie Chaplin's personality. Both comedians are individualistic, unique. We talked about Chaplin comedy and his, and Lloyd proved his point by telling how he thought Chaplin would have made "Grandma's Bov." "Charlie Showman, Comedy and I," he said, "could take the same theme and same settings, and when we got our pictures made you wouldn'": dream that we had begun with the same idea." Just one more thought : In everything that Lloyd said it was apparent that, in making a comedy, he does not think, first of all, of what he himself must do to be entertaining, but what he must do to make the picture entertaining. There's a big distinction, if you figure it out — the picture, not himself, is at all times uppermost in his mind. And so his pictures are steadily gaining in unity. Lloyd ends his second trip east on November 19, when "Joe" Reddy and he return to the land where sunshine and boosters' clubs hold sway. He has been having a great time seeing as many as possible of the New York shows, but remains faithful to California.—SUMNER SMITH. (t ^Brothers Under the Skin" Year's Best Stunt THE year's prize !n a publicity way goes to GoIdWjrn. Howard Dietz, Eddie Bonns, and William R. Ferguson pulled the strings. "Brothers Under the Skin" is the picture concemedL Last Saturday morning New York newspaper readers picked up their favorite breakfast visitor to be greated with big headings — two columns in the hard-boiled World, almost a column in the staid and conservative Times, and so on — telling about the formation by three harried married men of the National Brothers Under the Skin Society. Never a mention of a press agent in any of the stories, nor the slightest taint of suspicion. And the Associated Press carried the same thing out over the country.. Editorial on the "Brothers Under the Skin" movement followed.. Comment spread. Then on Sunday the theatrical ad pages told a laughing world that "Brothers Under the Skin" was at the Capitol. A great stunt — in its conception and its results. And a great stunt in is execution. Not a line was sent out from Goldwyn. The society was incorporated in legal form, papers filed, the court reporters picked it up, interviewed the incorporators, and did all the work. Hats off to Messrs. Dietz, Bonns and Ferguson. — THE EDITOR. Companies Banned Pictures Are Said to Cast Slurs on Mexicans The Post Office Department, Washington, D. C, has been advised by the Mexican government that by a decree of the president of Mexico no films produced or distributed by the Paramount Pictures Company, the Famous PlayersLasky Corporation, the Metro Pictures Corporation or the Educational Film Exchange, Inc., may be imported into Mexico. The order barring the films of these organizations was issued as a result of the release of films in which discredit is cast upon Mexico, it is stated in the communication from the Mexican government. Postmasters throughout the country have been instructed by the department not to acce])t parcels destined for Mexico which contain films produced or released by the four companies banned by the by the four companies banned. John C. Flinn. of Famous Players, left on Monday, Nov. 13, for Mexico, to investigate the situation. O'Mahoney Resigns Major J. D. O'Mahoney, advertising and publicity director of Educational Films Corporation, has left the motion picture industry, to the regret of his friends, to become advertising and sales manager of the Tayo Tea Company, 103 Park Avenue, New York City.