National Board of Review Magazine (Jan 1939 - Jan 1942)

Notes from Abroad THE British Film Institute's publication '"Sight and Sound" takes us as far away as ]\Ialaya in their last number to describe the effect of motion pictures on Incal inhabitants. R. H. Wright, author of the article, arranged for a traveling" showman to give screenings on an out-of-the-way plantation where — ^^believe it or not — movies are unknown. The interesting part of the article is not so much the eft'ect of the movies on the ignorant audience, but rather the problems that the movie automatically br<iug"lit along with it. ^Malayan coolies are still taught to believe that white men and women belong to a superior race, and the average movie is bound to contain something that might discourage such a belief. For this reason the commentator assured his savage audience that none of the stars in a gangster featm-e were white at all — just coolies dressed up ; the pick of American coolies, in fact. This explained their scheming cleverness as gangsters. As for Laurel and Hardy — well, the commentator explained that Stan was really Olly's slave, and that was whv their two figures were so disproportionate. ^Mickey j\Iouse took some explaining: eventually he was described as a special superior kind of mouse fovmd only in England, a real household pet who was fed on cheese and played with the children. We read all this with mixed feelings and the hope that soon the coolies will catch on and feed the commentator to the crocodiles. < < r^IL^MIXDL^'" comes to us from Bom* bay with more serious material in what is reallv the same vein. Thev are sick and tired of having' India made the home of screen rascals and traitors, and cite quite a row of American and European productions which have capitalized on people's willingness to accept the Indian as a symbol for all that is bloodthirsty and uncivilized. They cite Wee JVillie Winkie, Lives of a Bengal Lancer, Clive of India from the United States, The Tiger of Esclinapiir from Germany, and Alexander Korda's unscrupulous Drums. Thev are fighting for the banning of Giinga Din at present, and woiild like to 21 see other films of this kind refused admission. The Secretary of State for India is praised for having caused the British Board of Film Censors to ban the making of The Relief of Lucknozv on the grounds of its being unlikely to further friendly relations l^etween Great Britain and India. FUrnindia sees this, of course, more as a need for imIjerial unity in these dangerous times than as a real change of heart. jNIany of us in this country must have wondered how much longer the movies were going to make revenue out of Indian devilry. Even setting moral and ethical reasons aside and viewing the matter simplv from a business point-of-view, such productions seem foolish and short-sighted. India is probably the second largest potential movie-market in the world : can we expect its people to welcome productions that libel them? What is, perhaps, the most extraordinary thing of all is the fact that any company should attempt to show such films in India. Howcan they possibly be welcome in the supposed place of their original stories? PRODUCTIOXS from the French studios, pending or underway, include : Christopher Coliiin.bus. directed by Abel Gance (Life and Loz'es of Beetlwven was one of hisj, which will be rich in exteriors shot in Grenada, Toledo, Salamanca and Cordova. It will open in Grenada in June. Gance will also direct Paradise Lost, starring Fernand Grave}' and Elvire Popescrj . . . Andre Maurois' "Edward VII and his Times" will be screened under the title Entente Cordiale, with director Marcel L'Herbier and stars Gaby ]\Iorlay, \"ictor Francen and Pierre RichardWillm . . . Jean Renoir's La Regie de Jen is well underwa}. . . Sacha Guitry's lis Etaienf Xeuf Celibataires is in course of preparation. Harry Baur will appear in Jean Dreville's President Haudecoeur. Yolande Foldes' prize-winning novel "The Street of the Fishing' Cat" is in preparation. . . . Eric von Stroheim will star in Schastopol, and share acting honors A\'ith Maurice Chevalier in Piege. , . . The indefatigable Jean Gabin, who seems to appear in a new picture every other opening day, is down for Renwrques, and Danielle Darrieux for Un fois dans la J^ic. . . . Rene