The New Movie Magazine (Jan-Sep 1935)

I PICTURES NEED Above left: Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon, in "The Scarlet Pimpernel," gave us true romance. Above right: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers quickened the rhythm of our souls with their singing and dancing. Below, left: Francis Lederer's "Romance in Manhattan" let us share a man's love for a woman. Below, right: "Broadway Bill" intensified our love and respect for animals. We all know there would be no movies without love, but have you ever stopped to wonder why? Not one, but seven kinds of love are necessary, says this author, DR. LOUIS E. BISCH, M.D., Ph.D MANY reasons have been advanced why the movies are so popular, yet the deepest and most fundamental reason of all is always overlooked. To be sure, pictures are inexpensive; most of us can afford such a show at least once a week. Secondly, the movies are entertaining, therefore also distracting, and heaven knows all kinds and conditions of mankind these days need to forget themselves now and then. Lastly, as a third outstanding reason for the screen's popularity, it may be pointed out that, since every individual is primarily a visualizer — that is, he uses his eyes more than his ears or his other senses in everyday relationships and, consequently, actually thinks in terms of visual images — the least possible strain is sustained by an audience from a medium that still is so distinctly visual in character. BUT what about our love-lives? What about yours, mine, a child's and an adolescent's, as well as an adult's? Is anyone's love-life ever fully gratified in the world of reality as it actually exists? Can anyone, man or woman, truthfully say that he or she could not deepen or extend his instinctive feelings? Do we ever get enough of love of any kind? Furthermore, is it not true that love is so thrilling and activating an emotion that without it life would probably deteriorate into little more than a vegetable existence? HEREIN lies the real reason why we all crave pictures. The movies give us what we need; in short, they satisfy our love-life cravings by filling in the gaps left by our actual experiences. What we miss in real life we find in pictures. On the silver screen our ideals have a free fling; love in all its variety of manifestations is set before us to cater to our senses. Comfortably seated in an arm-chair we can run the gamut of our emotions and rid ourselves of the over-plus of feeling that may be nagging at our very souls. By means of pictures we can not only extend our emotional experiences— we can, as well, take up the emotional slack. This explains why nerve specialists believe in pictures. Personally, in the conduct of my private practice, I frequently recommend certain pictures for the good which I know they would do my patients. At the moment of writing I am telling my friends as well as my patients to see "Ruggles of Red Gap" for its satirical humor and its insight into human nature; also "Roberta" because it is so genuinely diverting; and "The Scarlet Pimpernel" because it portrays the delights of old-fashioned romanticism. Particular stress is being laid in this article, however, upon the personal needs of every individual as regards his love-life, the term love-life being used in its broadest sense to include not only love of woman for man and vice versa, but all other kinds of love in addition, the expression of which is equally important if one is to lead a well-rounded, adjusted and happy life. I WONDER if you have ever analyzed your own love-life? That is, have you ever dissected it, so to speak, to see what its component parts consist of, what its various elements are? These, all bound together in a sort of composite way, constitute that 16 The New Movie Magazine, August, 1935