Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1926)

Brickbats &? Bouquets Three prizes to be given every month for the best letters — $25, $ 10 and $ 5 LETTERS FROM READERS Down With Dual Roles Atlantic City, N. J One last feeble remonstrance before I expire! From a frequent picture patron comes this heart-felt lament. Word* fail me when T try to express my supreme weariness and boredom — not to mention acute resentment and distaste — at the spectacle of young and beautiful stars made up as old, wrinkled, gray-haired women. Gloria Swanson, Norma Talmadge, Colleen Moore. May McAvoy — please desist. Why should they waste one moment of their glorious youth? A true sense of the appropriate dictates that" elderly roles be left to elderly persons. Authentic old age has its own proper appeal, dignity and charm; but a caricature is always unlovely. Will someone please second the motion to banish utterly all these dual, triple and quadruple roles from the screen? Whatever element of novelty or interest it might once have contained is now completely exhausted. Another horrible example was the exquisite little Norma Shearer as a "lady of the night." I am still shuddering from that shock. With the many attempts at a convincing portrayal of the dual type of role by numerous actors and actresses passing in review before me, the only satisfactory interpretation that comes to mind as a real artistic triumph is the inspired performance of John Barrymore as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Mildred Garee. Ouch! Washington. D. C. Here is a brickbat for my favorite movie magazine, PHOTOPLAY. I think that the messy picture you published with all our favorite movie heroes mixed up was perfectly terrible. We really do want some good pictures of Ramon Nbvarro, Richard Barthelmess, Jack Gilbert, and Ronald Colman. It is very tiresome to see girls, girls, girls, all through a movie magazine, even if we are fond of them. So please won't you give us some pictures of men? I say "we" because I am writing for a great number of fans. Gladys. We Feel the Deepest Gratitude San Pedro, Calif. May I take a few moments of your time in Idling you my feeling toward your line, uplifting magazine, PHOTOPLAY? I have been getting your magazine for the past two and one-half years and I'll continue to get it as long as it is published. I notice these two catch lines in your magazine, "The World's Leading Motion Picture Publication" and "The National Guide to Motion Pictures." Certainly, to me, 1 don't think anyone could have picked a more perfect description to put on a magazine. Two years ago when you 6rs1 had the cutpicture puzzle contest, I entered it, but due to my lack of knowledge of movie stars 1 had some of them wrong. Bui this year I am entering it again and I feel sure, through the help of Photopi \y. which has brought me into closer < ontact with the famous stars, that I will have them right. 1 have recommended your magazine to my school friends and they have immediately become enthusiastic, Cornei us Frederick Hixker. / ' The readers of PHOTOPLAY are invited to write this department — to register complaints or compliments — to tell just what they think of pictures and players. We suggest that you express your ideas as briefly as possible and refrain from severe personal criticism, remembering that the object of these columns is to exchange thoughts that may bring about pictures and better acting. Be constructive. We may not agree with the sentiments expressed, but we'll publish them just the same! Letters should not exceed 150 words and should bear the writer's full name and address. Character, Good Looks and Good Acting Ossining, N. Y. I want to express my hearty thanks to Photoplay for the many interesting moments I have enjoyed through reading this best of all magazines. I have read Photoplay for five years and intend to read it as long as I live. It is the friendliest, most just movie magazine published. Also I should like to ask Photoplay to give us more pictures and articles about the everpopular and admired Jack Kerrigan, who proved his popularity by a successful return after a painfully long absence from the screen. Everyone admits that "The Covered Wagon" is great, and without Mr. Kerrigan the wagon would have been stuck in its own mud. Stars become my favorites through character, good looks and good acting. Here are some of them: Richard Barthelmess, Give Brook,' Huntley Gordon, Ronald Colman and Lewis Stone. Everyone misses our own lovable Roscoe Arbuckle. Rosa iy Hunter. Bad Mr. Watkins Grants Pass, Oregon. I have never written to this department before, but feel I just must now. to criticize, not an actor or actress, but the writers of some of these Brickbats. I refer to II. J. Watkins' letter in the November issue of Photoplay. This person certainly must be very young to think that middle-aged nun such as Conway Tearle. Milton Sills, Thomas Meighan, ami Eugene O'Brien arc too old to play hero parts. Watkins also asks why the above named men do not step aside and give the younger actors a chance. Hut who among us would prefer the conceited handsomeness of Ken Lyon to the dear character of Thomas Meighan? Milton Sills nor Conway Tearle are neither my special favorites, but 1 admire both of them and dislike to hear anyone attack them. I also wish to challenge the statement of " Lou and John" that Mac Murray cannot act I think she was very wonderful in "The Merry Widow," and even if she couldn't act, she can certainly pass muster on her looks and form. Indeed. 1 do like Iter. Eloise Oct esbee. Twelve Greatest Screen Performances of All Time New York. N V. I am wondering how many fans will agree with my choice of the twelve greatest screen performances of all time: Pola Negri. "Pasr-ion"; Emil Jannings, "The Last Laugh"; John Barrymore. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde": Norma Talmadge. "The Lady"; CharlesChaplin, "Shoulder Arms"; Man. Pickford. "Stella Maris"; Loi> Wilson. "Miss Lulu Bett"; Carol Dempster. "Isn't Life Wonderful?"; Douglas Fairbanks, "Three Musketeers"; Lillian Gish. "The White Sister"; Pauline Frederick. "Smouldering Fires"; Mary Alden. "SieL;e." A Fan. Foreigners Not Eligible for "Ten Most Beautiful"" Pittsburgh. Penna. I think Herbert Howe should have left out the foreigners in his choice of the ten most beautiful women of the screen, especially if it is argument he is looking for. Aren't the standards of beauty in Europe entirely different from those in this country? And we know only American beauty. Pola Negri, without her striking personality, would be simply a typical Polish girl, maybe a beautiful one in Poland, but not here. According to American standards of beauty, her face is too wide and her upper lip too short and thin. And I think she shows her gums when she laughs. Barbara La Marr and Nita Naldi fall short of beauty by the American standard, too. because they do not look natural, and an American beauty must be natural. Who ever sawanybody look like them? I think the reason foreign films are not popular in this country is because the women are odd looking and not beautiful to us. Mrs. Mary Reid. Vilma's First Brickbat New York City. N. Y. Vilma Banky is good looking and a capable actress, but she will never be a star. She is not star material like Gloria and Pola and Corinne Griffith. I think she lacks distinction. She's just another beautiful blonde. She hasn't anything definite about her personality to make her a star. A i. rm: \. Live and Let Live Boston, Ma>s I read a great many letters in your columns by readers extolling their favorites and knocking the others. Why cannot there be room for ali? I have my favorite in Valentino, but I go to see Colman, Cortez, and Gilbert, and enjoy them. Also I read many statements such as — why let Conway Tearle play romantic parts? I thought everyone knew that the directors are responsible for the parts played by actors and are to blame when a line actor is cast in a role in which he appears ridiculous. Can't we all live anil let live? There's so much room for all our tastes. Edith Harlax Corning. [ coxtixced ox pace 127]