Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1931)

Photoplay Magazine for September, 1931 109 The Audience Speaks Its Mind Photoplay Education My parents are uneducated farm tenants. My father didn't believe in school beyond the ability to read, write, and cipher. With these handicaps and, of course, no money at all I tackled the job of obtaining an education. I asked questions, read, and, after I left my backwoods home, attended the movies as means of obtaining knowledge and poise. I was extremely timid because of my outland upbringing, you see. From personal experience I can say that the movies are a great educational force today. They have given me a basic knowledge of customs, manners, and styles which I had no other way of obtaining. And, in the giving, they furnished good entertainment. They are helping me to develop into a well-rounded personality. C. L. G., Birmingham, Ala. As a country girl, suddenly transplanted to a fairly large town, I found myself totally unprepared to meet the new problems that daily confronted me. But at the neighborhood movie house I was able to study the clothes worn by the stars and thereby improve the style of my own. My apartment, once an absurd reminder of bygone frills and gadgets, now is the most modern in our neighborhood. My family is very proud of my results, and so am I. How I wish I could find some means to express my appreciation to the designers of AFTER YOUR EVERY SMOKE... [CONTINUED FROM page 1.3 ] film clothes and house interiors for the help they have given me. AuiI,RTA Rou , , , Lexington, Ky. Mary Brian Our whole family just adore Mary Brian and my husband wouldn't miss one of her pictures on a bet. She is most natural and sweetest in those Southern debutante roles or as a small town sweetheart. She just can't be beat in parts like that. Surely there are many more such roles for her! The public isn't through seeing sweet love stories, even if there is a "gang war" on! A Loyal Fax, Los Angeles, Calif. The Millionaire I am seldom moved to do my bouquets up in a letter, but the pleasure I had in seeing "The Millionaire" must be expressed. It is as clean as the baby's bottle. It has all the ingredients of a good play — delicate touches of pathos, subtle, gentle humor and tense situations. There are no gangsters, guns or murders. No storms, floods or wrecks. No speakeasies, wild parties or chorus girls. Yet there is not a slow, uninteresting moment in the whole picture. Mr. Arliss has proved to us again that it can be done. See it for yourself, you satiated movie fans! Mr. Arliss is one "foreign" actor for whom I have a glad hand. Mary Keith, Clarksville, Tenn. Movies and Romance My husband cannot afford an automobile and, as a result, we are denied much of the enjoyment that ownership of a car affords. With financial worries and lack of outdoor life, we have discovered that "Jack can become a dull husband and Jill a bored wife." To preserve romance in our lives and to escape from dull evenings at home, we find adventure in the darkness of the movie theater. We forget about the note coming due and the dazzling new car that mocks us every time we pass the show window. And we walk home with renewed love and courage, anticipating the next of the "best pictures of the month." Mrs. M. O. Wilbuen, Montgomery, Ala. Lurid Advertisements Is there any particular reason why the most suggestive scene in the entire picture should be selected for advertising purposes? My small son stands before the posters, saying disgustedly: "It's just a lot of huggin' and kissin'. Let's stay home and read stories." And nine times out of ten the picture is all right and tells a splendid story. The posters, however, have given such a bad impression that the highly moral folks stay away and those looking for lewdness are disappointed. Box-office, I suppose, but is it really neces sary? Jessie Kenyon, Nice, Calif. [ PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 111 ] £ I Beech-Nut Gum MAKES THE NEXT SMOKE TASTE BETTER ^ When you pause to bask in the summer sunshine and enjoy a lazy smoke — make the stolen moments more enjoyable with the cool refreshment of Beech-Nut Gum. Its zestful flavor stimulates your taste sense and makes the next smoke taste like the first one of the day — each smoke a fresh experience. Motorists will find BEECH-NUT GUM especially enjoyable — it keeps the mouth moist and cool while driving. Remember always there is no other gum quite so flavorful as Beech-Nut. Made by the Beech-Nut Packing Company — Also Makers of Beech-Nut Fruit Drops and Mints Peppermint, Wintergreen and Spea rm hit fla i o rs.