Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1920)

^8 Photoplay caption and I missed so many of them, while noting down important thoughts, that I was often entirely at sea as to what was coing on. I merely mention these details and leave it lo others lo correct them. A critique may be suggestive, but never concrete. And now I shall try to describe each fletail of the performance as it impressed me. From this, the managers, who, as you say. are eagerly awaiting my message, may be able to draw inferences that will help them. The opening scene of the evenings production I found to be meritorious, impressive and understandable. I heard the noise of the picture machine, raised my eyes and saw before me an inscription which read: "General Pershing Reviews Overseas Veterans." A splendid sight and excellently produced, except for the fact that the infantry companies did not keep so good a front as we were accustomed to in my old regiment. I saw the purpose of this at once. I flatter myself. The author was sketching in his atmosphere. This is undoubtedly a good enough technical usage, but. as time went on. I observed the man was o\erdoing it. For example, instead of proceeding from his "atmospheric" opening to his ston*-. he laid out more background, depicting a line of battle-ships under steam. And when he went on and supplied us atmosphere from a Philippine cigar factory and a reception to the Archbishop of Senegal and a sketchy view of the natives of Mozambique, I felt it was going too far. X'aluable parts of the production were wasted because of its creator's fever for detail. With no previous explanation, an unfortunate, enfeebled woman was shown, back bent above the washboard. After a moment, with a display of faintness. she collapses into a nearby chair. Thereupon, with nothing to indicate why or wherefore, her husband peeped roguishlv through the doorway, winked, and proceeded to" enter the room, followed by two deli^'ery men bearing the contrivance known as a washing machine. The woman revived, clapped her hands, and kissed her husband. A caption was then displayed, as follows: "Be Good to Your Wife. Buy Her an .\utomoto Washer." After which the woman in question was shown sitting in an arm chair, reading a book with an infant in her arms, while the washing machine performed its salutary functions. This. I submit, was technically wrong. If it was intended as a moral for the picture it was stated too soon. The end of the performance, after the wife's trials and troubles have been outlined, after her soul has been laid bare, is the proper time to state the lesson of a motion picture. If. on the other hand it was intended as a motif, it was acain wrong. The motif, or theme-exposition, has its uses in Music, but I do not believe it can be applied to motion pictures advantageously. Then, wholly without preparation, we were plunged into what I take to be the author's comic underplot. .-X succession of ludicrous characters here indulged in various forms of horseplay which ended in their be-smearing each other liberally with pastry. Good enough for dull wit. but as "The Comedy of Errors" is to "Twelfth Xight." in relation to real humor. On the heels of the comic underplot, came the depiction of the author's first main plot. This, based upon the theme-ques Magazine tion, "Should a Husband Know?" was melodramatically Interesting, but dealt with everything else under the sun bu; the answer to the question. It told a story of a young man who was nervous and who smoked cigarettes visiting a pretty wife. Her husband, who was strong and smoked cigars, found out about it. He began to hold his head. A friend of mine who frequents motion picture exhibitions, tells me there are three types of serious photoplay plots: ( I) That in which a man holds his head all the time. (2) that in which a woman holds hers and ^3 ) that in which they both hold their respective heads. This was of the first type. The strong husband attempted to kill the nervous young man and held his head: he was persuaded not to do it — by the wife — and held his head: he dismissed them and, when left alone, held his head. Then all three progressed through various stages of dissolution and poverty until the nervous young man ran away: the woman attempted to destroy herself, but was saved by the husband, who effected a reconciliation with her and then — even at the very last — would sit near her and hold his head. Leaving us to infer that a husband should not know? Or merely that some husbands should not? Who can tell? AH of this was confusing enough, but you may imagine my puzzlement when at this point the author jumped in again without preparation to a secondary main plot. This was a rather indecorous affair dealing with a gentleman who. when born, was so affected by a thunderstorm that ever afterward he suffered temporary amnesia when it thundered. The gentleman married the only daughter of an enemy and avowed that she should be the last of her line. No issue should she beget by him. However, during a thunderstorm she took advantage of his arnnesia — but why go into details? A baby was born. The angry gentleman held his head and suspected his wife. She convinced him the child was his own. Thereupon he lost his fortune and went away to work. The neighbor, under pretense of investing the remnants of the woman's personal fortune, contrived to provide her with riches. Of course, when the husband had made another fortune and returned to his home, he was suspicious of the luxury in which she lived. He held his head, then announced he would leave her and take his little son with him. Whereupon, in order to keep the child with her. she convinced him that the boy was not his. Then the neighbor explained his investment proceedings, the wife was forgiven and — she convinced that incredible husband that the baby was his after all, .\nd then — then what? Then the grand climax? The intermingling of all the plots in Dickens" best style? The final disposition of the characters of the plots? No. None of this. With the completion of the third plot, the performance was brought to a summary end and we were dismissed with no knowledge of what followed in their several careers. Information was afforded that those who came late might remain to witness a duplication of the material already witnessed and I departed, hat in hand. I carried my hat, of necessity, because of the efforts of a tobacco eater who sat behind me. ■^^4;$^ 3 Her Alibi SHE had read. She had one ambition: to succeed as a film star. But had she not been assured, lime and again, via the printed page, that to succeed in the films a young girl must be willing to sacrifice everything? Simply everything? So she went to the City, and wormed her way in to see someone in authority at her favorite studio. "I am willing," she said suulfully, "to do anything — anything — to succeed!" The authority seemed unimpressed, "\o place right now." he replied. She tried another studio, bringing photographs and arguments. "I am willing" — again — 'T don't care what it is — I'll do absolutely anything to succeed!" They .said they'd put her name on the waiting list. She tried others, each time using more heart-throbs in her voice, more transpiircnt stockings, more rouge on her lips. But everywhere she met with the same answer: "Nothing lor you." Finallv she became discouraced: besides, her money ran out. When she got home she told the folks, "it's not worth it. Some girls may do it, but I never could sell my soul to succeed!" And they believed her.