Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1930)

Brickbats & Bouquets The $25 LeIUr Evanston, III. TLTOW about us? "Us" designating the ■'^ Royal Order of Motion Picture Ushers! Patrons are continually disregarding our advances in the way of service and taking into their own hands the problem of locating their seats in an aisle which the usher has already pronounced "filled." Maybe were wrong. Perhaps we have been standing in an aisle for hours without knowing that there are hundreds of perfectly marvelous seats waiting for everj'one who enters the theater at any time of day. Perhaps we are cruel creatures who do nothing but keep the best seats in the house empty and add to the discomfort of our patrons; maybe we are hopelessly blind. Have people forgotten or don t they know that there are such things as Fire Laws, that ushers have duties, and that a filled theater is a possibility? We are impudent because we request that a party refrain from loitering in the aisles. The theater service is bad because there aren't seats available at every moment, at the peak of the evening or otherwise. Have mercy! And give us a little cooperation, please. Wai.tf.r Kerr. The $10 Letter Enid, Okla. T HAD fully made up my mind to leave ■'■ home and my job. I wanted to be with the man 1 loved. Then I saw "Our Blushing Brides." I put myself in Connie's place, as it exactly fitted my case. There were the three girls, all wanting much more than they could afford. Connie 16 You Fans Are the Real Critics Photoplay Gives Twenty-Five, Ten and Five Dollar Prizes for the Best Letters Just plain spiteful letters won't be printed, for we want to be helpful when we can. Don't write more than 200 words, and if you are not willing to have your name and city of residence attached, please don't write. Address Brickbats & Bouquets, Photoplay, 221 West 57th Street, New York City. We reserve the right to cut letters to suit our space limitations. Come on in and speak your mind! goes to the boy she loves and is happy — for a time. There was no inclination to "blink" facts, and I saw just how it would be for me. I am still at home and working. My gratitude knows no bounds, and I hope we get more of these real life pictures of working girls. They are sincere, and we like them. L. S. The $5 Letter New Haven, Cmn. WE old folks are having the time of our lives. In the movies we drink at the fountain of youth and are stimulated NORMA SHEARER and Greta Garbo vie for first honors this tnonth, with Norma slightly ahead. Marie Dressier gets an enormous bouquet, too. Ann Harding, for her work in "Holiday," Joan Crawford, in "Our Blushing Brides," and Clara Bow, for no especial reason except that she is Clara Bow and her fans love her even when they don't approve of her pictures — all these girls rank high in the month's mail. Janet Gaynor is getting plenty of advice from Photoplay readers, and strangely enough she is being more criticized than patted on the back for the stand she is taking. Many of her admirers say they like her no matter what parts she plays, and they think she brings something to the lighter roles that no one else can offer. "The Dawn Patrol" has brought Dick Barthelmess right out in front again (no, we didn't mean the "Western Front".'). Lon Chanev's voice ha.s added to his popularity. Jack Gilbert, Rudy Vallee, Ramon Novarro and Chester Morris are favorites among the men. The pictures that brought the most favorable comment are "The Big House," "Let Us Be Gay," "Romance," "Holiday," "The Dawn Patrol" and "Our Blushing Brides." mentally, emotionally and physically. Our bodies may be old, but the self which runs them is kept young. The movies are my magic carpet in which I have a front seat to every event of importance in the world. And don't let anyone tell you that young folks have all the fun and happiness, for we, too, have the most beautiful and the most clever people working to please us. Martha E. Piatt. Was Barn II ni Righl';" Indianapolis, Ind. TN your recent editorial showing up "In-•'■gagi" and its makers you stated the facts in the case with a questionable degree of exactitude. Certainly most fans possessin.g an ordinary share of intelligence realized that the sensational scenes of the picture were phony, and one is almost tempted to credit the exhibitors, whose innocence you defended, with sense enough to have realized the inauthenticity of the film when they booked it. Be honest, now. Can you deny that Barnum was right? 'W'e fans did not resent the producers' attempt to fool us. Quite the contrary. Besides, it cannot be denied that "Ing.igi " did more towards entertaining us than all the other "menagerial" celluloids put together. James Flaherty, Jr. No Fake (Gorillas San Pedro, Calif. 'X^AY I express my appreciation for the ■'•''■'•editorial which appeared in a recent number of your magazine in regard to the film "Ingagi"? Publicity of this kind is the only weapon which can be used successfully to discourage such disgusting in.sults to the intelligence of picture audiences. It is fiascos such as this that turn the amusement-seeking populace from the photoplays to other forms of entertainment. M. Marie Snyder. [please turn to page 120]