Photoplay (Sep 1928)

Brickbats and Bouquets LETTERS from PHOTOPLAY READERS Three prizes are given every month for the best letters $2$, $10 and $5 The Real Critics, the Fans, Give Their Views The Monthly Barometer ONCE more a wave of protest against the craze for favoring European players instead of encouraging American talent. Photoplay’s story, “Two More Imported Love Birds,” brought a lot of brickbats. The readers of this magazine want to know if there aren’t young players as good as Walter Byron and Lily Damita right out in Hollywood. Foreign stars of proved ability are seldom panned. Emil Jannings gets a flock of bouquets, although “The Street of Sin” is looked upon as a mis-step. Nils Asther is winning his way to the front. Richard Arlen is getting as many bouquets as “Buddy” Rogers — and that’s a heap. And John Gilbert’s Life Story in Photoplay is widely praised. Since the release of “Sadie Thompson” Gloria Swanson has once more jumped into the ranks of the first favorites, along with Clara Bow and Greta Garbo. “Sorrell and Son,” “The Crowd,” “The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come” and “The Legion of the Condemned” are the most popular of the current pictures. This department is your open forum. Step right up and make your speech. $25.00 Letter Frankfort, Ky. Here is a little story that I think you may consider a corking good argument for the movies: One day recently the ten-year-old son of a prominent physician of our town fell into the river. He went down in fourteen feet of water and came up under a barge. His head struck the barge, knocking him senseless for a few seconds. As soon as he regained his faculties, according to his version of the affair, he remembered having seen Douglas Fairbanks in a picture when, in a similar close place, he began to fight the water with both hands. This the child did and soon reached a wire cable which was tied to the barge. By climbing the wire cable, hand over hand as he had seen Fairbanks do, he soon came to the surface of the water and was drawn up on the barge, little the worse for his experience. Mrs. W. J. Hulette. The readers of Photoplay are invited to write to 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 better pictures and better acting. Be constructive. We may not agree with the sentiments expressed, but we’ll publish them just the same ! Letters must not exceed 200 words and should bear the writer’s full name and address. Anonymous letters go to the waste basket immediately. $10.00 Letter Hollywood, Calif. In no field has the use of motion pictures been developed as it has in the educational field. I am a junior at the University of California and its extensive use in all classes has been brought forcibly to my attention during my two years of college work. Our dramatics professor often assigned reviews of the latest photoplays containing the best dramatic artists. I am working my way through school, so I had little time or money. It was here that Photoplay became an integral part of my existence. I read the Shadow Stage up and down until I knew it by heart and then wrote my reviews. The Prof, was wise to those of us that did this little trick, but I imagine he realized the necessity and the ultimate value of the practice, because he never said anything about it. The climax in the use of photoplays in class work came the week before final examinations. My professor of Folk Customs and Costumes suddenly made the bewildering announcement that there would be included in the final examinations, questions concerning certain photoplays he had recommended during the year which contained authentic folk customs and folk costumes. For the next week I spent every spare moment tearing around to movie houses with a copy of Photoplay containing the review of the picture in question in one hand and a note book in the other hand, seeing pictures I should have seen weeks before. Was I glad I had saved back numbers of Photoplay? Mina Ruud. $5.00 Letter Seattle, Wash. Too much attention is being paid to whether or not an actor or actress will screen well. The question “Can they act?” comes as an afterthought— if at all. Personally I am tired witnessing blank-faced beauties and collar ads romp through what the producers laughingly call a play. What do we care for crows-feet, a wart on the neck or a tooth out of alignment? We, the patient, plodding, ponderous public, all have ’em and it sort of flatters our ego to see others so defiled. Give us realism! Perhaps that is the reason Chaney is so popular. With all his various annexes, amputations or appurtenances, as the case may be, we forget about them in his glorious acting. If the film companies would spend as much time and money in developing and encouraging the talent they already have in Hollywood and vicinity as they do in conducting screen tests and inane popularity contests among the primary schools in the country, we might look forward to an evening’s entertainment. For such precious few pictures as “ The Big Parade. ” “The King of Kings,” “Sorrell and Son, ” “The Patent Leather Kid,” and “The Crowd,” there are countless asinine excuses. The Wampas kids are cute, but they lack poise and the appeal that the older actors and actresses have. Jane Adams. He Wrote Every Word of It Chicago, 111. I must congratulate Photoplay and John Gilbert on Jack’s life story. It is both amusing and interesting, and really sounds as though it were written by Gilbert. It is far superior to the stories of Clara Bow and Greta Garbo. There is a slight suspicion in my mind that this may be due to the fact that Gilbert is so much more interesting than either of those two. V. Keith Sutton. [ CONTINUED ON PAGE 117 ] 8