Pictures and the Picturegoer (Jan-Dec 1924)

APRIL 1924 Picture s and Pi chu re $uer Nobodys Darling Herhert Langley's hard film lot. 19 Herbert Langley in the title role of " Cliu Chin Chow." ' obody loves Herbert Langley's screen characters. Can you wonder at it? For their table manners are awful and their morals worse. They tear their food apart with their hands, and gnaw it with painful precision, and they strangle babies with evident relish, judging by the " close-ups " of Flames of Passion. Sinister strength is the essence of his movie personality, and he is the best " villain " on the British screen. When he isn't pursuing any of the above playful relaxations, Langley may be found' either indulging in some strenuous form of manual labour in the grounds of his home at Uxbridge, or else exercising that resonant baritone of his preparatory to letting it loose in this or that opera. For he is primarily an opera-singer ; he made his first movie The Wonderful Story, because he had some spare time on his hands, and would probably never have made another had not his producer insisted. " Films pursue me," he said, in a voice which filled the room, " Pretty much as I pursue my victims. For, though, I didn't play in Paddy-the-nextBcst Thing, which followed Flames of Passion, I sang in the Prologue, during its London run." He is not crazy over movies, though he owns he enjoyed trips abroad for Chu Chin Chow and The Spanish Dancer and declared that his roles in both were very much to his taste. Also, he says many people come to hear him in operas because they have seen and Britain's best " bad man " is of pozverful build, with dark hair and piercing dark eyes. liked his screen work. " But I shall not make any more films now," he remarked. " I'm sticking 10 my own job, which consists of plotting, killing, and being killed to music." 1 1. iIh 1 1 is tin I. iding hass hantone of the British National Opera Com pan) .111(1 plays almost every night, ih. ii he has ins hands full, not to sp of the resl <>f him. For tin baritone is nearly always tha< had man and has lots of " dirty work " to do. In his early days with tins Open Company, In never played anything more ferocious than " valentine " in " FaUSt," though he doubtless made a special fcaturi of tin diul scene and went for his oppenent as though he would mince him alive. lie is most versatile, though, and can turn at will from a broadly comic character like the pompous " Beckmesser," in " The Meistersingers," to the grim villainies of " Iago," or the subtle wiles of the lawyer "Gianni Schichhi." in the new Puccini opera of that name. " This " he growled, twisting his features into a most appalling scowl, " is what they make me do for halfhours at a time when I report at the film studios." Certainly it must be worth a small fortune to be able to look like that. However, he doesn't specialise in scowls, but enjoys the reputation of being a cheery fellow, with an obliging disposition, and a tendency to burst forth into song upon the slightest provocation. But he looks capable of any and every dark deed, when attired in full war-paint so it seems wiser to let well alone. By the time this appears in print, Langley will be pursuing his career of crime in the provinces, on the screen in Chu Chin Choiv and Southern Love and every night in this or that opera. He gets enough praises and plaudits for his work in both to convince him that being " Nobody's darling " isn't half as bad as it sounds. Langley plays a villainous Count in "Southern Love."