Pictures and the Picturegoer (Jan-Dec 1925)

74 Pictures end P/chjreQoer WkatDoYouThitAk? YOUR VIEWS AND OURS Tn the Spring the young fan's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of Rudy — or so it would appear by the state of my mail-bag. The Antis are fulminating because Telling the Old, he won the PopuOld Story. larity Contest; and the Dyed-inthe-Wool Valentino worshippers are exultant over it in seven to ten page effusions. They are perfectly beautiful epistles, all of them, but, my gallant army of ink-slingers, can you not think of something else besides Rudolph ? I cannot fill this page with your eulogies and disparagements, else the " Brick-bats and Bouquets " man will be after my blood. And I should hate to burden you with my thoughts. So roll along with some new ideas, I entreat, so that I can depart on my holidays in peace. have been wondering if the ' effects ' with which presentday films are presented, add to the pleasure of the entertainment, and I have come to the Silence is conclusion that Golden. thev do not," writes E.'M. F. (Kent). Several people to whom I have spoken on the subject, agree with me, and I should like to know what your readers think. The Four Horsemen. to name but one of many, was completely spoilt for me, by the series of ear-splitting crashes which accompanied the battle scenes. These ' effects ' are supposed to make the film more realistic, but don't you think that they defeat their own ends? With everything else in the story making itself heard, surely it tends to make the characters mere puppets, and heaven preserve us from a talking machine ! I have always preferred the ' silent ' drama to the spoken one, mainly because it was silent. To my mind it is a pity to make the kinema an imitator of the theatre, far better to let it stand on its own merits. The cosy kinema which presents its films with firstclass orchestral accompaniment and no ' effects ' gets my patronage every time." "As an ardent fan and a painstaking peruser of every screen magazine that I can afford to buy, I know all about the limitations of movie stars as to " A Little Faster camera limits, etc. Action, Please !" But, even taking this into account it seems to me that film players are too slow. Sometimes a star will take what appears several minutes just to turn round and look sorry for himself or herself as the case may be, whereas, in reality, a hasty movement would occur. Is this " slow-motion " business the newest fashion in movies ? I find it in so many of the current releases and I don't like it. It makes the movies more artificial than ever. What do you think?" — Pep (London). MAY 1925 " "VY/hat funny people Americans are. The other day I picked up an American film magazine and glanced down the filmgoers' guide. All the picTastes Do tures that we Differ, But — should probably call musty or too strong for our more delicate susceptabilities were praised and commended. Captain Blood came under the heading of " Commended with Reservations. Here's the paragraph : — 'Tons and of costume weighting down a thrilling tale by Rafael Sabatini. J. Warren Kerrigan and Jean Paige wearing clothes in the manner of old songs with pictures, the rest of the caste supplying action and thrills.' " Wow> t0 our English minds, Kerrigan lacked nothing, he fitted the role wore his costumes and manners correct to period, plus the dignity which we This is a Bit like in our romantic Severe. historical figures. We all know the mean type of persons. The Americans are like that, because none of them possess the slim elegance of our nobility. Therefore they make fun of it and brag about the great open spaces of America where men are men." — Briton (London). '""This is what I think," confides Picture Lover (London). "We all want to see our British Film Industry win through. Well, I would like to say my little Another piece. I don't think Outburst. our films come up to the American standard yet, although I must admit Fve seen some very good ones. They never seem to have the same extravagant, don't care a , yes, you say it — for the expense look about the interior settings. Also, we haven't many really nice heroes, and many of our heroines are stagey and lick their lips too much. Maybe we have some hidden stars, but they're still hidden. Why can't there be some " finds " like they have in America? My British favourites are Alma Taylor, Chrissie White. Harry Edwards, and Clive Brook (is he still British ?) ; I also like Stewart Rome, and Henry Victor." THE THINKER.