Pictures and the Picturegoer (Jan-Dec 1925)

66 P/cfweVver ar\rf The Theatre OCTOBER 1925 \Iow that the hot weather's oyer there's no more excuse for a lack of bright thoughts from you, my gentle readers, so get the grey matter working All Thoughts and roll -up with Invited. some great ideas before next month. Otherwise I shall have to do a little work, and it's so much easier to let you do it for me. Here are some opinions that have reached me recently. " It seems lately that historical and costume films are rapidly coming to the fore and this, in my opinion. is where we as a nation will score. All the best British Where Britain pictures I have Scores. seen to date have been costume films ; e.g., Bonnie Prince Charlie, The Wandering Jew, Claude Duval, Mary Queen of Scots, and The Moon of Israel. Of course, there is no doubt that America has the greatest number of good actors so far, but when we see men like Adelqui Millar, John Stuart and many others, we feel that British films ought to get somewhere, and they should certainly be able to get a better atmosphere for English historical dramas than the Americans can." /•:. .V. F. (Brixton Hill). " T think it rather a mistake for ("dm star> who have gradually faded out of the public notice and retired, to stage ' come-backs,' for the results, as a Sad " Come rule, are painful backs." to them and dis appointing to the public. Take the case of \Y. S. Hart. He retired and then came back with ll'ild Bill Hickock and Singer Jim McKce, both very mediocre films. Mix and Co.. have forged ahead, and have got him fairly beaten now. Will J. Warren Kerrigan regain his ascendancy over all other male favourites now7 that he has returned, I think not — there are too many young, gifted and handsome rivals on the screen to-day. The same thing applies to Theda Bara. I don't think she will be able to hold her own amongst the more polished screen vampires of to-day, when she returns in her new film. Surely it is far better for these stars to rest on their laurels and not mar their splendid reputations by mediocre pictures in a world that has grown up around them." — James II (London\. " T begrudge the continued devotion of so much of the PICTUREGOER space egotistical outpourings to of the the Hands Up For tino. This star's Ritdvl biography is more than sufficiently dealt with by ' George ' in his inimitable and patient replies to hysterical flappers. Photographs of him are common enough in every magazine and there should be no necessity for us to see his self-satisfied countenance smirking out of snapshots on page after page of the PICTUREGOER. I should like to see the ' Honour's List ' again. The ' Guide ' notices are too brief to be of full value — thev should be extended. I should Too Good': also like to say that Mary Astor has the most delightful nose in filmdom." — Iconoclast (Cheltenliam). " T may be termed a ' Red ' but when I keep reading gush about Lillian Gish--her 'pale loveliness like the moon,' etc.. — I get mad. Frankly, I think she is insipid. Her continual angelic smile when her tormentors are nearly killing her infuriates me. Why won't she vamp and show her temper occasionally, 'cos she must possess a little devilment in her make-up somewhere. Pola Negri could act once, but her American films have all been washouts. She tries to ape Gloria Swanson and look lovely, but it won't do. She's miles above Gloria as an actress, though she's not strictly beautiful, and if she stops posing and being a fashion plate she can do great things." — The Bolshie. " \Y/ B. TVs article on ' miscastes was very interesting" writes C. L. (Balham), "but I disagree with him (or her) over Milton Sills and , 7-v , Warren Kerrigan. A Uisaqrccment. x J No actor or act ress, however clever, can portray a book hero or heroine faultlessly, because an author can often express something on paper that cannot always be translated to screen terms. Sills as the ' Sea Hawk ' was very unconvincing. He was just a Westerner, dressed up in fancy costume and striking attitudes a la Vincent Crummies. Kerrigan did lose the American touch and become a 17th century gentleman pirate, ready of hand and wit. never taken unawares, which is what Mr. Sabatini wanted." . / Great Thought. ml now, hav A ing given you space to air your views, I shall give you my great thought for the month — that the first potential film magnate to enter the business must have remembered the old adage "Silence i .s Golden." THE THINKER.