Picture-Play Magazine (1935)

I'm lost now, don't you? Remember Monte Blue' We've missed him from the screen and I, for one, think it's about time that something was done about it. A good many do not care for Westerns, but if you saw Monte as Jack Kells in "The Last Round-up," you could not help but admire him, villain though he was. He's been appearing here and there in various pictures of late, but we want, and demand a chance to see him in the roles that he really deserves. Phyllis Carlyle. 45 Smith Street, Portland, Maine. Judged Too Harshly. PROOF of Bette Davis's great acting ability lies in those letters of denunciation we read occasionally in this department. Through her characters she makes herself hateful to some people. These people judge too harshly. Why don't they look for the real Bette? Why do supposedly intelligent fans confuse Mrs. Harmon O. Nelson with the characters she portrays on the screen? Certain individuals who are not acquainted with her personally, go so far as to label Bette a snob, and to discredit her acting ability. How in the world can any one having seen "Of Human Bondage" and "Bordertown" denounce her so> unkindly? In the latter picture her performance is undeniably praiseworthy, with a heavily underscored N. B. for the courtroom scene where she does one of the cleverest, smoothest bits of acting I've had the pleasure of watching in a long while. Marie Roark's mental condition is made clear without the usual brand of hysteria. It is done so subtly, with such beautiful restraint. I have been a Bette Davis fan since her appearance in "Bad Sister," and in my humble opinion she improves with every picture. Lee. 403 Poison Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Elissa, Come Down to Earth! I THINK it is rather pathetic that Elissa Landi is having so much difficulty in finding the proper type roles for her talent. In my opinion, Miss Landi is not suffering from poor pictures, for she has starred in some of the best, but in the aloof attitude she takes toward the character she portrays. I hope Miss Landi will realize what a dangerous situation this temperamental gag is getting her into before it is too late. Her career has suffered a serious slump due principally to her flying from one studio to another in search of ideal roles. She is very good in temperamental roles, but I think she could be starred to better advantage as a heroic and adventurous woman. She says she wants to play idealistic roles because she is an idealist. That doesn't go with her millions of fans. They want her in down-to-earth roles, and if Miss Landi is a real artist she can impersonate any character and bring its shadow to life as all great artists do. Was "The Little Minister" such a marvelous story? No. It was Hepburn's achievement of the impossible that made it an outstanding picture. Where would Claudette Colbert be to-day if she had turned up her nose, as Landi did at "It Happened One Night" ? We like you, Elissa, very, very much. But for Heaven's sake, forget about the beautiful, the ethereal, the intellectual. Come down to earth. Play any role they give you. Play it with the sincerity that we know you possess. Don't be disdainful of any role. Lillian Jeanxk. 568— 21st Street, West New York, New Jersey. What the Fans Think Madge Too Wooden. I AM very anxious to answer "A Chicago Fan," whose letter appeared in March Picture Play. Evidently he does not agree with Madeline Glass's statement that Madge Evans's face lacks animation. To me, and I know for a fact to many others, not only does Madge's face lack animation or expression of any kind, but also her acting, if it can be called that, suffers from the same affliction-— a woodenness and an inability to convey emotion. Many a picture has Miss Evans spoiled for me. Among them, I recall most vividly. "What Every Woman Knows," in which her effort to portray "the other woman" was most pitiful, and "David Copperfield" which, however, had a most remarkable cast to minimize her shortcomings. In such pictures as these, surrounded by a group of capable and efficient actors and actresses, Miss Evans is effectively shown up for what she is. Simply an intelligent girl with a level stare, a beautiful face, and a probably inherited flair for wearing clothes. And may I say, emphatically, that that is exactly what is wrong with our films to Una Merkel runs away from the set to cool her fevered brow in a bird bath! She's working in "Murder in the Fleet" and finds it too exciting. day. What we absolutely need are real artists to take the place of the majority of Hollywood personalities who masquerade as actors and actresses. Raise our standard of acting to the high level of England's, for instance, and the American cinema will achieve the artistic perfection to which it will then be entitled. To illustrate my point, take that superb film, "David Copperfield." It has reached the artistic heights through the fusion of English characterizations and American direction, staging, and the other technicalities. True, there were American characterizations— Edna May Oliver's and Lionel Barrymore's notably. But what would it have been without Frank Lawton. Freddie Bartholomew, an English lad whose acting could not be approached by any American protege, Elizabeth Allan, Herbert Mundin, Basil Rathbone, Hugh Williams, and many others? When you come right down to it, there are few, very few, ■ real artists among the high-salaried celebrities of Hollywood. Pick them at random — Helen Hayes, Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Margaret Sullavan, Norma Shearer, Fredric March, Charles Laughton, and perhaps, George Arliss. And they are not necessarily my favorites. You will, by the way, notice that the last two named are Englishmen. I might add that Charles Laughton is, without doubt, the most superb artist in Hollywood. Living and breathing his characters so that you hate them or love them, he has reached the goal, that of near-perfection in his profession, that every young actor strives toward. May he be joined, on his pinnacle, by others before long! II. C. H. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Academy Awards Unjust. Ii W'T help but let out a little steam over the selections made for 1934 by the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. First of all, for its choice of the best picture. I don't know how your other readers feel, but to me, "It Happened One Night" was just an amusing little program picture, with no particular high lights. Certainly, it would not compare in excellence with such pictures as "The Count of Monte Cristo," "The House of Rothschild," or "The Barretts of Wimpole Street." As for Clark Gable, with all due respect to his ability as an actor, surely his performance in the "best picture of the year" did not surpass that of Robert Donat in "The Count of Monte Cristo" who<, as Edmond Dantes, gave to the screen one of the best performances of all time. The trial scene, in which Dantes defends himself, thrilled me as no other scene has ever done. And a word about Claudette Colbert. Fine actress though she is, I believe that Bette Davis for "Of Human Bondage," or Norma Shearer for "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," were far more deserving of recognition. 1 hope that the Academy, in making its awards next year, will be a little more discerning. Margaret Whiteside. 7354 Lake Street, River Forest, Illinois. Sheer Artistry. I HAVE just witnessed the finest acting performance of 1934 or 1935. I have seen a man, without the aid of a handsome face with which to attract attention to himself, hold an audience spellbound through sheer artistry. His speeches are timed to perfection. His every move is that of one who is an artist in his line. I am speaking of Claude Rains, in "The Man Who Reclaimed His Head." Surely an actor of such rare ability will be rewarded with stories and directors worthy of his genius in the year to come, in order that he may reach the heights and success of which he is so deserving. Wanda Whitman. 1408 North Detroit Street, Hollywood, California. Thanks, Worthy Friend! IX March Picture Play I was pleased to read an article about an actor whose polished performances I have admired for a couple of years, but about whom I could learn little, because he wasn't a big I refer to Samuel Hinds. That gentleman is well worth watching. Hi But it took Picture Play to realize it ! One of the many reasons that I like this magazine is that it does not cater solely to the stars. It gives the unstarred players a break. Congratulations. Picture Play. Ruth King. 2 Hamilton Avenue, Cranford, New Jersey. 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