Picture Play Magazine (Sep 1928 - Feb 1929)

32 Over the Teacups r Photo by Ball Dorothy Revier has been borrowed from Columbia for Douglas Fairbanks' "The Iron Mask." who ordered a retake of a scene because he couldn't hear the 'k' in 'swimming.' And naturally, when it was announced that Rin-Tin-Tin was to star in a sound picture, everybody said it was a pity Warner's hadn't bought the screen rights to 'The Barker.' "There are bound to be a lot of surprises and reversals of public opinion, when players are judged by their voices as well as their appearance. So far, the big sensation of the talking films is Gladys Brockwell. She is regaining some of the glory she knew as a Fox star years ago. And, of all the tests made at Paramount the best one so far is Chester Conklin's. His voice is said to record marvelously. They are also tremendously enthusiastic about Nancy Carroll. She was very good on the stage, you know, before she went into pictures. Speaking of Nancy Carroll, I'll never be quite satisfied until she puts her little daughter in pictures. She is a miniature edition of Nancy — and one of those youngsters who is awfully fresh and smart without being offensive. "I expect Evelyn Brent to be marvelous in talking Photo by Freulich films. The volume of the voice doesn't matter, you know; just the quality. And Evelyn's voice has a lovely, soft, musical tone. "Evelyn is working so hard that she hardly ever has a chance to go down to her beach house, but she can't complain, because she is getting awfully good stories. She has just finished 'Interference,' and now she is going to do Somerset Maugham's 'The Letter.' If Evelyn were a newcomer in films, we would probably be throwing superlatives in the air, but just because she has always been good and keeps right on getting better, she doesn't get half the attention she deserves. With the right vehicles, I think Evelyn would be one of the four or five dominant personalities on the screen, and even if she gets only second-rate stories she is bound to be a great favorite." Surely no one could put up an argument about any prophecy as obvious as that. "Have you seen Leatrice?" Of course, I supposed she had, because even with half of the girls in Hollywood going on the stage, Fanny wouldn't miss the first night of an old favorite like Leatrice Joy, in a favorite old play like "Clarence." "Yes," she said hesitantly, "and I am going to see her again. She was charming, but she was so nervous her voice wasn't at its best the first night. I suffered agonies for her, she seemed to be so panic-stricken when she came out on the stage. She should have felt perfectly at home. The theater was packed with friends for whom she has often recited, without a trace of nervousness. "Pauline Frederick is going to do a talking picture for Warner's, and if that doesn't give you a tremendous thrill, you must have amnesia, or a heart of stone. Fond as I am of some of the newcomers, I'd trade them all in and throw in a few established stars for good measure just to have Polly back on the screen. If the companies keep on signing experienced stage stars for talkies, this won't be such a golden year for vocal teachers in California after all. A few girls are contributing generously to their support, though. "What few shekels Jane Winton had left after her trip to Europe are rapidly going to elocution experts. Jane had an idea that when she came home she would have to spend a few weeks job hunting and showing off her Paris clothes, but instead of that she got rushed right into a talking picture. And was she nervous ? She longed to have a crying scene in her first day's work. "Edna Murphy is now a veteran of the sound films. She's been put under contract at Warner's. But her most startling scene in 'My Man' will never be seen on the screen. Fanny Brice was supposed to slap her, and it was one of those jinx scenes in which something always went wrong. They made it over and over and finally Miss Brice hit her so hard she was knocked out. Edna staggered to the floor quite unconscious, Jane Winton began work immediately on her return from Europe.