The Picture Show Annual (1943)

Phyllis Haver (right) as Roxie Hart, and (above) with Victor Varconi as her husband, Amos, in a scene from “ Chicago, " the film of the sensational play that ran for six months in New Yorfi. Ginger Rogers plays the title role in “.Roxie Hart," with George Montgomery opposite her as the newspaper reporter. It is the new version of Chicago." NEW STARS in OLD SUCCESSES W/hat makes a successful film? There is more in this apparently simple ** question than at first meets the eye. The stars, you say, the direction, casting, story, sets, script, photography, recording-—they all play their various parts. The stars are no good if they are not well cast—which applies to the supporting players too. Direction can spoil a good script. The best treatment cannot conceal a bad story. Good dialogue may be ruined by indifferent record- ing. Poor photography can give the audience eye-strain, and inappropriate sets can destroy the sense of reality. And yet that is not enough—the best of every one of these is no guarantee of success, although it can and does go a long way towards ensuring it. On the other hand, there’s been many a surprise success from a film that was looked on as something quite ordinary. Then again, there are the many points of appeal to your emotions. I don't pretend to know what dictates the studios' choice of stories to be filmed, except that it seems to be an extremely complicated business, tied down and hemmed in by all kinds of considerations in addition to those mentioned above. But the prime reason must of necessity be the belief that the film will ultimately be a financial success, and among the hazards of choosing new subject to film, it seems fairly safe to assume that a story that was successful some years ago will be successful again, given popular stars, up-to-date treatment and costumes. For the appeal of a really good story should stand the passing of years, since human nature does not appear to change to any notable degree with the centuries, and given the superficial changes demanded by changes in taste and opinion and fashion, there is no reason why the same story should not make a quite regular appearance at suitable intervals. Although it is only about thirty years since the films attained the heights of story-telling, already there have been several versions of proved successes. I am not speaking of re-issues, which are merely new prints from the negatives of a film that has proved so popular that it is decided that picturegoers will pay to see it again, and that those who missed it when it was first put out will not miss a second chance of seeing it—thereby ensuring maximum receipts for a minimum cost. I am speaking of entirely new versions of stories that have already been made into successful films—versions that have different players, directors, sets and treatment. Each year brings more of them. This year, for instance, has seen the third version of “ Smilin' Through,’ a sweetly sentimental romance of true love and jealousy. Norma Talmadge was the original star who appeared in the silent film version. Norma Shearer played the role later, giving the story the benefit of speech, with Fredric March and Leslie Howard as her two leading men—the former as the jealous sweetheart who kills the heroine at the altar as she is about to become the bride of his successful rival, and Leslie Howard as the lover who, robbed of his bride, remains faithful to her memory for the rest of his life. Now Jeanette MacDonald has given it song as well as speech, with Gene Raymond, her husLand in real life, in the Fredric March role and Brian Aherne stepping into Leslie Howard's shoes. The roles of the heroine and the jealous lover, as you may know, are dual ones, for the story continues with the dawning romance between the lover's son and the dead heroine’s niece, and these roles are also played by the stars. The emotional appeal of the story is undoubted. a 4 PS 113