Picture Show (May-Oct 1920)

10 ri.t.u-t si NEWS, NOTES, AND OPINIONS BY FRED K. ADAMS. A Novel Film. KING VIDOR. has produced a film which forsakes tradition almost entirely. It eliminates the youthful romance, has no hero character such as all photo-plays have possessed up to now, no " sweet young thing " to be wooed and won, no deep-dyed villain, and no carefully built plot. As a substitute for all these one time motion picture virtues, we are told that there is a character study story of no particular value dramatically but rich in its incident and truthful in its delineation. Whether this original film, which is called " The Jack Knife Man," meets with success or not remains to be seen. Better Films Wanted. DISCUSSING this departure, Mr. Vidor says : " There is no reason in the world why a motion picture should be arbitrarily confined to the eternal love story. There is no reason why the motion picture should not have as wide a field of endeavour as fiction. Our greatest stories are character studies quite often with no hint of romance. Why should the photo-play be limited in its scope ? Tradition and no other reason. A tradition that should have been outlived long ago. A tradition that had its foundation with the opinions and wishes of the old-time picture-goer who for the most part long since ceased \o exist. " The picture public of to-day does nob demand the time-worn eternal romance as the basis of its motion picture fare." I have not yet had an opportunity of seeing this film, but every effort at origin SIDNEY MORGAN, the producer of Progress films. His latest film, " Little Dorritt, ' ' is afgreat success. ality should bo encouraged. As I have remarked before, picture-goers are becoming wearied with the similarity of films, and the effect is being felt by the exhibitor in his pay box. It is a relief to find that British producers are breaking away from the eternal triangle ' film," and are digging deep into tho rich storehouse of English literature and history. Films in the Orient. INTERESTING comparison between the motion picture in Japan and China is made by Edward Kinsila, who has seen all the important theatres in Japan, and most of the better ones in the northern portion of China. Japan, he says, with her usual keen insight, is making full use of the manifold possibilities of the exhibition of motion pictures. Tho theatres devoted to showing the films in China are cleaner and better run than in Japan, but not with the same profitable result. In the showing of films in Japan, there is a big difficulty to contend with, the simple translation into Japanese of the titles would not serve, as the amount of translation necessary to make the meaning of the foreign pictures clear to the Japanese mind would be so lengthy as to interrupt tho continuity of the film. Ordinary actions of the characters *hat would be perfectly clear to the European, are like Greek to an Oriental. In order to get over this, a professional "reader" is engaged, and he declaims the story in a dramatic voice as it proceeds. This difficulty is even more apparent in China where there are some thirty dialects to deal with. It is an interesting fact that the best picture theatres in China are British controlled by the British Theatre Company, registered under the British Company's Act. It is the largest moving picture concern in China. My Most Difficult Scene. SOME years ago tho Church "looked down with horror upon the cinema camera. I had to use' a country church in a picture, and after being most politely refused at twenty churches, covering an area of fifty miles, decided to take a church without asking. I had found a beautiful church, with a country inn within a dozen yards, where my artistes could dress and lio low until the coast was ear. I had quite a lot of work to do lere, six or seven scenes, and it was in the days when I could not afford to return without having carried* out liiy programme for the day. The weather was glorious, and after cautious Mooting, 1 decided that it was safe to put up tho camera. Just at this moment the sexton appeared, and began to work, trimming up some evergreens, and it looked as if lie had a week's work in front of him, Eor a moment I was baffled, What, was to bo done ? 1 couldn't ask his permission, because he would havo to consult the vicar, and I had already had twenty refusals. An idea enmo to me — an inspiration. I approached his majesty the sexton. ' Would you oblige me by helping in a film — I am a man short ? 1 just want you to go in my motor-ear to the railway station, and help a gentleman wjth the bacgage, then come back to the inn with him.' The man was" delighted to bo able to help me. Certainly, if it on't take more than half an hour, sir.' Take him for a ten-mile run, and ave a break down,' \iero my private instructions to tho chauffeur," Sidxev Morgan. This Week's Best Films. Till: following is a list of the best photo-plays which are being released for exhibition nt the rinemas during this week, and the names of tho star artistes : Qaumont . . .. ".The Social Pirate '.' Junk Elvidgk. hlrrd ., . . "The Bond Between" George Berav. Walturdam . . " By Right of Conquest " Non.MA Talmadqe. Yilogruph . . " Beating the Odds " Harry Morey. ANITA SIM DRESSING NOT content with the usual boudoir dressingroom, Anita Stewart possesses a delightful little bungalow that stands in its own grounds. It is charmingly fitted up with all the most modern comforts, and each room is in perfect harmony. At her dressing-table. An interior vim oi cue ol the rooms. It is fitted np in CfaiM i