42nd Street (Warner Bros.) (1933)

The Audience lalks Back When the audience speaks the stars and producers listen. We offer three prizes for the best letters of the month—$25, $10 and $5. Literary ability doesn’t count. But candid opinions and constructive suggestions do. We must reserve the right to cut letters to suit space limitations. Address The Editor, PHOTOPLAY, 221 W. 57th St., New York City. It does seem only fair, seeing how Nils Asther has set folks raving by his performance in ‘“‘The Bitter Tea of General Yen,” that we remind you what this son of the Vikings looks like when he comes out of disguise. So here he is, as he is when enjoying himself in true Norseman style $25 LETTER I cannot understand the aversion displayed by so many stars for being “typed.” Aren’t weall—types? Butcher, baker, banker, broker; milliner, manicurist, modiste, mother—don’t we, each of us, play the same old réle over and over, day after day? We don’t expect our banker to turn suddenly into the iceman or our postman into the minister. Is it any wonder we experience a feeling of disappointment, amounting almost to outrage, when, after looking forward for days to the appearance of a favorite in a new picture, we arrive at the theater all set to share for an hour or two the joys and sorrows of a “‘screen pal,” and discover that the object of our devotion has undergone a complete change— sometimes even to an acquired accent? Mase. Arco, New Albany, Ind. $10 LETTER Living in faraway China, the only glimpse I get of my homeland is through the movies. I know I will never see America with my own eyes again. I have an invalid husband who cannot move from his bed, and I look after him and earn money to send my little girl to school. & HERE can be no question—Nils Asther did himself and his future plenty of good with his performance in “The Bitter Tea of General Yen.” After weighing him against Gable, Cooper, Raft, March and others, many a reader casts his (or her) vote for Nils. Fredric March attracted a lot of attention during the past month, while Muni’s “‘Fugitive”’ is still drawing widespread praise, and Lee Tracy is coming stronger and stronger. Norma Shearer continues to receive compliments for her work in “Strange Interlude” and ‘Smilin’ Through”’—but Helen Hayes and Gary Cooper’s “A Farewell to Arms” have now pulled neck to neck for first honors. Clara Bow and Katharine Hepburn perhaps come next in volume of comment while Helen Vinson’s “Lawyer Man” drew increasing notice. Signs point likewise to paeans of praise for Clive Brook and Diana Wynyard as “Cavalcade” gets more about the country, and the Barrymore opus about Rasputin is seen. People up here argue and try to put me off the idea of sending my little girl to America. Depression, they say. No jobs, no food, no clothes, no money. America is doomed. But I know America will win through. Whenever I go to the movies, I marvel at the courage that enables the American people to go on fighting, producing good entertainment, changing tears to smiles. Helping people like myselé to retain hope for better things. That is why I am going to send my daughter to America. I have faith in America. The movies have helped me see it! ALINE S. ALLEN, Shanghai, China $5 LETTER T suppose I have only myself to blame because my eighteen year old daughter is so shy and ill at ease in the presence of boys. In my anxiety to prevent her from becoming too bold, I took the utmost caution in raising her. Among other things I saw to it that she attended the movies very seldom (supposing that they might have a bad influence on her). In several recent pictures I had occasion to admire the beautiful naturalness with which the young girls talked and laughed with the men... andI had aninspiration. I encouraged my daughter to attend the movies and with great care and subtlety, called her attention to the natural actions of the boys and girls together. I am delighted these days when I hear my daughter say words like ‘‘thank you, flatterer,” instead of blushing miserably. Mrs. E. MIrter, St. Louis, Mo. WELL! NILS SEEMS HOT! I admire the smooth, subtle acting of Leslie Howard, the animal appeal of Clark Gable and the sophistication of Herbert Marshall. But there is some indefinable quality lacking in each one of these romantic men. I had despaired of ever finding my pertect specimen of screen man-hood—until I saw “The Bitter Tea of General Yen” and Nils Asther! Lucrite S. ADAMS, Birmingham, Ala. How can women rave about Clark Gable and George Raft when Nils Asther has returned to the screen? Asther was superb as General Yen, dominating even as competent an actress as Barbara Stanwyck. He is easily, in my opinion, the handsomest man who has ever appeared ° pictures. His physique compares favoral even with Weissmuller’s. He dwarfs Raft such insignificance that I shan’t stop to ce trast them. As for the Gable ‘‘menace’”—Asther has in a more subtle way. He is cruel where Gabl. is merely brutal, with crude masculine virility. ALICE SIMpsoN, Seattle, Wash. MARLENE! WHAT YOU STARTED! T wish to laud Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn and Greta Garbo for their courage in not carrying their screen appearances into private life. The trousers worn outside of work by Dietrich and Hepburn are as comfortable, not to say as charming and logical, as the drapes with which they are gowned for the public eye. If young girls and women who follow the styles (figuratively, but sadly) of the best dressed actresses, will observe the simple, sensible togs these three personalities wear, they will be saved many a pang of hopeless envy. Eve Frye, Los Angeles, Calif. [ PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10]