Screenland (Nov 1929-Apr 1930)

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106 SCREENLAND Joseph B. of Dante, Va. You want some snappy murder stories that were filmed and produced within the last two years. I can heartily recommend "The Bellamy Trial," "The Canary Murder Case," "The Greene Murder Case," and — say, I'm getting all shivery! Florence from Carrollton, III. Has Clara Bow a rival, a competitor? What new kidding gainc is this? You might as well ask if Greta Garbo has fans. Alice White is a popular First National star and can be reached at Burbank, Cal. Address Robert Agnew at 63 57 La Mirada Ave., Holly wood, Cal. Robert was born in Dayton, Ky. He has brown hair, blue eyes, is 5 feet 8% inches tall and weighs 145 pounds. Billic Dove was married to Irvin Willat dios, 5451 Marathon St., Hollywood, Cal Oct. 27, 1923. She was born in New York City on May 14, 1904. She is 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 115 pounds, and has brown hair and dark brown eyes. E. H. from Hoilo, P. I. I'll confess I'm a cut-up but as for being in comedy pic tures, you must be thinking of another good-looking girl. Who knows, I may be doing the movie industry a great favor by not crashing the gates — so let's give myself a flock of cheers and a hearty heigh-ho for earning the title of the world's best Answer Lady. I thank you. Clara Bow's latest film is "The Saturday Night Kid," with James Hall. Title may be changed. You can write to Clara at Paramount Stu Mrs. B. of Roc\ford. III. You are right, the talkers are with us to stay; but if you ask me, the most persistent talkers are the fans in the audience. Don't take my word for it, just listen in. Monte Blue was born in Indianapolis, Ind., in 1890. He is 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighs 195 pounds, and has brown hair and eyes. His wife is Tova Blue, the daughter of Bodil Rosing, the well-known European stage actress who for the past four years has been appearing in pictures. The Monte Blue's have a three-year-old daughter, Barbara Ann. Marceline Day is in "The One Woman Idea," with Rod La Rocque; and in "The Show of Shows," for Warners. Talkies: A Liberal Education in Love— Continued from page 29 high and dry ways of the nation. In the ancient B. S. (before sound) pictures, love-making was subtle as a patrolman's night-stick. Scenes depicting romantic ardor somewhat resembled a cross between a snappy Marquis of Queensborough bout and a catch-as-can encounter between Strangler Lewis and the very Terrible Turk. After a bit of sparring the protagonists of passion would tussle violently in the center of the ring until the final fade-out. All the finer nuances, the pianissimo obligate the pastel shadings, the dulcet overtones of the divine emotion were lost as the glories of Greece. Dan Cupid was dumb. A muted Demosthenes. Burning Venus had no choice but to register her ardor by romping through daisy fields, or sighing visibly — too visibly — and inaudibly. All the celluloid searings of the GilbertGarboings-on were oddly reminiscent of the famous filmed fight between the mongoose and the cobra. There were present the stealthy approach, the mutual glaring and the final leap before the clinch. And cutting through the action like winter rain came cold type captions between the lovers' lips. What remained of illusion was slain by the title writers. The record of romance proves that women are always wooed and won by words — and music. Thus the advent of sound upon the screen lends that realism which brings belief in pictured passion. Richard Barthelmess croons his way to the lady's heart with a Song of the 7s[ile. John Gilbert thrills Norma Shearer with Romeo's undying words of love. Douglas Fairbanks tames a temperamental sweetheart with Shakespearian phrases. And you, too, can be the life of the petting party by emulating their technique. In actual life cave-man tactics are frequently both inexpedient and ineffectual. Many a swain has met with robustious rebuff upon attempting to press his suit in Graeco-Roman style as visualized in the stillies. And discouraged at the failure of his well-meant experiment has gone lovelorn through life. But now the misunderstandings which arose through premature application of the head-lock or scissorshold have been permanently banished. As Mr. Mayer says, when people speak the same language understanding reigns. And the language of love as taught in the talkies gives romance its greatest impetus since those dead days when knighthood was in flower. The subordination in talking pictures of mere physical action, or physical contact, to the more thrillingly realistic expression of emotion through dialog is a fait accompli. Even on the crude lustiness of "The CockEyed World" there are fewer actual embraces than in the most tepid sequences of the silent action picture. Before sound, this mundane love tale of the marines must necessarily have been a long series of clinches interspersed with unconvincing captions. That vastly subtle cinema, "The Lady Lies," could never have had its suave sophistication translated to the silent screen. But with the new medium it becomes an intriguing romance, which for all of its amorous complications, is devoid of peasant pawings. In it the tumult that makes a maelstrom of two hearts is graphically registered with a word. A lady's laughter expresses her acquiescence far more tellingly than a reel of silent surrender or an orgy of titles. Almost it may be said that the romantic climax is attained without the presence of femininity upon the stage. All that comes to the audience is her voice. But that, so tremulously vibrant, tells the story of her conquest in every erotic syllable. Not even the romantic posturings of "Flesh and the Devil," which required an asbestos screen, are fractionally as convincing as the simplest 'I love you' of the talkies, whispered directly to the ear of every woman in the audience. And to the accompaniment of murmuring palms, the sighing of summer zephyrs, the sound of distant surf upon the sands. A lion among Norma Terris and her new husband, Dr. Jerome Wagner. ladies may be a dreadful thing. But a lion who merely struts in silence and shakes his mane ceases to be either dreadful or fascinating; and becomes both a bore and a ridiculous denizen of the toy stores. When lips are scaled the eyes may speak. But they're a poor substitute for a vocal rendition of the sweetest story ever told. The 'strong silent man' suddenly becomes a laughing stock. His secret is exposed. The world knows that his strength is weakness. That he is silent because he may be devoid of thought, and lacks facility to express the exceptional one which proves the rule. He is a bell without a tongue, in other words a real dumb bell! He is at last relegated to the limbo of silence while the tripping tongue of the modern troubador dances its owner into enviable favoritism. As the nation's masculinity learns the intricacies of sounding sentiment, so, too, may the maidens of the land be tutored by the talkies to the technique of fitting the right word into the right place. Every girl will be a demure siren elaborating on the wh y don't-you-speak-for-yourself-John theme of Puritan Priscilla. A word of encouragement to the hesitant suitor, or one of suggestion to a vacillating Lothario. To other charms she adds vocal seduction, which the Bard, himself, so warmly extolled as an excellent thing in a woman. And her facility in phrasing, inspired by the Psyches of the screen, will in turn serve as inspiration to matrimonial committments. Besides the eloquence and elegance of whispered words, the gentle insinuations of soft music, sound brings to the screen the fascinating rustle of hidden silks, the significant tinkle of crystal touched in toasts, the rich jingle of jewelled ornaments, the world-wide language of a kiss. The very ticking of a clock that sends time on its endless journey may have its important influence on the pictured story. Even silence, itself, is fraught with greater meaning in its rarity. The talkies have made the whole world sound-conscious. And to the millions who pass between the monoliths of movie theaters to seek the well of romance long since run dry in their work-a-day lives, the new medium will bring a mighty stimulant to deadened imaginations. The notes of a bird will cease to be mere irritating chirpings. They will conjure up visions of moonlight and nightingales. Music hath its charms at least to suggest soft lights. And low lights lead to love. And love, after all, is what makes the world go round. Which is what Mr. Mayer might have mentioned to President Hoover.