Silver Screen (May-Oct 1934)

"You re What do you think? Tell us! The best ideas each month, whether criticism or praise, will be awarded prizes. $15 for first prize, $ 1 0 for second prize, $5 for third. Address "You're Telling Me?" Editor, Silver Screen, 45 W. 45 th St., N. Y. C. Lanny Ross, radio singer, and the new Ann Sothern pose for a still in "Melody in Spring." m i) First Prize WINIFRED LUZMOOR of Lafayette, Colo., writes: "Three of the most charming actors of today are Englishmen—Ronald Colman, Herbert Marshall, Leslie Howard. American males lack those finer qualities that register with women as 'perfect gentleman.' I adore all American heroes, but why can't they have some of this English charm and polish? Or is this 'English trait' born and not made?" Isn't it their manner of speech? Second Prize "MISLEADING advertising, which has for its only purpose the task of 'pulling them in' to the movie theatre, has lost more friends for the movies than any other one thing" writes B. Alice Burland of San Diego, Calif. "Often when the patron leaves the theatre with that gypped and disgusted feeling, it is not proof that the play was unworthy or poor. It very often means that the play was not suited to his taste or mood. He had been led to expect something different. If the theme and character of the plays were more truthfully advertised, patrons could then make a better selection." Barnum said different. Third Prize "WILL somebody put a stop to these 1900 costume pictures?" begs Peggy Castle of Tampa, Fla. "Bustles, wasp waists and pompadours we can swallow once, but gee gosh, picture after picture is too much. And above all else, if we must have them, leave them to the Mae West hippy types. Please, oh please, not our suave, sophisticated Kay Francis, who is the very personification of modern beauty. Give her to us as the smooth, sleek, beautiful modern that she is. And, mister, I'm not alone in this opinion." A cycle lies . a-dying. "PLEASE give us correct pronunciation," writes Mary Manning of Dorchester, Mass. "We demand the final G's in words like 'talking' and 'going.' And verbs that syn chronize with subjects as 'It doesn't agree' instead of 'It don't agree.' Furthermore, and herein lies the greatest number of errors, we crave the proper pronouns such as 'It is not he; it is not I,' instead of 'It is not him; it's only me.' " Should Stepin Fetchit in "Carolina" really have spoken grammatically? As a matter of fact, we resent cultured speech in one having no culture. "I PROPOSE, at the end of the show, to repeat upon the screen the part of the film showing the cast of players," writes Helene H. Anderson, of Columbia, S. C. "Unless one is an enthusiastic fan, or especially devoted to certain actors, he is likely to read all but one or two of the names too casually to fix them in his mind, before the show. Often the really excellent acting of someone who is not a star attracts attention, and on the way out of the theatre he asks, 'Did you notice who played the part of that old man?' And each one says, 'No, good, wasn't he? Don't know that I ever saw him before.' " Buy a fan magazine, (adv.) LUCYBELLE LORTZ of Louisville, Ky., writes: "An evening spent in the front row of any neighborhood theatre, listening to the comments of children upon the pictures, especially Westerns, is enough to convince one that the youngsters of our land are not acquiring high ideals. Blood-thirsty little growls of 'Kill him! Why don't you kill him?' indicate that we may expect more crime than ever when these children grow up." Don't be silly. Little fellows have no conception of death— nor big fellows either. Did you see Fredric March in "Death Takes a Holiday?" "DO some of the stars think they are fooling us when they pretend to sing on the screen?" asks Emilie Vaughan. "We hear a beautiful Italian 'T,' but the closeup on the screen does not show the star making that beautiful Italian 'T' with the tip of the tongue, which is the only way possible. We hear a perfect vowel 'a' being sung, but the 'a' could never have that particular color if sung with that silly puckered-up expression on the lips." It's called "dubbing in" and they're pretty dam clever at it, the dubbers. "WHAT a relief is the news that nudism is to be presented on the screen in an intelligent and serious manner!" writes Mabel Kramer of Louisville, Ky. "While we, ourselves, may be on the fence regarding this new cult, still we are open-minded enough not to resent its presentation to us in a healthy way." Not while Will Hays has his health. "I WONDER why some producer does not make a picture around the theme of a young couple getting married and existing on a mere thirteen dollars a week. This often forces the wife to work, too. Such a couple cannot afford a maid or housekeeper. It would be interesting to see something different like this," writes Elizabeth Whitley of Lowell, Mass. You will like "Little Man, What Now?" which Margaret Sullavan is making. "PERHAPS I have a twisted taste or something, but I almost always find the trailer far more thrilling than the picture itself," writes Mrs. J. Bordo of Toledo, Ohio. "If there were films half as exciting as the trailers, what enjoyable entertainment we fans would have!" The lass that loved a trailer. HAROLD V. STARK of Clarks Summit. Pa., writes "A controversy has arisen among my friends as to the ranking of some of the screen stars. We have four in question, namely, Kay Francis versus Irene Dunne and Edward G. Robinson vs. Paul Muni. Can you aid us in selecting the most valuable or the highest ranking of these stars?" We (and the box office) prefer Kay Francis and Paid Muni, but like your others, too. SILVER SCREEN. Vol. Four, No. Seven. Published monthly by Screenland Magazine. Inc., at 45 West 45th Street. New \ork, N. Y. Yearly subscriptions $1.00 m the United States, its dependencies, Cuba and Mexico; $1.50 in Canada; foreign $1.60. Entered as second class matter, September 23. 1930, at the Post Office, New \ork, N. Y. under the Act of March 3, 1879. Additional entry at Chicago, Illinois. Copyright 1934. 4 Silver Screen