Silver Screen (Nov 1936-Apr 1937)

57 A Famous Studio Has Found tke Formula for Producing Pictures TKat Make Money. Claude Rains, an actor of distinction, as he appeared in "Anthony Adverse." Another studio borrowed Paul Muni to play the humble Chinaman in "The Good Earth," and he created a character of masterly simplicity. (Above) Muni again, but as the ignorant, uncultured miner in "Black Fury." the Glamour Girls. The men at Warner Brothers, it seems, are actors first of all, and to hell with being great lovers. The shining example, of course, is Paul Muni. Paul Muni has never played a great lover on the screen, and I don't suppose he ever will as he is nobody's fool, and definitely nobody's leading man. But just release a Paul Muni picture and it makes hundreds of thousands of dollars, and people jam the theatres even more than they do for Nelson Eddy and Gary Cooper. Why?-because they know they are going to see great acting. And, strange as it may seem to us goofy girls, there are millions of people in this world who had rather see talent than inch long eyelashes. As Doctor Pasteur, in "The Story of Louis Pasteur,'" Paul Muni gave a most convincing performance, so convincing, in fact, that it is generally accepted that he will win the Academy A\vard for it tiiis year. As the arrogant, murderous gangster in "Scarface" he gave an entirely dilfcreiU but ecjually convincing performance. His acting in "A Fugitive from a Chain Gang" made cinema history; wherever lovers of good acting are gathered together Paul Muni's Fugitive is always mentioned with the greatest of admiration. His characterizations in "Bordertown," "Black Fury" and "Dr. Socrates" were all different, biu all convincing, and highly interesting. I have not yet had the good fortime to see "The Good Earth," which has not been previewed as I write this, but people who have seen the rushes of the picture tell me that Muni, as the little Chinese Wang, is nothing sliort of magnificent. And I can readily believe them for 1 was on the set when the company was on location at Chats\\'orth, one day, and saw them shoot the scene in the wheat fields where Wang kneels in the wheat and with fear-stricken eyes watches the coming of the storm that wiW bring terror and desolation to him and his people. That was not Muni kneeling in the wheat field— it was Wang. Could one of the great lovers do that? Alas no, they arc so busy playing themselves on the screen that they could never change their personality. Another of the sood actors, but not great like Miuii, 1 (lis Errol FJynn's reputation will live forever for his performance in "The Charge of the Light Brigade." The never-to-be-forgotten"! am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang." Paul Muni's great acting actually moved the hearts of the lawmakers to save the author of this story from merciless vengeance. (At top) Ian Hunter, an actor with several successes to his credit. covered at Warner Brothers, is Pat O'Brien, the genial Irishman who has been acting ever since he was a kid in Milwaukee. Pat had to fight to be an actor, he says that all of two thousand managers turned him down, but he was determined he had talent and he finally made the grade. The directors call Pat a "sincere" actor, which means that he invests a part with a naturalness and makes the audience believe it. His straightforward directness shows in his work. He's no great lover, heavens no, but you never see people walking out of the theatre when Pat's Irish pan is flashed upon the screen. He's another guy who never supports a Movie Queen, he's generally the big shot of his own picture. In "Oil for the Lamps of China" he was excellent, and so he was in "Ceiling Zero," "I Married a Doctor," and "China Clipper." Of comse, he gets tossed in silly little program pictures hke "Page Miss Glory" and "In Caliente" occasionally, and Pat froths at t?ie mouth and goes into the "front oflice" to tell them what he thinks of them, but no matter how trifling he considers the part he has yet to give a bad performance. Yes, Gilbert Roland may have more allure, but I'll take Pat any evening at the cinema. Then there is Claude Rains, one of the best actors in the business, but definitely no great lover. Claude would feel kind of silly cavorting with Crawford, Harlow, or Colbert, but give him a part witli some giUs to it, a part in which he can really act, and Mr. Rains will give you a performance that will thrill you to the core. Will you ever forget his "Crime \Vilhont Passion ' or his Don Luis in "Anthony Adverse"? y\s Napoleon in "Glorious Betsy" he gave the one stand-out performance of the picture. When people told him he was hammy as Napoleon he reminded them that Napoleon was hammy. His first appearance in a picture in Hollywood was quite unusual. He was brought out from New York to star in "The Invisible Man" and as vou may recall the Invisible Man was more or less invisible throughout the entire ])icture, and even when his lorso was visible his face never was. Even in mv wildest lli"lils of imagining I jnsi cui'l imagine \Coii I i inifd on page 6^]