Star-dust in Hollywood (1930)

Hollywood — The ^Artist of the Film stripes. The corridor skylights pointing to the figure framed in the square of light give it an uncanny importance in spite of its small size. He is coming out of the light to be turned into one of those headless, impersonal bodies. The legitimate stage, as picture-making, can never hope to be more than a so-so business, for even if the stage compositions can be made perfect they can be perfect only from a certain number of central places. This disadvantage does not affect the cinema ; its pictures are almost the same from every seat. Thus the artist can compose his pictures with deliberate art and composition. A Sam Silberstein story relates that he was watching a film version of the battle of Waterloo. "Say!" he exclaimed. "Who is the big man in this scene? " " He is that man over there on the white horse, Mr Silberstein," was the answer. " That feller ! " cried the magnate. " But whatever made you pick a little chap like that? Why couldn't you get a real big man who would look important ? " In this he only reflects Sir Joshua Reynolds on the art of historical painting : Alexander is said to have been of a low stature; a painter ought not so to represent him. Agesilaus was low, lame and mean of appearance ; none of these defects ought to appear in a piece of which he is the hero. . . . But the artist of the cinema has certain advantages over the historical painter : he can retain truth and yet give his heroes sufficient emphasis by means of lighting. But this calls out all his ingenuity for the invention of ever new devices to produce his effects. 183]