Universal Filmlexikon (1932)

sentimental coniedy about niiddle class life takes a lot oi heatinjr. I am not nuich of a believer in bi«; names. I thiiik tlie flavs of tbe bi<r "?tar" are oomint; to an end. In the vast majority of cases "stars anthe outeome of uiilimited expenditnre on publieitv bv American film majrnates. Elstree cannot eonipete with Holh"\vood in this direction. She has not tbe resonrce? at ber conimand. bnt sbe ?eem!i to «ret on quite well williout all tiiis ballyboo ex])loitat ion. Tbonirli exploitation will make a "t^tar". contiinied publieity is no guarantee of continued public favour. The star must live up to tbe reputation tbu*^ created, otberwise eclip*e is inevitable. After a few years most "?tars" find tbi* ta?k too mucb of a strain. Tbey marry directors or Stockbrokers and are soon forgotten. ''Sic transit gloria!" All producers bave tbeir dreams. I am no exception. One of my anibitions is to jjroduce a film witb the background of Covent Garden. Its possibilities are immense. In tbe Opera House you have an Institution known all over the World, and witb its roots firmly embedded in the literary and artistic soil of England, a national Institution saturated in emotional drama offering unlimited scope for film work. ^ edded to it is tbe famous market, witb its variety of men and emotions, its motley medley of types. its Cockney costers and well-to-do huyers. its flower girls and fair customers from Ma)"fair rubbing Shoulders and just across the road Bow Street police Station witb its daily panorania of tragedy and coniedy. Tbere you bave tbe raw material for a first rate film, tbe mixture of Art. beauty. fame, weallb. poverty, humour, pathos, crime, trade, and Law. One more ambition is to make a film of King Arthur and tbe Knights of tbe Round Table, (iuinevere and tbe Holy Grail, a magnificent theme. Vt betber its translation into a modern talkie would roh it of mucb of its ronuince and glamour is a dehatahle point. Tiie success of Ben Hur gives nie liope. Tiie dialogU(> would he difficult but reproduction of tbe human voice could be cut down to a minimum in favour of tbe sound effects so that really tbe film would be more of a silent tlian a souiul picture. It is liere, in pictures of this kind, based on bistorical or legendary themes, that tbe silent film still has some chance of surviving tbe allconquering sound film. Talkies, of course, will practically nionopolise the film industry of tbe future, but tbere inay still be rooni for a sniall proportion of silent filnis which niay not be suitahle for sound adaptations. The language difficulty is tbe great obstacle to the fuller development of talkies. This niay he overcome by producing multilingiial pictures, or eise some process will sliortly he standardised by which tbey may be converted at comparatively little expense into any desired language. This is tbe more probable Solution. The employiiient of different sets of actors and actresses to record the different languages in one play is an expensive business, and thougb it has been done will bave to give way to a more economical process. HON. ANTHONY ASQUITH: LA TECHNIQUE DU FILM PARLANT \ eiit-on comparer les f iliiis parlants avec le tlieätre legitime, il serait temps de saisir bien clairement que ces deux branches de Texpression artistique sont fondees sur des principes entierement differents. La Muse des films parlants n'est pas la Muse du theätre. Le film parlant se situe dans la ligne d'evolution du film muet, et n'est pas, comme d"aucuns voudraient nous le faire croire, un progres de Tart scenique. En essayant de faire dun film sonore quelque chose comnie la glorification d"une piece de theätre. avec des decors plus compliques et en donnant un plus vaste essor aux effets sceniques, on court le risqiie de perdre les avantages du theätre proprenient dit, sans retenir ceux du cinenia. Pour ne citer qu'un seul exemple, la technique du dialogue au theätre ne se confond pas avec la technique qu exige le dialogue du film parlant. L"art de faire un bon parlant consiste ä combiner les effets verbaux et sonores avec les effets propres au film silencieux. dune maniere teile que 1 un et lautre se completent indispensahlement. Meine le dialogue dans un film parlant est tout ä fait different du simple enregistrement photographique et sonore d'une scene de theätre. II peut arriver que la reproduction sonore ressemble, superficiellenient. ä une piece de theätre, comme, par exemple, dans le cas de deux personnes qui se querellent dans une Salle. Au theätre, nous voyons d'abord la Salle et les gens et nous entendoiis les eclats de voix. Dans le film parlant. nous poumons disposer la caniera de facon ä obtenir exactement 3« 35