Universal Filmlexikon (1933)

cases in which an engagement secured through a "film exchange" have led to a great film career have been few and purely accidental. The talking screen must rely — for a long time to come at any rate — on recruiting its performers from the legitimate stage. The talking film actor must possess to the füllest extent all the qualities of the stage actor, plus a photogenic appearance and a microgenic voice. And though it is evidently intended to educate a new generation of talking film actors independently from the stage, by means of special training at talking film Colleges and Studios, it is more than questionable whether these young actors will agree to refrain from making use of the stage as a standby in exploiting their newly acquired training. The Universal Film-Lexicon proves that approximately 95 % of all actors employed on the talking screen to-day come from the legitimate stage, in addition to which the vast majority of the remaining 5 % had originally studied for the stage but had gone on the screen instead of entering the theatrical profession. That proves that the talking film and the stage belong together and that — at least at present — they are dependent on each other. That is why the Stage Federation energetically upholds the view that the talking screen must be regarded as the stage actors' natural sphere of activity. That also is why the Federation is fighting with all its might against the attempts of the Theatre Proprietors' Association to restrict the stage actors' freedom in the matter of film contracts, except as regards the necessary protection of the theatrical industiy against disturbance by breaches of contract. The Stage Federation desires to avoid all antagonism between the talking film and the theatre. It does not share the widespread view that the advent of the talking film is one of the main causes of the disastrous theatrical crisis, but does not ignore the fact that the talking film has deprived the theatre of a considerable Proportion of its audiences, and that under the present critical conditions this loss affects the theatres very seriously. However, the Federation believes that appearance on the screen enhances the popularity of a stage actor and attracts audiences to the theatre when he reappears on the stage. The talking film is still in process of development. But its path and aims are already well defined. Not only is the talking film rapidly advancing towards technical perfection, but it is also recognised that in spite of its natural dependence on the stage, it must also go its own way from the artistic point of view. The opinion that used to be widely held in film circles that the talking film was designed to photograph and record theatre Performances, has been disproved by experience. The talking film is developing its own literature, without thereby dispensing with stage actors. The planned Solution of the problem of fresh screen talent should go band in band with this develojiment. The talking film has already achieved greater importance as an artistic factor than the silent film has ever been able to attain. Its development is proceeding under great difficulties, owing to the necessity of considering a variety of commercial interests and to the difficulty of finding capital. Consequently the education of promising fresh talent is not only a purely artistic but also a not unimportant financial question. Young talent must be found, selected and nursed to replace the stars of to-day — for in the future too the talking film will not be able to dispense with Stars. The Editor of the Universal Film-Lexicon grives the first impulse in this direction by including the biographies of talented stage actors engaged in the country. For the final selection the producers and the responsible directors should confidently consult those who are in a position to judge the abilities of the individual artists. They include, in the first place, the men who formerly "acted as friendly representative« of the indiATdual artists and studied their most indiA-idual requirements ", and who are to-day alnio>t without exception to be found in the much maligned Bühnennachweis. Talking film production will then derive considerable profit, both artistically and financially, from the nursing of fresh talent, and Emil Janning's hope that the talking film niay become the great Promised Land of the stage artist may perhaps be realised. XII