Universal Filmlexikon (1933)

FROM STAGE TO SCREEN BY HERMANN WIEDEMANN PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTRO GERMAN STAGE SOCIETY Wheii tlic talkiiifr film was iiew it caused consiilcrable rlisquiet anion<r theatrical concems as well as ainoiijr actois and singers, for it was gencrally feared that the conipetition of thf talkirig film would be a seiioiis menace to theatrical business. if not its deatb. Tbongb it is not the object of this article to test the correctness of this assaim])tion. it nmst be admitted that the tecbnical advaiue of the talking film basdamaged theatiieal business. The fear of the theatrical concerns was thus not without fundation, but, on the other hand, it had to be admitted that no affective coiinter measures could be expected from that quarter. The practising artist, i. e. the actor and singer, perhaps because, like the concerns. he saw in the talking film a menace to the theatre, and therefore to bis living, met this ver^k' revolutinonary innovation with fear and antipathy. However. experience incvitably taught the artist that in spite of his antipathy towards this innovation there was no sense in combating it. On the contran»-. he was soon driven to the realisation that it was in his interest, not only financially but also artistically, to make himself useful to the talking film. As a matter of fact, it tumed out that talking film production for the most part demanded a new kind of artist. A host of film actors who had achieved greatness and ])o])ularity on the silent screen, to which they had not come from the stage, proved useless for the talking film, and disappeared without trace, so that the film producers were now obliged to find pcrformers for the talking screen in the ranks of stage actors. The new stars that rose on the horizon of the talkies were nearly all professional actors and singers. Here too, it turned out that the Performance and Speech of the artist employed on the talking screen differed in certain respects from his manner on the stage. Though in both cases restraint in njovement and bearing had become a requirement of the times, this places a greater strain on the actor on the talking screen, and it appears that acting on the talking screen in many respects educates the actor and singer. I attach especial importance to the fact that in the talking film the so-called types which were for years so important in silent films, play no part, or only a secondary part at present. In talking films such means, which are based solely on characteristic external features, are of less importance than artistic talent, vocal quality, and the artistic employment of all the means that are necessary on the stage. In the case of the singer the voice test rendered possible by the reproduction of his own Performance is a very great advantage and some singers realize from the reproduction of their own Performance in what way the actual effect differs from the intended effect. Thus no factor inimical to the professional actor from the artistic point of view can be discovered in the talking film, and for this reason alone the actor and singer's prejudices against the talking film fall to the ground. HERMANN WIEDEMANN PRESIDENT DE L'ASSOCIATION AUSTRO. ALLEMANDE DES THEÄTRES DU THEÄTRE AU CINEMA PARLANT La revelation du cinema parlant crea une Sensation de grand malaise aussi bien chez les directeurs des entreprises theätrales que chez les acteurs et les chanteurs. La concurrence du film parlant, — croyait-on, pourrait causer un grand prejudice ä Tindustrie theätrale, sinon 1 ecraser completement. Quoique ces lignes n'aient pas ete ecrites dans le but de deraontrer la justesse de cette these, il parait, neanmoins, nettement etabli qu'etant donne les perfectionnements de la tecbnique du cinema parlant, les affaires theätrales en pätirent. D"autre part, si les craintes des directeurs des entreprises theätrales n'etaient pas sans fondement, on doit cependant reconnaitre que les contre-mesures prises par ces demiers n ont pu remedier ä cet etat des choses. Tout comme le directeur de theätre, Fartiste professionnel, l'acteur, le chanteur, tous, ils ont vu dans Tavenement du film parlant une menace au theätre, autrement dit, ä leur gagne-pain, ce qui fit qu'ils accueillirent avec mefiance et antipathie cette prodigieuse decouverte reellement bouleversante. Toutefois, l'artiste ne pouvait manquer de se rendre ä l evidence et de comprendre que malgre son antipathie pour cette innovation, il serait XXXI