T is now five full years The quite likely that we will all since the moving pic­ begin to imitate the micro­ I ture found its tongue, phone in our daily conver­ long enough in movie sation. terms for a rough judg­ Movies in Peril Enchanted with "the ment. I think that most ob­ mike" in the early days of servers would divide that the talking picture, produc­ judgment into two parts By Gilbert Seldes ers and directors forgot one and their prejudice would of the prime values of their be shown only by the one older instrument—the mo­ they chose to emphasize. What have five years of dialogue done for the moviesl bility of the camera—and As my prejudice is in favor trained the lens on the face, of the movies, I place the Reviewing the half-decade, Mr. Seldes hands laurels and often down the gullet, favorable one first: to gangster films, ex-plains Mae West—and suggests of the person who spoke The talking picture has a reciuirement for the movies' survival or sang. I do not think I utterly confounded the pes­ was alone among critics simists and won over the die-hard en­ are salaries of individuals: the notori­ when I suggested in 1929 that the thusiasts for the silent moving pictures; ous $30,000 a week paid for several person to whom a thing is said—"I the entertainment it provides is more weeks to an actress who has never been am going to kill you"—is as impor­ varied and more intelligent than that the mtost popular or the most talented tant, pictorially, as the person who of the silent picture; and it has a vitali­ player in Hollywood and the well- spoke; but it was nearly two years ty and an obscure faith which makes it earned half-million a year wage of a before the camera detached itself from often superior to the stage. Yet— young producer. the speaker. The directors seemed actu­ In five years the talking picture has The talking picture could not have ally to forget, at times, that they had a not produced a single work of the high­ held itself at these financial levels, camera at all, as in the case of the est order of importance; it has floun­ which accurately represent the favor of movie made from the stage-play, Broad­ dered in ignorance of its own capacities; the multitude, if it had not rapidly per­ way, where an attempted murder in a and at the present moment it is in fected the mechanism and, a little more taxi-cab was shown on the screen and, grave danger of sinking to a level of slowly, retreated from its first error, instandy, the victim of the attempt en­ monotonous, moderately satisfactory which was the belief that the talking tered the speakeasy and described the production. mechanism was the important thing in scene (in the words used in the stage In these five years, four of which wit­ a picture. The improvements in sound production where, of course, the event nessed the progressive impoverishment and in articulation came quickly and had not been witnessed by the audi­ of the American people, some 5 billion the pictures were aided by their only ence). In brief, during the early days dollars have been paid at box offices by real rival in public entertainment, the of the new mechanism, the moving pic­ audiences which varied from 60 to radio, because the radio accustomed ture ceased to move. Yet, while audi­ 100 million individuals a week, at people to the loudness, volume, and ences sat spellbound at the miracle of 12,000 theaters which showed some fuzzy contours of human speech as it sound issuing from the screen (which 3000 full-length pictures, made in issues from the microphone or the was only the miracle of the phonograph Hollywood at annual costs ranging screen. A certain amount of braying synchronized to screen movements), the from 100 to 150 million dollars. To still takes the place of human utter­ critics kept insisting that the picture counteract the natural enthusiasm of all ance, but it is no longer disagreeable; must keep moving and that wherever those connected with the moving-pic­ within the past year a natural, quiet sound interfered with action, sound ture industry I have used minimums voice has sometimes been heard, but if must be sacrificed. It is perhaps the wherever exact figures were not avail­ more progress is not made, if the neces­ critics' only great contribution to the able, and find the totals impressive. Less sities of large auditoriums continue to cinematic art and they have not yet significant, although more often noted, influence the production of sound, it is been adequately thanked. The reason is

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 82 SCRIBNERS MAGAZINE that directors, of themselves, went back to prettiness and sentimentality, they leased. Mr. Hays did say that "the to the camera and, as technical im­ shifted emphasis from women to men screen has done much ... to 'debunk' provements created a mobile micro­ and created stars who were neither the gangster by removing his mask of phone, the conflict between the two clothes models nor movie actors, but mock-heroism . . . Nevertheless . . . mechanisms abated. The victory, how­ players in a new medium. The moving to over-emphasize the gangster's role in ever, was definitely in favor of the picture, vocal or silent, has always been American life was undesirable . . . camera and the proof is that no new skilful in exploiting a passing interest, Public taste . . . demanded a more in­ name for the talking pictures was ever but in most cases it has used the war spiring type of entertainment . . ." accepted: they are still "the movies." or transcontinental bus travel or a And, the following year, Mr. Hays In spite of this victory the movie is championship prizefight as mere back­ was pleased to discover that "the gang­ still in danger, and, with the continued ground for its single absorption in the ster theme was practically elminated by threat of television escaping from the separation and return of young lovers. . . . wholesome travesties. . . ." research laboratories, the urgency of In the gangster pictures the rackets What took their place? The five pic­ reforming the battle lines is great. themselves took first place and for the tures of the next year which brought in Where the danger lies can best be seen first time people felt that the moving more than a million dollars in rentals after the accomplishments of the talk­ picture was interested in them and were: Grand Hotel, Emma, Bring 'Em ing pictures have been noted. their daily affairs. These pictures cor­ Bac\ Alive, Dr. ]e\yll and Mr. Hyde, The least interesting (although high­ responded in a way to the dime novel, and Arrowsmith; and The Champ ly successful) thing the talking movie but the pathos of distance was lacking, which was released in December of has done is the musical show, and the and they were all harsh, menacing, and 1931 may be counted in for good meas­ speed at which popular art moves in tough. Of the dozens which spoke in ure. All except the animal picture, America can be measured by the fact these new accents, three easily led the Bring 'Em Bac\ Alive, were chosen that in five years this type has not field: Scarf ace. Little Ceesar, and pre­ by some 300 moving-picture critics as only been exhausted and discarded, but eminently. Public Enemy. Produced by among the ten best pictures of the has been welcomed back again and is Zanuck, it established James Cagney year; the other five were: The Guards­ on its way to a second oblivion. It hap­ as a new star, brought Kubec Glas- man, Smilin Through, Bill of Divorce­ pened that one of the first great suc­ mon and John Bright to Hollywood as ment, Bac\ Street, and—as if to spite cesses was Broadway Melody; so many screen writers, and brought fresh honor Mr. Hays—Scarface. The balance be­ back-stage plots, contrasting private to the director, William A. Wellman. tween serious and light plays, between agony with the gaiety of a musical pro­ No group or cycle of feature films, deep emotion and sentimentality, be­ duction, followed, that the theme be­ in either the silent or talking movies, tween the cinematic adult and the uni­ came tiresome and "musicals" were has been as satisfactory as these gang­ versal infantile, is equal in this selec­ condemned. Four years later they re­ ster and racket pictures. Against them tion, and the list is so varied that no turn with only vestiges of plot, and rose a great clamor that they glorified conclusions can be drawn. By 1933, even with burlesques of the plot, and the criminal, gave a false impression of however, it was possible to say what are frankly presented as happenings on American life, and corrupted the young. had taken the place of the gangster the musical comedy stage which some­ It was perfectly natural that the defend­ film. The pictures which reached the times enlarges itself to show half a mile ers of prohibition should raise this out­ million mark were: Cavalcade, I'm No of a river and always presents dancers cry; rather startling is the comment of Angel, Little Women, She Done Him in brilliant mass formations seen as no Will H. Hays, who singled out, among Wrong, State Fair, and Footlight Pa­ theater-goer ever saw them, from the others, Bro\en Lullaby, The Champ, rade. Nearly 400 critics chose the first, air and at the bottom of the sea, mul­ S\ippy, Soo\y, Tarzan, Shanghai Ex­ fourth, and fifth of these for the best tiplied or divided by tricks of the cam­ press, Ladies of the Jury, and The ten (and Little Women, which was a era, a little stupefying and not impor­ Spirit of Notre Dame as pictures show­ late release, will probably be among tant. ing improvement in the screen, but those chosen for 1934). The others were: 42nd Street, Private Life of The cycle which followed was by all mentioned not one of the gangster films Henry VIII, Lady for a Day, Farewell odds the best the talkie has done so by name, and repeated what he had to Arms, I am a Fugitive from a Chain far: the epic of the gangsters. It is said in March, 1931: "I took occasion Gang, Maedchen in Uniform, and Ras­ quite probable, as Mr. Alva Johnston to re-emphasize the suggestion . . . putin and the Empress. Here we have said in his New Yor\er profile of that with the growing indignation two historical films of the distant past; Darryl Zanuck, that these films accom­ against gangster rule, public interest two recaptures of the immediate past; plished what laws and commissions in such themes in literature, on the two Mae West films; a love story of the failed to do: they stirred the public to stage, and in the films was wan­ World War; two musical shows; a sen­ resentment against the crimes of pro­ ing ..." timental story of the past and one of hibition and made murder a matter of That public interest was waning the present; a moderately realistic ver­ public concern. As movies they were while public indignation grew, hap­ sion of a social disgrace; and an impor­ important because most of the best ones pened not to be so; Mr. Hays is not tation from Germany which escapes were not drawn from books and plays, paid to prophesy and his attempt was classification. In addition to some of but were created specifically for the ludicrous, for it was after this judg­ those mentioned, the Committee on Ex­ screen, they brought a sense of actuality ment had been delivered that the most ceptional Photoplays of the National and a rude male vigor to an art given successful gangster pictures were re­

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE MOVIES IN PERIL 83 Board of Review chose Berkeley be a dominating plot in these pictures, woman, they did remarkably well by Square (pathos of the past); Three and there had to be half a dozen more her, giving her her head, to say the Cornered Moon (fantasy); Zoo in or less developed personalities. The re­ least, and allowing her to create her­ Budapest (fantasy and young love), sult was that many excellent minor self on the screen. She has had direc­ and above all these, Topaze, a supreme­ actors became interesting for them­ tors, but the style is still the style of ly well-done comedy of financial chi­ selves, and not for the support they Mae West; she has written her own cane. Not one of the leading pictures gave to stars, and the movies began to stories; she broke down the two arti­ was concerned with any subject of im­ develop quirks and oddities of action- ficial screen concepts of love as a mys­ mediate interest to the average man. and expression. Eccentric characters tery and as a sin; she made, in less

The Ten Be§t Talking Piftures

Each year The Film Daily asks several 1929 Disraeli '" hundred motion-picture critics of Amer­ Broadway Melody ica to name the ten best pictures. The accompanying list is made up of the 1930 All Quiet on the West­ first two choices of each of the past five years. ern Front It is quite possible that the same critics Abraham Lincoln would now omit some of their earlier choices. These, in any case, were considered the most 1931 Cimarron important pictures of their times. The Year Street Scene Book issued hyTheFilm Daily is the source for statistics used herewith, except for the 1932. Grand Hotel figures on box-ofEce rentals which were com­ The Champ piled by The Motion Picture Herald. Seven of the ten pictures made more than $1,500,- 1933 Cavalcade 000 (Disraeli, Abraham Lincoln, and Street 42nd Street Scene excepted). Pictures which gross more than a million dollars in rentals constitute 1934 (see note below) the financial honor roll of the industry. — They were films providing escape from were used for their comic value, and than one year, two films which grossed every-day life. the pictures inevitably had more of the more than two million dollars each in Nonetheless, the influence of the surprise and variety of life than those rentals—i.e., money paid by the exhibi­ gangster films has worked through the of the stricter order. The pursuit of tors to the producing company—a whole business of making pictures, so these by-paths is natural to the camera unique record, all the more pleasing to that in nearly every picture the adult technic, and today you may find traces Paramount because hers are the only and intelligent observer catches a of the method, even in highly dramatic pictures bearing that name which are glimpse of its factual rudeness; in near­ pictures, corresponding more or less to in the "smash hit" class for the dolorous ly every one there is a character who the injection of sub-plots and unrelated year of 1933; and in all probability she drastically or sourly says what human characters in the old Elizabethan was the chief cause of the most vio­ beings really think, or mocks at heroics, drama. lent outbreak of hostility against the or deflates pretensions. In the gangster It is the distinction of Miss Mae West movies in the present generation. cycle, the movies came down to earth that she has not only created a movie To understand why, it is necessary and have had a new saltiness and vigor cycle but, it would appear, has com­ to recall the three preceding types of ever since. pleted it all by herself. It took five sexual allurement exploited by the One other type of picture has had an years for the moving-picture producers movies: the vamp (Theda Bara); the influence outside of its own immediate to recognize the shrewdness of the few It girl (Clara Bow); the Pained Lady radius; that is the Grand Hotel type, critics who told them that Miss West (Greta Garbo). I have put in paren­ the picture in which a group of un­ was a remarkable actress, but when the thesis the names of the most famous related individuals are brought together movies got around to this phenomenal exemplars; each had dozens of rivals, in one place and their lives set to im­ imitators, or followers. Parallel to the pinge one upon the other. Inspired by NOTE: The list of the ten best talking pic­ exploitation of each of these types, there tures for 1934 is just published by The Film the success of Grand Hotel on the stage, Daily as this magazine goes to press. A dis­ ran the permanent moving-picture the movies made this type even before cussion of these pictures as a group is not theme that while human beings, chiefly they made Grand Hotel, placing their therefore included in this article. The 1934 under the age of twenty fell in love, they list follows: The Barretts of Wimpole Street, characters in railway stations, trans­ The House of Rothschild, It Happened One did not make love, and, if slightly old­ continental busses, trains, and, above Night, One Night of Love, Little Women, er but still attractive men and women The Thin Man, Viva Villa, Dinner at Eight, all, on board ship. There could hardly The Count of Monte Crista, Berkeley Square. had lovers, the sexual passion did not

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 84 SCRIBNERS MAGAZINE exist for them. I do not note these cir­ a woman is the occasion of mutual de­ tion, the smutty black-out of musical cumstances in behalf of any thesis about light. To the endless repetition of this shows was reproduced. Americans and love, considering that statement all the murmurs and shrugs Speech added subtlety to the moving all the theses so far advanced have been and wags and glances of her technic picture. In silence, you could do any­ peculiarly short-sighted. The thing to minister; her plots are nothing; her thing and trust to a written caption to bear in mind, in this connection, is characters nothing; her settlings are cover up inconsistencies, but speech de­ that the movies from the beginning slightly beglamored, so that the com­ manded at least a minimum of logic were made for the sole purpose of mon reality of what she is saying is and, in serious plays, some considera­ universal light entertainment; obviously never too instant and harsh. Her char­ tion of human motives. The intellectual (and perhaps correctly) the full impact acteristic title is the one which her content of the pictures, still not too of the sexual passion was considered in­ company abandoned after the midsum­ great, has increased. appropriate to this purpose. mer threat of boycott: "It Ain't No The increase has not, however, in­ However, the three types mentioned Sin." To be candid, her films are hard­ cluded in any serious way the eco­ did exist, and if they did not represent ly vulgar. As for high impropriety, the nomic problems of the depression. the truth of desire, they offered a dos­ films had been playing with homo­ Roused by Russian films exploiting the age of sex. The first was foreign: the sexuality, as comedy relief, for years— grandeurs of the Soviet regime, critics slinky seductress, the sort of thing one it is definitely suggested in one of Chap­ have complained that Hollywood lags read about in French novels and French lin's early comedies; and in recent behind the times or goes fascist (in the murder cases; the second was entirely months the musical films had been full sense that every film which provides American, perhaps the strangest phe­ of smirks and a dull innuendo, with escape from contemporary problems nomenon in the entire history of the oblique references to sex and digestion helps maintain the established order). screen. For it glorified the sex appeal of which were stupidly vulgar. The crime In this complaint it is forgotten that the sexless. The fairly attractive Miss of Mae West was that she annihilated Russia is ascendant and America, for Bow was a hoyden and madcap in most all the artificial approaches to sex, that the first time in generations, is tempo­ of her pictures, athletic, a good pal, she made no approach in that sense at rarily descendant, and that in neither an ever so healthy and mildly necking all, but simply was sex. It is not sur­ country do films attack the prevailing adolescent female. There is nothing to prising that the moralists fell upon system. Entertainment always lags be­ indicate that the captain of the girl's her. hind events and the remarkable thing basketball team in a mid-western high In several ways the talking picture is only that Hollywood has not pro­ school is the ideal mistress of the Amer­ was more offensive to the moralist than duced highly successful films based on ican man; her appearance on the screen the silent picture had been. In the old the psychological revolution accom­ may be analyzed according to Freud movies a prolonged or too passionate plished by President Roosevelt in 1933. or according to Marx, and I am afraid kiss brought objection, but the commer­ King Vidor's Our Daily Bread chose a it will not make much sense in either cial feature picture never allowed it­ minute item in Recovery for its theme. case. Incidentally it should be noted that self a downright indecency of gesture. Even Repeal and the weathering of the the movies heavily overcapitalized Sex Speech brought the opportunity for cir­ banking storm brought only minor Appeal; none of the great money cumlocution, for hinting at improprie­ pictures, and Gabriel over the White makers of that period is an It film, and ties, and, even more, for silence. The House, a melodrama of dictatorship, the great names (Chaplin, Fairbanks, moment a man and a woman stopped was not an exceptional success. For the Pickford, Tom Mix's Horse, and Rin- talking, and the scene faded, the worst past year the producers, scenting a good tin-tin) are innocent of S. A. was apprehended, and audiences whis­ topic, have been trying to find a way to make the munitions business acceptable The third, or Pained Lady, type ar­ tled appreciatively. I recall a neat trick: to the bankers who control the movies rived at perfection with the coming James Cagney picking up a forward and to the foreign countries which are of speech. In it women with mysteri­ young woman, whom he disliked in still important buyers of the Hollywood ous profundities of soul and equally spite of her passion for him, and car­ product. mysterious aspirations to something be­ rying her to her bedroom, depositing yond sex, play hob with gentlemen her upon her bed. "What are you going whose objects, however matrimonial, to do.?" she asked. The reply was, more Leaving the feature film, I come now are a little fleshly. To the Garbos, Shear­ or less, "I'm going to give you an ex­ to the great disaster and to the great ers, Crawfords, and many less distin­ perience you will never forget." And triumph of the talking picture. The guished, speech, especially when it was with that, he slammed the door upon disaster is the newsreel which has lost witty speech, afForded a new instrument her and departed. But that was comedy. its prime quality: that it was a record of defense against the brutal advances In the films of passion, the action was of actuality. Events are occasionally re­ of men. In the end love triumphed, but not visible—and was presumed to be corded as they happened: the riot at it was love compromised with the intel­ different. Moreover, with speech, the Ambridge, Pennsylvania, the later stage lect, leading to marriage in the manner picture could take over the more so­ of the Morro Castle disaster, and the of a Long Island house-party comedy. phisticated product of the stage, and al­ assassination of King Alexander are in­ though screen versions were purified, All these folderols vanished before stances. But far too many events are Design for Living, Strange Interlude, the simple statement which is the es­ rehearsed and taken, or are taken after and The Guardsman appeared. And sence of all of Miss West's pictures, the actual event, sometimes with "im­ from another field of legitimate produc­ that the practice of love by a man and provements." The camera can be con-

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE MOVIES IN PERIL 85 cealed, but the microphone cannot; and usually sung; the Silly Symphonies are not because they dislike the movies, but the self-consciousness of public figures completely satisfactory to every sense. because they do like the virtually free is obvious. I have not myself come They are successful, of course, because radio and have less money to spend. across serious falsification—that is usu­ of their charm, their humor, their in­ But the kind of elation which the old ally left to the commentators whose genuity, their simplicity—but of these movie gave has disappeared and we are introductions are often totally hostile things I need not write. They are uni­ all too familiar with the movies now to to the shown event. But the sense of the versally known. fall completely under their spell. It is real and the unpremeditated which not the microphone, but the wrong use made the old newsreel a relief and a de- I said near the beginning that the of it which is to blame. Technically, as

Successful Pi&ires and "Flops"

In November of last year, Douglas W. Churchill reported to The New York, Times the results of a poll of four hundred theater managers, which indicated the comparative success and failure of the leading films of all companies. The most striking feature of this report is that several heavily publicized large-scale produc­ tions are listed as failures; on the other hand, half a dozen of the most meritorious films made in the year were successful. That dozens of totally insignificant pictures made money was to be expected; and this list, of course, made no mention of hundreds of films which brought in meager returns, but apparently were not expected to do any better. Among the successes and failures were:

SUCCESSFUL FILMS UNSUCCESSFUL FILMS It Happened One Night Twentieth Century Five pictures starring Will Rogers Berkeley Square Dinner at Eight Treasure Island The Thin Man Queen Christina (with Greta Garbo) Viva Villa Design for Living Dancing Lady Death Takes a Holiday I'm No Angel Nana ^i^ The pictures with Shirley Temple Counsellor at Law Ldttle Women Little Man What Now? The House of Rothschild George White's Scandals Footlight Parade The Song of Songs (with Marlene Dietrich) light, after the mannered feature pic­ talking movie was in danger, and by I said, ti;e mobile camera defeated the ture, has gone. As these reels will that I did not mean the danger of being static mike; but in the creation of pic­ eventually form the raw material of disliked by a few intellectuals. It is the tures as a whole, the realistic' micro­ history, this is a grave misfortune. practical financial danger which threat­ phone still dominates; there is too much The corresponding triumph is Walt ens every form of popular entertain­ dialogue (which is seldom the conversa­ Disney's. Just as the old Keystone come­ ment which fails to change and develop tion of human beings) and too little im­ dies were always the best part of the —^the danger which finally destroyed agination, and every time a person average movie show, the Silly Sym­ the minstrel show, burlesque, and speaks, he shatters the created illusion phonies today tower over all but the vaudeville; the danger averted to an ex­ which the picture can give. most exceptional feature pictures. Be­ tent by musical shows when they turn­ This belief in speech could be de­ ginning with Mic\ey Mouse, Mr. Dis­ ed satirical; the danger from which the stroyed instandy if the producers of ney instantly discovered what to do old movie was saved at the last moment movies would ask their audiences, seri­ with sound—that is, he reduced it to by talk. The danger may be summa­ ously, what they remember of their fa­ an accompaniment of action and, as far rized in this way: with the introduction vorite films. Of an exceptionally bright as he was able, made it as unreal and of speech, the movie has lost magic film, // Happened One Night, one spec­ fantastic as his action. With color added and has failed to create the one ele­ tator, without prompting, recalled to the Silly Symphonies he achieved ment which could take the place of Claudette Colbert toying with her gar­ perfection. Technical limitations on the magic, i.e., character. ter to attract attention when Clark color spectrum turned out an advan­ The loss of magic is baffling; it ought Gable's thumbing had failed to get tage, the Symphonies appearing in a not to have happened when the mystery them a ride. Of Public Enemy every sort of wash or pastel which recalls of speech was added to the mystery of one I have asked remembers the band­ the old magic lantern and something motion on the screen. I do not think aged corpse of the gangster falling of the Christmas card. Speech is cut to it has, so far, touched the movies' audi­ through the door. Of Cavalcade it is a minimum; what might be said is ences who are diminished in number the moment when the lifebelt, before

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 86 SCRIBNERS MAGAZINE which the lovers have sworn eternal bowels of an active volcano, it isn't all We are not in the business of making fidelity, is seen to bear the name of the fresh and exciting. Even in the most imperishable masterpieces. We make Titanic; of All Quiet on the Western ingenious of films, connecting links be­ them to be forgotten, so that next Front it is the faces of marching men tween episodes of the story are weak, month's releases will take their place—" or a battle scene; of Queen Christina it and the usual method is to strengthen I would have to answer that when is the face and form of Greta Garbo, them with comedy—^which also is not enough individual movies are forgot­ flawlessly beautiful. Always it is some­ unlimited in supply. The one matrix in ten, the movies as a whole will be thing seen, not something heard. Even which plot can be safely imbedded is forgotten. That is the danger. The in The Thin Man, one of the wittiest human character. If you are interested movies have never played for the long films made, one remembers walking the in a character, your absorption makes run. In the beginning, they didn't have dog more than the badinage. you immune to boredom. And the con­ to—almost anything made money. Lubitsch, Vidor, Van Dyke, Capra, temporary movie almost always ignores Again, when the movies began to talk, Milestone, and one or two other direc­ character. It presents individuals with the gold rush was on. Now, under tors, are aware of this and often let queer traits or habits or looks; it offers financial pressure, the producers natu­ movement and gesture tell more than easily identified types; and it is over- rally cling to the old favorites, the old words. To others, the only movement populated with actors and actresses. But methods; they must show a profit each is a man walking one of those endless ask, "What character played by your quarter; they dare not experiment; they Hollywood marches from one room to favorite player did you like best and cannot think five years ahead. another, between conversations. None how did it differ from any other char­ I am not hopelessly prophesying dis­ has yet created a style of production in acter.?" and you discover that characters, aster. The moving picture has such a which the movie has its own kind of in the ordinary sense, as we speak of natural and universal appeal, that it can talk, a kind which should be as differ­ characters on the stage or in fiction, count on attracting a large number of ent from that of the stage as that of the hardly exist. The producers reply that the two million children who reach the stage is from the talk in musical shows. their audiences demand what they get, movie age every year. But it needs loo Until that is done, the talking movie refusing to allow ZaSu Pitts to play million attendants a week, which means will remain a hybrid. It must create anything but the comic distracted fig­ that it must establish and nourish the speech with a rhythm, accent, economy, ure of fun; but that is a confusion of habit of going to the movies, which and reference to action all appropriate ideas. Marie Dressier was always the can only be done by continuing interest. to the movie—and to nothing else. That familiar Marie Dressier, but nearly al­ It does not need to satisfy the intellec­ this will restore magic to the films, I ways created character; Roland Young tuals, but the producers might note that cannot say. I am only sure that this is recognizably himself, but always cre­ of the seventy-three films with the has to be done first. ative; so is Charles Laughton; Bette highest box-office returns, at least thirty- Davis created a remarkable character five were satisfactory to a critical taste. Even if it is done, and certainly if it in Of Human Bondage, but seldom be­ is not, the movie has to go into the You can get instant popularity by a fore; W. C. Fields creates character and cheap exploitation of any temporary business of creating characters if it Jimmie Durante doesn't—and apparent­ wants to save its neck. Again the rea­ interest; the long run requires only ly doesn't need to. The moving-picture good movie craftsmanship. son is practical. There are few plots in "character" as now exploited is briefly Greater commercial empires than the world and the movie exhausts local remembered for what he or she did, that of Hollywood have crumbled and color and new fads rapidly; the third not for what he or she was. That is why sunk beneath the sea. By thinking bold­ time a husband, Vv'ife, and lover are they are soon forgotten. seen in a submerged submarine, an ly and experimenting freely, the movies effect of boredom obtains and even if And if a producer were to say to me, can insure themselves against oblivion. the next time you see them in the more frankly than usual, "What of it.? And not otherwise.

RHYTHM By Elsa Gidlow

DANCE, dance, joy is the heart's laughter. The heart needs joy, the spirit drunkenness. Joy is the heart's laughter, the vein's wine; The feet of man must tramp the earth in dance, Man's feet must stamp and tread the purple and green Grapes of mirth and his blood must quicken With the sharp breath of ecstasy, however won. Nature is grave: the earth does not laugh, But man needs laughter, man must dance Till he is lost in rhythm, till the veins swell And sing, and he reels with vision. Dance, dance, joy is the heart's laughter.

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