1933-08-29 — Page 20

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1

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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1933.

BEFORE YOU DECIDE

on your NEW CAR

NOTES OF THE DAY DIALOGUE AND "STAR"

KOWLOON WATER SUPPLY

Kowloon registers a complaint against water restrictions on the ground that existing supplies are ample and that water will be run- ning to waste if only an inch of rain falls, The submission. is a plausible one if only the situation

of the moment is to be taken into

Government's

SYSTEM THE CURSE

OF THE CINEMA

WHY PRESENT-DAY FILMS ARE

So DEPLORABLE

(By "CELLULOID")

you should try out the [NEW VAUXHALL policy of erring, if at all; on the was rudely awakened from its productions are works of vir-

LIGHT SIX

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The

Hongkong Telegraphí.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1933.

The Very Idea!

LOOKING

EV

BACKWARDS

By Edward Kolly, His-story. LIVER since we discovered that we had nothing but water in the brain to write up for to-day's column we have been studying his- tory.

History is a wonderful thing.

consideration, but the experiences of the last month must provide

Five years ago the cinema world's ed out, the majority of American approval of the

Pete gave us the idea Bide of caution. Government had peaceful pursuits of producing tuosity rather than artistry.

The position we have to face when he called on us yester- no intention of imposing restric-lms which were getting ap-

to-day is that the cinema, rather tions in Kowloon until the start-preciably nearer the qualities of

sobbing than being progressive, is te day afternoon. Pete had ling figures showing a consump- true cinema by the

trogressive.

the hiccoughs. History repents tion of 53,830,000, gallons during monologue of a popular American

The camera and its mobility is itself. the week ended August 21. At variety artisto who plaintively that rate, presuming no rain fell appealed to a boy of tender years retarded by having to conform Bound-recording require- in the meantime, Kowloon's reser to climb up on his knee and pro- with voirs would be exhausted in about mise not to stray when he became ments. The use of the close-up, Do you know, for instance, that the scope and properties of which millions of years ago, Love ram four months. A check had, there. of age.

This was known as the birth Arat exploited by D.W. wild on this spinning globe of fore, to be applied. If the Inch

Grimtha, are constantly being oura. of rain the correspondent refers of the dialogub Alm. It was to should fall soon, the position blind, almost desperate, experi- misused, being concentrated on

In those days men were slimy will undoubtedly be reconsidered, ment by Warner Brothers, the the facial expressions-of-the-nct- In the meantime, Kowloon must American producing company. It ing material instead of used, in creatures resembling a louse, or earliest men and accept restrictions philosophical-proved an experiment which, com conjunction with lighting effects, your wife's description of your

mercially speaking, far exceeded on inanimate objects, to heighten solf. The their wildest dreams (that la if dramatic effect. Rhythm obtain women, who had by now reached they had any). The talking filmed by cutting and editing the film the Jelly-fish stage in life, used took four continents by storm, frames, is persistently ruined by to meet under a stone. ruined hundreds of actors, caused the adaption of dialogue which This is why we call their ern

different the debacle of a cinema built up demanda

treatment, the Stone Age.

ly.

JAPAN'S BUDGET

After Japan's budgetary

BX-

wero

For our subsequent duta we

perience of last year, moro caution to a state nearing perfection by The sophisticated, but superficial, was anticipated in the presenta-years of ceaseless endeavour by studio architecture of Hollywood | have read the excellent publica- of departmental estimates some of the world's finest creative and Elstree invariably bear no re- tion called Vet to Zym, published for the coming financial year. minds, and left the industry in allation to the theme or dramatic by the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

tion

state of "confusion worse con-content of the scene or sequence. founded".

DIALOGUE AND THE STAR SYSTEM.

bo

Beethoven

This was not the only ingenious thing the Oyster ever did, for

We now know that the Oyster In the event, however, Mr. Tasha-

Poor scenario writing, the in- kashi is presented with a more

ability of the director to create the Age came right after the original difficult problem than ever. In

proper atmosphere, inferior cut- life and right before the soup.

The Oyster was the first animal spite of the urgent need for re- trenchment, all the Departments The lessons of the last five ting, and careless editing often are plling up immense estimates, years, if they are at all to be taken contribute to a montage which falls born with Sex Appeal. The male unqualified entirely to stimulate in the minds oyster, with his instinctive know- reactionsledge of feminino nature, know to that the new expenditure de seriously, tell us in

of the audience the

that if you wanted to get any manded is already more than the tones at least two vital things;

where with a lady oyster, you'd total revenue. Perhaps they are that until dialogue is eliminated sought by the theme.

and EFFICIENCY INSUFFICIENT.

have to give her birthday presents. only trying to keep pace with the from films, and American

Efficiency. Is the keynote of So he hit upon the idea of making. army, Instead of sacrificing them- English producing companies for-

the "star" system, the Hollywood. It has become the pearls. selves to the military machine, sake That seems to be the case with cinema, in all. its beauty, artistry slogan of Elstree. But efficiency the Metropolitan Police Board, at and dramn, as expressed a decade in itself is not true cinema. A any rate, which has a special ex- ago by Eisentein, Pudovkin, Von child who plays a penditure budget of five millions Stroheim, Erich Pommer, Pabst sonata without a mistake may be von to-day Oysters make excel- described as efficient, but nobody lent stowa, cocktails, and patties.

But Oysters were different Ja to present to the Home Office. It and others can never again wants radio apparatus, neroplanes, realised,

To Hollywood the cinema world would pretend to compare it with and other modern police equip

Paderewiski. The one is just to-day is not the Oyster of fifteen other million years ago-unless by ment. The "growing intensifica- owes a lot. Chief among its debts a rendering of the same piece by the olden days. The Oyster of tion of emergency sentiment" is can be numbered the prostitution, mechanical virtuosity, the

chance you go into a 'rea- mentioned as a reason for the orgy by commercialisation, of the real the work of a creative mind, alive any of spending, and the necessity qualities of the cinema. We owe to the moods of the composition taurant and order some. Then. for being armed against the it to America that the resources of and sufficiently artistic to give they only taste the same.

The early oyster was known aз outrages." danger of "collective

Fundamentally the cinema to- the Oysterolithle Man. Their an ex-greatest enemies were the Salmon, Dangerous thoughts were bad

expression to those moods, day is suffering from enough, but it looks as though

of the im- which were hostile and very cun- aggerated idea patriotic "direct action" is becom-

portance

of acting material, |ning. ing more expensive.

known as "Stars", and the con- Salmon used to hide in tine, tinuance of the sound dialogue and came out only on Saturday's, which is diametrically opposed when it was the boy's day off, and to the requirements of cinematic visitors popped in unexpectedly essentials.

for dinner. America and England, having |

Generally the Salmon could al- President Roosevelt, in spite of

The International Congress of public taste for sex films and call- his rejection of the London Women in Chicago heard much ed it "public demand"; and have accepted the dialogue as some ways bo had with raw onions and Bane-counsel and many ringing fruitlessly tried to adapt the thing which has come to stay, is

STABILISATION OF CURRENCIES

The visit of Mr. Montagu Norman to the United States has revived rumours of an im- pending stabilisation of the dollar and sterling. It is safer to assume that no definite plans are in the air, that the Governor of the Bank of England is seek ing a clarification of President Roosevelt's monetary policy with a view to a possible adjustment of British policy thereto. Stablli- sation at somò time must, how- ever, be the motive directing.

such an exchange of views, and | YOUTH'S CHALLENGE

it has to be remembered that

now

Ica

aro

the studio are now greater than ever before in the history of the industry; we also owe it to Amer- that those resources abused and misused.

Hollywood, and in its turn Elatres, and quite a number other European producing concerns with the box-office complex, have refused to recognise the art of the cinema; have stimulated

of

0

and provocative challenges. Most peculiar demands of the bound-making no effort to improve their

beer.

Pote had been calling overy

S. MOUTRIE & CO., LTD. formula, in spite of his other

cryptic utterances, has not of the speeches came naturally dialogue to the real properties of films cinematically. In technical Speaking of beer, we think we slammed the door leading to from representative women in the cinema, all the time knowing. production Hollywood still leads have spent enough time already various fields of social endeavour, but refusing to recognise, that the world, with Elstree making on history. The opening of the are rapid improvements: But they now brewery in Hongkong is a stabilisation. At the same time many of them veteran workers. those various requirements

stop here, and it is still left to the now age. It is known as the New the President's first duty is to But the delegates were wise. The totally incompatible.

The position to-day is that Russian producers and in a lesser Be-era. see that nothing handicaps the voice of youth too, must be heard,

they agreed, and so they sat and the public have actually become degree to the Germans and French

BROTHERLY LOVE recovery in the United States listened while thirteen college educated into acepting as good (directors such as Pabst and Rene which is

under

cinema some of the worst, and Clair) to attempt to-ovare me the women in way, girls, three young

mest Inartistle films ever pro- disabilities of a five year-old "fad," although moving slowly and not industry, and one youthful editor

duced.

with experiments in true cinema. night in spite of the warnings Thus we have Pudovkin, now from his lady love about her irato yet clear of the reefs. This is tried to express something of their philosophy of life and their

among the world's finest directors, father. This particular evening not so selfish as it souride.views of our social ills. It has

In their persistent exploitation working out a new theory in they had been cuddled together. President Roosevelt had a pro- been said that, in the world to

com photography allied with lighting before the fireplace planning their blem on his hands which de-day, it is youth that is suffering of the Star system, their manded bold and frankly ex-most severely from the social re-mercially-clouded perspective of effects and cutting, which, he next move. Only the clock, an- the film, its properties and ite claims, will add much to the nouncing that the witching hour perimental measures. If he volution through which we are attractions, and their anxiety to dramatic expression of the cinema. had been reached, broke the sil- succeeds, the benefit will passing. There is evidenco

the support this point of view. When obtain technical perfection, the one of these young speakers said, American and English productions

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United States, but also to youth must be brought out of the are for the most part devoid of the all those

UGLY HEAD OF ADVERSITY

sho

TO-

of the world who sell their goods tions which the depression has screen. As Paul Rotha has point- to the United States, and who brought about in us and learn the have been awaiting a revival in zest of doing something," American demand. Both his reached to the heart of the pro- problem and his measures have blem to-day. To youth especially been appreciated by such expert belong vigour, zest, enthusiasm, foreign observers as Mr. John and the present social maladjust- Maynard Keynes, the British mont would do its utmost to rob

them of their birthright, economist. But there is no tendency as yet on the part of other countries to embark on anything like the price reflation schemes that Mr. Roosevelt has

Another young speaker, initiated in the United States. ferring to the enthusiasm of her It is not possible for the Presi- collego days for world affairs, dent in these circumstances to pleaded, "You must help us to slow down his own ship to the keep our heads above water until pace of the slowest ship in the we see again that vision of inter- aquadron. Is there any way nationalism." But in the ugly out of what seems an impasso? hoad of adversity a precious jewel There is. Let stabilisation be is often hidden, and it may be that put on ice, save for some kind both these statements give some of exchange control, until Ameri- Inkling of the doubly precious can recovery has generated its Jowel that is being offered the own momentum; let other na youth of to-day. For one speaker, tions agree to put in practice a it appears, has learned to classify Individualistic" with "lack" and programme of price reflation to "dull, and the other has seen the which they have pala lip serviceision of internationalism. Aro for two years past, a programme not those immeasurably valuable which would help to sustain lessons?The age of In primary prices without too much dividualism, it is clear, is passing, rocourse to national measures; and it is more than possible that and then let the dollar clear-eyed youth is already fast

bo stabilised in the only mastering the lesson, sodintoult way that it can proper for many of the older generation, ly be stabilised, namely, that not selfish acquisition, but fixed in terms of some world dooperation, le to be the watch unit of value. Stabilisation word of the new apdari Youth's allenge Atő van ;individuniistic must

“Booner or Intar. Got

«uncertainty

REAL DRAMATIC EXPRESSION.

This conveys nothing to the (Continued on Next Columns.) · general public. There is no rea-

ence. Then, without warning. a thump and a click were heard, and the room was flooded with as big as fate, stood the old man, glowering and- light. There, pulling at the terrified caller. "Who in hare you?" he bel- lowed. Poto gulped, turned pale, and appeared on the verge fainting. But the colour returned to his face suddenly, and he rose "I'm her brother," he said sim ply.

of

Stop us if you've heard this one before.

-- SHE WAS ONLY—

We shot

1

man, to-day, And we'll tell you why. He came up to us and said: "She is only au optician's daughter"We pulled last the trigger. Then, with a guap, he called out to us from where he lay, "But just-give her. A couple of glasses and she'll makė:

a spectacle of herself."

son why it should. The public

is not concerned with cause, but. with offect.Its Interest should He exclusively with film produ-" cers. Dramatic expression la an essential of the cinema, and the more artistic that form of pression the nearer does it get to being a pure cinematic quality

Dramatic expression" is not, as Hollywood and Elstroo try to lend us to believe, beat given through. dialogue, and/or the histrionic abilities or sax appeal of actorai A more subtle treatment. In nacer-

Hot by bla

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