SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS OF PLAYERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 101, 1 May 1930, Page 6

SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS OF PLAYERS.

(To the Editor.) I certainly agree with. "Holyrood" that English "talkies" are not up to the standard of American productions, and that they never will be until the English film artists lose their, self-consciousness and acquire some of the American artists' 6elf-assurance, which quality is very necessary in film acting. The average English film actor and actress are camera shy and cannot forget their own personality and live the part they are playing, as the Americans do. I speak from personal knowledge, as I have acted for films in England. As regards the language spoken in the English talkies "Holyrood" has heard, surely he realises that they are speaking as the part requires them to do, and that all talkie artists in England do not speak the language as spoken in the vicinity of Bow Bells. The "Bowery" accents which so many of the American film actors and actresses speak is not acting at all, but their own natural everyday speech, hence the failure of so many of the noted "silent" artists of obtaining parts in the talkies. Their speaking voices simply won't do. I had the experience recently of hearing two very popular American film artists (at least they were very popular on the silent screen) in a talkie, and after hearing them I shall not be surprised to find that their popularity is decidedly on the wane. Of course, when all is said and done, talkies are a matter of taste. MOVIETONE.