OTHER PEOPLES' FEELINGS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 130, 26 February 1937, Page 18

OTHER PEOPLES' FEELINGS

International Aspect of Film Production

(By

Cecil B. DeMille.)

RINDING talent is the screen’s greatest problem to-day and always has been. Hollywood is not overflowing with that precious commodity. There is actually a dearth of it, which is why producers scramble for the comparatively few players of proven ability.

Talking picture requirements are so exacting that practically no artists come to the screen ready made. Prospective players have to be discovered, encouraged ami trained tirelessly, and .-in important part of their training today consists in apprizing them to their international responsibilities. They must be taught to guard against anything that will misrepresent or injure any nation. Even trade can bo materially stimulated or reduced by the way countries as well as their governments and their people are represented on the screen.

So true is this that it is the obligation of every producer, director and actor to consider the effect of his screen contributions on the international mind. The responsibility amounts to more than avoidance of arousing international problems and prejudices. Hollywood has gone so far in that direction that it eliminates the American flag from courtroom scenes —when actually the absence of an American flag from an American courtroom robs the magistrate of all his powers.

Considering the psychological effect of certain actions is more important. For example, a screen blackguard, when his nationality is known, must be presented ns an individual —not as a type representing the entire population of his particular country. This is not good business; it is the only correct thing from an artistic standpoint, because art is—or should be—international and no production can be internationally appreciated if it arouses resentment in certain quarters. It must be apparent that Hollywood for some time past has been conscientiously endeavouring to give no offence to any nation. One of my chief precautions in preparing "The Plainsman” for Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur consists in avoiding making the film in any respect a nationalistic boast. It will reflect the wresting of the western plains from the Indians by an expanding American nation. It will show circumstances of the whole epic movement. It will be an accurate psychological and historical drama and as such should be entertainment, of universal appeal. Despite all of Hollywood's efforts, however, we shall not have a truly international motion picture art until all nations are engaged in making pictures, with an exchange of acting and production talent between them. Personally, I look toward that as the most important development, ahead of us, more important than development of third dimension, natural colour photography in its ultimately perfected form, and television.

The purely mechanical problems of these devices of our art are well on their way to solution and the solution may be announced at any time. I hope that decentralisation of motion picture making, the most refreshing and salutary thing that can happen to the picture industry, will follow.