TELEVISION

Evening Star, Issue 22807, 16 November 1937, Page 13

TELEVISION

AWFWL possNNirncs Marconi ■ brought all the sounds of the world into the parlours of the worlds and our present inventors will be remembered with him' as the .men who) brought the sights. But the second thought must be;- Do we want them ?! Are the inventors planetary benefactor* or cosmic, nuisances ? I (writes A. PHerbert, in the ‘ Listener ’) have every reason to be prejudiced against them. For it must be a shock to seo oneself for the first time both filmed and “ televised ” in a single We grow hardened to the sight of oun own faces, and by degrees I think waf almost come to see ourselves as other*, see us—-at least, in repose. But no maul hears his own voice as others hear and, 1 can .assure you, it is a horrid) sound. Nor do we ever see ourselves in) motion (unless we are one of those politicians who are reported to rehears* their speeches before a looking glass),, I see now that I must reaDy dig out that upper denture and try to wear it regularly—at least; for oratory. 1> owe this to the inventors. It is very; good for one, to see and -hear' oneself,, however,, frightful one isj indeed, thaj more frightful the better, and I think that all public speakers—perhaps all citizens—ought to ajuffer it. What .troubles itte is the Thought <4 the plain singer and the nervous; lec4 turer or speaker! . The decent darknesjl of the wireless has hewn a godsend toi them. ' But, once vision is available, 3} suppose we shall all greedily insist upont vision. The talk without the .talked will be considered dull; Plain Jane and Shy Simon and! Toothless Tom will h* driven on the market. Beauty will regain. her unfair advantage; .and* th* speaker with a film face or “ a way withi him ” will oust, unhandsome intellect or unshaven learning. This I believe toi be a real possibility, for many ah nni skilled or timid speaker who can escape! misfortune on the air, or even face to, face with a. charitable audience, will excite nothing but impolite;'laughter, on the screen. And then it is had; enough to have to worry, about that denture • but if one must be “ mad* up ” and l lipsticked every time one de-i livers a message to the nation, publioj life will become intolerable.

This latest miracle fills me with odd* kiconaequent thoughts. For, example,will it bo possible, I wonder, to switch off the sound and retain the sights This would enhance the wicked satisfaction of cutting off what one dislikes* One could continue to gaze at th® golden girl who will sing sharp without having to listen to her. And if we , must keep “ two sets in every home ’% one oould have Hitler mouthing in- on® corner of the drawing room and -Stalin • aimacing in another —and not a sound from either. SPEECHES AND FACES.

But I wonder next whether the great men will consent to have their harangues accompanied by their faces in. the home. Tempting, politically; but dangerous. Most of them have dentures, or ought to have. For set orations perhaps the technique of the newsreel could be employed; and when the hero spoke of “ the dawn ” or “ golden harvest ” an appropriate picture could' replace his countenance. But that, too,would be dangerous, because. of thq operator’s power of selection. The statesman might be shown only when he was looking silly. Andther thought. 'After - dinner, speeches. AH very well; a good banquet is a fine picture. But does the Sera want to be seen discussing poverty in a boiled shirt, with a , glass of port,two liqueurs, and a fat cigar in front of:his right leg? Arid then—the House of Commons. This invention may reopen that question. The broadcasting or a debate has always seemed to mo to be a poor, proposition; but if the House could be seen, especially on a big occasion, it might bo quite another thing. But I hope that no one l will propose to lipstick Mr Chamberlain. It is a far cry no doubt to that and other developments. Television cunt telephone a hideous possibility 3 Never* again; would the badgered public man be able to pretend that be was hi* brother or his butler. The hidden television set—as a burglar trap or spy?. The outside broadcast—shaft’ we sed Ascot as well as hear about it—'and the fashionable ladies jockeying for position before the instrument' 1 Will tele-stuff in the home “ kill,” the cinema -arid the Press? I think not. _ But man cannot acquire the gift of seeing through mountains and brick walls without sotting himself some spiky problems. The in* ventors and the 8.R.0. will have t® face the first of them.