THRILLS BRING THE MONEY

Evening Star, Issue 23723, 2 November 1940, Page 5

THRILLS BRING THE MONEY

Bull’s-eyes are rang at tie box office iy thrill pictures more than any other /rand of film entertainment. “ That’s why I like to direct them.” A'esley Ruggles admits, and by thrill uctures he means memoroble classics Jiat are wrung out of the vast open spaces, such as historical dramas. “It is true we have had many cycles of successful pictures. We had the mystery cycles, the G-men cycles, the 1 screwball ’ comedy cycles, and enough other cycles to shoe a centipede with roller skates. But. cycles are shortlived. They come and go with as much regularity as the income tax collector. “ Thrill pictures, however, were with us at the very beginning of the industry. They have remained with us through all the changing eras, through silence and sound. They are still with us because they sing of silver at the box offices most consistently. Back in the days of the first motion

pictures, Buggies recalls, thrill pictures, although tolerated at first only as a passing fancy, maintained popularity the - longest. And as they gained a foothold there came into being such famous stars as Pearl White, Helen Holmes, and others. And Buggies maintains that those pictures of the past best remembered tp-day are thrill pictures. ‘The Birth of a Nation’ and ‘ Intolerance ’ certainly were, with their great battle'scenes and class intolerance. Other thrill films were ‘ Ben Hur,’ which grossed '4,000,000dol; ‘The Big Parade,’ 3,500,000dol; with ‘ Hell’s Angels ’ and ‘ The Covered Wagon ’ grossing the same amount of 3,000,000d01. The greatest thrill pictures of the more recent sound era have been ‘Cimarron,’ which Buggies directed, ‘ What Price Glory?’ ‘ Captain Blood,’ ‘Mutiny on the Bounty.’ And now Arizona,’ which Buggies is producing

lor Columbia Pictures in its natural :.n-ale, with Jean Arthur and William i tolden heading a cast of 2,500 players.

“We have had many outstanding star teams, such as Gilbert and Garbo, i'alentino and Nita Naldi, Gloria Swan>,)ii and Cleoi Ridgley,” said Rugbies, ■ ‘ hut none could be rightly called thrill cams. While they may continue as xeellent box office teams, conditions i the day have. created a place for a :ew co-starring 'field-thrill-star team. “ So far the thrill star team does not eem to exist. Perhaps the first may je created by Miss Arthur and Mr iolden after they are seen in ‘ Arizona.’ ”

Robert Homans, who plays Roaring Dan in the new Johnny Mack Brown Western, ‘ Son of Roaring Dan,’ appeared in over 700 plays on the Australian stage.