TWO YEARS OF TALKIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 December 1930, Page 4

TWO YEARS OF TALKIES

WHERE THEY FAILED. ' American voices have boomed so noisily at us from the screen that it is surprising in looking back over two years of talkies, to see that even at the start the still small voice of British films was making itself heard. British talkies opened two night before Al Jolson’s “The Jazz Singer was shown oh September 28, 1928, and this time last year the British ‘‘Blackmail” was still the best talkie that had been made. “Murder” is now a good successor, and we lead the way 7 in multi-lingual production, writes “R.H.” in the “Manchester Guardian. Nevertheless, despite all that has been said, there have been some very good American films shown during the last year. The average seems, indeed, to have been higher, for the need lor novelty has caused promoters to open out in new directions, and many stars have revealed increased scope as talking actors. Thus, “The Virginian” took the microphone outdoors and made the human voice take its place with the sounds of Nature in building up a sound picture equivalent to the visual images which compose a film. Sound gave new interest to the “Westerns,” which were an excellent field in which to experiment with mobile microphones, and “The Virginian,” along with “The Love Parade, must be remembered for restoring speed and action to films. Hallelujah,” continuing this, used a new subject in the negro race, and “All Quiet on the Westerif Front” capped all films and talkies and surprised the " These last two films dared to touch tragedy, and it is to be noticed that we have been allowed, with the increased reality of sound, the reality of stories that do not always end happily. “Condemned,” “Journey’s End, “Atlantic,” and “The Blue Angel may be quoted, and it may be doubted if we should have had these in the silent “All Quiet” surpassed The Virginian” and “The Love Parade” in evolving a form for the talkie, a new technique of short scenes which the literary writer cannot grasp, and a recognition that dialogue is not all-impor-tant. This was • also carried on in “The King of Jazz,” which is the nearest approach to a real screen revue, and Alfred Hitchcock’s “Murder,” technically the most advanced we have seen, though two foreign films, Pabst’s “West Front” and Clair’ “Sous les Toites de Paris,” are reputed to ne at least its equals in sound manipulation and better as films. By the end of this year most of the big stars have been heard, and speech has made Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, Jahnings, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, and Gary 7 Cooper more interesting than before. Entertainment values, in short, have improved, but the talkies have not taken advantage of*what may be called their aesthetic ooportunities, and it seems that they have done little better commercially. The American public, fed on American pictures, is losing interest, American firms are cutting down expenditure, and this great new medium which was to sweep the world has not fulfilled its hopes. In England all, may seem well, but England is a small part of the world market, and there are still thousands of cinemas unwired. American films which could once draw on all the world for their returns, are now limited to one or two countries, and though foreign versions are made, this adds to expense. Other countries are also making their own films. We have seen already the German “Love Waltz” and “The Blue Angel,” one of the very best talkies. We have had a Swedish sound film and a French talkie, and German and French studios are going ahead. In London six of the leading cinemas are showing British talkies, which few could have forseen two years ago, and though Maurice Chevalier may have replaced Al Jolson, and be, in his own words, “sitting on ton of the world,” it perhaps expresses the American view of what was to be the world entertainment! that the new cinema at Victoria is designed as being under water. If America cannot make the talkies pay, it is doubtful if she will let anyone else, and colour, wide screen, and stereoscopy will have to be called in to bridge the time between now and television.