Oregon daily emerald., January 29, 1936, Image 4

EDITOR: MTRTAM ETCJTNER
MAGAZINE
UNIVERSITY OE OREGON,
EUGENE. WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 29, 1936
DIRECTOR: S. STEPHENSON SAUTT!
2.
Chit-Chat
Bij Hemrielte Horak
Hollywood novel butchery has
redeemed itself a bit with Colum
bia's high-brow, as well as box of
fice triumph, “Crime and Punish
ment." Director Josef von Stern
berg (of Marlene Deitrich fame)
has digressed from the glorification
of legs and proved that he has an
under, nding of the psychological.
Or perhaps all the laurels should
be wrapped1 around the bullet
shaped, closely cropped head of
Peter Lorre, the Raskolnikov of
the novel.
Lorce, an almost uncanny com
bination of the brute and the high
ly sensitive genius, portrays the
Russian “type” better than a na
tive Russian, reared in the soil of
the steppes.
It Is difficult to find among the
great roster of actors, one that
could equal the performance of
Lorre, as he gradually breaks and
confesses to the murder of a pawn
broker hag. (Mrs. Patrick Camp
bell). The constant staccato, like
water- dripping- in- the- head ques
tioning of fat Inspector Sametov,
(Edward Arnold) aimed at the
conscience, drives Raskolnikov
just where the inspector wants
him.
In one instance only does Lorre
fail to make his face the mirror of
his feelings—his attempt at exal
tation when his conscience is
cleared. But then, his face Is not
made for exaltation!
Garbo 1o Ret urn
Greta Garbo “tanks she will
come home” to Hollywood from her
castle in Sweden. Reason living
Thalberg has a picture under his
hat starring Greta Garbo, based on
the life of Countess Marie Walew
ska, Polish sweetheart of Napo
leon. With “Romeo and Juliet”
and "Marie Antoinette” the new
picture will give Thalberg three
period costumers to his schedule.
Music for Westerns
Something novel in the line of
galloping westerns; Walter Futter
is going to try something new with
his next Hoot Gibson range epic.
It’s going to be a yodeling opera
with cowboy Gibson set to sing the
plot. According to Futter, the mu
sic will not be incidental but an
integral part of the plot all of
which makes even an iceberg shud
der. The arias for Hoot are being
written by Archie Got tier, and the
story is from the fertile brain of
Ben S. Cohen.
Sword Play
Claude Rains (Crime Without
Passion) is suffering from facial
lacerations received in a rapier
duel with Louis Hayward for a
scene in “Anthony Adverse” at
Warner's studios. Actors were re
hearsing when the melee waxed
warm and became too realistic.
’’’’Parcitlise Lost”
Bothers Critics;
Odets J okes Rop
Last year when the three plays
of Clifford Odets were produced
simultaneously to Broadway audi
ences, the public gave him a tre
mendous ovation, and the newspa
per critics acclaimed him as the
only white hope of American dra
ma. Reason: Odets dealt with real
ism as it exists today in social ami
economic life of the proletariat.
Critics Grow Loud
This year when the Group Thea
tre presented his “Paradise Lost,"
the general newspaper verdict is
against Odets. Critics denounced
him for depicting an inchoative and
futile state of the middle class
family, which is so immature and
futuristic. They further condemned
him for brooding too much on
Marxism and ttie eventual collapse
of the bourgeoisie group. Krutch of
the Nation, in summarizing the
main features of this play, which
is based on ttie middle class family
of the Bronx, said in part: Adul
tery, murder . . . .sexual repres-!
sion, sleeping sickness and what
ever it is that causes middle-aged
men to pinch girls in the subway.”
Whatever potent charges are
flayed on the morals of Odets, the
group still maintain that "Paradise
Lost,” judged according to social
values, is a great portrait of the
liberal middle-class.
Alpha Delta Sigma will give a
free lunch for members at the Del
Key cafe today noon.
Shakespeare la Holhjteood
Finds ExaherantReception;
Reinhardt Directs Dream”
Joseph Krutch, in the Nation,
says, "... the fate of Shakes
peare is even now hanging in the
balance of the box-office books,"
“We wonder what the combination
of Reinhardt, Cagney, Kenyon,
and Hollywood will do to “A Mid
summer Night’s Dream.” It might
be worth the prices to go and sat
isfy ourselves that the intellectual
giants of Hollywood haven’t
changed it into a nightmare.
Among those critics that have
seen the extravaganza there is a
fairly unanimous agreement that,
in order to be successful on the
screen, there is need for greater
transmogrification than was at
tempted in the “Dream", as the
filmdom press-agents so fondly call
it. The fault seems to be in a du
plicity of art form; giving a visual
representation and yet leaving in
the descriptive passages written by
Shakespeare.
Picture Is Long
In looking over the cast we are
not surprised, since Reinhart has
a hand in the production, to find a
Nijinska ballet. But when critics
and theatregoers alike complain
about the length of the film (2 1-2
hours) we wonder if spectacle is
favored over the real meat and
matter of the story. Shakespeare’s
works are movie material without
the addition of Warner Brother
mechanics. Filmdom's problem is
not the addition of the musical
comedy traditions, but the adapta
tion of essential elements to their
artistic medium —the camera.
The advertisements and reviews
headline Cagney, and the other
hams in his group. Why not sac
rifice the rest of the play to a fan
dance or a strip act? Shakespeare
was more risque than either, and
funny about it, but his eomedy was
not intended to overshadow the
main plot.
Box Office Success
It is our guess, however, that
"A Midsummer Night's Dream”
will be a box-office success. Cag
French Ace
Director Hits
U.S. Methods
Breaking a precedent of ninny
years’ standing1, Rene Clair,
France’s number one motion pic
ture director, last week arrived in
Manhattan to attend the premiere
of his first film in English, “The
Ghost Goes West,” which was en
thusiastically received for its rapid
action, telescoped dialogue, wit and
general smoothness.
Taken from a screen piny writ
ten by Robert Sherwood, the pic
ture presents a lively tale of an
ancestral Scotch ghost who haunts
the Glourie castle doing penance
until he can avenge the long-stand
ing MacLaggan-Glourie feud. The
ghost is consistent in his haunting,
for when the castle is purchased
by a wealthy American (Eugene
Pallette) and moved to Florida, the
ghost goes with it. Romance is
furnished by the American’s
daughter (Jean Parker! and the
owner of the castle, last of the
Glourie clan (Robert Donat). The
play is brought to an amusing cli
max when the ghost discovers a
MacLaggan at the opening of the
Glourie castle in Florida and gets
his revenge.
(’lair Raps Americans
Clair is a one-man producer, that
is, he writes his own scenario,
chooses his own cast and takes
complete control of its direction.
Frequently and caustically, Amer
ican cinematic methods have been
criticized by Mr. Clair who accuses
business and profit of taking the
“r” out of art. The most serious
fault of motion pictures in the
United States, he says, is the lack
of innovations and new talent.
Directors over here, he contends,
ate not allowed to use their own
ideas.
Directs Four Hits
All his productions have been
characterized by a swift and subtle
rhythm and a brilliant use of the
contrast type of montage. Under !
contract now to Alexander Korda
in London he has two more pic
tures to turn out before returning
to France. He has made four
French pictures: "Sous les Toits
de Paris," ”Le Million," "A Nous
la Liberte," and “Quatorze Juillet.”
ney fans, Powell fans, and Rein
hardt addicts will attend in order
to see the latest master piece of
their favorites. Shakespeare lovers
will go to boo and hiss in best
Elizabethan tradition. Whether
Hollywood will repeat or not de
pends on which element is fooled.
Joseph Smith.
Lilij| Poos Moiuio
Uses Opera Hits;
Different Storij
An inspiration from a newspaper
interview with Lily Pons, world
renowned opera singer, prompted
Elsie Finn and David Whittel to
write “I Dream Too Much.” Now,
Lily Pons does justice to herself in
this newly released production of
Pandro S. Berman.
The screen debut for the famous
diva brings to movie audiences the
whole second act of Delibes "Lak
me” and arias from Verdi’s ‘‘Rigo
letto.” This to Hollywood isn't
enough to insure success to an op
era star, so a clever stage contrap
tion makes it possible for Miss
Pons to render in soul-like man
ner, “I Got Love,” and “I’m the
Echo.”
Plot Reversed
The story is charming, directed
with the usual John Cromwell ease.
For the sake of difference, the plot
has been reversed from the usual
story. The heroine vainly tries to
escape fame and fortune to lead a
happy normal life with her hus
band, (Henry Fonda) whom she
married one night on a drunken
spree.
Reproductions of the famous op
era houses of the world will be
seen in the screening. The Paris
Opera house, Convent Gardens, the
Metropolitan and those in Milan,
Vienna and Berlin are among
them.
Bloro Gets Laughs
“Mnny good laughs are supplied
by Eric Blore and his trained seal,
who are in the supporting cast with
Osgood Perkins, Luci lie Ball, Lu
cien Littlefield, and Esther Dale.
To some, the bits of opera in “I
Dream Too Much” will be too lit
tle, but the disappointment may be
eased with the success of the
sparkling romance which plays
with the heart strings.
Dorris Bailey.
HoIIijudoocI Goes
HigjlilbroiiD uritli
Artistic Sliotrs
Can it be that “highbrow cin
ema” is becoming popular? Within
the last two years films of excep
tional artistic merit have emerged
from the relative obscurity of club
and neighborhood theater show
ings to nation-wide popular bill
ings. Until recently, American pro
ducers would have left the filming
of “The Scoundrel" and “The In
former” to less box-office-con
scious countries. Who could have
foretold the enthusiasm which they
were destined to excite?
New Filins Arrive
The trend away from pictures
produced for a twelve year old
public was foreshadowed by Amer
ican showings of the German-made
films, “Maedchen in Uniform" and
"M," and Eisenstein's pictorial
masterpiece, “Thunder Over Mex
ico." About the same time New
Yorkers interested in films “whose
aims are progress rather than
profit" fromed the Film Forum
and the Film Society, organiza
tions which offered their members
an oportunity to see "foreign and
domestic films of superior quality
which would not otherwise be
shown."
Coward Plays "Scoundrel”
“The Scoundrel," produced by
Hecht and McArthur, with Noel
Coward in the leadiVig role, was an
amusing satire on the brittle, shal
low, pseudo-sophicates among the
New York literati, and as such was
well received by a considerable
audience. In "The Informer," which
was a box-office success through
out the country, nujch of the mood
was created by novel lighting ef
fects. “The atmosphere of hushed
terror of Dublin under the Black
and Tans" and the guilt of the pro
taganist, who has sold his friend's
Find Anij Familiar Faces?
Above is a conglomerate group of Hollywood “h^ms” who will take important and minor parts in
“Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Hollywood’s first venture into Shakespeare.
Peter Lorre
Wins Praise
la New Filial
One of the masterpieces of psy
chological interpretation, “Crime
and Punishment” at the Heilig
theatre, will probably remain as
one of those pictures ofen heard
about but seldom seen.
Peter Lorre, through his superb
performances in past films, has be
come firmly entrenched in the
esteem of the better class of Amer
ican movie-goers, but he is no
Karloff—thank God!
Lorre Looks Part
The soapy-eyed European actor,
with the physiognomy of a startled
gargoyle, displays his usual
amount of sinister immobility. But
in "Crime and Punishment” he has
established another side to his
facile nature: ironic humor.
Originally billed as the lead, Ed
ward Arnold still gives a pleasing
performance, but this comes from
the mere comparison of his tech
nique with Lorre's. The two are
opposites, yet adapted to each
other—an effective contrast.
Story Holds Attention
The story, briefly, concerns a
young criminologist (Peter Lorre),
who, as a brilliant university grad
uate, finds himself out of work in
the old, aristocratic Russia. He
commits what starts out to be the
perfect crime, as he slugs a rapa
cious old she-pawnbroker. Then,
after a brief period of prosperity,
the evidence begins to close in,
while the chief of police, (Edward
Arnold), plays a cat-and-mouse
game. The picture comes to a con
clusion as Lorre decides to pay for
his crime.
Settings Effective
The plot only indicates the direc
tion of the story. It does not tell
of the trip-hammer psychological
pressure, that has not been rivalled
since "The Informer." From the
time of the murder, on, the strain,
on Lorre is realistically inter
preted. The stage setting is effec
tively simple, rightly putting the
emphasis on the portrayal of the
human mind.
freedom, is suggested by semi
darkness relieved by the faint glow
of street lamps. As in most of the
revolutionary artistic cinema of
ferings dialogue is reduced to a
minimum, and periods of complete
silence are employed to increase
suspense or add emphasis.
Edward G. Robinson has signed
managerial contract with the Wil
liam Morris office in Hollywood, j
and will free lance after his next I
and final contract picture for War
ners "Bullets or Ballots."
Subscription rates $2.50 a year.
DUKE UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
DURHAM. N. C.
Four terms of eleven weeks are
given each year. These may he i
taken consecutively (graduation in
three years) or three terms may be
taken each year (graduation In
four year*). The entrance require
ments are intelligence, character
and at least two years of college
work, Including the subjects speoi- ’
fW for Grade A Medical Schools.
Catalogues and application forms
may lie obtained from the Dean.
Dickens’ Stories
Eosilijj Adopted
To Cinema Needs
There is one primary reason why
Dickens’ stories are successful in
movie adaptations. It is because
they a~re so sentimental. First of
all a master in the art of securing
sympathy for the weaknesses and
misfortunes of his characters,
Dickens combined this power with
a deft ability at characterziation
to give, unconsciously, to Holly
wood a ready-made guarantee of
box office receipts.
Dickens Sentimental
Consider that the majority of
theatre goers judge a picture by
how much they cry, how scared
they are in the crises, or how
angry they become with the villain
(or, with the prolific Dickens,
villains). Thus judged, Dickens
films rank at the top of the list
of cinematic successes, and will
continue to do so.
Artistically, Dickens’ tales are
easily adapted to the screen. There
is ample opportunity for character
actors to “strut their stuff,” us
ually with admirable effect. (Note:
Uriah Heep and the idiot in “David
Copperfield” and the hag in “A
Tale of Two Cities.”)
Condensation Helps
Dickens in any form is better
condensed, and certainly the
movies care for this phase of the
business efficiently. A little prone
to over-do this condensing process
as a rule, with the filming of
Dickens the result is less damaging
than flattering.
Capable direction is all that re
mains to insure the success of a
Dickens film for a Dickens lover.
Superb direction and superb act
ing can make attendance at a
“David Copperfield” or a “Tale of
Two Cities” worthwhile for others
in search of an evening’s enter
tainment.
Mary Rogers, daughter of Will
Rogers, suffered a nervous break
down in Philadelphia and withdrew
from the cast of “Three Wise
Fools."
Reason: couldn't stand the strain
of constant stream of well wishers
who wanted to reminisce about her
father.
That rooster discovered crowing
at midnight in the city hall of an
eastern city undoubtedly was just
another victim of the daylight sav
ing system.
LOST Beta pin at Laurelwood
January 20th. Reward. Phone
729.
Street Scene
“Street Scene,” to be presented
here by the University players
February 7-8, made blase mid-sea
son Broadway forget to yawn, won
a round of applause from London
audiences, and was a success in
the cinema adaptation. And why?
Because it is real. Its aim is to
present a cross-section of life as
it is in lower New York.
It has but one setting, that of
a nondescript “walk-up” apart
ment house typical of the ugly,
brownstone houses built in the ear
ly nineties and since deteriorated
into tenements. There are nearly
fifty characters, some twenty of
whom are clearly drawn, yet Mr.
Rice successfully focuses the at
tention upon one of the families,
and from this domestic drama
emerges the tragedy of the play.
Setting Familiar
It is an every day group of peo
ple that we are shown, doing every
day things but around them over
the forces of love and hate, of life
and death. The Maurrant family
are the principals in this tragedy.
Frank Maurrant demanded obe
dience and exacted it at the cost
of love and of life itself. Mrs.
Maurrant asked only a kind word
in return for her love; but despair
ing of this, her need drove her to
accept the friendship of Sankey.
The conversation of the tenants
and the realization of the disaccord
of the temperaments of the
Maurrants prepare for the tragedy,
yet the climax comes with such
force and vividness that it would
move the most hardened bystand
er. Rose Maurrant moves away to
the suburbs so that her younger
brother will grow up in a better
environment and leaves Sam Kap
lan, whose reason for living is his
love for Rose. But life goes on.
Details Noted
Elmer Rice shows remarkable
mastery in his selection of detail
toward realism. He has chosen
type characters, but they are so
finely shaded that they remain in
dividuals. The idea of the play and
the manner in which he has car
ried it out make “Street Scene” a
real drama.
M. Riopelle.
Two-year courses in traffic safe
ty have been introduced in Mil
waukee public schools in an effort
to reduce the number of deaths in
automobile accidents.
Meet Me Face to Face
CLUB
BREAKFAST
SPECIALS
Our Xo. 2 Breakfast
Two wheat cakes with
bacon, ham or little pig
sausage, syrup, butter,
coffee . 15c
Our Xo. ti Breakfast
Ham or bacon and one
egg, two wheat cakes,
syrup, butter, coffee .. 20c
GRAY’S DUCK INN — Nee the Cottage
863 East 13th Street
fiMMaBClBMaBBinnBineimiaiieMangiciKMagi
f?Uncle Tom’s Cabin” Cracks
Endurance Record; Offered
Good Acting; No Cushions
“Good and long” sighed the au-1
dienee as the curtain swished to
gether on the 27th scene of Har
riet Beecher Stowe’s tear-jerking
drama of slavery, “Uncle Tom’s
Cabin," directed by Dr. W. E. Bu
chanan Jr., and presented by the
Very Little theatre in a seven-day
run at their new hideout at 13th
and Monroe.
Marred only by a four-hour sit
Tense Drama
Well Shown
In Odets Platj
Three plays produced simultan
eously on Broadway is a record set
by Clifford Odets. To be sure he
has not used time worn plots and
drawing room conversation. His
characters are the workers, the
men and women who work long
hours for. a bare existence, men and
women who are desperately trying
to better their own condition and
the condition of their fellows.
Odets characters speak the lan
guage of the streets. Such lan
guage is not cultured, but it has
power and is certainly expressive.
Actors in Audience
"Waiting for Lefty” is such a
play and one of the three produced
on Broadway. One setting is used
for the entire play, a bare union
hall. A committee of men—taxi
drivers—are arguing with the un
ion secretary that a strike be
called. All face the audience. In
the audience are many actors who
boo or cheer at the arguments set
forth.
As one of the committeemen
speaks the lights fade and a spot
is thrown on the stage. In this
spotlight is enacted an episode
from the life of each of the com
mittee,—an episode which shows
why these men are demanding a
strike—why they must have a de
cent living wage.
Ending Strong
The spot fades and the stage
becomes lighted. The last words1
of the play follow:
Committeeman crying: “Hear it,
boys, hear it? Hell, listen to me!
Coast to coast! Hello America!
Hello. We’re stormbirds of the
working-class. Workers of the
World. Our bones and blood! And
when we die they’ll know what we
did to make a new world! Christ,
cut us up to little pieces. We’ll die
for what is right! put fruit trees
where our ashes are!”
To audience: “Well, what’s the
answer ?”
All: "Strike!”
Committeeman: “Louder!”
All: “Strike!”
All on the stage: “Again!”
All: “Strike, strike, strike!!!”
And the curtain falls.*
P. Brainard.
g]SOISI5l3J3I3i3I3T[!!IBI3ElEI9JSI3I5JSISI3J3{Ej
EUGENE
MATTRESS
AND
UPHOLSTERING
CO.
1122 Olive Street s
Phone 812
ting, nasty kinks in the neck and
places, fleeting visions of much
desired punchy pillows to ease the
strain of puritanical prayer-meet
ing benches, the play provided
fine entertainment.
Characterization Good
Character interpretations were a.
cross-section from life, good, bad.
and indifferent. The stars: Roar
ing Simon Legree (Dr. W. E. Bu
chanan, Jr.) bellowed through his
bewhiskered mouth with such ele
gance and force as to make the
bravest egotist shudder. As loyal,
kindly, pious Uncle Tom, former
Oregon pigskin carrier, “Shy"
Huntington in his rheumatic shuf
fling and the use of a tremulous
voice was always “in character.”
Topsy (Mary Bennett) with her
hallelujah gestures, spunk, and oft’
repeated “Ah’s so wicked!” twirled
the audience around her black fin
ger.
Malcolm Bauer as St. Clair, a
smooth southern gentleman, made
a fine showing, putting life into a
dead role. Prissy Miss Ophelia
(Mrs. Genevieve Tugman) reeked
with Yankee prudence, beautifully
clucking out “shiftless” to all the
black-boys. Quaker Phineas, (Mr.
A. B. Holeman) a “teetotaling”
drunkard reeled out an excellent
performance as a red-nosed tobac
co-chaunking comedian.
Songs Give Atmosphere
Negro spirituals and southern
songs by a cotton-pickers’ quartet
and an orchestra provided through
the efforts of Mr. Rex Underwood,
Mrs. Edna Brockman and Miss
Janet Smith whipped the audience
into an atmosphere of the old
South.
One suggestion for the future—
either cut the lines or provide pil
lows.
Roberta Moody.
Subscription rates $2.50 a year.
NEW TITLES
IN THE
NEW LENDING
LIBRARY
Cozzens: Men and
Brethren
Barbusse: Stalin
Lawrence: If I Have Four
Apples
Stribling: The Sound
Wagon
Fabricius: Son of
Marietta
And the New Plays
Are Coming in
Now
| Winterset j|
j [f This Be Treason
| Eden End
| Paradise Lost
1 Paths of Glory
[| The Old Ladies !;
$1.00 a Term
Or 3c a Day
the
UNIVERSITY
’'CO-OP’
|«uuimtainmmiiuiiiiuiimniiiiuiiiuiiuiiumiiiuiiiuiitmiui;i!iiiumiiiiliiii*iiimiuiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiimii«iiiiiiuiHimiuimimmiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiumiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiimiii.mm
! Be Well
i
| Represented
I
| Your Application
Photograph Must
Speak for You
—See that it’s a good
one. AYe make that kind and the
price is reasonable.
Kennell-Ellis Studio