Judge — April 25, 1931 — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

on a long time I have been warn- ng my colleagues and the many quondam movie critics that be- fore long criticism of Hollywood is going to be so much seed on the wind. At the present time “Once in a Life- time,” an uproarious farce about Hol- lywood, is being received in the city with savage glee by varied audiences —within a year the personnel and practices of Hollywood burlesqued in that show may be entirely changed, and while mov ing still will be absurd and fantastic the makers will e changed their faces and their Since the days of Edison peep- shows the Jews have more or less run the picture business just as they more or less run show business, song-writ- ing and banking. cus Loew and enamle dustrious, unlearned men; furr merchants, who were smart enough to © a good thing before it developed into a golden gusher. Such perspic ity, coupled with their nationality was sufficient to damn them at the start. After Mr. Seldes discovered Chaplin a great many people who up to this time had said nothing about the movies suddenly discovered that infant art and there was a deal of loose talk about the potential art of the movies and the handicaps imposed by the pants pressers who owned giant movie corporations. f, I think n who owned the rs ago actually were sensitive to criticism and sometimes at- tempted what they be ed to be “art” simply to escape the ancient, savage Jew.” Unfortunately they did not know the difference between logic d exaggeration and many times un- wittingly spent money on trash under the sincere impression that it was worthy work. Nevertheless, the Messrs. Zukor, Loew, Goldwyn and Fox either were goaded, kidded or bluffed into making pictures from time to time from which they actually expected Cooxtnany to general be the gentle movies JUDGE By PARE LORENTZ little or no return except sophisticated Unfortunately they oft made hideous mistakes, but the point is they did try to please what they were misled into considering impor- tant critics. Tost era has passed and Tam sorry. Toda ‘y “Pants presser,” “Jew"—anything you like— and it will have absolutely’ no effect on Hollywood because the furriers and tailors gradually are ring on the West Coast. The est and most important picture cor- poration in the land is associated with lio Corporation of America. » are up against it. ‘Thus, if you want to get personal about a cheap, artificial, nittently bore- some picture “Cracked Nuts,” you will have to content yourself with bellyaching about Robert Woolsey and Bert Wheeler. I am convinced there is no more annoying, crass vul- ian appearing before the public than Mr. Woolsey, but I'll have to be very quiet about his producers. After all, I can’t excuse his employers on the grounds of social standing or erudition, because his ultimate em- ployers include General Harbord, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the Duponts and Mr. Owen D. Young. Recommended “City Lights"—The latest silent pro- duction of Charles Chaplin. “Cimarron”—Overlong and over-acted but worth seeing for its real if unin tentional satire. “Dishonored”—A mixture of unhe- lievable trash and exciting movie effects with the added attraction of a new pas: sion flower. The Front Page"—Excellent direc- splendid acting, and the bawdiest that ever passed the Hays gaunt “Sous Les Toits De Parls"—If you ea chance, see it by all means, Fragile and almost spectacular because of its direction the silliest but exciting animal {Yor ten y : boys have been moaning groaning about the shoe clerks and fur merchants on the West Coast. The shoe clerks » but they are going to get their cks from Broad Street. ie critics may sit in and bay at the moon if they like, but th re, for the first tim going to find it impossible to get under the skin of movie producers merely by calling attention to. their Eur: n antecedents. The Radio Corporation of America is manned by some of the best lawyers, auditors and financiers in the country. And if you watch the production of Radio Pic tures you will discover the same lofty procedure now evident in radio broad- casting. The public will get what it wants, but the public has been shrewdly broken down into. its m numerals; thus, for every symph concert you hear a thousand Amos Andys over the radi that has been the g Pictures. “Cimarron” was movie. It was an honest job. Nuts” was aimed at the sible public ¢ and me que show. THINK you will find three ye: hence, when Radio City is built, that Radio Corporation will domina the movie business. And three y he there will be no hit-or-miss business about Hollywood. | There will be some pictures aimed at a ini nority audience, but no more than cnough to give the minority something to do, because the business men in charge of radio carry the responsibil- ity of earning dividends for their bankers, and such things as artistic potentialities cannot be listed in asset columns. Hollywood has been ch: d with everything but business acumen, but when Hollywood is put on a strict business basis I am sure you will twiddle your thumbs for many a day before you sce a “Hallelujah,” (Continued on page 28) comicbooks.com Bir, Si steerer