Nonsense Written About New Films

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 40, 12 April 1935, Page 23

Nonsense Written About New Films

Advertisement Writers Are Knocking the Meanings Out of Many WordsWhat a Survey of Several Newspapers Reveals-"Jane Hyre" Privately Sereened in Wellington. |

HERE was a_ time when such ~ adjectives as "glorious," "glamorous," "magniticent® meant something; to-day, thanks to some writers of film adlvertiseinerits, the triie meanings of these words are as remote as the days of Dundreary whiskers and horsehair sofdis. I spent an interesting half-hour the other day lookitiz at the filin adyertiseménts in thé newspitpers published in the Dominion’s four chief cities. Chitistchurch, I discovered, was fai and away the chief offender. Nota picture is screened itt the city of the Plains that is not an "unforgettible pictute with an tinrivalled cast" (which is a very mild one). A Continental actress who certdinly shows pi‘Oinise is described as a "glamorous, glorious new . Viennese star-a flaming personalitydramatically different, = allitingly lovely, . dynamically rent." 1 felt prompted to remark, in the words of a galleryite at a Claia Butt concert, "What a luv-ly tart!" In the next column to this advertisement thére is mention of another Continental star. This one is "a new star whose loveliness will amaze you, enchant you, Haunt you-you will never be sable to forget. her!" Joan Crawford's filin, "Dancing Lady" is described as the "miracle picture of the musical age." A film advettisement writer in Christchurch hit on the idea of describing "Stinny Side Up" as "coming in a sunburst of glory." Since that tiie, every second picture to be screened in Christchurch has arrived ° in a similar dazzling burst. Dunedin advertisement writers attack their tasks With modesty. In a half-page of film advertisements in the "Evening Star" the most extravagant phrasing was that used to describe Charles Boyer’s film, "The Battle," and even then the film was qiietly referred to as "immensely enjoyable." Atickland fihn advertisemeits, too, are compittatively sober, but then the ‘theatres take less advertising space than the Christchurch ones and have, in consequence, less room for adjectives, , In Wellington the most extravagant phlirasing on the film nage is used in the advertisement referring to the second run of "the Barretts of Wimpole Street*-"the play that captured the hedtt of the world is now the finest triumph of the screen! A glorious memory of two who triumphed against a world that sought to crush their love. The tender, fragile love-threatened. by the rage of a diabolical father. Your heart will sing with joy.". "One Way Passage" is described as a "sthashing modern drama replete with thrills’sounds vaguely like a five-roomed bungalow with all mod. cons. It’s very disconcerting to see these adjectives, which should be saved for "extra special occasions," being applied | to siny and every film. The public isn’t a child, and it fs qtiite ctpable of

discovering for itself whether a film ig worthy of the words "glorious," "glamorous,": ‘magnificent,’ © Many of the Inglish and American papers simply announce the film, the cast, the times of screening, and the prices of admission, The idea seems a commendable one, and oné that may prevent the ptesent indiscriminate and illegitimate use of the English language. ROBABLY in sympathy with her own unhappy childhood, Charlotte Bronte wrote "Jane Byre," a book of the trials and spiritual cruelties which were too often the lot of orphaned children less than a century ago. We hope, however, ‘that all ofphaned children may surmount the nastiness thrust upon them to live for the day of recbimpense ag did Jane Byre. In the film version produced by Monogiam Pictures, the

story is not new, but, it is treated in such a way that without obtruding too much misery on "the audience it provides a comfortable hour’s entertainment in its unfolding. Almost a female "David Copperfield," the misunderstood little girl is committetl to dh orplianiige becatise she chose to use a mind of her own under her relatives’ roof. We are not tired by a sordid yepetition in this picture of the rottenness and eruelty of the poor child’s, life in the "home." In fact, the sorry years she spends are cunningly uggested by the scene in which she the place with a covering letter from the spiteftl aunt to "keep a firm hand" on the girl.. Jameson Thomas, as the master "of the institution, certainly needed tio prompting in that direction, as he obviously did. not even (Continued on paige 58).

"Jane Eyre" Reviewed By Our Critic

(Continued from page 23. ) cover his iron hands with velvet gloves. From this we could: well enough imagine the misery of those early years, and the film happily jumps nearly a decade, presenting then the ‘grown Jane Eyre, played with honours by Virginia Bruce. Her final flare-up with the hated masier when'she has ‘become a teacher at. the orphanage lets her out into the world: of men and women, and as governess to the ward of a young country squire (Colin Clive) she has her first taste of romance. Of course, the romance at last works out much as we expected it to-we would have been disappointed otherwise-but meanwhile there’ are some anxious moments and some creepy ones too, in that ‘sinister west wing. Beryl Mercer is the lovable old housekeeper and Lionel Belmore and Aileen ‘Pringle pop’ in now and then from London, the tatter being the fly in the romantic ointment. All the main parts are treated splendidly, making a really fine picture from the story of a reputable novel. |