1938: Motion Pictures

Advertising Campaign.

Owing to the financial depression, or recession, with its millions of unemployed, the year 1938 caused motion picture producers and theater owners serious concern. In other years, hosts of people attended the cinema regularly; but during the past twelve-month there were increasing signs of patrons attending only those screen offerings which they felt reasonably sure would interest them. Evidently anticipating a banner year, Hollywood lavished even more than the usual millions on a number of productions, and not all of them were even moderately profitable.

Producers and exhibitors thereupon decided that business might be stimulated by an advertising campaign, which was started in September. In connection with this effort, there was a so-called 'Quiz Contest' with $250,000 in prizes. Although this idea undoubtedly spurred interest in the film theaters, it proved to be somewhat disappointing to managers; for, while the attendance rose, the receipts fell far short of expectations.

Survey.

The Quigley trade publication, the Motion Picture Herald, made an interesting survey of film houses in the United States. According to this report, — the figures are, of course, for 1937, — there were in 9,187 cities, towns, and hamlets, a total of 17,541 theaters, with a seating capacity of 10,924,484. These houses have an average of 8 weekly audience turnovers, based on a reported weekly attendance of 88,000,000. The gross receipts were computed to be $19,360,000 weekly, or approximately $1,006,000,000 annually, which, it was estimated, was 22 cents a person.

Box-office Attractions.

In the first week of January, Walt Disney launched his first feature-length cartoon in color; and although the year may have been disappointing to most major studios, this production — Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — brought not only ample financial recompense to its imaginative maker, but also unusual distinction. Mr. Disney was honored by degrees from both Harvard and Yale universities.

Again, the Motion Picture Herald conducted its interesting poll to ascertain which of Hollywood's stars is the strongest box-office attraction. For the third consecutive year, Shirley Temple topped all other performers, not only in the United States and Canada, but also in Great Britain. The young actress received 664 votes on this side of the Atlantic, Clark Gable being second with 560. Afterward came Sonja Henie, Mickey Rooney, Spencer Tracy, Robert Taylor, Myrna Loy, Jane Withers, Alice Faye, and Tyrone Power. Following these ten were Gary Cooper, Wallace Beery, Bing Crosby, Jeanette MacDonald, Deanna Durbin, Don Ameche, Dorothy Lamour, Ginger Rogers, Nelson Eddy, Bob Burns, Errol Flynn, Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy (as a team), Irene Dunne, Paul Muni, and William Powell.

Awards.

Emulating the New York drama critics, the correspondents assigned to the screen again gave an award. The choice, what two thirds of them declared to be the best picture of the year, was the pictorial version of Dr. A. J. Cronin's book, The Citadel. This film was actually made in England, but it was produced there by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by King Vidor, who has also to his credit The Big Parade. Incidentally, the New York Film Critics decided to give a special award to Walt Disney for his production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This was the fourth year the screen critics have chosen the year's outstanding picture. The Informer was the picture of 1935, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town of 1936, and The Life of Emile Zola, of 1937. In considering the best picture of 1938, there were votes for The Lady Vanishes, a British production directed by Alfred Hitchcock, producer also of the film version of John Buchan's story, The Thirty-nine Steps; for To the Victor, a British pictorial adaptation of Sarah Grand's novel, 'Bob, Son of Battle'; for In Old Chicago; Sing You Sinners; Blockade; and Three on a Week-end.

Unlike the drama critics, who obviously considered the idea a mistake, the New York screen critics dared to pick the two best performances of 1938. After nine ballots had been taken, it was agreed to honor James Cagney for his work in a picture called Angels with Dirty Faces. Other players whose names were mentioned were Spencer Tracy, John Garfield, Will Fyffe, John Barrymore, Franchot Tone, Robert Morley, Edward Ellis, Charles Laughton, Gene Lockhart, Robert Montgomery, and Ralph Richardson.

The film writers picked Margaret Sullavan's impersonation in Three Comrades as the shining work of an actress. These writers gave an accolade to Alfred Hitchcock for the best direction; i.e., his work on The Lady Vanishes, which was released in the last fortnight of the year.

The National Board of Review, an organization of women's clubs, selected a French picture called Grand Illusion, as the outstanding one of the year. It was a creditable choice, as this film was on virtually all the lists of the Best Ten.

Artistry of Other Films.

In fact, although Hollywood produced noteworthy productions, some of which, like Marie Antoinette, cost fabulous sums of money, and also a number of popular musical contributions, they were excelled in actual cinematic artistry by offerings from both England and France. One of the conspicuously fine examples of motion pictures was the British-made adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's comedy, Pygmalion. The elaborations on the original were written by Shaw himself, and the leading rôles were acted by Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller. Although Miss Hiller was praised even more than Mr. Howard, it was he who actually gave the letter-perfect portrayal; for although Miss Hiller's acting was undoubtedly effective, she lacked the experience of the celebrated Mrs. Patrick Campbell, who, when the play Pygmalion was first presented, gave an astonishingly brilliant and understanding conception of the rôle of the cockney flower girl. Miss Hiller was amusing and attractive, but she was not always convincing.

The first screen adaptation of a play by James Bridie was made in England. It was based on Storm over Patsy, which the Theater Guild presented the previous year. Unfortunately, this definitely intelligent bundle of fun with Bridie's neat caricatures was not expected to do particularly well in the film theaters and more often than not it was offered as a secondary feature.

An attractive melodrama of India, called Drums, was notable for its good prismatic photography and proved of interest to cinema patrons, nearly all of whom had obtained their knowledge of that vast country from motion pictures.

Charles Laughton, of Payment Deferred and The Private Life of Henry VIII, appeared to advantage in a film translation of Somerset Maugham's story, The Beachcomber, which was another noteworthy work. An English picture that was received with marked acclaim was To the Victor, in which Will Fyffe figured as the frequently inebriated owner of the sheepdog Black Wull, who was an unusual worry to the neighborhood. Then there was The Lady Vanishes, a light-hearted but nevertheless exciting melodrama.

Those who understood French admired Jules Duvivier's Un Carnet de Bal, which was the account of an attractive widow of about 35 who, on coming across an old dance card, decides to look up all the partners inscribed thereon. For unadulterated pleasure, there was Sacha Guitry's witty work, Le Roman d'un Tricheur, which, it must be admitted, was not for those who delight to watch a handsome young man. It was, however, an exceptionally clever production, done with a Parisian flair, and one that never for an instant stooped to cater to the box-office. One of the critics characterized M. Guitry's sketch as being 'wise, wicked, and witty.'

Pare Lorentz's documentary film, The River, with its fine prose poem detailing an impressive conception of the Mississippi and its many tributaries, was something to bear in mind.

Although it was shown in certain cities prior to 1938, Moonlight Sonata, with the great pianist Paderewski, continued to attract wide attention in Boston, where it broke all records for the theater where it was presented. The story of this production was quite mediocre; but the manner in which it was directed, so as to show Paderewski's fingers and his every action and expression, proved to be remarkably interesting, particularly to young students of the piano. Paderewski was assisted in this picture by the great English actress, Marie Tempest. Although the narrative was a haphazard concoction, all the scenes in which the pianist-statesman and Miss Tempest appeared were intelligently written, with the result that they compensated for the disappointing episodes.

M. Duvivier, the French director who was responsible for Carnet de Bal, deserves almost as much credit for his Golgotha, a reverent and deeply impressive account of the last days of Christ.

Other Notable Pictures.

With that versatile French actress, Danielle Darrieux, who first appeared in America in the picture Mayerling, a Hollywood production called Rage of Paris was one of the most pleasing comedies of the year.

Norma Shearer graced the film Marie Antoinette, in whose script Stefan Zweig had a hand; but although she gave more than a satisfactory performance, it was the work of Robert Morley as Louis XVI that attracted most attention and won the highest critical favor. John Barrymore left no stone unturned to make the most of his impersonation of Louis XV; but good as was his acting, he did not have enough length of scene to compete with Mr. Morley, whose next assignment was in the title rôle of the stage play Oscar Wilde.

Douglas Fairbanks has always been eager to produce a film about Marco Polo; but another Hollywood mogul undertook the task, engaging Gary Cooper for the Venetian. This screen item, however, was too eager to be funny at the expense of historical accuracy.

Robert Taylor attracted wide attention in the made-in-England film, A Yank at Oxford, which pictorially was a beautiful production, but one which also suffered by the introduction of farcical action. The stage comedy, Tovarich, which has been successful in all countries where it was presented, finally was turned into a picture, with Charles Boyer and Claudette Colbert in the leading parts. It was only a fair adaptation, its weakness being that incidents were constantly over-emphasized and even the script was too extravagant. Nothing Sacred, a frolic in natural colors, with Frederic March and Carole Lombard, was one of those light entertainments in which Hollywood excels. The story was written by Ben Hecht, co-author of Front Page. In Grace Moore's picture, I'll Take Romance, there were excerpts from four operas.

By portraying a Japanese sleuth called Mr. Moto, Peter Lorre has become a rival of Charlie Chan's impersonator, Warner Oland, who gave so many splendid performances in Charlie Chan pictures. Oland's death occurred in 1938, and he was succeeded by another capable player.

The screen is by no means lacking in beautiful femininity; but it was a new actress from Vienna who was a striking success in the film Algiers. She is Hedy Lamarr, an unusually attractive brunette.

After their successful performances in both the drama and the pictorial edition of Dead End, the turbulent 'Dead End Kids' were engaged for several other films, with the consequence that there were far too many screen stories concerned with juvenile delinquents.

In addition to his contribution of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Mr. Disney gave the public at least two other excellent short films — Mother Goose Goes Hollywood and Ferdinand the Bull.

No summing-up of the year would be complete without mention of the clever short comedies written and acted by Robert Benchley, the dramatic critic of the New Yorker. His great ability as an actor and his keen wit in writing found favor all over the country. Likewise, Pete Smith's short films were always a welcome part of the programs on thousands of screens. Mr. Smith's Romance of Radium was a minor masterpiece, and his Romance of the Peanut was another worthy offering.

Foreign Films Reviewed.

According to an article in The New York Times, there were 238 non-English-speaking pictures reviewed by that newspaper. Germany led the list with 64, Mexico being second with 34. France sent over 28, Hungary 25, and Russia and Italy each the same number, 14. From Poland came 10, from Sweden 8, from Vienna 11, from Ireland 5, and 2 each from Czechoslovakia and Greece. Australia and Finland were responsible for one each. One of the Russian pictures was Professor Mamlock, an anti-Nazi story that was well applauded in the newspapers.

Toward the end of the year, Samuel Goldwyn, whose motion pictures are among Hollywood's most opulent, engaged as one of the vice-presidents of Samuel Goldwyn Productions, James Roosevelt, son of the President of the United States, who had resigned the post of secretary to his father.