英語訳
**Right Page - Upper Frame**
(5) Weekly Denkican News No. 120
**Right Upper Section**
Domestic and Foreign News S-bo
From Across the Sea
○Allan Dwan has completed Associated Producers' comedy "The Perfect Crime" last month. It was adapted from a novel in The Saturday Evening Post (by Carl Clawson) and directed by Dwan.
○Houdini, who appeared in "The Man from Beyond," "Terror Island," and others, will establish his own company in New York for one million yen and produce four films per year.
○Shirley Mason, who appeared in "Treasure Island," will appear in the Fox film "The Lamplighter" under the direction of Howard Mitchell.
○Herbert Rawlinson will co-star with Ethel Clayton in the Paramount film "Rich."
○Colin Campbell is directing the film "The Swamp" starring Hayakawa Sessue. Sessue plays a Chinese gardener on the East Side of New York, with co-star Bessie Love, who appeared in Douglas Fairbanks' early films.
○Arbuckle, who completed the Paramount film "Crazy to Marry," is preparing to produce "Gasoline Gus" based on George Pattullo's original work.
○Henry King, who was under Henry B. Warner's direction, is now directing Pauline Frederick in an untitled project.
○The famous couple, the Fairbanks, will travel to Mexico City to commemorate their marriage after completing Pickford's fourth work. During their absence, preparations for their respective film shoots will be made so they can begin filming immediately upon their return.
**Right Middle Section**
Thomas Meighan's Noble Act
There's an interesting story about Thomas Meighan, who appeared in "Male and Female" and "The Three Romeos." Breaking his contract clause stating he would not appear in theaters as an individual, Paramount star Meighan arrived in New York from Los Angeles and performed at Liberty Theater in Youngstown. Diver (the theater manager) who invited him said he would provide a thousand dollars if Meighan performed at the theater. Meighan then agreed to perform on the condition that he would donate five hundred dollars to the Youngstown orphanage and the remaining five hundred dollars to the actors' fund. Do our country's actors have such spirit?
**Editorial Section**
Rambling Thoughts Under Cherry Blossoms Shuukei-sei
○S-bo's efforts are not in vain; the tension of the news increasingly rises. His cool and sincere attitude, standing aloof in the flower district of Roku-ku, inspires nothing but admiration. Shall I, with my foolish talent, write poor imitation prose?
○Shochiku's tyranny resembles that of the Seiyukai party. The lord of the hollyhock crest has transformed into a Roku-ku laborer. Such is the extremity of democracy. The bloodshot brawling of various companies is like a continuous action drama - how deplorable!
○By chance, D has a song of death, containing life's philosophy and touching the depths of love - truly reaching the heights of greatness. Americans who misunderstand that love exists in emotion, come and bow down!
○During the screening of "The Actress and the Soldier," there was a soldier behind me, which was distracting. This was a side effect of the title, but simple titles for ordinary content are one of the best forms of expression.
○The masterpiece "Salome" is about to be taste-tested again at Tameike. How much aesthetic sense do they possess? It's quite regrettable that we missed HD's pride, the great DeMille and the famous actress Swanson.
○The film adaptation of masterpieces is one of the important matters for the newborn pure film drama world. By presenting this, we can gradually give those pretentious ignorant people a sense of curiosity and wonder.
**Right Lower Section**
○Unless we attract society's interest in this way, the film industry cannot achieve greatness. Japan's film industry's world-wide success would also be an unexpected national development. Is there no one who thinks about this?
○We lately lament the scarcity of actors. While there are male actors with outstanding artistic talent, this is not so for women. Is this the curse of past stage drama? Japanese actresses are not true actors. How sad!
○The film adaptations of "The Forest Virgin" and "A Woman's Life" are perfect opportunities. Is the former Mary Pickford's domain? I imagine that if Tanizaki's "Hojoji Story" were given to Turner...
○Ah, the anguish of continuing the dark struggle against the poisonous flow is beyond imagination. Yet calmly and with a smile, they declare Nico-dai. How wonderful! Shall we make Sennett Girls our cherry blossom viewing sake? Ha ha!
**Incomplete Three-Line Editorial**
Golden Flower
○One of D's annual events, the traditional Nico-dai - is it a prank of the times that it has become a half-Zigomar style show? Yet what irony that it's packed to overflowing!
○C, envious of occupying the neighbor's advantage, prepares Nico-dai to oppose D. Only that spirit is admirable, but who will win? If D wins, it would be like Lloyd defeating Edgar, grasping the hegemony of the comedy world.
○In the distant capital of Naniwa, "The Mad Devil" suddenly appears. This could be called D's hidden disgrace. Eventually, it will be carried to D under the same method as "The Victor." Whose fault is it? I lament that D's power is not absolutely strong.
○I hear of the next "Salome" screening. How delightful! However, I worry whether D's orchestra, lacking its former vigor, can give musical value to this film with its current state. Fortunately, may there be reform and effort.
Thanks for Recent Fire Sympathy All of Denkikan
**Central Frame Section - Three Vertical Columns**
◇Ten-day magazine "Kinema Junpo" - Elegant and Beautiful - Price: 20 sen
Hongo Maruyama Shinmachi 4, Kurokame-sha Publishing
◇Monthly magazine "Katsudo Club" - Katsudo Club-sha Publishing, Phone: Shitaya 5070
(Price: 70 sen, Postal transfer Tokyo 44181)
Published April 14, Taisho 10 - Price: 3 sen per copy, postage: 2 sen
Publisher, Editor, and Printer: Morita Katsusuke
Asakusa Park Roku-ku No. 3-8 Denkikan-sha
Phone: Shitaya 3622・5777
**Left Page**
Fan Page
Anticipating Salome
Nojiko-sei
Many fans have been waiting with great interest and expectation for Theda Bara's Salome to finally appear on D's screen. This Salome seems to be a perfect key to resolving the recent heated debate about the pros and cons of the star system and the possibility of adapting famous scripts into film dramas. This is because author Wilde promised nothing intellectual, philosophical, or psychological for this play. He only demanded, as dramatic atmosphere, a bewitching musical poetic realm where word colors intersect. Film art, which is pitifully endowed with nothing regarding music, how can it express this bewitching musical poetic realm?
For the reasons mentioned above, if this script succeeds cinematically despite having no merit as a film drama, it would not be Wilde's Salome but entirely Bara's Salome. It must be Bara's complete creation. At the same time, it would provide solid backing for the true star system.
The screening day seems so far away.
This and That
Kato-nishiki
▼Lately there are fans with narrow minds who say that plots are gradually becoming scarce, and that since movies are purely cinematic, it's not good to adapt novels into films.
▼If we keep saying such things, we can hardly expect easy development of cinema. No, wouldn't it be more interesting if there were fewer? Like when Norma and Harris performed "Polly of the Storm Country," if various directors and actors did it, we could find faults and flaws, which would be good. Then, whether novels or detective stories, we should boldly adapt them all into films. Hesitation won't do. We should try as far as we can with all the effort we can muster.
▼The power of screenwriters who carry this through is what we should respect. Especially since Japan has few directors, shouldn't we adapt masterpiece novels one after another?
▼The reason we say "shinpa, shinpa" is because it's too theatrical. Yet Nikkatsu's third division still keeps actors who perform as if they're on stage. What do they intend?
▼Under such definition, the German expressionist photographs that came to Japan this time - though I can't tell without seeing them - don't seem very promising. Because each scene is a painting. No, because it's theater.
▼Both the star system and director system are chaotic, but from the standpoint of film drama creation, they're poor works. Once when I said "star-oriented equals poor works," someone got angry, but they're definitely poor works.
▼What's interesting is interesting, since it's entertainment-oriented. Whether stars, directors, or even another "narrator system"...
To Buster Keaton
Ushigome Seihōsei
Buster Keaton!
You must know that you, along with Al St. John, are the only supporting actor that Arbuckle comedies rely on as their right hand. And your bowler hat and baggy pants are your symbols and weapons that express all of your comedic acts. Furthermore, your physique, being so frail compared to Arbuckle's greatness, creates a perfect contrast and induces infinite comic flavor. Buster Keaton!
The essence of art is the supreme word that can only be expressed by depicting the vital points of all those arts in an extremely natural way. That is your artistic view. Therefore, since you are a so-called static performer who avoids buffoonish acting, even in the single action of falling down, there's no exaggeration whatsoever, and it's very light and clever! There, the comedic type is generously revealed, and we fully recognize your existence as a true comedy actor who transcends slapstick performers.
Buster Keaton!
I want you to truly be a person of Arbuckle comedy - no, I want you to understand this well. If you are driven by personal desires and ignore art, remember that today's fame will be dragged through the mud, and you must make efforts to bravely advance toward the ideal realm of art.
From the Editorial Room
S-bo
○We are soliciting contributions about "Salome." Any length is fine, 19 characters per line, deadline April 17. For issues 121 and later, the deadline is the 25th.
○We plan to publish the contributions we receive gradually over several issues.
○Mr. Akiyama Katsutsuji's manuscript has been moved to the next issue. Mr. Shurei Yumejin's arrived after the editorial deadline, so unfortunately we couldn't include it.
**Far Left Page**
Denkican News
No. 120.