Salt Lake Telegram | 1929-04-28 | Page 28 | The London Letter

THE LONDON LETTER By ARCH RODGERS I United Press staff a taff ff Correspondent I LONDON April 27 A i-A A black face jazz singer has upset one of ot the most carefully planned acts ever staged in England Eng It happens to tobe tobe tobe be an act of parliament The Tue singer Al Jolson certainly had no Intention intention listen listen- tion Lion of of ruining a parliamentary Plan when he made The Time Singing Fool 1001 but this was the talkie that wrecked the British film quota act and threw the l- l English silent studios stu stu- dios los into confusion Spring has come conic to England and the tho studios b be ba operating at top speed Unlike Hollywood the tIme English directors must make malte the best of the breaks in the weather for there are ale months of rain and fog when their activities arc are held to a minimum Under tho the quota act it was expected that British films would make about full length r rm a qu quality lIty of t the output tp i was sas in ing steadily and several important theatres were doing capacity bu business busi busl- l- l ness with all an British programs Spring and ani good film fins weather came to England but Tho The Singing Fool 1001 came Caine first J Olson's Olsons taIl talkie opened th the new Regal negal c cin a at Marble Arch one of tho the newest anti and most luxurious houses In iii London The Tue Regal Hegal was for fol weeks seeks amid and then AI Al and I Sonny Boy transferred to the Piccadilly and hung up another l' l rec record rec- rec c- c ord The Singing Fool will be seen b by 13 millions o oJ of English people before the present run in the provInces inces laces is completed In view of the t e unprecedented success of or this production production pro pro- and the tIme good tood business busness lone done by other talkies British film producers pro pro- ro- ro hesitated hesitate about continuing their silent program for 1920 1929 under tho the quota ct The act provides plo fOran for foran foran an annual increase of the tho percentage percent percent- age of or British films which must be bea a a. part of every program One British organization British and Foreign Films Ltd lists already announced that it will go all ail talkie atter its present silent films are completed Others are expected to follow rollow but their way say will not be clear leal until a successful British apParatus apparatus ap ap- ap- ap aratus for showing the talkies is 1 produced A American merican Int interests rests controlling controlling controlling con con- I trolling the talking apparatus In l England will ill show only films prod pro- pro d ced b by their own system This situation will become even more in interesting in- in if IC British producers go In heavily for Cor talkies for a talkie would come under the quota act and aid would have to bo be accepted b bythe by bythe the American owned theatres If no British silent films rums were sere available Local rs ls must reach a de decision de de'- cislon I quickly for unless the they take lake advantage e of the good ther tImer their theil o output this year ear will be much less les than that of 1928 Meanwhile 1 theatre the the- atre owners rl e e becoming iio mo p n. 1 dined to install talkie apparatus Al AJ Jolson and amid Sonn Sonny Boy caused all the trouble but they may be bethe bethe bethe the eventual salvation of the tho BritIsh British Brit Brit- ish lab film industry if British singing and amid talking vol voices es are as good on the films as the he lse critics claim the they will be