The Times (07/Nov/1928) - The Film World
(c) The Times (07/Nov/1928)
- keywords: Alfred Hitchcock, Blackmail (1929), British International Pictures, Charles Bennett, Donald Calthrop, John Longden
THE FILM WORLD.
"TALKING" PICTURES.
Many leading film artists already have "doubles" to save them from injury in perilous scenes, and it now seems likely that many others may have "voice-doubles" in order that they may be heard in "talking" pictures. This is possible, it is claimed, by the discovery of a device which will allow prominent screen artists with poor voices to make pictures that can be vocalized later by experienced stage players. At a meeting of the American Society of Motion Picture Engineers it was stated that this invention, if put into extensive operation by producers, would remove two of the greatest obstacles now in the path of the "talking" films. Besides allowing well-known artists with poor or untrained voices to be heard in "talking" films, it will permit the vocalization of American pictures in foreign languages, as in making pictures in foreign languages the American artists would be required to know only a smattering of the languages in order to go through the lip movements. Foreign actors serving as "doubles" would supply the correct accent. The principle of the new device is the perfect synchronization of the motion picture with a phonetic record prepared separately by the "voice-double.
...
Mr. Alfred Hitchcock's next production for the British International Pictures will be an adaptation of Mr. Charles Bennett's play Blackmail. The scenario is being written by Mr. Garnet Weston.
The screen rights of Mr. Max Reinhardt's play The Miracle have been secured by the First National Pictures Plans for the production of a film version of the play, with sound accompaniment, are now being developed. It is estimated that the picture will cost £500,000. The British Lion Film Corporation's screen version of Mr. Edgar Wallace's play The Flying Squad, which is being made at the Beaconsfield studios, will be released by Warner Brothers as a British "quota" picture. It is being directed by Mr. Arthur Maude, with Mr. John Longdon, Mr. Henry Vibart, Mr. Donald Calthrop, Mr. Wyndham Standing, and Miss Dorothy Bartlam in the cast.
